Memorial Day

I'd like to take a moment to honor all our brave men and women who have fought and died for the freedoms we enjoy. I'd also like to thank all who have served and are still serving to preserve and protect those freedoms. Our Country is a great place to live because of all of you.

Dear Lord, as you know our country is presently at war. Please protect our men and women who are in harms way. Please bring them safely back home to us. Amen.

Yard Photos

As promised, I took a few pictures to share of our yard. We really got a lot done.

This is was taken from the lower part of our front porch deck.

I was sitting on the glider on the upper part of the front porch for this one.


This is the view from our back patio.


And for this one, I was standing in the backyard looking toward the house.

Hard Day's Work

Our yard has been looking pretty rough lately. Dave's mower isn't working, and our grass has been left to grow wild this whole month. We were looking at it all this week, thinking what a shame it is, after all our hard work, for our yard to look like this. Since Dave is off this weekend, we decided it was time to remedy the situation. We went to Home Depot to get some supplies, then came home and set to work. Dave mulched the side and front planting areas, while I potted the rest of this years plants. When that was done, we borrowed a mower from a friend of mine, who happens to live just up the street. I pushed the mower while Dave did the edging (I'm a little intimidated by the weedeater). Then we hung the rest of my hanging plants. It took us four hours to get all this done, but it was well worth it. We always enjoy working together, and the yard looks amazing. I'll have to post photos tomorrow. To avoid heat stroke, we waited until around 4pm to start, and by the time we finished, it was too dark for taking pictures.

Summer Time

I don't know if it's technically Summer by the calendar, but I do know one thing. It's hot! Yesterday, knowing we're not going to be sitting outside to eat lunch anymore the way we did during the spring, I vacuumed the cat hair off the porch chair cushions, and placed the covers on them. It's almost sad to see it that way, but I can rejoice in the fact that come fall, we'll be sitting out there again. In fact, if it isn't too cool (and it's usually not) we love to serve Thanksgiving dinner out there. The family seems to really enjoy that. So, even though, it's the end of a season, I can sit back in my cool, air conditioned house, work on my knitting, and look forward to another one.

Another Hosta Bud

I took this picture yesterday. This is the hosta I bought with money from cutting my sister's hair. After potting it up, I moved it to the front yard, where I placed it by the red rosebush that came with the house. I don't remember exactly where I was going, but on my way to the car, I noticed a bud. I almost missed it, because the flower scape is so short on this particular species of hosta, but I glanced down, and there it was. You may have to click on the picture to see it, but it's definately there. :)

Open Daisy

It's getting much too hot to do much gardening, but everyday, when I go outside to feed the cats, I like to walk around the yard. Yesterday, I was feeling a little down, and I wanted to just dump out the cat food, fill the water bowls, and go back inside. I'm glad I didn't, because I got to see my first daisy of the season. I'm so thankful for the beauty that surrounds me. Life really is good.

Philippians 4:8

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things."

Lord, as you know, I've been having a hard time applying this to my life. There really is so much good around, I don't know why I tend to focus on the negative. Please get me back on track. Amen.

Relieved

This year my pink azaleas bloomed beautifully. I was so proud, and a little surprised considering the small amount of gardening I did last year. After the flowers were spent, I went out to prune them back, and found that the shrubs were very woody. I actually expected this after the year of neglect they suffered, but I guess I was hoping I was wrong. To encouraged more leafing, I cut them way back, and applied Miracle Gro Shake n' Feed to the soil. After a few weeks had passed with no new leaves, I began to worry. What if they don't leaf, and I'm stuck with woody, spindley looking shrubs. Or worse still, what if I've killed them. Well, now I can rest easy. You may not be able to tell from the smaller version of this photo, but if you click on it, you'll notice that I have plenty of new growth. Now I know my azaleas are alive and well, and will thicken out beautifully. Whew! What a relief.

Pink Hydrangea

Yesterday, I posted a picture of my new hydrangea plant, so today I thought I'd show a photo of my existing one. It has bloomed, and the flowers are beginning to turn thier lovely pink shade. Hopefully, my new one will establish itself and grow as well as this one has.

