Over the course of the last few weeks, I mentioned to my siblings that they shouldn’t be surprised if they have a sense of our mother’s presence.
Since she passed away a few weeks ago, at least one brother mentioned such an experience, felt in his yard as he was cutting some flowers.
I was on the hunt yesterday for a climbing rose named New Dawn. It does very well in my area, and it’s mentioned often on a weekly gardening radio show I listen to. Sadly, it’s a bit early to plant roses here in Maryland, so there were none to be had at the nursery. I’ll have to wait till the beginning of May, right around Mother’s Day. Of course. I was thinking about my mom when I decided to go out at get this rose.
Early one morning this week, I had to go outside to take the trash out. As soon as I was out the door, I was hit with a pungent odor. The smell of spring.
We’ve been having some warm days lately, and winter’s grip on the soil is loosening up. Growing up in Southern California, I never encountered the powerful smells that come with the spring thaw. Earthy is probably the best way to describe it. I’m hoping you’ll know what I mean. 🙂
Earlier this week, I had lunch with a young friend. He was active in my youth group when he was growing up, and from time to time we get together for some good food and conversation.
On this particular day, John wanted to do some shopping at Trader Joe’s when we were done with lunch, and, since it’s one of my favorite stores, I was happy to join him.
If you’re familiar with Trader Joe’s, you know that there are always buckets of flowers near their front doors, all available for purchase.
Over the weekend, I turned another year older. It’s hard to believe just how fast time flies, but here I am, moving towards one of those big milestone birthdays. Hmmm.
Well, given the alternative, I’ll take my birthday any time. Since I was able to celebrate with a lot of my family this year, it felt extra special.
Even though we didn’t get the usual sunny weather California is well-known for, even in winter, I missed another snowfall at home. I’ve lucked out so far this year, and really haven’t touched my snow shovel. Well, that’s fine with me.
I know. Fall isn’t even officially here yet, and I’m already writing about spring. Well, in my book, it’s good to plan ahead.
And if you want your spring to be especially beautiful, now is the time to act. Most spring-blooming flowers have to be planted soon in order for them to settle in before the ground freezes.
Another benefit of thinking about spring, at least for me, is that it takes my mind off of all the craziness going on in our world today, especially surrounding the upcoming presidential election. Just get this over with, please. We’ll be clawing ourselves out of this mess for years to come, regardless of who gets elected.
With the click of my mouse, I’ll be emailing the last of my class papers this morning 🙂 Going back to school hasn’t been easy, but I am grateful for the experience, and grateful that my classes are over until next year.
Now, it’s time to take a breath and then get back to business. I hope you’ve been to your local farmer’s market by now. There is so much great stuff to buy, but I’m still waiting on a few things to appear. Maybe next week…
My dog Maggie hasn’t been feeling too well lately, and she’s been getting me up extra early. That’s o.k. with me, especially because the sun is just coming up as I pour my first cup of coffee.
Today is a beautiful morning. This little container garden is just outside my kitchen door. The sun rises right behind it, and over the years, it’s become one of my favorite places to pray.
I change the plantings each year just to keep things lively. That being said, I always have some variety of hibiscus, geranium, fuchsia and coleus. I was in a peachy kind of mood when I was at the nursery this year, so here’s what I got.
On Friday, I dragged myself home from my first week at Catholic University. Let me just say they don’t mess around there. Doctoral studies are hard, much more than I anticipated.
That being said, it’s also a joy to be back in a great learning environment. There’s a lot to do, and a lot to learn. Somehow, I have to put it all together, but I think I’ll pull it off.
When I got home last night, I was too tired to work in my garden. But this morning, I was out there bright an early.
Last week as I was walking to my driveway gate, I noticed a small grouping of pencil-thin stalks popping out of the ground. I knew exactly what they were, and seeing them brought a smile to my face.
One of the very first bulbs to bloom in my area, the dwarf iris Katherine Hodgkins seem to come out of nowhere, quickly bloom, and then, just as quickly fade away.
When I went to work that morning, I stopped by the office of one of my co-workers. Several years ago, as she was just moving into her new home, I gave her some of these bulbs to plant in her yard. I wanted to know if they were coming up yet at her place. Nope, there was no sign of them yet.