May 2022 – Karla's Cottage

Florida Friends

family, Travel

By Karla Nathan / May 29, 2022

As we always do, we had a good time on our Florida Sister Trip.

We tend to meet interesting friends along the way.

We are people who stop the car to make use of the delightful props the state of Florida provides for us.

And this spot in St Pete next door to an antique mall was full of opportunities to mingle with the local critters.

We also gravitate toward parking lot signage.

By the look on this mermaid’s face, I’m not sure if she enjoyed meeting us as much as we did meeting her.

The ice cream store mermaids at John’s Pass are always happy to have us visit, though.

But I think my favorite new buddy is the 20’ tall flamingo at the Tampa airport.

A redo at Juju

antiques/junking, friends, Good JuJu, redos

By Karla Nathan / May 25, 2022

I have been busy. Way busy.

My upstairs spot at Good Juju was not quite the right fit for me. Plus, my friends were downstairs and I wanted to be near them. Beth offered to share, but I am not ready for a big space, so she offered me a sixth of her big area and that was just ideal! And she let me do some remodeling while she was on vacation.

She also got some solid walls added. Our friend, Sam, covered bare 2x4s with paneling so I could paint them, and I used some of the leftover colors to paint the back of this display too.

The new walls are neutral shades of blue, green and grey. On the back wall, to cover an old garage door, we hung a 9×12 canvas and way up high, added some homemade grapevine wreaths. I covered the table this hutch sits on with a burlap skirt and added a strip cut from a lace curtain across it so the bright light bulbs don’t bother anyone’s eyes with their glare.

Beth also offered to share this spot, it is her craft supply corner, and I added a few tidbits to the display after setting it up.

Here is Sam, hard at work, making the walls. They really add a lot to the area.

Here is a before, or I guess, a during shot. With Sam building wall to the right, and my darling husband building a shelf/porch awning for my wall to the left.

In the back, you can see the before of the garage door wall.

This is a close up. It looks a little sad here, but Beth is so good with displaying her great finds, that honestly, you didn’t even notice it before. Still, I’m pretty happy with the streamlined look that the canvas drop cloth gave the room. It was $10, and simply nailed to the wall above the garage door windows. But, it let light shine in weirdly. So I had to go behind it and nail cardboard over the panes of glass.

Here it is with fresh paint, back wall covered, wreaths in place, and a picket fence hung from the ceiling to cover some grids.

The wreaths are huge! Sugarwings and Rich pulled the vines down from trees in our woods, and we wrangled them into shape together. It was harder to do than you’d think, you really need to man handle those thick vines to convince them they want to be in a circle.

After the thickest pieces were twisted into each other, we secured them with a bit of wire. Then, I started weaving smaller pieces in and out to fill in. I don’t know if you can tell just how big these (very heavy) guys are, but the largest is about 4’tall.

Here is another in progress photo, before the wreaths and picket fence. My wall is gray.

And I am sooooo happy with how it turned out! The porch columns give it a sense of structure, so I feel like I have a real spot of my own, not just a wall. And the door on the front will give me space to hang jewelry that I have made.

And the shelf!!!

So much can fit onto that wonderful shelf! If you don’t have much square footage, go UP. Use the air space, right?

Here is a cleaned, but not finished pic of the spot. Beth and I were going to work on it after her trip, but she got sick. So Angie, our delightful neighbor, helped move furniture with me, and I rearranged things as much as I could. Beth will bring in more before the sale and add to it quite a bit.

I had told myself that I wouldn’t set up too much of her area, but hey- that’s the fun part!

So, I am guilty of doing a few displays… with the knowledge that she will probably remake them when she comes back. But on the other hand, this way, she doesn’t have any pressure to come in if she isn’t up to it. It’s okay as is, if she needs more time.

My wall needs more work, there are changes I want to make. I’ve kept a black tub underneath the table for storage, and the lace on it stands out to much. I need a plain, dark cloth over it so it disappears. And I probably have too much hanging from the shelf. It went from full to cluttered.

For now, I’m headed to Florida for a rare, springtime sister trip. My plan is to rest my poor head and recover from this concussion. My doctor says I have been over doing it and while I hate to admit that, I agree. I have felt awful throughout this whole escapade and look forward to a quiet week with dark glasses on to rest up.

Two years now

Music, Ryan

By Karla Nathan / May 23, 2022

Here is a song I wrote for Ryan, with Music by Matt Pryor. Beth made the slide show.

Morels!

Food and Drink

By Karla Nathan / May 20, 2022

Mushrooms are not my fave. That said, I do love a tasty morel! Maybe it is the fleeting time frame, and treasure hunt aspect of them that make them so special. Well, that part is fun, but I think it’s probably the crispy, salty crunch of the fried batter on them.

My husband not only adores mushrooms, even more so, morels- he was hooked on the treasure hunt and spent days out in the woods with his dogs searching. I only went once, and that is the day that I got this horrid concussion that is still bothering me weeks later.

