Thursday, March 20, 2008

Spring Fever






Oh I've got it bad. I'm cleaning,dusting,rearranging and organizing. If I was pregnant it would be the nesting before birth. Today we sorted books and took a few out for the homeschoolers book sale. My friend recommended another cute blog ,Warm Pie Happy Home. If she ever comes by mine she'll think that I copied hers, we have the same colors. How's that for a kindred? Not to even mention she is from California too, it's a small world.
We have a great junk shop near my house, "Lil's Odds and Ends". It's run by a little black lady and does she ever get the great deals. Her shop is a revolving door of stuff. I was looking for tea cups and she told me she always throws them away no room to display them. Her trash gets taken as soon as she puts it out so they don't really go to waste. I got 4 little clear glass ones for 25 cents a piece. It would have been great if I stopped there but I didn't. I found a really cute Laura Ashley shift dress out of green and cream toille and a little matching jacket in a contrasting ticking, very ooh lah lah. The question is if it fits haven't had the courage to try yet. It was only $8. We had a blast.
The carpet still needs a deep clean, but the house is in good order. The front beds are ready for some new bark. Everything is blooming. My little redbud tree is so precious. I love to plant small young trees and watch them grow up. The redbud in the front yard is my new baby. Harry the Weeping Willow was the last little baby and he's a big tree now. Everything at this house has been planted by us basically. There were three trees and some holly bushes that I had Daddy BB dig out.
The garden is eight years old now so it's getting mature. It's the only hard thing when I think about moving to a more country place. The little town we came too has developed into a city. There was a little two lane country road by the house that is a four lane highway now, actually 5 lanes counting the middle turn aisle. I've seen more trees cut down than I care to remember. One of the last casualties was a green lot that I loved that had Oaks about a hundred years old. There are two huge commercial buildings there now, all very chic.
I have always wanted to live in the country. when we left California and came to Mississippi we thought we did move to a little country town. We didn't know it was on the verge of big development which is great for property values. When I think of a country place with a pond and a nice big wrap around porch, my heart gets so still. It's a good meditation, a quieting dream. We have put a lot of work into this garden, so many plants and trees. My beloved dog is buried out in back. I've slowly acquired bulbs and perennials and divided them until there is quite a crop. It's almost to the point of happening by itself. I had trimmed and shaped a Wisteria along one fence in an espalier fashion. Last year it was as big and as long as the fence and was a solid cascade of blooms. Daddy BB cut it down into a little shrub shape. I did not divorce him, but seeing the wreckage was very hard. He doesn't like vines. I love them. I have Clematis variates everywhere they can climb. I even planted a Nelly Moser under one Oak tree. They have grown up together. I would like to put some netting around the trunk so it can wrap itself all over it. All the roses are leafing out and will soon have buds, the first bloom on the climbing Josephs Coat has opened! Columbine are leafing out everywhere, I have encouraged the reseeding of them I love them. The little Lambs Ears actually came with me from California as did some Vinca ground cover and two roses. I just couldn't leave everything. I also dug up my huge Iris collection and brought it. We packed the plants in sawdust. My Lambs Ears came from my friends garden. I would love some Bleeding Hearts but they haven't survived from year to year. The Queen Elizabeth rose did just fine moving and is an old girl now. There are so many beauties in this garden. 13 varieties of basil spring up on the side yard. I've grown Lillie's and Strawberries, Canna's and mums. Zennia's seed themselves too. I have a little makeshift fence across the driveway to keep the dogs in. It's really a flimsy cheap mess of wire and 2x4's so I grow Heavenly Blue Morning Glories all over it. The fence is in the pitcha of my kitchen garden. Trips to the nursery aren't even necessary anymore so much comes back and sprouts by itself. My only regret is, the hybrid roses that have too many fungus diseases. In the South the old cemetery roses and little miniature wild ones are best, they stay healthy. I know where I can get some cuttings and am going to start some.
It's almost Easter. We're going to have some friends over and see their new little baby what a treat! I have a turkey in the freezer and I think I'm going to roast it slow with some honey mustard barbecue sauce. We'll fix a big spring salad, some fruit salad, rice pilaf and warm bread with real butter. I haven't decided on desert yet but something fruity maybe a lemon pie. All of these lovely signs of new birth pale in comparison to the new life and future hope that our Lord provided when HE conquered sin and death. What a miracle, and what a glorious day to celebrate not only spring but Easter.

2 comments:

Laura ~Peach~ said...

beautiful!! sigh... I love plants and flowers and ones that take care of themselves are the most fortunate around me :-) I put em out and God does the rest!

Angela said...

Karen, Warm Pie Happy Home is one of my favorite blogs. I even had my husband come to look at all those pics of her home. Her pantry,oh my,,,that stove with the tile in the back..I'm a RED lover..Her's was one of those blogs I drooled over and envied..LOL.
I see here you got the hang of taking pics here. Oh my,,that's my dream girl..sharing little corners of my home with everyone..I LOVE what you did, I LOVE that cross and I LOVE the lights,,their the same as mine,,LOL too funny!