Aren't sunflowers just happy little flowers?

A welcomed visitor!!

I got visited by a wee gnome today! He said he journeyed all the way from Wisconsin--sent by a lovely Shelfer named Orbie. Thanks Orbie! At this very moment he is busy making friends with all his fellow gnomes here in my abode. I'll soon post a picture of him in his new garden home.

That was so very sweet of you!~!!!

A long and productive life

Tasha Tudor 1915-2008
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/20/america/obits.php


"Tudor frequently said that she was the reincarnation of a sea captain's wife who lived from 1800 to 1840 or 1842, and that it was this earlier life she was replicating by living so ardently in the past."

This woman was quite a character and inspiration. Too bad Allan didn't think her obit warranted a bit on the Comments Section.

I spent the Fourth of July just lazing around, doing some housework and watching the CREATE channel --which I think is an offshoot of PBS because the shows have no commercial interuptions. Sara Moulton has a cooking show there, as does that Italian lady Lidia Basticvich (sp?)

I'm also watching old old old (because he's dead) reruns of Bob Ross' painting shows. I love that guy and enjoy watching him paint. Most of his stuff looks the same----old barns, big dead-looking trees, mountains, skies, but I enjoy him--he's so serene.

I hate fireworks. They've been shooting off fireworks for four days straight. It began on Thursday, then, Friday, then last night and today some kids down the block are doing firecrackers. I'm getting to be more and more like Miss Nesta Kiki Marie who has "low slunk" over the floors for the last four days.

This morning before it got too hot, I cleaned out an abandoned little area of the yard. I weeded and discovered some coneflowers, columbine and dill had sprouted there, so I pulled everything but identifiable plants. I raked and mulched it and it looks half way decent. Oh. Oh, Oh. I've dioscovered a wonderful website: www.gardenrant.com Its' basic philosophy is that garden designers don't know shit--that a garden full of plants you love--regardless of if you break "the rules"--is okay dokey.

I want someone to make me a beautiful, tall, ice cold glass of lemonade---you can put some vodka in it if you wish.

more pics

Top to Bottom:

Red Hot Poker gone to seed.I love it!

The only variety of marigold I like.

Garden Phlox.

My first sunflower getting ready to bloom.

Daisy and verbena.

Your career choice

If I could have any other person in the world's career I would have to choose the career of the Travel Channel's Samantha Brown.

True, travel gets tiresome and I'm sure she's sacrificed a lot over the years--I don't think she has children or even ever been married--but she's seen the world, stayed in fabulous five-star hotels and destinations, and dined on the finest foods.

What a terrific career! Whose would you choose?

summer assignments

I've been insisting that LP read national, local and international news, then write a paragraph about each story.

Here's a recent entry:




International: Is Osama Dying? (Hell I hope so)
Osama Bin Laden, a name recognized for being a wealthy man’s son, not to mention his terror-network and thoughtless brutality towards anyone who opposes his religious beliefs. But recent news from CIA analysis and 2002’s Pakistani President claimed that Bin Laden has suffered from kidney diseasse and supposedly has only two to five months to live (as if!). Evading capture from U.S. Troops and other allied forces have people wondering, could it be a hoax? A hoax is no joax. (get it?) Not to mention recent videos put out in the Arabic Al-Jazeer news network show videos of Bin Laden looking healthier than ever! If what the CIA is saying is true then it’ll be a sad day for justice in America if he dies of naturally causes and was never brought to justice.. So Bin Laden may or may not be dying but I do know some people who are you brothers and your sisters and my brothers, so support the ttroops and do your part as an American and vote Barack Obama for President.This Liam, your son, doing as assigned. Back to the studio.

in bloom

Frankie hanging out with the coneflowers.

Two shots of my garden.

