Little Known Facts About Me

Since I took a break from blogging I thought I would share a bit about myself today. People that have read my blog in the past know I love flower gardening, reading books, my pets, photography, and my family and friends. Today I am sharing little known facts about myself.  You may already know some of these. Let's see:

1. As an adult I cannot remember phone numbers. I can recite our family phone number from childhood, but stumble when someone asks me my own number.

2. I drive around and make myself late for an event rather than parallel park.

3,  I am impatient with untangling cords, strings of lights, wind chimes, and hoses.

4.  I have always hated to back up a car. Even with my fancy screen on my car now, I still hate to back up. Perhaps it is because I have hit a few things while backing up.

5. I cannot go grocery shopping without a list. First I make a random list of what I need. Then I make a organized list in the order of the store. Somehow last week I still managed to forget napkins, paper towels, and paper plates. Go figure.

6. I love photography, but I don't do well taking pictures of people. I love to capture images of flowers, landscapes, my pets, and sunsets. I don't do as well with people.

7. I don't care for kale, raw onions, hot peppers, arugula, pepper, and vinegar and salt potato chips.

8. Even though I am a dog lover, I get anxious around strange dogs.

9. I have never been able to grow delphinians, lupins, or butterfly bushes.

10. I hate good-byes.

My dog Riley and his buddies.

I Am a Writer

 I am a writer. I have written in journals, in my head, on scraps of paper, at writing retreats, with my students, and on this blog. I have been on hiatus from posting on my blog.

 I am also a reader. I love to read poetry, newspaper articles, essays, memoirs, nonfiction, fiction, and much more.  

Starting today I am going to take all those thoughts, ideas, words, stories, and memories that have been swirling around in my head and heart and put them down here again.

 I love this advice from Billy Collins. I am off to find a yellow pencil.

Advice to Writers by Billy Collins

Even if it keeps you up all night,
wash down the walls and scrub the floor
of your study before composing a syllable.

Clean the place as if the Pope were on his way.
Spotlessness is the niece of inspiration.

The more you clean, the more brilliant
your writing will be, so do not hesitate to take
to the open fields to scour the undersides
of rocks or swab in the dark forest
upper branches, nests full of eggs.

When you find your way back home
and stow the sponges and brushes under the sink,
you will behold in the light of dawn
the immaculate altar of your desk,
a clean surface in the middle of a clean world.

From a small vase, sparkling blue, lift
a yellow pencil, the sharpest of the bouquet,
and cover pages with tiny sentences
like long rows of devoted ants
that followed you in from the woods.

Happy Birthday Riley!

Three years ago Riley was born at a farm outside of St. Maries Idaho. He didn't come to live with us until later in July. Riley brought a whole new ray of light into our lives. He adored his older brother Tucker, he adored us. Let's just say that Riley adores anybody he comes in contact with. He loves people.

 His brother Tucker taught him to alert us when the UPS truck was out front, Tucker also taught him the importance of going to the crate when it is time in the evening. Tucker also taught him how to inform us when it was time to get up and let the dogs out of the crates in the morning.

Riley had a tough adjustment period when he lost his brother in November. He lost his appetite, was afraid to go outside by himself, and tried to remember the skills Tucker taught him. Riley had never been alone in his life.  He rallied and by the holiday season he went with us to family functions.

Riley is a Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier. I had a friend years ago that had one and I fell in love with her dog. After we lost our dog Annie the summer of 2017 I started to read ads of available dogs. That was how I found Riley. We had only had sporting and herding breeds before. A terrier is a breed like no other. Riley hasn't been easy to train and he does have a stubborn streak.

 Riley loved his cousins next door and watched at the gate when they came outside. The dogs were elderly dogs so Riley didn't get to play with them much. Sadly, the two dogs have gone to doggie heaven , but Riley still runs to the gate looking for them. Riley also got to visit Grandma Mary at Kindred one time before she died. Mom loved Riley at first sight.

