*in the peak of summer

Welcome to August! 

We are in the middle of another heatwave. I'm having fresh figs from the garden every morning for breakfast – I can hardly believe it! Even the blackberries are already ripe, and I've made ketchup from our first surplus tomatoes. I'm so grateful that our garden fountain still has enough water, because in many places they've already dried up. The first dahlias started blooming a while ago, and I made my first bouquet for the kitchen table. The earwigs have been nibbling at the edges of the petals, though, so the blooms aren't as big as they should be, but they are still so beautiful!

☙

*Healing with nature in the warm summer winds

{Music: Is as – Goldmund + Mum – Akira Kosemura + Fields of Daisies – Brian Stiroh + Travelling – Goldmund}

Wandering through the warm summer winds,

a parcel from Olivia,

crocheting another elephant,

garden moments &

visiting my little oak forest.

☙

*bat lady

On the weekend, I rescued this little bat lady from drowning and cared for her until I found someone with experience caring for bats. I had never been able to observe a living bat so closely before. I gave her lukewarm water with a small brush, and after a while she even started eating fresh moths. The vet gave her an infusion, and for a while it looked as though she was going to make it. But then the vet discovered tiny puncture wounds on her belly from a bird's claws. They had perforated her intestines, so she sadly had to be put to sleep. It seems to be quite common for bats to be attacked by birds while they are drinking.

Rest in peace little friend.

☙

*Like a dead bumblebee

Wie eine tote Hummel

liege ich auf der heißen Straße.

Meine Augen sind geschlossen,

und ich lausche.

Eine Unendlichkeit an Wolken

zieht an mir vorüber.

Ich blinzle 

und halte mir die Ohren zu.

Auf einmal bin ich zweieinhalb Jahre alt

und am Strand.

Ich sammle Zigarettenstummel.

Manche haben rote Enden.

Ich trenne die Tabakreste von den Filtern,

und ihr Geruch fühlt sich fremd

und zugleich wie Zuhause an.

Die Hände meines Vaters.

Das Kreischen eines Starenschwarmes

holt mich zurück ins Hier und Jetzt.

Ich bewege kurz meine Finger.

Sie schmerzen.

Wenn ich nicht raus ins Leben kann,

wird es zu mir kommen und mich hier finden?

Oder fegt es über mich hinweg,

wie die Stare über mir?

{Claudia Voglhuber}

∼

Like a dead bumblebee,

I lie on the scorching road.

My eyes are closed,

and I listen.

An eternity of clouds

drifts past me.

I blink

and cover my ears.

Suddenly I am two and a half years old,

standing on the beach.

I collect cigarette butts.

Some have red tips.

I separate the tobacco
from the filters,

and their smell feels strange,

yet somehow like home.

My father's hands.

The screeching of a flock of starlings

pulls me back to the here and now.

I briefly move my fingers.

They ache.

If I cannot step out into life,

will it come to me and find me here?

Or will it sweep right over me,

like the starlings above?

{Claudia Voglhuber}

☙

*Arkady the elephant

Close-ups of the little crochet elephant I made. I've already started making him a friend in a different color. It was really a fun and easy project! I found the pattern here ➔ {click}

☙

*Letting the soul unwind in the heart of summer & a little crochet project

{Music: Pulme – Matteo de Grandis + Morning Dance – Amine Ayad + Dreamlike Ride – Nicholas Bamberger}

Finally, I managed to turn the dress that had been hanging unused in my closet for the past two years because it was too big for me into a skirt, and I'm really happy with how it turned out.

I also started a new needlework journal to save all my new projects for the coming months.

One project had been on my list for a long time, and it was nice to take up my crochet hook again and crochet along.

I made three tentative attempts to leave the house. The first one was unsuccessful. On the second, I walked a few hundred meters to visit a small sunflower field, and on the third, I went to the swing beneath the large willow tree, where I spent some time just sitting and letting my soul unwind. It may not seem like much, but for me, it was a big thing, and it felt so good.

☙

*summery paintings

More summery watercolor paintings from the past few months.

I do not feel very communicative these days, but there is always something visual to share from my little world.

Yesterday, after another difficult day with so much pressure in my head and nerve pain, I sat on the terrace with a hedgehog before bed, and for a while we simply shared the quiet.