Gardening Changes

I'm feeling so good right now. It's the feeling of accomplishment I always get at the end of a day's work in the yard. Dave and I had been discussing what to do about the planting area at the side of the house. This is the area where the rain runs off the roof in massive amounts, making it difficult for most plants to survive. Our solution has been to arrange three stepping stones in an attactive manner toward the front, potted plants toward the back, and fill the rest of the area with mulch. It's very pretty, but each spring, we have to relevel the ground, where the water has pooled and left indentions in some areas, and mounds in others. This task wouldn't be so bad if the results lasted longer, but the rains come and our efforts seem futile. This year, with my renewed interest in gardening, I've been trying to find a more permanent solution without bankrupting ourselves to install gutters. During one of our afternoon walks, I pointed out to Dave, this beautiful, dark green ground cover I'd noticed being used in many gardens in our neighborhood. He told me it was a type of jasmine, he'd used before. When I suggested using it at the side of the house, he thought it was a good idea. Apparantly, it's easy to grow, covers well, and is hardy enough to endure the often soggy conditions in that area. So we went to Home Depot yesterday, and bought a flat and a half of what we discovered is called asiatic jasmine. If that wasn't enough, Dave bought me a purple Deja Vu hydrangea! Today, I releveled the area (I say relevel, because I'd already leveled it this year *sigh*), placed my potted mixed salvia, and the azalea back toward the house, and planted the hydrangea in the back corner. The stack of stepping stones is reserving a spot for another potted plant. Then we planted our jasmine. I just love it so much, and I'm going to cry if the rain washes it away. I've included a close up picture of my new hydrangea. The reason I chose to plant it in the ground is because the one I already have has done so well. Before I leveled the ground, I chose a point uneffected by the rain to plant my new treasure. I can hardly wait to see it fill this corner with beautiful purple flowers. each year.

Potted Tigra

I know the sun and shadows prevented this from being a great picture, but I just had to share it. This is Tigra, one of my more tame feral cats. She used to be so afraid of people, but slowly she began to trust Dave and me. Today, Dave weedeated the walk way in the back yard, then blew it off, while I watered the pots. We were just finishing up, when I noticed that she had claimed a spot in one of my rose pots. I know I shouldn't encourage her, that I sould make her move but she looks so comfortable.

Enabling Ravelers

It all started with a little poll I posted to the forums at Ravelry. I've been knitting Ballband dishcloths in an attempt to use up my bits and pieces of cotton yarn. This pattern is easy, attractive, and a great way to try various color combinations. I'm not sure the exact year, but I went to a baby shower for my cousin's stepdaughter-in-law. She had decorated her son's room with brown and blue, so these were the colors they used for the shower. I had never seen those brown and blue used together, and I really liked it. As I was looking through my yarn remnants, I found scraps of these two colors. Remembering how much I liked the combo, I decided to use them for one of my cloths.
I got a few rows into it, and started to feel a little nervous. I sort of liked it, but wasn't sure about it, so I posted a picture to Ravelry, and polled the members. The majority liked the look, but a couple said they might like it better if the colors were reversed. Of course, I'm using bits and pieces, and didn't have enough brown for another cloth, but the idea was planted, and wouldn't go away. I went to Hobby Lobby, just intending to buy another skein of brown, only to discover that Lily cotton yarn was on sale this week. Not only that, but they had lots of new colors I'd never seen in this brand, and we had just gotten paid (Dave and I always give ourselves some spending money, then deposit the rest). This meant that I could buy some new cotton yarn, without dipping into the household money. Guilt-free yarn shopping is a yarn lover's dream, so I stocked up. Only one problem...when I started this dishcloth knitting frenzy, my goal was to use up my remnants, but now I want to use my new yarn, thus adding to my remnants bag. *sigh*

For You, Norma

My sister loves my Italian pasta salad, so I told her I'd put the recipe on my blog.

Italian Pasta Salad

1 package of garden pasta
1 cucumber cut into bite sized pieces (I use an English cucumber, so I don't have to peel)
1 yellow bell pepper cut into thin slivers
1 can of ripe olives (I slice each one in half lengthwise, but this step is optional)
1 package grape tomatoes (again cut in half lengthwise)
1 package diced ham (if I have leftover ham, I slice it myself into slivers)
Italian dressing (we like Ken's Lite Northern Italian)
salt & pepper
prepare pasta according to directions. I use the time it takes to bring water to a boil for chopping/cutting my veggies, and putting them into a large bowl. When pasta is cooked, rinse with cold water and add to bowl. Add enough dressing to coat pasta and veggies, salt and pepper to taste and toss together. Cover and place in fridge to chill.