And no, I didn’t find a single morel, either. Plus, we lost Sugar’s Itag, and you’d think it would be easy to find, since that is what it’s made for, right?

Well, my phone took me directly to the point along the river where it was pulled off of her collar in the brush. But that was in the middle of a big deadfall we tried, but couldn’t get through. After trudging five miles through the woods after my head getting clunked into by a full speed doodle’s head who had ran towards me as I bent to tie my shoe, I decided I was ready to walk away from that itag.

While dealing with the delay of trying to get my wits about me after Sugar smacked my noggin, another hunter made it to the secret spot we were heading toward and when we got there, his bag was full of the mushrooms we’d gone there to find. So, not exactly our day.

Luckily, Rich was relentless in his hunt, and came home with enough for a few good meals, multiple times.

He even found more than we had time to eat while they were fresh, so we have tried freezing some. First step after soaking and cleaning was to cut them in half.

Next, an egg dip and drudge into seasoned flour. Then we spread them out on a cookie sheet to freeze, and layered with parchment paper in freezer bags after.

We ended up with two gallon bags in the freezer, and high hopes that the experiment worked and they will be delicious when we fry them up.

A walk to see the horses

dogs, friends

By Karla Nathan / May 17, 2022

While our neighbors were out of town, we kept an eye on their five horses.

It was a pleasant walk down the road to visit, so we thought we’d take the doodles. And yes, the dogs LOVED going there.

Too much so.

Molly will not be invited to go back with us, after coming home green and smelly. I didn’t care for having her on a leash to get home.

Along the way, we found this little guy in the highway. Now he has been placed safely up by the pond.

We have come across turtles in the road a lot, but never a tiny baby before. I guess they are just so little they are easy to miss.

This memorial for Dusty was in the flowerbed of our friend’s home. He was such a sweet horse. And his mama had lived with us for years in our old barn, so I kinda felt like I was his god mother, or an auntie of some kind. He was such a mild mannered, good guy, that he was always a star in all of the local parades and Santa rode him for the holiday parade.

Dusty will be missed.

New in the studio

cottage, Hens, studio tour

By Karla Nathan / May 14, 2022

Did I mention our new peeps?

They arrived on the day before Easter, and it was right after I got whacked in the head, so I was resting and still in bed.

Rich walked in with a box shaped like the kind Duncan Donut uses and I thought he was bringing me breakfast in bed since I wasn’t feeling so hot, quite a surprise!

But these were an even better surprise. They named after donuts because of my first impression of them.

Eclair

Glazey

Cruller

Blueberry

Long Jane (I guess I could’ve named a hen John, but thought this was cute, I just call her Janey)

Maple

We enjoyed the new peeps so much we promptly bought six more, this time “Olive Eggers.”

Here is a more recent photo, they are starting to feather out and learn to fly. We put a grate over then pen to keep them in. While I do not mind sharing my studio with them, to keep them warm, I don’t particularly like the idea of them having free range of it.

They have the sweetest songs as the peep and tweet all day. It’s been such a relaxing sound to have in the background as I work. I will miss them when they go to live in the coop with the big girls.

Another redo for Ryan’s apartment

cottage, family, redos, Ryan

By Karla Nathan / May 11, 2022

For Ryan’s 40th birthday, he wanted his apartment fixed up. He chose the paint colors and flooring, we got light fixtures and ripped out his bathroom to replace the shower, toilet and sink.

There had been a kitchenette that he never used in the living room, so we pulled it out and covered up the plumbing hook ups.

After he died, we switched it up a little, and purchased a new bed, but mostly left it as it was. We just enhanced it and made it more fitting for a guest to stay in.

Then for various reasons, it was occupied by family members all between leases and waiting to move to their new places.

As they brought their belongings in and out, Ryan’s things got shifted and resettled, we gave his couch away to make space, finally took some things to goodwill, sent his gaming systems to others who might use them, and well, it just didn’t feel the same afterwards.
We used to go in there sometimes to feel close to him, and no longer could do that.

Now that it is empty again, I wanted to honor Ryan by using some things he cared about, but make the room even more functional as a guest room. Also, I got a new sofa in my own living room, and to save money, took my old one up to the apartment.

It’s a very different style than the previous couch. But I think it still works in the room.

Amazon had a stretchy, seat cushion cover that warmed up the white on white look, and I found some great pillow covers there too. And ticking striped curtains! I really liked those, and since the other ones had been attacked by kitties and had to go I had a good reason to splurge.

Hopefully, these additions make the couch less foofy/girly than it was when I had it covered in floral pillows for the last 15 years while using it in the cottage.

His coffee table needed the top repainted and I went with gray, but then didn’t like that with his Black and Tan rug, so I got this runner to tie in the colors better.

People were so generous with floral arrangements after he died. I’ve saved each vase and have been covering them in mosaic glass.