☙

*July happy list

Things that made me happy lately:

• your solace & your gentle hands

• finding a zebrina detrita (Märzenschnecke)

• starting a little crochet project

• finding a lovely meadow with a beautiful walnut tree

• eating lots of watermelon

• reading in the warm summer wind

• wonderful news from a dear friend

• loading my camera with a black & white film

(it is two years ago since last time)

• surprise mail

• glowworms

☙

*Calm summer days, painting shells & making jam

{Music: Neverending fields – Gideon Matthew + Nocturne – Gideon Matthew}

Due to my health condition, my freedom of movement has been very limited again in recent weeks. The heatwave certainly hasn't helped. Nevertheless, I've managed to pick up a paintbrush now and then and soak up the joys of the garden and nature. When I have trouble leaving the house, I at least take a few steps to the wild grasses in the little field behind our house. I'm so grateful for this place. I sit for a while and watch the butterflies, the swaying golden grasses and wildflowers, and the swallows flying just overhead.

☙

*summer

Summer 

Wide fields embroidered with wild chamomile and cornflowers,

gathering herbs in the heart of the evening sun,

giant white poppies fluttering in the hot winds,

my shadow, a sign that I am still here.

☙

*snails and other happy creatures

I just realized that I haven't shared another batch of paintings with you here yet. I'm totally in love with the little snail painting I made. Every time I look at it, it makes me smile. It reminds me how the smallest, simplest things can have such a big impact on one's mood. I hope you're enjoying your summer days. Over here, I'm trying to save most of my energy for watering the plants, and whenever I'm feeling a little better, I try to do things that fill my heart with joy. It helps me cope with the situation a little better. Take good care of yourself & until soon again!

☙

*Garden days in June & making St. John's wort oil

{Music: Between – Gideon Matthew  + Flying – Gideon Matthew}

Collecting flowers,

making St. John's wort oil,

tending the garden beds,

lots of poppies,

tea time &

the first blooming zinnias.

St. John’s Wort Oil

Collect fresh blossoms on a sunny day and let them wilt slightly for half a day. Place the flowers into a clean glass jar and press them down with a wooden spoon. Then pour a good-quality oil (olive oil or almond oil) over them until fully covered. Cover the jar with a light cloth and let it “breathe” for 3 to 4 days. After that, seal the jar properly and let it sit for 4 to 6 weeks in a bright place, but not in direct sunlight. Shake it regularly. After 4 to 6 weeks, strain the oil and pour it into a bottle.

The most important areas of application of St. John’s wort oil:

• dry and sensitive skin

• neurodermatitis and skin inflammation

• mood enhancement

• acne and acne scars

• wounds and scars

• insect bites

• burns

• soothes the skin after sunburn

• joint pain, muscle soreness, and muscle tension

☙

*slow days in June

Because of a new reactivation of borreliosis, June turned out to be another slow and rather difficult month. But with us being in the middle of a heat wave, things would have slowed down away. So all we can do is to cope with the 37°C temperatures in the shade and make the best of it.

Before I got sick again, I managed to preserve a lot of cherries and berries. We had so many strawberries from our garden this year that I was even able to make strawberry jam. It has been years since I last made strawberry jam and back then it wasn't even with strawberries from our garden. That makes this year's jam feel like an extra special treat.

Due to the circumstances, I took a month-long break from filming, but the little patch of St. John's wort behind the greenhouse made me pick up my camera again and film a little. I hope you are able to cope with this intense summer heat and manage to get out to a lovely river to wade barefoot in the water! I'm daydreaming about this right now!

☙

*the sun

The sun breaks through the dense foliage.

I catch a glimpse of the mountains

while I hold your hand in pain.

Summer has not even started,

yet it already weighs heavy on my chest.

Like a snail crossing a street,

I have to trust

that I will safely reach the other side.

{Claudia Voglhuber}

☙

*Into early summer with all senses

{Music: Hullabaloo – Emy May Ellis + Lull – Matteo de Grandis}

Early summer light,

collecting fresh herbs,

tending the garden,

nature sounds

and bare feet.

☙

*Kitty bonnet #2

Here is the second kitty bonnet I knitted last month using some leftover wool I still had in my yarn stash. At first, I was a little unsure about the color combination, but the longer I look at it, the more I like it. The pattern is once again from @rhirhi.knits.

☙