Do Cicadas Eat Peonies? : Daily Watercolor Practice
Couch Talk
It’s finally here!! I have been dreaming of this week ALL year! Wednesday (2 days) my children are officially finished school for the year. Mentally, I was at this week back in March and now that I look back, I realize it was a ways away. It was such a difficult year transitioning to a different learning method as well as a different environment but my boys rocked it and they both completed the year with straight A’s despite the bumps along the way. But man was it was hard! I am not a teacher but the amount of teaching I had to do gave me respect for all those that call teaching their profession.
Aren’t these Peonies beautiful! My friend gifted them to me as well as a sweet memory that went along with them. Her mother and Grandmother (who passed 2 years ago), planted these at her house 17 (?) years ago. This year they exploded with blooms, so many blooms that she was sharing them. With her Grand gone, she thinks about her every time they bloom. I just love that these sweet ladies took the time to plant these for her SO many years ago.
Since I live in North America, we are currently experiencing massive swarms of cicadas. They have been in the ground for 17 years and have emerged through small holes. They leave their skins everywhere and then land on the trees to dry their wings out. The mass of shed skins look nasty under the trees and there are so many clustered together that you can barely see the tree trunk. We live on a ridge and the sounds is deafening as it can be heard from inside our house with the doors and windows closed. Having a conversation outside is difficult as one has to yell to be heard above the noise. I for one will be happy when they are gone. I don’t think that they are good for anything other than being a bother.
If you want to hear what they sound like, watch this short video. I tried to insert the video but it is not working so this will take you to Youtube. And no, I won’t eat the tacos: Cicada Tacos Are a Snack You Can Only Get Every 17 Years – YouTube
Baking
Last week I made Gluten-Free Hostess Cupcakes, Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Gluten-Free Pasta Salad for our family memorial day picnic but forgot to take pictures. By the time I remembered it was all gone.
This week I made regular sourdough bread.
Williams and Sonoma Peach Streusel Coffee Cake This is my go-to recipe when we have an event, guests or just need a simple and delicious treat. I make it with whatever fruit I have on hand. It is perfect for summer baking. This week, I used blueberries.
Daily Watercolor Practice
This weeks daily practice. I started off limiting myself to 30 minutes, mainly to get myself in the habit of creating daily. Now I find that I prefer more than 30 minutes so I am allowing myself the freedom to create as much as I want.
The next two faces were done from StencilGirl stencils.
The next two are smaller portraits from photos on Pinterest.
The Joy of Watercolor
Tea Day
I am joining the tea ladies hosted by Elizabeth and Bleubeard. My tea today is Numi Organic Tea Gunpowder Green, 16 Ounce Pouch, Loose Leaf Tea . I mentioned last week that I can no longer have cinnamon or black tea so I have had to find other alternatives. I just ordered this 1 pound bag of tea and I am surprised at how much I like it. Each tea leaf is rolled into a pearl and once the tea is fully infused, the leaf opens. Therefore, I need a lot less tea per pot which in turn will make the tea last a while.
Do you have any special memories like my friend and the peonies? I would love to hear about it.
Happy Tea Day,
Kate
It is hard to believe the school year is winding up. But with this heat I can believe it. My peonies actually are busting out too, with so many blooms compared to past years. I am loving it. And no cicadas here yet. Maybe we are too north? Or they just haven’t busted out yet. Your baking is looking fantastic. Your inspiring me that I need to make something. And nice drawings too. They just get better and better. Have a wonderful T day and enjoy the last couple of days of the school year.. Hugs-Erika
gorgeous peonies! Funny (and happily) we don’t get so many cicadas and noise in our area.
Absolutely delicious looking baked goods!
Your watercolor art is beautiful – love the market scene especially. Enjoy your new tea, and happy T day wishes!
Your gluten free baking sounds delicious as your photos of the breads. I remember the last time the cicadas came out we were living in the woods at the time-wow very noisy and they were everywhere. I read an article recently that said Missouri is not getting them now.
Your watercolor paintings are so wonderful-thank you for sharing your journey with us-I really want to be able to paint a nice watercolor one day.
Teaching would be allot of prep and work for sure-glad you all got through the school year well.
