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Americana Country Touches Journal Who Am I

More Flower Fun

A Cup of Gold

A week ago, just before the hard frost, I rushed out, despite having arrived home after dark, and grabbed armloads of marigolds. I put them in five gallon buckets filled one-third with water and brought them inside. That set the stage for more flower arranging fun. I completed a fall bouquet I enjoy doing – a 360 degree pot of gold- marigolds that is – in an oversized cup.

Extending a bouquet’s life

Renewed bouquet
Renewed bouquet

I also decided to use my new supply of marigolds to renew my arrangement in the “real McCoy” bowl. The marigolds in it were fading and I thought some new ones would extend the life of my bouquet. While I was at it I made some other improvements. When you look at an arrangement on the table for a few days, it seems like you always think of ways it could be improved. I like the results!

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Americana Country Touches Journal Who Am I

Unexpected November flower bouquets

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Country Touches Journal Joy Notes Who Am I

Building my Daylily Collection Thoughtfully

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Journal Joy Notes Who Am I Wisdom

Before Frost

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Journal Joy Notes Meditations Wisdom

First frost and snow flakes too!

Flowers rescued from the first frost and arranged in a basket that was my grandmother's
Flowers rescued from the first frost and arranged in a basket that was my grandmother’s

As one who dabbles in gardening, I like to keep track of first frost dates.  Here in northern CT, this has been a wonderfully warm fall and we have not even been close to a cold night until the last two nights.  There has been frost in each of them.  I went out on Saturday to do the things that gardeners do on the last day before frost.  I gathered green tomatoes and  cut zinnias, marigolds, daisy mums, Shasta daisies, and a few other flowers for a couple last fresh bouquets.   Never mind that I hadn’t really picked many until then. It’s the sense that it’s the last time I’ll have that opportunity until next year.   More then once I’ve been known to go out with a flashlight to get those last minute items.   In fact, I picked the marigolds in the dark this year after arriving home from a church event.   The first frost seldom arrives on a convenient night.   Like judgment day,  or consequences from bad habits, first frost descends into the schedule just when you wish it wouldn’t.   Blessed are those who have been listening to the weatherman ahead and those with a little margin in their schedule so they have time to do the last minute things.   It reminds me of Jesus’ words concerning his second coming, “It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes” (Luke 12:37 NIV 2011).

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Journal Who Am I

A visit to Mom

I went to visit my Mom today. It takes about two and one-half hours one way going down through Gorham, Rushville, Naples, and Wayland.  I enjoy the scenery, especially today as the fall colors were more and more prominent as I neared my boyhood home.   I went to encourage Mom and took her some flowers from my garden in a basket that was my grandmother’s.  Thankfully I have a good crop of zinnias this year that have made wonderful cut flowers to take to Mom.   I read Scripture to her and sang to her as I usually do.  Even though she is on medicine that makes it hard for her to remember or think well, she sang with me on the chorus of “God Will Take Care of You.” The most precious part was when she prayed for me.  That encouraged me. These days I try to give back to her from the rich spiritual heritage that she and my Dad gave to us. 

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Journal News Commentary

Spring flowers seem very early

These crocus more than two weeks early this year

The weatherman says things are warming up early.
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/15/10704138-warming-up-mighty-early-across-parts-of-us
We really didn’t need him to tell us. I’ve had sonowdrops and crocus blooming already for several days. I have daffodils heavily budded and one hyacinth near the house showing purple too. Al Sgroi says he has already planted peas.

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Journal Joy Notes Who Am I

Sunflower Jungle

Every gardener should have a tall sunflower jungle picture.  So this year is my chance.   I planted a few in what I thought was the least favorable corner of the garden.   And they grew and grew.   Now I’m cutting for the table for us and feeding the birds outside.   The goldfinches are already eating to their heart’s content and yesterday I saw cardinals, another seedeater, flying nearby.  The tallest is 4 feet higher than I can reach which means it’s about 12 feet tall.  I planted several different types so I have lots of different colors too. Delightful! 

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Journal Joy Notes Who Am I

Grace Gardens — A beautiful spot

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You could call it the mother lode of daylilies, but I just cannot resist the sheer beauty of a hillside filled with a variety of hemerocallis in bloom.  That is what you see at Grace Gardens.  (Hemerocallis  is the formal scientific name for a daylily.)   I try to visit at least once each summer and I have already been there twice this year.  Each time I go I end up adding one or two more of these elegant flowers to my own collection.   Tom and Kathy Rood invent new daylily varieties too.   Kathy has one named after her now that has been featured in a magazine because it is very fragrant.  I knelt down to smell its pleasant fragrance on this trip.    I recommend visiting just to enjoy the beauty.    But be prepared to get snared by the charm of hemerocallis too.   Open house is this Saturday.

 

http://www.gracegardens.com/

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Journal Joy Notes

Anniversary Visit to Syracuse E. M. Mills Rose Garden

E. M. Mills Rose Garden visit June 20, 2011

This last weekend was a big celebration weekend for me and for my wife too.   It was Father’s Day and I enjoyed appropriate attention and good food on account of that occasion.  It was also the weekend we could tell our friends at Community Wesleyan the good news—those who had not read my blog or heard by the grapevine—that our daughter and son-in-law are expecting so we are going to be grandparents for the first time!   That is cause for celebration!    I hear that grandkids are the greatest!

Then to put the celebration over the top, Monday, June 20, was our 41st anniversary.   We spent the bucks last year for the big four-O.  So this year was lower key.   We soaked up some sun amid the beauty of the Syracuse Rose Garden—delightful smells and eye-popping beauty.   Then it was out to dinner at Red Lobster—I highly recommend the maple glazed salmon and shrimp.  JoAnne says our wedding happened on a bright sunny but windy day a lot like this June 20! We consider each other a treasure and pray that God grants us many years of good health to enjoy together.