Hello, Dear Friends!
The buttercups are blooming here in the foothills, bringing the sunshine
down to earth even on a cloudy day.
xx
I've been so busy the last few weeks.
A flurry of visiting, birthdays, holidays, dinners, a retirement party,
and even a school awards ceremony and a little league game.
Throw in lots of gardening, spring cleaning, and now, deck painting.
(The Mr. is doing that, but I am the support team and moving partner.)
Still so much going on, but I'm taking a much-needed break and
thought I would catch up with all of you.
I hope that you are finding some delight in this season of renewal
and finding opportunities to 'stop and smell the roses'.
The weather has been a bit unsettled lately, with cool temperatures, rain and even
some hail. This is after two glorious weeks of sunshine that had me
outdoors every chance I could get.
And before that, we had a surprise snowfall in mid-April!
The umbrella survived but was open before the snowfall.
We were having beautiful weather, so this was a surprise.
The heavy, wet snow brought down a 30 ft. cherry tree just ready to bloom.
Luckily, it landed on the
sturdy dog pen we have at the foot of the deck, which
held it up and prevented damage to the gardens and fence below.
It took The Mr. 3 days to cut it up and haul it away.
Cherry tree before.
And after. Just a big heap.
You can see the remnants of the snow.
This was on the third day, making the final cuts.
The tree was so beautiful, and the birds just loved
the wild cherries in the fall.
I planted it as a tiny, rooted cutting, many years ago.
I also lost a mature lilac tree in full bloom
in front of the toolshed, which was a gift from my son.
I've found that gardening, like life, is always a work in progress,
with successes, but also disappointments, failures and 'tragedies'.
That is the frustrating part - planting and taking care of something
for years and then witnessing the unhappy endings.
Although, when one window closes, another one opens,
or as known in the gardening world - 'letting in more light'.
I am already making plans for my new light-filled spaces
that will be a memorial to what was.
xx
My tulips and flowers cheered me up!
The potted lavender and kalanchoe were Easter gifts.
All of these lovely flowers were gifts from my adult children for Easter.
xx
Dealing with those crazy teenage years
has its dividends :)
xx
Daughter Jennie, husband Steve and grandson Jack flew
out from Hawaii for a two-week, whirlwind visit with
friends and family, recently.
We celebrated Jennie's birthday while she was
here, at daughter Heather's. A small, family affair.
Steve celebrated his official retirement from the fire department, also,
with a belated party at a local brewery with
co-workers, friends and family.
It was so nice to see them and hug them and watch all of my
grandchildren playing together.
xx
I baked her a birthday cake and carried it over in this
sweet, retro style cake pan.
It was a gift from her a few years ago,
and I realized my bundt cake
fits perfectly inside!
The lid stays firmly on with a rubber gasket,
making it perfect for travel.
So pretty with sparkly sprinkles.
I just used a boxed Spice Cake mix
along with store bought Cream Cheese Frosting.
I melted the frosting in the microwave for about 30 seconds
(Stirring well afterwards)
and drizzled it on top while the cake was still warm.
Easy!
This pretty lane is on the way to my daughter's house.
xx
More pretty trees on the way to my son's house.
It's so beautiful this time of year with all the flowering trees.
It really lifts the spirits and brings back sweet memories
of lovely spring days.
I remember the pink flowering Hawthorne tree
in the front yard of my childhood home.
My Dad rescued it from the nursery that his Dad
worked at during the Great Depression.
It was going out of business,
and the nursery offered mature shrubs and small trees
for very little, if you could dig them yourself.
We (Dad and my 12 year old self) spent a whole month of weekends,
digging and transplanting, and in the end,
we had a lovely new landscape of beautiful flowering
trees and shrubs.
The Hawthorne tree was the lovely centerpiece of the front lawn,
planted in front of the 'big rock', amongst the
daffodils and tulips that my mother loved.
Every spring it was so pretty, with its
fern-like leaves and bright
pink flowers.
xx
Do you have a special tree that you remember in springtime?
I believe these amazing trees are Chestnut.
There are very few of these around here anymore.
It's on the grounds of an elementary school in a tiny, old town.
Large Rhododendrons beside an old, broken fence.
Ancient lilac along a hillside.
I have no idea what this aging beauty is.
The flowers are pale lilac.
It resides at the edge of an old small-town park.
Mt. Rainier shimmering over golden fields.
Sadly, these views are disappearing.
Development is taking over this once peaceful plateau.
The land that once supported farming is now
being sold off to the highest bidder.
It is very difficult to witness.
Many things right now are difficult to witness.
I am trying to stay as grounded
and focused on positive activities as I can so as
not to contribute to all of the negativity.
I ordered some new patterns recently, and am
waiting for some free time to do a little sewing.
I've needed a sturdy little dress or skirt with pockets to wear
around the house when it starts to get hot.
And it's always nice to be able to whip up something pretty if
an occasion calls for something 'special', too.
Remember the hand-painted card that my blogging friend,
Carrie sent with her blog giveaway?
It was so pretty that I framed it.
Jennie gave me the frame, and it was perfect with
all the little things I keep on my sewing room table.
xx
I've been working on my embroidered 'Flower Pot' tablecloth in the
evenings while relaxing in front of the television.
I have three pots finished, with one more to go.
Then I have to sew on a backing and crochet a pretty edge.
It will be sweet as a topper over a gingham or flowered cloth
on my kitchen table.
I cleaned out my greenhouse of all the over-wintered herbs
and now have flats of flowers
that I need to pot up.
These begonias that overwintered need a bit more warmth
before I set them out.
They will live in one of my window boxes.
I had two fuchsia that survived the winter, too.
I lost a few plants, but I am learning what I can over-winter
and what I can't.
Come along and I will show you some of my garden flowers.
Columbine.
They reseed themselves and every year the flowers are different!
Allium that I planted last fall.
Bugleweed.
These send out runners and are easy to transplant.
Spanish bluebells.
I have a growing colony in my 'woodland' garden.
You can see them through the fence. It's shady here.
This area is a work in progress.
I have ferns, the bluebells and
I just planted variegated vinca in the barrel.
There's a birdbath to the right out of the frame.
Variegated Vinca.
These form pretty colonies.
Bleeding Heart along the hydrangea hedge, among the ivy.
Common Vinca grows here, too.
Forget me Not blooming beyond the gate.
All of these flowers are deer-resistant.
Yes, we are talking about you!
xx
I have been doing my research on what I can and cannot plant.
I love having the wildlife, but don't want to waste time
and energy growing something that will be 'dinner'.
I captured the full moon one night just as it was
rising over the mountains.
Mt. Rainier at sunset.
xx
It stays light until after 9 P.M. now.
All the trees have leafed out and the grasses are getting tall.
My roses have started to bloom.
Soon we will be having morning coffee and lazy lunches out on the deck,
or working picnics down in the garden.
It's the season of fresh salads, strawberry shortcake and fruit crisps.
We'll be stargazing on balmy evenings
while candles flicker amidst lazy conversation.
The kind that meander through the lovely paths of memory,
woven with the twining vines of self-reflection and insight,
and blooming with the sweet intentions of future plans.
xxxx
"Someone once asked me what I regarded as the three most important
requirements for happiness. My answer was: "A feeling that you
have been honest with yourself and those around you; a feeling that
you have done the best you could both in your personal life
and in your work; and the ability to love others."
- Eleanor Roosevelt -
xx
"Believe there is a great power silently working all things for good,
behave yourself and never mind the rest."
- Beatrix Potter -
xx
"Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened
the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be
cruel to be tough."
- Franklin D. Roosevelt -
