Sunday Substack, Summerwise 26.3

A Miscellany of Summer Activities, Observations, an OOTD, a Book Recommendation . . .

The first of August finds our guest room empty after two weeks enjoying the teen granddaughter’s company. But we’ve exchanged one canine guest for another, so we’re (by which “we’re” I actually mean “he’s”) still walking a dog three or four times a day and making sure we’re home in time to fill a dish at doggy supper-time.

And it continues to be a funny old summer in Vancouver, weather-wise. We can’t seem to maintain a steady rhythm of sunny days, yet all around us — outside a perimeter of perhaps 50 kilometres, wildfires rage, threatening communities, destroying swathes of them. So we hush any complaints about water that’s not quite warm enough for swimming, and unseasonal wind that discourages paddling; we pack a small umbrella just in case, and we take care to appreciate what’s happening in the pots out on our terrace and the small but luxurious estival phenomena around us.

Such as,

In the Garden — Sweet Peas!

I’d given up on growing these, but Paul planted a few seeds in a pot on the front balcony, because he knows how much I love to bring a scented bloom inside. . .

And long after the first vases showed up all over Instagram — each filled with thick bouquets of sweet pea blossoms in all the candy colours — this little stem finally delivered. It’s since been replaced by two more stems sporting a few more colours, and as much as I’d love to be bringing in handfuls of the flowers every other day, I’m delighted with even this restrained harvest. (Also, secretly hoping the profuse blooms of the nearby jasmine and geraniums might inspire just a bit more Oomph. C’mon, Sweet Peas!)

and In Other Gardens,

Speaking of profusion . . .

Look at the bees working this Echinops in a neighbourhood community garden. . .

I stopped to watch them on a walk a few nights ago. When I circled back half an hour later, a man about my age was doing the same thing, apparently mesmerized. We chatted a bit about the bees, the neighbourhood, the weather. So that besides doing their work of collecting nectar and pollinating plants, the bees facilitated a tiny moment of connection between humans in the community. Endorphin-dispensers, if you will . . .

(Post-script: last night, in the wee hours — 4-ish? — fire engines rushed to the old house next to the one you see to the right in the video just above).

Summer Knitting

I doubled down on finishing this sweater, so that I can wear the pastel stripes in the summery cotton-wool blend while it’s still Summer! We’ll have some days in the low 20s this week, so a light sweater will be welcome mornings and evenings.

Knitters can imagine how many zillion ends I had to weave in for all those 4-row stripes. . . . I was motivated enough to work steadily at the task last week and finally knit the neck band yesterday, bound it off this morning, then soaked and blocked it.

It’s on the drying rack now and I hope to be able to wear it in the next few days. . .

Summer Walking Destinations

I savour my solo walking time whether I’m paying close attention to what’s around me; or daydreaming; or working out a problem; or trying to improve my language skills by listening to an Italian or French podcast. So there have been a few neighbourhood walks this week with our visiting dog, Izzy, and my usual solo walks on comfortably predictable routes.

But walking with a friend is a different kind of treat. Last week, a friend and I walked to a cinema and then to a new Happy Hour venue to compare responses. Almost seven kilometres by the time I got back, the steps adding up almost without my noticing.

The film, you ask? Olivia Wilde’s The Invite, featuring Wilde herself (director and actor!), Penelope Cruz, Seth Rogen, and Edward Norton. Flirts with the theme of sex parties, couple-swapping, but it’s really an examination of marriage, and individual responsibility for one’s happiness. The acting is as good as you would expect from this crew (and what a pleasure to see Edward Norton again — not sure what I haven’t been watching, but it’s been a while!).

Back to the week’s solo walking — I do get out of the neighbourhood regularly. On Friday, for example, my destination was the Central Branch of our Vancouver Public Library system. Besides wanting to borrow a few travel memoirs from those shelves, I thought I should finally check out the Rooftop Garden there.

After all, we’ve been living in the city for ten years now, not even three kilometres away and I’ve visited the very cool, Moshe Safdie-designed, Colosseum-evoking building often. But the rooftop garden, designed by renowned landscape architect Cornelia Oberlander, has been open since the fall of 2018, and I’ve been meaning to get there for almost that long.

Next time, I think I’ll bring a picnic lunch and a book. Maybe even my husband ;-). A thermos or two of tea . . . A sketchbook would also be a good idea. Such a sweet oasis in the middle of the city.

And then just inside (if it starts raining on the rooftop, for example!) . . .

this gorgeous space with a beautiful piece of art hung under the glass dome. . .

Adrift, the hanging sculpture — made of cast stainless steel and translucent cast resin— is by artists Rebecca Belmore and Osvaldo Yero

You can read more about Adrift here.

And while we’re on the subject of libraries, I borrowed this book a few weeks ago, and I recommend it highly. I’ll tell you more later (currently trying to finish a catch-up Book post), but in the meantime, get yourself on the Hold/Reserve list at your public library. Or splurge for your own copy, print or digital.

I’m getting Substack’s “Near email length limit” warning at the top of my screen. Besides that, I’m writing this Saturday evening at 9:30 and that’s very close to my bedtime.

But before I close, I have to share a What I Wore photo, a new dress with old-er sandals that I wore to dinner with . . .

my newly-minted 75-year-old.

Don’t ask why I got a new dress when it was his birthday, but I will say that I love it enough that I’m sure I’ll be wearing it on my 75th (not a big commitment, actually, since that’s only two years away ;-) Better to aim for wearing it on my 80th!

Finally, a Summer sketch. I started my day watching these crows on the electrical wires just outside the window. When it seemed they might stay for a while, first two, then a third, I grabbed my Lamy and my sketchbook and started scribbling their shapes and movements, mostly looking at the birds rather than at my pen on the page.

‘Cause for me, it’s really about the looking. Slowing down and looking.

And that’s a wrap for the week. Not as cohesive a post as I aspire to, but the week wasn’t especially cohesive either!

So it’s over to you now. What kind of a week did you have? Summer (or Winter for the southern-hemisphere readers) activities, observations, recommendations? Comments welcome as are Hearts (they’re so encouraging), Shares or Restacks.

xo,

f