Summertime and Livin' Easy

When I began raising roses I often paid attention to the name of the rose rather than growing conditions, type of rose, or the size it would get. I loved names like Moonshadow, Brigadoon, and Carefree Delight. After getting a bit more experienced I was more aware of the types of roses I was growing. I was looking for a birthday gift for JEJ and chose the rose above just because of the name Livin' Easy . It described his personality and the tag information made the rose sound like it would be a beauty. This was my first introduction to the floribunda type of rose. I love these because they bloom longer than the hybrid tea. The blossoms are smaller and they usually do at least two big bloom shows. They blend in nicely with the landscape because of their size and shape. The glossy, dark green leaves make them an attractive shrub all three seasons. I gave him this rose about six years ago and it has been a blooming success every since. The flowers make a colorful addition to a bouquet. You can see one in the bouquet on my last post. I would highly recommend the Livin' Easy.

Spring Bouquet #11: Flowers to Say Thank You

As the school year draws to an end there are always people to thank for their efforts at making the school a better place. What better way to thank my principal for her excellent leadership than with a bouquet of fresh picked flowers? I decided to do a mix of blossoms and colors. The peonies in the center with their huge blooms and lovely scent are definitely the focal point. It made a perfect centerpiece this morning on her desk in her office resting among her papers, books, and files. I saw her later and the bouquet put a smile on her face!
Now I am off to finish the last reading of exams and final grades. Tomorrow will be here before I am ready I am afraid. Let's see... there must be some really good chocolate that can keep me awake for another hour or so..... let the search begin!

Our Cat Lily

We always acquire cats that need homes. Because we live in the country friends and family think we need more cats. Of course JEJ is knows as " The Cat Whisperer" because the cats flock to him wherever he is around the property. Since our cats are indoor/outdoor cats adding more doesn't make a huge difference. Right now we have six cats. A year ago in March we lost a dear friend SH. The fall prior to her death she got two kittens at the feed store. They were the cutest brother and sister. She kept them on a screened porch when it got cold. When she got sick the cats got attention from people who came to help and visit like JEJ and me. Her husband was concerned about the cats because of his dog and other animals around their property so they didn't go outside.

There was so much to deal with after her death. GH didn't know what to do with the kittens. We went home one day after helping at the house and decided as a gift to our dear friends we would bring them home. What a blessing the two cats have been. There were some hisses and growling when they first arrived and met the other cats. Now they have blended into our cat kingdom nicely.

Lily is very independent. She doesn't like being held. She is still a bit leary of our dogs, but loves to follow you everywhere around the gardens. Her coloring is beautiful and I was glad I caught these pictures after she did a tour of the gardens with me one evening. I hope we will continue to spend more time together. Another day I will do a post introducing her brother William.

My Social Life Would Die

Today writing an essay was not on the minds of my middle school students. It is exam week. We wrap things up on Friday at 10:30. The sun was shining, they didn't get their usual break in the morning, and many of them are just plain worn out!

Getting in the last juicy gossip, finding out the final decision on "who is going out with whom", and deciding which classmate is playing with them at Hoopfest are so much more important than sitting at a desk writing out an exam. We heard cinnamon gum made you think better, so I even helped them along by handing out Big Red this morning! As they pushed their pens, chomped on their gum, and furrowed their brows I paced around looking over their shoulders just to try to keep them encouraged.

Later I was reading a new poetry book and came across this title. If I had given them a chance to speak their minds today, these may have been their words.

My Writing It An Awful Mess

My writing is an awful mess,

And my teacher asked me why,

" I zoom through my assignments,"

I told her with a sigh.

" I want to finish all this work

So I can yack with friends,

I simply cannot wait until

The school day finally ends.

" I never check my spelling and

Punctuation, I don't try,

For if I spent my time on these,

My... social life would die.

"It's talking with my friends each day

That keeps my whole world bright,

And I don't want to give this up,

Just to get my schoolwork right."

-Kalli Dakos

The Gloaming

gloaming - the time of day immediately following sunset

My husband's favorite time of the day is the gloaming. At our house the sun sets west of our gardens. During that time of evening it is beautiful. This is what I caught as our gardens were preparing for the gloaming this evening.

"This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and gloaming, on seas and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls." -John Muir

Sibling Assignment # 24 : A Room From Childhood

The sibling assignment this week was to reflect on a room from childhood that had special significance. You can find my other siblings’ assignments here and here.

We grew up in a house with one bathroom. Fortunately Dad showered at work during the week. With a family of five the bathroom was a busy place. If you wanted to take your time with a bath or anything else you were often interrupted by somebody knocking at the door. We also ran out of hot water on busy bathing nights.

The room I loved in childhood was the bathroom at my Grandma Woolum’s house. Grandma was a small woman and it seemed like the bathroom was made just for her. Because the room was small I think somebody shrunk the claw foot tub to fit. For many years there wasn’t even a sink. That tub also seemed like it was designed just for me. Grandma had an apartment upstairs that also had a bathroom. Mom told me recently that originally the little bathroom was probably a pantry.

During my grade school years nobody lived upstairs so when we came to visit that meant there were two bathrooms. Such a luxury! I could take a bath at Grandma’s for as long as I liked. Spending a week-end at at her house was an adventure anyway, but I always looked forward to Saturday night and my soak in the tub. Grandma used Cashmere Bouquet soap which now seems a bit strong, but back then it was a scent from heaven. She also had fancy bubble bath powder that she couldn’t use. Many things made Grandma break out. These items that had been given as gifts such as the bubble bath and pastel colored Avon scented soap were mine to use. I loved the warm, sudsy water, the mixes of fragrance, and the privacy. The bathroom was right off the kitchen, but by the time I took a bath in the evening everyone had moved to the living room. She always had soft, freshly laundered white towels waiting on the toilet seat to wrap up in after the bath and Jergen’s lotion since it was the only type her skin could handle. I loved the original cherry smell of that lotion as I rubbed it on my arms. Between the soaps, bubble bath, and lotion I must have carried quite a fragrance as I emerged from the bathroom. I remember feeling relaxed, clean, and refreshed. After a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows I was ready to crawl into my favorite roll-away bed for a night of peaceful slumber. That bathroom was my own sanctuary before I knew I needed one. I would think, soak, sing, play with the bubbles, and enjoy every moment of bathing with nobody knocking on the door. Bathing at Grandma’s was pure bliss for this ten-year-old girl.