August 18 - August 24, 2013

At last, the little green tomatoes are turning red - it's the beginning of the cherry tomato explosion. 
There is an huge Black Walnut tree that overhangs our backyard. It is a home to a variety of living things and because of its great height, the birds like to twitter and sing away in its uppermost branches. It's a wonderful tree. Why the abrupt segue from tomato to tree? Anything from the Nightshade Family cannot grow with a Black Walnut, which means tomatoes etc. Hence, we have "the driveway garden". Pots are lined up along the driveway against the house - herbs, basil, tomatoes, basking in the afternoon sun. Num!
Here's another week of brooches.

I like receiving brooches out of the blue, for no reason. It's always thoughtful.
Now, wouldn't it be wonderful if sheep came in a rainbow of colours? 

Turquoise and silver - lovely combo. A nice substantial brooch.

Wore this pin today because tickets for FIFA 2014 are now on sale. A few years back a friend had a mitt-full of team pins - I chose this because I liked the colour and design. I like soccer but don't follow it - my husband is a big fan - his team is Barcelona because "they are a pleasure to watch". Translation - they play tres bene.

Here's the last of my tin pins that were made in Japan (as marked on wing). Haven't seen as many dragonflies flitting around the garden this year as previous. Hope for a bumper crop in 2014.

I found this pin amongst some funny jewellery my Mom gave me years ago. Don't know its providence, don't know if they are moonstones, but I love the soft moony glow anyway. I even like the unusual shape.

This is one of my favourite brooches. Such an elegant shape and the green tops of the onions are pliable and soft to the touch - love it!
Here's a little story. My husband's Mom grew up in Montreal. When she was nineteen or so, back in the late 1930s she was a hat model. She was taken out to lunch to some fancy restaurant with some execs, and she wanted to appear grownup and worldly, so for an hors d'oeuvre she ordered scallions, thinking she had ordered scallops. And of course, when the scallions came on a little plate, she ate them with great elan, never hinting of her mistake. 

I seem to have a barn-full of cat pins. This one is pleasing to the touch since it follows the contours of the kitty, and it's so true to the nature of cats. When I'm rug hooking, if there's any wool unprotected you'll either find a cat firmly ensconced on it or if it's a ball of fibre, it's wet since it has been mauled when I wasn't looking.