put a smile on it

This week is not going according to my plans - in fact, this morning I chucked all my plans and I'm considering just making one long TO DO list - I can already see the title I'll get to it when I get to it - oops! there I go planning again.

We have bought a new freezer, but it wasn't in stock and it will not be delivered until next Monday.

I'm happy to report my 'replacement' bird feeder is still in great shape, built really strong I don't think I have to worry about the neighborhood squirrels destroying this one. Why would they? It can hold up to four at a time...

My birder is a squirrel meeting place. There are three in the picture.

This week my iron has quit working. Yes, I iron, especially when I quilt/sew. So I'm off to read Consumer Reports and figure out which is the best iron. Any suggestions?

Wait a minute! I've got to stop complaining, let sleeping dogs lie, and enjoy this time.  It's summer, that wonderful 'take it easy' time of year when we let go of our stresses, party with the people we love - who love us! - a time to just forget our cares and relax with a tall lemonade - bring me one, and please, put some gin in it.

Happy Longest Day of the Year!

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Cloudy with a Chance of Falling Ice

No time to play today. 

For my friends in Dallas, WOW!  That was an amazing hail storm.  Hope all is well and that you all have 'really good' insurance.  If you care to see how we do hail storms in DFW check out this report on local News.

Here in Fort Worth... my freezer quit.  I was fortunate to discover the problem before we lost everything in the deep freeze - also, we have wonderful friends in the neighborhood who are letting us store our frozen goods at their house.

Now I have to get out in the garage and clean up the mess and soon (very soon) I'll be out shopping.

On the bright side - when we move the old freezer (before we put in the new one) I will get to paint that area of the garage.

Hope you are having a wonderful week - summer in all its glory and heat is upon us - Enjoy!



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Blessed

It is hot and stormy here in Texas today. 

All we've got right now in Fort Worth

are clouds and wind, and a vague promise of rain. 

So, of course, I'm thinking about snow

and one of my favorite Christmas movies,

 "It's A Wonderful Life."  

One of my favorite lines from the movie is

"No man is a failure who has friends." 

I love to see the little things around my house that remind me of my friends.

The friends I've known a long time. 
Found this when I was with Mernie in San Antonio.
 (I bought it for me, because  I think she believes the
first half of the saying is so "Joy" and because I know the last line
 is how I have felt about her for the past twenty years!)

 

The friends who are also family. 
Some of these marbles may actually belong
to my brothers - I kept them in my jewelry box for years. 
The Ball canning jar is from my mom.

The friends who live near by. 
Patti saw these five candle sticks at a garage sale and thought of me. 

The friends I have met through blogging. 
Ann, at Moonbeams & Fireflies had a beautiful post
and pictures of Columbines, I asked if she would sell me some seeds. 
She emailed me and in a month or so she sent me a packet of seeds - complete
with stems - as a gift.  Her blog is beautiful,  I have learned a thing or two from her,
and I have been entertained by her adventures.

And those of you who read my blog, thanks.
I always enjoy your comments - thank you.

You are all pretty wonderful.

I know that I am blessed.

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Out in the Rain

Yes, I'm sending you a message - this doesn't happen on its own..
if it did, I don't think I would tell anyone.

Rain is gently falling in my part of the world.  It is beautiful and I am thankful for the great job nature is doing watering my yard and garden. 

I am a little disappointed that my wisteria never bloomed this year.  It is the second spring here at my garden gate and still no blooms.  Should I be worried?

My garden gate - June 2012

On the left side there is just a little reminder (that bit of green brown hanging on to the trellis) of the white clematis that bloomed in early spring.  I had planned for the blue wisteria (left) to bloom around that time and the red peony (front right).  This is the first spring for the peony, maybe, hopefully, next year they will bloom.  Also, on the left side I have a few moon flower plants just starting to grow - there may be color (white) here by July...

I noticed that an Oak Gall (Oak Apple to some) has fallen.  Landed on the sidewalk right in front of the door.  It is a little early, and really firm. 

Please note:  It's only shiny, wet looking because I just
brought it in the house to get a better picture of it.
(Yes, I did turn it this way to accent the "eye ball look.")

Usually they feel like dried out little puffs of nothing and leave dark brown spots all over the sidewalk and driveway, this one is like a little rubber ball or eye ball.

Yesterday there was thunder and lightning - it was beautiful.  Today this soft rain with its cool temperatures seems slightly perfect. 