In bloom 2

1. Orange lily and purple coneflowers
2. Pineapple sage. This doesn't look impressive but it smells heavenly. I use it in iced tea. Hummingbirds love the blooms.
3. Monarda bee balm. Bees/hummers love it.
4. Yellow lily and the ever present coneflowers
5. Red lily

My Trip to Dayton

Some tidbits about my meeting:

• The Dayton meeting was productive. I was shocked. However the travel back to Indiana was horrible. I got caught in a torrential rainstorm on US 70 and c0uld not see ten feet in front of me. I pulled ovcr onto the shoulder with my flashers on and sat there hoping that no one would run into me. Cars were still moving, but some put on their flashers. It blew over in about 15 minutes and I was on my way again. I hate driving in bad weather.
• We went out for drinks and dinner on Wednesday. Since it was on the company's dime, I ordered a margarita with Patron tequila and then ordered a second.
• During the meeting Wednesday afternoon I felt this awful stabbing beneath my right breast. I went into the restroom and found that my underwire in my bra had popped out and the thing was poking me. I didn't bring an extra bra to an overnight meeting (would you??) and I tried to pull the damned thing out but it wouldn't budge so I twisted it the best I could so it wouldn't hit skin and continued on. As I hit US 70 (before the awful rain) I undid the bra hooks and remove it via the armholes of my shirt and chucked it outside the car going 65 MPH. Yes, I littered. But I hope some poor creature finds it and takes it back to their nest, home, etc and uses it in good health.

Today it looks rainy but I'm going to go run some errands (Post Office, Panera Bread) before it gets too bad.

I'm back, i'll write more after work.

Spidey, nuttin' I wasn't able to shop.

Spidey,
Tomorrow morning I'm going to Dayton, Ohio for a business meeting. I do not want to go to Dayton, Ohio for a business meeting, but there you go.
I'll be back Thursday.

This is the pink rose, catmint red hot poker, lambs ears, Shasta diasies, and lollipop lilies with a scattering of white coneflowers, and daylilies

This is another landscape pink rose mixed in with the catmint. I like the combo pink and blue.

These are orange asiatic lilies and coneflowers

This is a shrub/landscape pink rose

This is a plain old yellow lily that just bloomed

Hot 19

If you know these phrases, who says 'em and the shows that they're from, you're a reality show, HGTV lover too (I threw in one from a sitcom).
(Sorry Meme & Clanky . . .you may not know them)


1. Padma’s scar


2. “Hot tranny mess”


3. “Your show has been canceled”


4. “Oh, Clivey”


5. Introductions by Bill Bellamy


6. “Expect the unexpected”


7. “The tribe has spoken”


8. “You need to work on your shoulder position.”


9. “My mother is drinking her box of wine.”


10. “Make it work!”


11. “We’re apple-picking people in my family!”


12. “You shined and made it your own.”


13. “Mose works on the family beet farm.”


14. “Which house will they choose?”


15. “Will you accept this rose?”


16. “Who do you think should pay for your mistake!? Me? Byrd?”


17. “You threw me under the bus!”


18. “This journey has been so phenomenal!”


19. “Best dishes from my house to yours.”

more plants/no sex

I went to Meijer's this evening for some OJ, milk, red peppers, pretzels, frozen stuff, fattening stuff andshampoo when I spied a plant sale in their gardening area. Pincushion flowers, agastache, and creeping phlox in gallon containers for $2.54 each! Who could resist? So without knowing where I'd put them, I bought three of each. So that's my weekend chore.

LP's out on a date with a girl named Amy. I haven't heard about her so I asked some questions and got this:

She works at a local restaurant, her mother is an alcoholic so when her parents divorced she got to live with her Dad. They get along great, but her mother is pretty much out of the picture. She doesn't smoke. She doesn't drink or do drugs. She texts LP a lot. She's cute. She's nice.

They're double dating with one of LP's best friends and I told him, "Please do not have sex with this girl unless you wear a condom. We don't need little LPs running around when you're only 17 and don't know what you want to do with your life and don't even have a job."

"Mom, we're not going to have sex."

Famous last words.

She looks like Julia Roberts

So last night I went in to Family Video with the LP. I was looking around and this couple (around age 60) were looking at Becoming Jane about Jane Austen (played by Anne Hathaway)
Man: Who plays in that?
Woman: I'm not sure.
Man: She looks like Julia Roberts. Is it Julia Roberts?
Woman: No, it isn't.
Man: It sure LOOKS like Julia Roberts. What's it about?
Woman: Jane Austen.
Man: WHO?
Woman: Jane Austen.
Man ( I KID YOU NOT): Who the hell is Jane Austen??

(sheesh!)

The woman answered, "A dead writer from a long time ago."