He loves to go in the car to his favorite places where he can run his heart out. He also loves to go to to espresso stands that give out dog treats. He loves his toy buddies Wheat and Oat. As long as Riley is with us, he is happy. He is very photogentic and enjoys life. He brings us joy every day.

I Want To Be Famous In The Way

Famous The river is famous to the fish. The loud voice is famous to silence, which knew it would inherit the earth before anybody said so. The cat sleeping on the fence is famous to the birds watching him from the birdhouse. The tear is famous, briefly, to the cheek. The idea you carry close to your bosom is famous to your bosom. The boot is famous to the earth, more famous than the dress shoe, which is famous only to floors. The bent photograph is famous to the one who carries it and not at all famous to the one who is pictured. I want to be famous to shuffling men who smile while crossing streets, sticky children in grocery lines, famous as the one who smiled back. I want to be famous in the way a pulley is famous, or a buttonhole, not because it did anything spectacular, but because it never forgot what it could do.  Naomi Shihab Nye What about me? I want to be famous to the child I helped up when he wrecked his bike.  I want to be famous to the older woman that couldn't reach the last pack of toilet paper in the grocery store.  I want to be famous in a way a bookmark is famous, because it always knows where it belongs. I want to be where I belong to provide support, kindness, and love.

Gardening Tips: The Spring List, Part 1

I bought my first garden plants for the year today. I already went over my budget and there are still more plants I really want and need!  That is a dilemma all gardeners face each year. Here are some of  my tried and true gardening tips as I begin another season of gardening:

-If a plant doesn't spread like you planned, dies right after you plant it, or is dug up by a critter, there is a solution. Put a pot next to it or in its place. A colorful pot filled with simple flowers can cover up a lot of mistakes.

-Don't get overwhelmed with weeding. It is that part of gardening we dread, but break up it.Put on your favorite playlist or book, put in your earbuds and go for it.  Do a small amount every day and before you know it, your weeds or pulled. Repeat!

-To save money and fill in empty spaces in garden beds and pots, plant nasturium seeds. They are cheap, they grow quickly, they trail or spread and they are pretty.

-If you have a place with lots of sun and room for the plants to thrive, plant sunflowers from seeds. They are easy to grow, inexpensive, and so pretty. There are so many varieties to choose from. One year I did plant those Mammoth Sunflowers that are used for the seeds.  They grow 9-12 feet tall. If you have room, they are great for the seeds, but mine tipped over from the weight of the seeds. I don't recommend them.

- Mint is a wonderful herb to grow and can be used in so many ways.... but.... mint spreads quickly and is very invasive. Plant your mint in a pot and you will be much happier.

- Always plant marigolds around tomato plants.Why? The marigolds protect the tomato plants from harmful root-knot nematodes in the soil. ( I learned this tip from my mother)

- Cover your face while gardening. Either wear sunscreen or a hat to shade your face. I also try to wear garden gloves, but they end up being pulled off depending on the task.

Enjoy shopping for the pretty flowers, getting your hands dirty, and getting those seeds in the
ground.

Top Ten Things I Have Learned During Covid-19

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I like to look for the silver lining in difficult situations. Here we go:

Top Ten Things I Have Learned During Covid-19

10. Home is where the heart is.
9.  A mask can cover chapped lips, dark circles under eyes, and unwanted hair.
8.  Dark roots are trending now.
7.  Stockpiled Bath and Body Works antibacterial soap is my new best friend.
6.  I have figured out 786 ways to used canned chicken.
5.  The best stress relievers this month have been Strawberry Twizzlers, red beer, and runs with Riley.

4,  I have learned that Zoom is not just a hot cereal I ate as a child.
3.  Positive cards and notes in the mail boost my spirits more than ever.
2.  It is okay to be nonproductive day after day.
and the number one thing I have learned during Covid-19
1.   I finally learned how to spell quarantine.