just for fun

I'm having a little fun finding widgety things for the sidebar. Those fish... click in the pond, see what happens. :)
It might end up being too much, but I'm keeping it for now. Gotta have fun where you can, right?

circle of life

I made this basket of flowers for a family a couple of Sundays ago. They requested all white flowers, and I do love the effect. Turns out, it was the family's way to announce the pregnancy of a young couple in our congregation. Much celebrating was made, and rightfully so. A bright light will be joining us soon.

This morning, a good man I know, terminally ill and filled with love and determination, took his own life. He was Father to my dear friend. I grieve his loss ~ and their loss. A bright light has left us.

Rest in peace, dear Deris. Thank you for everything.

roller coasters and morning glories

Yesterday my facebook status read, "stop this rollercoaster, I want to get off". I recieved a couple of responses - from one, who thought I was upset by the economy, perhaps: "Life, like any roller coaster, has its ups and downs. I agree we're all in a 'down' period, but don't get off the ride just yet. We'll be heading up soon." Well... that's nice, but not really applicable to what I meant in my post. Another, more encouraging (and to the point) comment: "There's an end to every ride, this one, too. Hang in there."

By the time I heard from that second friend, things had already (and again) begun to change. I am on a medication rollercoaster - since last week and ending next week, perhaps on a too-high dose at the start, and the taper is finally taking effect. I am feeling more like myself, thank God.

In fact, maybe a little better than myself just now ~ which I find lovely and refreshing. I've had a bunch of ideas about things to post here, and if I can stop long enough to compose them while they still make sense you'll see them here soon.

Meanwhile, out in the garden ~

I have morning glories!
Tangled amidst the nasturtiums!

I cannot tell you how amazing this seems to me. Extraordinary. Sure, they are magenta, not the blue ones, but I don't really mind about that.

Yay me!

Georgia Ruth Biddall Quickert

... was born this day, 1906. My paternal grandmother, she was ferociously stubborn, ferociously proud and loved us all ... ferociously.
Here she is in 1979, with her first three great-grandchildren (there would be somewhere between 24-27 in all eventually - depending on how you count) at Dad's 50th birthday party. Jenny, on the left, was just 4 weeks old. Jennifer W., in the middle, was maybe 6 months old, and Aaron (standing) was 22 months old.

Yes, my cousin and I both named our daughters Jennifer. I can claim a lack of imagination, but deny vehemently any imitation.

I love, love, love the joyful, proud look on her face in this picture.
Happy birthday, Grandma!
love, Nancy.
I mean Kathie.
I mean KATHY.
xoxo

glimpse of a summer garden

geez, that title sounds way more romantic than the reality. Ah, well. My garden is a humble space, but it is also a source of some delight. Come, see:
This is the view out the back door, from my kitchen and over the desk... the leafy greenness of everything beckons on these beautiful days.
a gorgeous pelargonium (geranium), which grows right outside the sliding door. It has become HUGE, and is blooming like crazy. Alas, it also is full of whiteflies... which I won't spray because I am not interested in killing my ladybugs. A green gardening trade off.

White cosmos - growing about 3' high, and quite happy, despite the small container they are living in. They're so cheery, and make me think of Jenny (cosmos are her favorite flower).
I've planted deep red sweet william in a couple of places... here, it's a nice contrast to the yellow primrose that has stuck around since late winter!
Here, they accompany the orange zinnia "profusion"
More orange! These are "million bells", a.k.a. calibrachoa. These are kind of like petunias, but really small: each flower is about the diameter of a quarter. I've got three colors growing on one shelf. The shelves are rusty and old, so I don't want to show you that...
...but here's a nice close up of the red and purple ones. Teeny-tiny spider costs extra!
A bit of my newly-replanted hanging basket: this is the dahlberg "golden fleece" daisy, some dark blue lobelia and white sweet alyssum...
... and rising above all those billowing, spilling-over flowers, a handful of (orange! again!) pansies. In the very center - a delphinium which ... did not do well. We shall speak of this no more.
Finally, one of my favorite flowers in the world, in one of its most beautiful varieties: a white california poppy! These grew from seed - I sowed a LOT of seeds, but have just the one plant, hiding in the far corner and leaning way over the balcony. I was very happy to get a shot of the shy bloom one sunny day not too long ago!

That's it - thanks for visiting my garden! As it continues to change and grow - so long as no disasterous wind, drought or pestilence comes - I'll post again!