To me, this salad tastes so much better the next day, so I usually prepare it the night before I'm planning to serve it. If the pasta has soaked up too much of the dressing for your liking, you can always add more. Enjoy!

Super Hosta

Did you ever buy something, then get it home to find that it's much bigger than you thought it was? That's what happened to me with this hosta. I found it at the same nursery, where I bought most of this year's hostas. The dark green in the middle of each leaf is such a beautiful color. It's almost blue. I also was drawn to the fact that it was already starting to bud, and instead of the light purple flowers I'm used to seeing, these are white. I didn't even know that hosta flowers came in colors other than purple, so this was quite a surprise. Now I'm looking forward to seeing my other new ones bloom. Anyway, I bought it, knowing it was big, but I had no idea. Luckily, I have a big back yard, and a rather large shady area toward the back fence, where I think it will look beautiful. Soon as the yard is mowed, I'll move it to it's new home and take another photo.

Quick & Easy Recipes

Before I sign off for the day, I though I'd share a couple of my quick, easy recipes...

Easy Taco Soup

1 Pound of ground meat (we use turkey, but it's great with beef)
1 whole onion, chopped (or half if you perfer. Dave and I love lots of onion flavor)
1 taco seasoning packet
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can red kidney beans (or beans of your choice)
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can of white homany
1 can of green chilis
Brown ground meat together with the onion. Add salt and pepper to taste and taco packet (you may need to add a little water to evenly distribute the taco seasoning). Add all your canned veggies and enough water or chicken broth, according to how thick or juicy you prefer your soup. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 30-40 minutes. Serve over crumbled tortilla chips (optional) and top with cheese and cilantro or chives (also optional).

Easy Chili Mac

1 pound ground meat
1 chopped onion
1 can of chili (Dave perfers to make his own chili, but this is a quick recipe. The choice is yours)
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can ranch style beans
1 small box of elbow macaroni (cook according to directions on box)
Brown ground beef and onion together. Add all your canned foods, and chicken broth according to how much juice you prefer. Add cooked macaroni according to how much you want (leftover macaroni can be heated later, and used in other recipes). Salt and pepper to taste and top with cheese. This is wonderful with crackers.

These recipes are not fancy, but Dave and I enjoy them, and they're great for when you're in a hurry.

It's Raining

Yesterday, I was so proud of myself. I drove to the library, which isn't that big of a deal, but while I was out, I went over to Home Depot. I had, once again, run out of potting soil. I guess if I were to name a drawback to container gardening, it would be the massive amount of potting soil required. Regular dirt packs too tight, and chokes out the plants. Anyway, I was planning to pot up some plants today, but those plans were washed away with the rain. It's perfectly alright, because I'm going to spend the day relaxing in front of the TV and knitting. I found lots of remnants of cotton yarn, and I'm going to use them to knit Ballband Dishcloths using the pattern from Mason Dixon Knitting. It's an easy pattern that I've made many times, and it requires very little consentration. It's the perfect project for a rainy day.

Froggy Bag

I got this cute little bag at JoAnn's last time I was in Sherman. I found it in the section for children's gardening supplies, so it's probably a garden bag for kids. It was on sale for half the price, so I bought it. At first, I thought Kloe might like it, but I've been using it as a knitting bag for smaller projects, and it's perfect. I'll have to look for another one next time I'm there, because I've decided to keep this one for myself. Is that selfish of me? Sometimes she helps me fill pots with soil, and she loves to water, but other than that, she hasnt' shown much interest in gardening...so it's not like I'm depriving her of something she'll love....right?

Finished!

I started this afghan at the beginning of last month. I had crocheted this pattern for my Mom's Christmas gift back in 2002, and she loved it. I'm not sure why, but I love looking through my knitting and crochet pattern books. Even if I'm not planning to start a project, looking through my patterns just relaxes me, and makes me happy. On one of my most recent pattern searches, I found the booklet, containing this pattern. I recalled how much fun I had crocheting it, and how much Mom loved the finished afghan, and decided to crochet one for myself. I used some variegated yarn I'd purchased from the church's garages sale, paired it with some cream yarn I had in my stash, and was ready to go. I had been doing so much knitting lately, that crocheting was such a nice change. My mother taught me to crochet when I was a teen, and I guess I missed it, because I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I finished the crocheted part on Friday of last week, but didn't add the fringe until the wee hours of last night. It is now hanging on a quilt rack, decorating the walls of my TV room. I just love it!

