DRAWING - ME ????

There was a little talk in blogger land about playing.  We should never forget and neglect to play - just play without any further purpose and at any age. So Clare's favorite plaything is to draw and she talked about practicing. Talk about drawing always gives me a pinch in my heart. You see, because I cannot draw. I never could. I never did. I don't remember me drawing as a child. It was never encouraged. 

But I always so much wanted to know how to draw. So many (many many) years ago I took a drawing class. It was a disaster for me. They started with shading, still lifes of fruit and stuff like that, while I scarcely could draw a straight line. That instructor did not much care about me. She could see that I am not talented. A year ago I got a spark of braveness, and payed for an online class in drawing - but then I was so scared, I never entered the class. And the teacher never asked and never contacted me. No encouragement here either. So when I wrote a comment in Clare's post about practicing drawing, saying that I couldn't, she laughed at me and said: "Nonsense, everyone can draw!" This I still do not believe, but I started to think maybe, maybe...

Some years ago I got this nice little book with blank hand made paper pages from one of my granddaughters as a birthday present, and we have plenty of drawing material here in the house to use for my grandchildren at their visits. Especially the twins (who are now almost 18 years old already) drew all the time - I have folders and folders of their pictures. So I took all the colored pencils and crayons and markers and this little journal and set me up a "drawing studio" in our sons former room.

The first time in my life I listened to the right side of my brain and sat down without fear and without listening to the disturbing and discouraging other side, and did some drawing - and it was really fun - and I will go on and cover all the pages - because I think it actually looks nice and it was joyful to do!
I still think I cannot draw - I will never know how to draw a cat, or a horse, or a building in the right perspective. But the fear is gone and I draw what I can do and I fill my drawings with colors. Yes, that I will do! :-)

Very naive and simple, but MINE!

You want to know what is in my tea glass? Sage, verbena, lemon grass, pelargonium - so tasty!
Ahhhh, and thank you Clare! :-) 

You can click on the photos to enlarge them.

BAGS BAGS BAGS - OF MY BLOGGER FRIENDS

Many of my blogger friends create bags. I am often amazed on how the style and design of each one is different from the others, but how their bags are all useful, practical, masterly executed, and very beautiful.

Wanda from California USA, and Clare from South Africa, are mainly wonderful painters, but they will make a bag occasionally in their charming special ways.


Wanda

Clare

Lori, from Georgia USA, is a bag maker using mostly recycled leather, which she combines with other materials. Her bags and pouches are sometimes decorated with simple rustic applications, often depicting flowers. But she is equally talented in drawing, lettering and painting, I so do admire her sketch books, I love her preciseness.

Lori

Hilde from Norway, oh she is such a versatile person, she does so many things, like gardening, manufacturing soap and potions, and dyeing yarn with natural materials. Then she uses it, knitting and crocheting hats, mittens, socks, pillows, blankets, and bags. She loves granny squares.

Hilde

Damjana, her homeland is Slovenia, currently she lives in France, she has two small sweet children. I follow her blog for a long time. She really has her own style of very pretty bags and pouches, and she likes to try new combinations. I am very fond of her key chains of sweet little embroidered houses.

Damjana

Elisa from Florida USA, is a very professional bag maker. She uses high quality fabrics, like for example handwoven Harris Tweed wool from Scotland. Her trademark are the white or light colored animal and flower appliques on her bags, wristlets and clutches. I need to mention her beloved kitty Anni, she is such a dear cat.

Elisa

Mary is from California USA, and she makes everything. Look at all the whimsical animals, flowers and hearts in her delightful blog. Once in a while she will make a pretty little colorful bag, like this one, out of whatever she has on hand.

Mary

And then there are Lisa from Washington USA, and Dawn, my American friend, living in Germany. Their bags are bohemian, full of vintage fabric, of lace and beads and buttons, and dreams. Their materials are similar, their style is unique.

Dawn

Lisa

All of them are wonderful lovely women, and they are designers, constructors, creators, sewers, crocheters and knitters of bags, pouches, clutches and wristlets, done with soul and heart and passion. Oh no, they are not confined to those, visit their blogs and you will find out...

The photos of the bags are original and copyrighted by their owners.

OUR DOWNSTAIRS GARDEN

We tried to design our gardens with most of the plants true to the Mediterranean climate and ambient. Especially in the lower main garden. It is modest really, nothing fancy there. We have olive trees, a fig tree, a pistacia tree, a big lemon tree, and pomegranate trees. The lemon tree is so fertile, we have plenty of  lemons to give away, and to make limoncello each year. 

There are a lot of herbs growing, like rosemary, sage, hyssop, mint, as well as pelargonium, lemon verbena and lemon grass, with the lovely lemon scent. All the herbs are perfect for tea and cooking. The huge prickly pear grew from only one leaf that my husband planted ten years ago, its flowers are very pretty.
We have several oleanders and beautiful lavender shrubs, competing with their sweet fragrance. The white and pink cistus bushes are bursting with color. In the upper garden passiflora and feijoa are very generous with fruit each year and we make feijoa jam. Four years ago we planted a date palm there too, we hope to have dates in the near future.

Our two gardens are quite easy to maintain and do not cause too much work, nevertheless we need the help of a gardener once a month, mainly for mowing the grass, weeding, and cleanup. Since it is so hot here for two thirds of the year, we have an irrigation system for monitored watering.

The olive trees are blooming right now and the olives can be seen forming.

All photos taken by Uri Eshkar.