I leave you now to go sit with a cup of coffee and just watch the rain. 



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A Little Gardening

I am such a control freak.  I add plants to my garden so that I'll have a little something blooming all through the year.

One of my favorite things about  May 15th through June 15th - Day Lillies!

I learned that trick from my neighbor, Angelica, who lived next door to me in Germany.  She always bought at least two, sometimes three or more, of the same plants and planted them around her garden.  If someone gave her one plant she would divide it so that it grew in more than one place.  Nothing about her garden looked skimpy.  Bunches of daffodils bloomed in different spots - all at the same time - and it was very pleasing to glance around her garden and see patches of yellow here and there. A few weeks later her tulips bloomed, then other plants - each in their own time.  In mid to late summer roses bloomed and were glorious - 'scattered' here and there.  In every season her garden was beautiful.  I learned a lot from my German gardening neighbor.  All it takes is a little planning and anyone can create a beautiful garden.

Even though I have not been out in my garden it has continued to grow, following it's own schedule and not giving a thought to the outside world.  My hibiscus (a gift from Patti that I posted about last summer) is starting to bloom. 

Once again this beautiful plant is on the patio - getting a little morning sun
and protected from the wind.

My day lillies are at their peak.

The yellow day lillies are the first to bloom in my garden.
Then a couple of weeks later all the other colors join them.

I am always amazed by how life goes on.  My children grew with minimal effort - sure they were fed and clothed, but honestly I didn't have to stretch them at night - they just grew.  Each year about this time when the garden is a riot of color I am reminded that living things just do that.  Follow their course and grow and bloom at their appointed times...

Here are the Hen-n-Chicks I got from Mom back in February.  They have added a couple of babies.  (Not sure what those white dots are - the next picture I took was of the cone flower in the daisies and there are no dots in that picture.)

Of course there are show offs who bloom early -

check out the only purple cone flower blooming the first of June - purple cone flowers aren't "scheduled" to start blooming until the daisies in front of them are cut back... looks like someone couldn't wait. 

Maybe I'm not in control of things...


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Invaders

Good things are popping up in the garden -

The red lily (a gift from Paula) blooms again.  The blue salvia is growing
strong (bought when I was out and about with Patti).  And the daisies,
 in a new spot this year, are amazing (thank you, Carrie).

In the pots on the patio my basil and mint, recently transplanted into larger pots, are filling in.  Not everything popping up in the garden is good.  Pests are invading.  Why does something insist on eating the mint before we do? 

I've got more than one type of bug bugging me. 

Insects who would rather eat my flowers than look at them.

This is my Passion Vine, it is slow to get started, and now that I know it has survived I want to take good care of it.

Yes, I am afraid of a little bug.  Me and my purple gloves.

On the bright side, the moon flowers (second planting) are up and healthy.

Over the last few weeks our tranquil existence has been shaken up a bit. The gorilla suit, pictured here and in my last post, remains in front of the television.   It will return to college in August.

I figure it's as real as any reality show on TV.

The month of May has watched us go from blissful empty nesters to happy parents - only for a few weeks this summer so we will enjoy it. Things are different - we had "Pickle Shots" before dinner on Tuesday.  (I tried to think of it as another type of Dirty Martini... I couldn't.)

Something Baby learned while at college this past year. 
Higher education is something else.

Recipe - Pickle Shots

1 ounce chilled vodka
1/2 ounce chilled pickle juice
1 or 2 dashes of Tabasco Sauce
slice of pickle for garnish

Pour vodka and pickle juice into small glass, add a dash or two of Tabasco Sauce, garnish with pickle slice. 

Down drink (no sipping! remember this is a 'shot') and eat pickle.  Smile and act like you could do this all night.  Face it, your college age child will not consider you cool no matter what you're doing.  Just try to act like you do this kind of thing all the time and are ready to try something else.  Don't act too bored - you don't wish to offend, but don't act happy or you'll be expected to drink this again.

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Around the House

Tuesdays that are Mondays are crazy at our house.  We love three day weekends, and try to make the most of them.  When they are over and it is time to get back to our normal routine, there always seems to be a hiccup or two.  It's like we have had such a good time we don't want to go back to normal.  Maybe our 'good times' should become our normal?

Doesn't everyone have a gorilla costume?

Is your normal wonderful or does it need a bit of tweaking to make you happy? 

My knee is a little better (patience is not one of my virtues) and my house is a little dustier, as it should be...

What's new at your house?


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