Pentas

I had been told by several gardeners, including my dad, that penta draw hummingbirds. I wanted to try them, but at the time I was only gardening in the front yard, where there was too much shade. Finally, last year, I decided to pot some up, and for the backyard. I was so happy I did, because the hummingbirds were all over them, and I could enjoy the activity from my back porch. Sadly, these plants are annuals, so they died away in the fall. Dad's were planted in the ground, so his always reseeded and came back each year, but being in pots mine didn't. I watched the nursuries and garden sections like a hawk, hoping to catch the newest, freshest plants available. I finally found some at a local nursery. They hadn't yet bloomed, but according the the label, they were red. I'd never seen red ones, and was looking forward to the day they bloomed. That day has come, and I'm not disappointed. They're just beautiful, and the color, red, is said to attract hummingbirds. Later, I returned to the nursury just to look around, and I found pentas in just about every color imaginable. I couldn't resist grabbing some more in purple, pink, and white. I planted them all together, and I can hardly wait until they grow, and fill this pot with color. It's going to be so much fun to watch.

Quick Cleaning

Long ago, I read a magazine article, which gave some quick cleaning tips. I don't remember the magazine, or what year, but I've never forgotten the article, and still use many of the tips today. I find them very helpful, and I thought I'd pass them on.
Lets say, you found out that a friend or relative wants to come over for a visit. Of course, you want to see that person, but you don't have much time to tidy up. No need to worry, because a thorough cleanup is not necessary to make your house look nice for company...

1) In the livingroom, vacuum the living area (no need to move furniture), dust the eye-level surfaces, and if you have magazines, stack or arrange them neatly. If you have pets, run a lint tape over the chairs and couch.
2) Light a candle (only if your expected guest has no allergies).
3) In the bathroom, clean the faucets, dust the back of the toilet and the lavoratory, and close the shower door (or curtain). Hang a fresh hand towel.
4) You're not likely to take you're guest to the kitchen, but if you do, make sure the counters and top of the stove are wiped down, and the faucet has been cleaned.

You'd be amazed at how nice your house will look just following these few steps. If your guest is on the way, and you don't have time for all of them, I recommend putting vacuuming first. A vacuumed carpet makes a house look and smell much cleaner than it is. Next make sure the bathroom is presentable, and you should do just fine. Just remember one thing, and this is the most important tip of all...Never apologize for your house no matter what. You're friend is coming to see you, not inspect your house. In fact, most people don't even notice the things that bother you, so why bring it to thier attention?

They're Baaaack...

Earlier in the month, I saw my first hummingbird of the year. I saw it several times that week, then only twice since. This is what happens every year before I begin to see them regularly. I'm hoping that now is that time, because I've seen hummingbirds twice today. The first time, it was drinking nectar from the pink butterfly flower, and the second time was at the feeder hanging from a hook on the front porch. Of course, like before, I didn't have my camera handy, but one of these days...

Thanks, Glenda!

As promised, here is a picture of the beautiful hosta I bought yesterday. Last weekend, my sister gave me some money to cut her hair. I'm always happy to do it for free, but she insisted that I take it. She told me I could use it to buy a rosebush or something. Well, Glenda, I didn't find a rosebush, but I did use the money to buy this beautiful, crinkle-leafed hosta. Thank you so much! Now if I could just find a pot....

Using Up Leftovers

We always watch for Kroger to put their Jenny-O, pre-marinated turkey breasts on sale, so we can cook them up and have them ready when we need them. We happened to have part of a lemon-herb one, and Dave used it, along with some leftover pasta, asperagus, and herbs from my garden, to make us a delicious lunch. I had Dave write down the recipe so I could share it with ya'll...
In a large skillet, saute in olive oil, a half onion and one tablespoon of fresh rosemary. Cut up bundle of asparagus, put in a microwave safe bowl with just enough water to steam it, and zap for 2 minutes. Add to onion mixture, 2 cloves of garlic and one tablespoon of fresh thyme. Add the zest and juice of one lemon and a can of chicken broth. Mix in one heaping teaspoon of cornstarch with just a little water to thicken. Add your meat and heat leftover spaghetti pasta (about 12 oz.). Add asparagus and pasta to your skillet, salt and pepper to taste, and toss together. Top with grated romano cheese and fresh chives.

