The Porch of My Dreams

When I have a few minutes to spare, I like to visit blogs, and one I go back to often is Between Naps on the Porch. The blogger, Susan, has the most beautiful porch I've ever seen. One photo is shown above; click here for many other views of this incredible space.

But that's only one treat waiting at this site. Susan is a wonderful decorator. Below is a view of her guest room; click here for more views of this lovely room. And you can see so many other great rooms by visiting her site. Being "decor-challenged" myself, I find much inspiration in looking at beautifully decorated homes such as this one.

Susan also hosts two weekly blog events. The first is Metamorphosis Monday where readers post their own makeovers of rooms, furniture, etc.

The second weekly event is Tablescape Thursday. Here talented bloggers share their own creative table decorations.

If you haven't yet visited Between Naps on the Porch, you're in for a treat! Be prepared to spent some time looking at the many beautiful pictures. And -- drooling is permitted!!!!



Joanie

Blue Ribbon Flower Arrangements

Today was another garden club meeting. Although we are a relatively small group, I am always amazed to see the arrangements our talented members create. Today's theme was "Bombs Bursting in Air" and the design form was to be "Abstract creative." Members may enter in the theme category or may enter a "general" arrangement -- which means the arrangement is up to the person who creates it. We had so many attractive entries. Here are a sampling: The following arrangement won first prize ("blue"), and deservedly so:

Here's a gorgeous "general" arrangement:

And believe it or not, the following "general" arrangement got a blue ribbon. It is mine and I threw it together from plant materials in my garden this morning. It seems that when I carefully plan and design an arrangement, I don't get a first place, but when I assemble something on short notice it often wins a "blue." Of course I'm happy to receive the rating, but honestly don't see what the judges found so "original" and "terrific."
Here's another view of the arrangement. Go figure.

I admit that the colors of the arrangement were more vivid than these pictures show. The blue flowers (Eryngium) were an intense, steely blue, and the heuchera floral spires were a burgundy that matched the stamens in the upper lily. Still, I think the lessons to be learned from this are (1) beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder, and (2) be happy for life's unexpected gifts!

Joanie

Favorite Blogs--House of Turquoise

Although I don't post too frequently, I do like to visit other blogs, especially those that feature gardening and decorating. One of those I visit most frequently is House of Turquoise. When I first read about this blog in The Washington Post's Home and Garden Section, I was skeptical--wouldn't it be boring to look at a single color over and over? I could not have been more wrong. Erin finds the most amazing variety of beautiful rooms with some amount of a shade or hue of this color. Who could have imagined how versatile it could be? Thanks, Erin.

Wouldn't you be happy in any one of these rooms? I would.

Joanie

A Day in the Life -- of a Cat

Here's how our cat spends his days (in addition to eating): Looking out the window at the birds and squirrels,

playing on his "condo,"

greeting visitors.,

sleeping,

sleeping,

and sleeping.

Dealing with Aging

When I was young, I was always the youngest person in my group. Because of my birthday in the fall, I was the youngest in my high school graduating class. At work, I always seemed to be the youngest in my peer group.

But times have changed. Today, it seems that I am the oldest person in every activity in which I volunteer. I try to tell myself that this doesn't matter--my mind is still sharp and I am an active person--but when I get dressed to go out, I look in the mirror and see the gray hair, the wrinkles, the many signs of aging

One of the worst thing about being an old lady is that no one notices you! It seems like I meet some of the same people over and over but they don't remember me. Today I attended a meeting on a volunteer project and the committee chairman, with whom I've met for almost a year now, sent out a message afterward to all of the participants and in it called me by the wrong first name!

I have a theory--the best spy would be an old lady. No one notices old ladies. No one takes us seriously. No one pays attention to us. We are forgettable.

I'm not ready to give up living, volunteering, participating. Recently on a volunteer project, one of the others asked me if I was "up to this." I think she judged, by my appearance, that I was "too old" to participate. Granted, I am certainly not as capable, physically, as I once was, but I'm not ready yet to retire to the "home."

I found the following poem on the internet--no indication of who wrote it so if anyone knows please tell me. It expresses how I feel:

do not judge me

wrinkles, gray hair and hearing aids.
glasses, walking sticks, and dentures.
although when you look at me, this is what you see,
do not be a judge of me, for there is more of me to see
individual and human, I am unique, alive with personality, ME,
do not judge me

To "old ladies" everywhere--we rock!!!

Joanie

Memorial Day

"Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead" (Source: Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920). While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead....It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all." (courtesy http://www.usmemorialday.org/)


As a child, I remember going to the cemetery with my grandmother, the daughter of a Confederate war veteran, on Decoration Day and taking bunches of peonies to decorate the graves. It is a tradition that we should continue to follow, to memorialize those gave their lives for our country.

Freedom is not Free

I watched the flag pass by one day, It fluttered in the breeze.

A young Service man saluted it, And then he stood at ease.

I looked at him in uniform So young, so tall, so proud,

With hair cut square and eyes alert He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men like him Had fallen through the years.

How many died on foreign soil How many mothers' tears?

How many pilots' planes shot down? How many died at sea

How many foxholes were soldiers' graves? No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of Taps one night, When everything was still,

I listened to the bugler play And felt a sudden chill.

I wondered just how many times That Taps had meant "Amen,"

When a flag had draped a coffin. Of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the children, Of the mothers and the wives,

Of fathers, sons and husbands With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard At the bottom of the sea

Of unmarked graves in Arlington. No, freedom isn't free.

LCDR Kelly Strong, USCG - Copyright 1981

To many today, Memorial Day is primarily a holiday that gives us a three-day break from work and signals the unofficial beginning of summer. But let us all think about the meaning of the words in the above poem, and remember the reason why the holiday exists.

Frost Warning

Last night's weather report warned that we were under a frost advisory from 3 am to 9 am today (May 19). My Dad, who gardened in this area for half a century, always said that May 10 was the safe date for planting frost-tender plants. Our Master Gardener organization says the safe date is May 15. I started planting tender annuals last week so the news that we might have a frost this late in the season was worrysome.







I wasn't worried about my perennial plants, such as those shown along my side walk. The blue plants blooming in this picture are some that I grew from seed our first year here (11 years ago). Unfortunately, I don't remember what they are. They bloom reliably each May, but only bloom once.





I was worried about tender plants in the ground as well as in pots. Last week I purchased three of these begonia plants to hang from my porch and would have hated to lose them, but they came through fine.

I just planted this pot over the weekend. It has impatiens plants and an astilbe which was given to me by a friend. I don't know what color the astilbe is and hope it doesn't end up clashing with the impatiens.

I love the pot trellis shown in the foreground of this picture. It came from the Southern States store. In it is a red mandevilla purchased at the grocery store. In the background can be seen the hanging tomato planter Clliff bought me. The tomato plant (Parks Whopper) also looks just fine.

This pot, also recently planted, contains red and yellow superbells, blue lobelia, and "Lemon Symphony" daisies (Osteospermum hybrid), a "Proven Winners" plant.

I actually started this blog entry on Tuesday May 19, but didn't finish it. Today is thurs May 21. I don't know how to change the date once the draft has been saved.

Happy Memorial Day weekend to all.

Joanie