Happy Tea wishes Kathy
I enjoy your watercolors every time I see them. Just beautiful!
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I’ve been reading about the cicadas, but they don’t seem to make it to the midwest. I couldn’t find the video. It must not have posted because I was anxious to hear the sound everyone on the east coast is talking about.
Your baking looks great and your daily drawings and colorings are fabulous, Great to keep them going. Your tea sounds wonderful, too. Reminds me of jasmine pearls. Glad you like it, too. Thanks for sharing your art, baking, and tea with us for T this Tuesday, dear Kate.
Glad you have the school year behind you, I can imagine how hard it was, and congrats to your boys for their good notes. I taught for 35 years, sometimes up to 4o kids in a class, and know from experience how hard it can be. Your water colours are fabulous, you get better and better. And the baked goods look delicious! Happy T Day, Valerie
Lovely post! Love the flowers. My Mom always loved azealas and planted tons of them when she moved next door to me. Now when they bloom, I feel her all around.
Your food looks so good! Your watercolor creations are wonderful. Love the faces and the sushi.
Interesting T as well. Would love to see the leaf balls – so cool!
Happy T -Day!
Absolutely love your artwork! Shops might be open but, boy…. you put it up high!
We’re still not hearing the cicadas. The peonies are lovely. The bread looks delicious. There’s nothing like homemade breads and cakes. Happy T Tuesday!
Kate I really don’t like Cicadas , funnily enough some years we don’t have any and then the next years lots, the noise is so horrendous, we once had one in the garden and couldn’t find it to scare it away, I went in the bathroom and saw it on the wall at the back of the outside stairs, my husband got up a ladder and knocked it off.
I’m so pleased id eaten my dinner before I saw your delicious looking. Baking, your watercolours are beautiful, , peonies we’re my MILs favourite flowers, they grew beautifully but she never did any gardening!!
Happy T Day
Jan
Coingrats to your boys and you for finishing a difficult school year in stellar fashion. Those peonies are just gorgeous. I watched the cicada video. I haven’t seen signs or heard them here. I had to laugh at the cicada taco. The woman who tried it said “not bad” She didn’t say OMG these are to die for or they are absolutely delicious! “Not bad” sounds a bit like the polite phrase my dad used when he encountered food he wasn’t total enamored with. His phrase was It’s tasty! 😺 Your watercolors have such joy in them. Happy T Day
Straight A’s that’s such an amazing achievement – many congratulations to the boys and you for all your hard work! Your bakes look yummy and I always love to see your paintings – beautiful 😀. Take care and Happy T Day wishes! Hugs, Jo x
Yippee! Today’s the day! No more home teaching! I’m so glad your kids are doing so well. All down to your tutoring. You deserve a pat on the back. Well done. You say you are not a teacher, but obviously you have learnt and are teaching them well. There really are so many teaching opportunities in a day, if you look out for them. Even this summer when going out for walks, you can squeeze in a bit of biology. Never mind if you don’t know it yourself. Encourage them to look things up that they don’t recognize. Talk about conservation, eco systems, animal kingdom vs plants. Have them draw leaves and notice that they are all different.
The whole cicada story is amazing. I had never heard of that and I have now watched several videos. Apparently this species only lives in America. Wow! So interesting, but also what a mess…. and what a lot of noise…
I do hope they don’t eat peonies, as yours are stunning. I’m sure you will give us a report in your next blog post.
Your baking is always so good to see (and I bet good to taste too)
I love seeing your watercoloring. It is so pretty. Keep it up.
Happy belated T-Day,
Hugs,
Lisca
Oh Kate what a lovely post. Except the part of the cicadas. We don’t get them here on the OR. coast so I am thankful for that. The Peonies are gorgeous and such a wonderful gift. Your baking goodies look so delish and your paintings are all truly works of art. Have a nice day today.
I love these peonies and a lovely story behind them too. I can imagine how much you are going to enjoy school holidays! I watched a couple of the Cicada stories – they certainly do make a noise – they don’t look very pleasant either! Your baking looks delicious. I love that you are giving yourself more time to do your watercolouring! The pot plants is my favourite sketch. Belated Happy T Day, Chrisx