This dish can be modified to statisfy anyone's tastes. Different herbs, different meat, broccoli instead of asparagus...the possibilities are endless. Have fun!

My Awesome Husband

Dave is the most wonderful husband ever. He called me before he left the station to ask if I wanted him to take me to get my potting soil. I didn't even have to ask him! Not only did he take me to Home Depot for my soil, but he also took me to the nursery on the Loop where they sell the best hostas I've ever seen. So I got to finish my potting, AND I also got a great new hosta. He even offered to take me back to the nursery tomorrow if he has enough time on his lunch break. They were closing, and I didn't have much time to look.
Pictures tomorrow...

On A More Positive Note....

My coral bells are blooming. Coral bells produce tiny, bell-shaped flowers on tall flower scapes. Dave doesn't think they're very pretty. He thinks they look out of place, and not part of the plant, but I like them. Like Hostas, people normally grow them for their foliage. Most varieties prefer shade, and come in a wide range of colors. I've forgotten the varieties of my older ones (I really need to start keeping labels), but one is deep purple, which hasn't yet bloomed, and one is dark bluish with a silvery sheen, which has produced white blooms. My new snow angel coral bells, which are green speckle with white, have grown pink blooms. No, the flowers may not be very spectacular, nor do they add a dramatic effect to the garden, but I think they're very cute.

Halted By Fear

Well, I have these lovely plants, needing a nice potted home, and no potting soil. I ran out Monday, and haven't gone to the store for more. It's partly because I've been expecting it to rain, which it has only done at night, and partly because of my driving phobia. I have a few places I can go (church, the library, Kroger) with minimal fear, because I can get to them using back roads, and not worry about the traffic on the main drags. These places I consider to be my turf. To drive anywhere outside my turf, I have to spend a considerable amount of time mustering all my courage. Sometimes I can do it, but other times, no matter how much I try to condition myself, I cannot talk myself into driving. It really makes me angry, because I consider myself to be a pretty intelligent, reasonable person, but all reason leaves me when I think about driving outside my comfort zone. Maybe I can talk Dave into taking me this weekend. Man, this is annoying. :(

Screened Porch

Since I'm constantly refering to my screened in porch, I thought it might be a good idea to tell the story of how it came to be. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my back porch used to be nothing more than a set of three concrete steps sitting outside the back door. It was hot, and sunny, and not a very pleasant place to be, so I spent most of my time in the front yard. Our front porch is big, beautiful, and shaded by a huge oak tree. I loved sitting out there in the cool of the evening, with a diet Coke and a book. The only problem was the guilt I felt when my indoor cats stood at the door and cried to be with me. I had mentioned to Dave that I'd like to have a deck built out back, but since I had a perfectly good front porch, we put the thought on the back burner. Then, a few years later, several rent houses filled with loud, rude, very obnoxious people. They all must have decided to hate eachother, because they constantly yelled, and each tried to turn their music louder than the other. It became so unpleasant to be outside, that I holed myself up in the house most of the time, and became depressed. We began to think more seriously about building a nice back porch. The idea became a reality in 2007, when we hired a contractor to build an addition to the back of our house. Our water heater, washer and dryer were taking up much needed space in the kitchen, so we decided to build a utility room for them, with a back door opening onto a large deck, which I'd decided to screen in.
I haven't regretted it for a moment. The addition moved the back of the house closer to the pecan tree, so I still have my shade. I can sit out on my back porch, and read or knit. We've added a pet door so the cats can go out there and enjoy the fresh air while they relax and bird watch. A wonderful, unexpected perk is that Dave can now sleep in on Saturdays, because the porch roof keeps the sun from glaring into our bedroom windows in the mornings. Our utility room holds our washer and dryier, and they've built a nice closet for our water heater and brooms. We also added a closet for Dave, so now we both have our own closets. I just couldn't be more happy.

Budding Daisies

It looks like my shasta daisies at the back of the house are getting ready to bloom. They've grown thicker and taller, and last week, I noticed buds on them. I can hardly wait for flowers to appear.

Waiting On God

Many of us have prayed for things that have not yet come to pass. As we know, the Lord answers all prayer, and sometimes that answer is "wait." We all agree that God's timing is perfect timing, but still being in human form, we can't always see it that way, especially when we're in the midst of our situation. Often our faith begins to weaken and we become discouraged. I was reading in a book called "God's Promises & Answers For Your Life," and I'd like to share a few scriptures that have helped me.

"Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

"For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold steadfast the beginning of our confidence to the end." Psalm 35:20

"For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." Habakkuk 2:3

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word do I hope." Psalm 130:5

"wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!" Psalm 27:14

Lord, help us. Give is the strength we need to handle the days ahead. Give us the peace to trust that your timing is perfect. Amen.

More Roses

I'm pleased to report that my white roses have bloomed, and today I took this photo. I bought this rosebush a few years ago. Home Depot was selling them in honor of our troops, and I chose this white one. It smells heavenly, and I'm happy to support any business that does something to honor our troops. May God keep them safe as they fight for our freedoms.

Another Potted Garden

I learned the hard way, that I'm not good at keeping a garden when it's planted in the ground. I'm pretty lazy about weeding and I have a hard time with watering. I Know you're supposed to water in the morning, but I'm a night owl, and don't get up very early. I also have trouble determining when a plant has been watered enough. I've always heard that over watering is the worst, so I tend to stop too soon. As a result, I've lost all, except for the already established, and the most drought tolerant plants. Then I discovered container gardening. I didn't know that just about anything you can plant, can also be potted. Of course there are some exceptions, but not many. Flowers, shrubs, even some smaller trees, all can be potted. This has made it so much easier for me. Potted plants can be moved and rearraged, even repotted, at anytime. If I put a plant somewhere, later to discover that it needs more light, I can just move it. Even if I just want a new look, I can move them. Watering is a breeze, because all I do fill each pot until water is running out of the bottom. Now I have to admit that at first I wasn't sure how I felt about the look of so many pots sitting around my yard, but I've grown to love, even prefer it this way. In an earlier post, I showed a picture of my potted flowers by the shed, and now I'm sharing this picture of my potted garden by the back porch. These are mostly foliage plants because of the shade there, but I have a few blooms. Starting front to back, we have spider plant, and vinca on the table. On the patio are snow angel coral bells, my assorted mint garden, with variegated lemon thyme in front of it, followed by another snow angel coral bells plant, then chives. On the ground is my big hosta, a deep purple coral bells (I forgot the variety), my great expectations hosta followed by my plain hosta. The second picture is a close up of my patio plants, the two snow angel coral bells, the mint garden, and lemon thyme. I thought I'd include this photo, because all these plants are new to my yard.

Happy Mother's Day

I am forever thankful to God for blessing me with such a wonderful mother, who taught me right from wrong, introduced me to Jesus, and loved me no matter what. I still miss her. She loved roses, and pink was one of her many favorite colors, so here is a pink rose for her, and for all the moms out there who read my blog. I hope your day was a good one.

Hydrangea

Here is an updated picture of my hydrangea. This shrub, as I mentioned in an earlier post, was already planted and established when I moved here. It had grown woody, and the weeds were invading it. It wasn't until two years later, when my interest in gardening began, that I realized what a treasure I had. I weeded, and pruned it back, and each year it has filled out. This year it looks especially green and spectacular. I give God and the rainy season all the credit, because I haven't done anything different from usual. If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you'll notice that it's starting to form buds, which will open in the summer to reveal pink clusters of small flowers. I can hardly wait.

Even More Amazing

Wow! Each day, I grow more amazed at how much I love this lantana pot. This is how the plant looks, just a day or two later than my previous post. I've discovered that not only do the flowers turn pink with age, but that pink continues to darken. I've never been more surprised and pleased with a plant. This is definately not the plain yellow lantana of my youth. Even more exciting....the white is starting to bud again. This pot is just going to burst with color!

Azalea Update

Ok, it's official. All of the new, mislabeled azaleas I planted in front of the porch have blooms on them, and they are, indeed, the salmon pink color. According to the label, they were supposed to be white, but I'm not displeased. At least they're all the same color, which happens to be a color I like. I'm not sure I'd have liked it if they were different colors, but I don't have to worry about that now. Lowe's should count themselves lucky that I wasn't specifically looking for white, and I'm not the type of person to make trouble. :)
I'm just teasing. I truly am happy with this color.

