Gardening is fun!

So, I find it incredibly funny that I have lived on acreage or with large yards for the last 10 years, and have just now found a love of gardening- now that I have NO YARD, and no acreage. Do you find that funny? I find that very, very funny in a depressing sort of way. :)


Granted, I had other things to do then, such as raising babies and training horses, but now I am kicking myself that I didn't take advantage of my resources and learn some things. Not one to forgo a challenge, I have been making up for lost time and loving it. I can't tell you what a relaxing experience it is to mess with my little plants and growing things- trimming, watering, feeding, all the while praying I don't kill them. So far so good, but I have two main issues right now. 1- is it too late to plant tomatoes? And 2- how difficult is it to keep perennials and shrubs going through the winter if they are potted rather than in the ground? I hate to put them in the garage unless I get some special lighting, which I would really rather not do. So, time for research, questioning the local nursery staff, and trial and error. Pray for me, but mostly pray for my plants- this time last year I couldn't even transplant something without putting it's roots into shock- and now I want to be a gardener. Go figure!

Had to add in my beautiful cactus garden. All for the low price of $1.99 a cactus from Ikea. Steve still loves the desert and palms, so I made this to keep the dream alive. :)

Mondays really are "Mondays"...

Remember all those old sayings like "Thank God it's Friday" or "Just another manic Monday"? (oooh, oooh, ooo...hear the music? "Wish it were a Sunday, that's my fun day..." hehehe)I have determined that they were all true. In the history of my
life, short as it may be, terrible things tend to happen on Mondays. And not only terrible things, but also just plain stupid things. So I am trying to figure out that if I stop "remembering" Mondays, and maybe call Mondays "Tuesdays" instead- do you think the annoying things, troublesome problems, and bleary Monday blues would go away? I wonder. All I can say is that I am really glad I am thirty minutes to Tuesday!
This last weekend was such a blast, I can't help but admit that it probably would make any day after seem like a "hang over" day. Jazz had a wonderful party on Friday and as much as I was exhausted because they don't know what SLEEP is, it was so cool to see her having fun, and hanging with girls she has know since she was in diapers. We laughed, and joked, they rode horses and jumped on the trampoline, scared themselves silly in the dark and tried to sleep in the breezeway until they realized they are warm- blooded creatures who can't tolerate freezing temperatures comfortably. Good times.
Saturday brought a treat just for me- a wonderful luncheon with ladies who knew me the moment I walked into my Christian life, with beautiful fall decorations and sweet fellowship. My dear friend, Donna, made it so elaborate, and so special for all of us, I will remember it forever. There is nothing like a cold, crisp fall day spent with women you admire and love. The best part was the countless ways Donna could make a dish with Jell-o. (Stef- stop laughing! hehehe) I will never eat jell-o again without thanking God for my delightful Miss Donna- who I have lovingly called "Bubbles" for the last decade.
Oh, to be able to look back on this life and feel full- that is a blessing only loving Jesus can provide. We had a birthday party for Steve's dad, and when he jokingly said he wished he was still 36, Grannie Anne said something that hit my heart. Her teeny 4 foot frame paused for a moment, and in her best "granny" voice she said, "Oh, I don't know...I don't think I would want to do all those years again". Wise woman, I say. On the other side of 80, she remembers that being in your thirties was no picnic. I wish I had her wisdom all the time...