And while this sounds pretty silly when I tell you about it, it’s very meaningful to me. Ryan was always the first one up after every meal, clearing dishes, scraping the glass cook top with a razor and wiping out the microwave. He also used to hang out and chat while I did pour paintings, even though he didn’t make any himself (I wish I’d pushed him to try!)

So here is the silly part.

When our microwave needed replacing, I saved the glass tray, primed it, and made it into a painting. It is now a tray in his room.

Half of his space was set up as a home gym, which we took down because my husband already has a workout space in his office. To honor Ryan’s dedication and in apology to him for taking out the gym, I placed this stone that says “strength” on the microwave tray.

Its all just symbols, Those little things were not here when he was here. But they are chocked full of meaning to me, none the less.

Same with these two pictures. They were not his, but they remind me of Malarkey, the red bird that drove Ryan bananas by dive bombing the windows. That bird was a regular part of our conversations and Ry went back and forth between laughing about him and hating him.

I hung the vintage prints so the story will be a part of this room.

The area that held the gym, now has a table and chairs.

They also, have nothing to do with my son. But I painted them in the colors he chose when we redecorated the room on his birthday.

His guitar hangs on the wall. It has a pretty, mother of pearl inlay and he loved it.

There are so many changes to his space.

Just like there are so many other changes since he died. Things do continue to go on and to morph, don’t they? But the memories are there and the love is forever. While this room no longer looks like it did when he lived in it, to me, his light will always live on in there.

A poem for Ryan

Ryan

By Karla Nathan / May 8, 2022

Almost two years without our Ry.

With his hidden strength beneath kind eyes

That had seen cruelty

But instead looked for peace.

He had to change his reality

To put his mind at ease.

A lifetime of struggle a lifetime of change

A hurt boy, a hurt soul, a new man, a new day.

Carefully controlling the fears to keep them at bay

Growing into his laughter, his comfort, his space

Learning to allow himself joy in a limited way.

It’s been too long without our Ry.

With his heart so weak, but true.

In his youth they saw that he was shy

But didn’t know he was deep

There was more to him than many knew

The unfairness, the waste, makes me weep

Has it been forever without our Ry?

It seems he was just here with me.

I still see his flashing smile as days go by

And I roam where we walked endlessly.

We could talk about nothing

As we talked of everything effortlessly.

There was more to him than he ever knew

The unfairness and loss makes me weep.

His kindness, his humor, his handsomeness too

Were all beyond where his thoughts could leap.

With torment and doubt clouding his mind

He worked, and he tried, he strived and he cried.

Did he ever feel that people could see

The man he became, the one so kind?

It’s been too long without our Ry.

Without his “I Love You” and a kiss on my head

A quiet smile when he said “hi”

And his warm, loving hugs would begin

The dog’s tiny paws would dance

After work when she heard his car pull in

Almost two years without our Ry

The pain and the loss makes me weep.

No, it’s not easier as days slip by

This is a suffering I’ll keep.

Good Juju

antiques/junking, Good JuJu

By Karla Nathan / May 6, 2022

I’ve been so busy getting ready for my first First Friday at the West Bottoms.

Lots and lots of painting!

And jewelry making.

And sorting, tagging, cleaning, marking tending, wrapping, and more.

My decision to set up there was kind of spur of the moment, and I was not prepared, so had to go into overdrive to get it done.

Because of my concussion, it has been rough. One day was about ten hours of tiny, little price tags.

Yes,TEN HOURS.

By the end of it I was a wreck, too much time of using my eyes for up close work.

All of it is stuff I love to do, but I have to admit, that it was a struggle and wasn’t as enjoyable as it should’ve been. If I’d known that the confusion, eye strain, and headaches would linger like they have, I probably would’ve skipped this month.

I really am excited to be there and honored to get a spot. It’s a great venue.

I am just not myself right now. I’m a pretty sad, sore, tired version of me. Which is too bad because this endeavor is a major change in my life and I am not experiencing it to its fullest, instead, I am just coping and trying to get through it.

Come by and visit if you can. I could use a smile from a friend!

Actually the place is full of nice people, old friends, and new buddies. This is Beth’s booth.

As is this.

And Angie’s.

And these deliciously scented strawberry sundaes are made by Lily, next door to Beth.

I know I am going to love it there once things get back to normal. And for now, I am just going to do my best to get through it, then go home and nap.
Ugh, I’m tired of feeling bad.

A home for my altered violin

cottage

By Karla Nathan / May 3, 2022

When Guncle Randy and I made our violin art in Florida, I really wasn’t sure where I would use mine.

Then, when I got my new couch and was moving things around, I found that it fits just right above it.

Randy had a violin ticked into the circle of a boxwood wreath. I am considering doing that with it too. I think it would look good displayed that way here.

The couch is made with washable slipcovers! It’s from Pottery Barn, and is long enough to nap on. My living area isn’t very big, so it took a while to find a sofa that fit the space but still was lengthy. The trick was in finding one with narrower arms.

The washability was another important need. Four dogs and a grand fairy who believe that there are very few valid reasons to ever get off of a comfy sofa mean that needed something durable.