Hosta Update

I'm so pleased to give this update. These are the three surviving hostas I mentioned in an earlier post. As you can see, they're still going strong. I've moved them to a spot beneath the pecan tree in the back yard where they seem to be quite happy. By potting the hostas, I've managed to keep the slug damage to a minimum, and the cats from lying on them. I'm not positive, but I believe the cats may have been what killed the other five. If that's the case, these should survive for many years to come.

Roses In Bloom

I love my roses, and every year at this time, I'm reminded of why. If I didn't have all the shade, I'd grow them all over my yard so no matter where I am I could smell them. Of course, if I didn't have all the shade, it wouldn't be as pleasant to work outside, and I probably wouldn't be outside as much to enjoy them. So I'm very thankful for the shade. This first picture is my red climbing rose (the one that came with the house) in the front yard. As you can see, it's beautiful when in full bloom. I so wish that it bloomed repeatedly. The second picture is my yellow Honey Perfume rose at the side of the house. I'm thinking of moving it to the potted rose garden in front of the shed. I used to have a yellow bush back there, but it died leaving me with three pinks and a red. Switching this one with one of the pink ones would make that area more colorful. I guess I hesitate because I'm so used to it where it is, and I'm not good at change. Also, my azaleas are pink, so it just seems I'd be just trading one pink area for another. I'll have to think about it some more.

Kloe And The Herbs

I have the funniest little story to tell. My husband's granddaughter, Kloe, has started spending a little more time with us. On Sundays, we take her to church, then lunch, then back to our house for a few hours. On this particular Sunday, it was nice enough for us to be outside. She was going back and forth between helping me fill pots with soil, and playing with her jump rope. I don't remember how the subject came up, but she started asking me about several of my plants. I was trying to introduce her to the scents of my herbs by crushing leaves and letting her smell them. I love the earthy smell of fresh herbs, but I guess children don't much care for earthy. The rosmary was too strong, the chives smelled like onions, and I don't know what she found wrong with the thyme, because it's one of my favorites. I was going for the basil when it dawned on me that I have chocolate mint. I pinched off a sprig and crushed it for her. Finally, we had a winner. She liked the smell, and seemed to find it intersting that a plant could smell like chocolate mint. I told her it also tastes as good as it smells. At first, she acted like she didn't believe me, and in fact, wouldn't try it until Dave (Big Daddy) ate some. She said she liked it, but she spit it out anyway. I guess it's hard for an eight year old to get past the fact that it's a leaf. It may taste yummy, but it's still a leaf.

Truly Amazing

I have to say, I've never seen anything like this lantana. I had read that lantana attracts hummingbirds, so I shopped around for some. We were at Lowes in Sherman, when I finally found something besides yellow. It's not that I don't like yellow lantana, it's just that you see it everywhere, and I wanted something a little different. The plant I found hadn't bloomed yet, but according to the label it was pink. It was also the only one left, so I got it. It was several weeks, before I potted it, and by that time I was seeing different colored lantana in several stores, and had even bought some white to go in the same pot as my pink. By the time I got a free Sunday, and potted up my lantanas, I was starting to see little pink buds. I was so excited, anticipating how beautiful my pink and white flowers were going to look together. When the buds opened, I was surprized to see yellow flowers. Hmmm? The label said "pink" and the buds were pink, so why, I wondered, are the blooms yellow? It made no sense to me until the next day. I was watering my pots, when I noticed the older flowers had turned pink. So these start out yellow, and turn pink as they mature. How cool is that? Now, when my white lantana reblooms, this little pot is going to be even more colorful than I'd anticipated!

Spider Plant Issues

One of my favorite plants to grow is spider plant. I have a solid Hawaiian, a plain solid, a curly leaf, and two variegated spider plants. They are a great plant for beginners, because they tolerate a wide variety of light and water requirements, making them nearly impossible to kill. Well, I'm sorry to say I may have succeeded with one of my variegated plants. It had been so long since I repotted my spider plants, and I thought it was about time. Sunday, I took this one to the back yard to perform my task. I didn't want to go up a pot size, so I decided to divide it into two. Everything was going well. I filled the bottom of my smaller pot with fresh soil, popped the plant out of the old pot, and proceeded to divide it, when it fell apart. Oh, no! So there I was with several pieces of spider plant lying on my back walkway. I potted up three, then put the other two clumps into little plastic plug pots. I gave them a good water, and now it's up to them. I really want them to survive, because this was my first spider plant. I found it at a local nursury just cast aside and forgotten. I bought it and took it home, repotted it, picked off the yellowed leaves, and the difference was amazing. I was so proud of that plant, and now it sits on my plant table in three parts, fighting for survival. I hope with all my heart it makes it.
Needless to say, I will not be dividing my other spider plants. They will strictly get a repotting...if they even get that.

Interweave Knits

I'm so excited! My order from Interweave knits came today. I started knitting probably in the fall of 2005. Hobby Lobby was having a big sale on all knitting books, so I decided to give it a try. It's not an expensive hobby to start, because all you need is a ball of yarn and a pair of needles. How expensive the your new craft becomes is completely up to you. Mine has become an addiction, so maybe I'm not the best one to give advice, but if you'd like learn knitting, a great place to start is the video tutorials at knittinghelp.com
After, I'd been knitting a while, I subscribed to three magazines, one of which is Interweave knits. I just fell in love with the beauty of the magazine, and how it is layed out. Each pattern is so well written that even a new knitter can figure out how to make them. At first, I bought each issue from the store, but when I realized I'd been buying them all, I decided to subscribe, and in fact, this is the only one I still get. I was browsing the online store, when I found CD's of the magazine. Each CD, holds four issues, which is a full years worth. I started subscribing in 2007, so I got 2005 and 2006. I just love them. When I want to make a pattern, all I have to do is print it out, and I can make notes right on the page. No more sticky notes to keep my place. I love them so much that, when I got my newsletter from Knitting Daily, advertizing a three day sale, I ordered 2002, 2003, and 2004, completing my set. They came today!!

Another Cat Post

I know I normally don't do back to back cat posts, but I just had to share this picture. Max reminds me of baby Hughey. He's such a big monster of a cat, but he's still very young, and thinks he's little. I was fixing lunch today, and I heard this scratching noise. I looked up to see Max trying to cram his oversized body into a small Friskies cat food box. I dropped everything and hurried to get the camera, because this is just too priceless to miss. He finally settled into what can't be a very comfortable position, but I guess I'm wrong, because he's still there. Well, I guess he almost fits.

Catnip, Anyone?

This is so funny. When I went out this morning to feed the outdoor cats, I returned to the back door to find that some of my indoor cats wanted out. Since I'm out numbered, I was afraid that no matter how careful I was, somebody was going to escape. in an effort to distract them, I pinched off a couple of sprigs of catnip, and slid them under the door. I guess it worked, because I, and all my cats, are safely indoors. :)

Potted Garden

I'm so proud of my potted garden beside the shed. It's really starting to look colorful. I started out this year with the tall rosebush, and the herb windowbox, then just kept adding things. Starting left, we have a mixed pot of salvia and butterfly flower, then the rosebush. In front of the rosebush, starting left, we have shasta daisy, pink geranium and mixed lantana. On the concrete steps, starting with the top step, we have the herb windowbox, and a salmon color geranium. On the middle step, starting left, we have marigolds then a pot of yellow snapdragons with pink salvia. The bottom step holds a pot of white mini roses. Then I have my camelea to the right of the steps, where the most shade is. Would you like to know a cool little fact? The concrete steps used to be all I had for a back porch before the add-on. I would love to just fill it up with flowers for a triple level garden, but if I don't leave enough room for the outdoor cats to lounge, they'll knock the pots over. I've already had to replace the snapdragon pot this year. Ah, cats...

Please Pray

To all who read my blog. My brother in law has taken a turn for the worse. Please, anyone out there who believes in the power of prayer, remember him and our family.

I'm Blessed

I just want to take a moment to thank God for all the Blessings in my life...

I'm thankful for a church where God's word is law, and the people want nothing more than to serve Him.
I'm thankful for parents who loved me enough to teach me right from wrong.
I'm thankful for my brothers and sisters, who made growing up interesting and fun...well, mostly fun.
I'm thankful for a husband that loves me no matter what.
I'm thankful for a lovely home, with peaceful surroundings.
For every leaf, bud and bloom that comes forth in my garden, and I thank God for my renewed desire to maintain it.
For all my indoor and outdoor cats, who bring me so much joy, I'm thankful that they are happy, healthy, and fed.
I'm thankful that my house is clean, and that I have a big backyard.
I'm thankful that my brother-in-law is making such good progress in his recovery.
I'm thankful for healing.
There is just so much to be thankful for.

Lord, when I am down, and feeling blue, please help me to be reminded of all these things.