Michigan 2012

Such a great time in Michigan last weekend.  This was taken at the Proven Winners garden near PJ's house.  Isaac and Jordan flew in to visit too!

Mama, Kynda, Rebecca, and PJ

Isaac, Jordan, mama, Rebecca

Mark & Ike

Sky Fire Coleus

Kyle Stories

When we were visiting last month, there was some altercation between these two loving siblings.  I know, it's hard to imagine.  Betsy was crying those big beautiful brown eyes out because her brother pulled her hair.  So of course, we asked Kyle to say he was sorry.  "NO!  Sorry to ME!  Sorry to ME!"

I'm not sure what really happened, but I do remember all those years ago that whenever I intervened on one brother's behalf, the other always had a point too.  I love these moments when they are getting along :)

Betsy Stories

 from facebook:

Rachel: Betsy, we need to clip your nails after your bath.

Betsy: NO, mom. I want them to be long like Cinderellas!

Rachel:  I knew that girly girl was in there somewhere. :)

 

Happy Day in June

Happy Birthday to my sweet mama today!  I love this picture of her with Betsy taken at The Farm.  Betsy makes us all look good in pictures :)

See what I mean?  Happy Father's Day to Mark and Warren.  We're going to Cheddars for lunch to celebrate.

Further proof about Betsy & her effect on photographs :)  And Happy Father's Day to Judson. 

Week Three of Abe's Army Training

So far, I've been able to keep up with the training walks and the gardening.  Well, most of the gardening.  There are too many weeds out there and still many projects left to carry out, but it's all good. 

V and I went to see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.  My mama was right, it was a really good movie :)  Take the time to go see it.  You'll be glad you did.  I love going to the movies.  A good story and  two hours that I don't have to do anything else.  Yes.

The larkspur has been gorgeous this year.  It might last another week, then I'm going to take the seeds and scatter them for next year.  Everywhere that gets an hour or more of sun a day is going to get it's own sprinkling of larkspur.  Because you can never have too much larkspur.  Or too many good Sunday afternoon movies. 

Wild Woman Walking

I loved Wild--From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail.   Remember the line in the movie Hurricane?  "Sometimes you don't pick the book, the book picks you."  Well, a book about walking the PCT picked Cheryl.  She wasn't a hiker or an athlete, but the idea of walking this trail spoke to her.   She had lost her mom and her marriage and decided to walk over a thousand miles along the west coast.

A thousand miles.   I've thought about her so often since I've been walking lately.  If she walked 1,000 miles, I can do this little part!

To my mama--check your kindle for Wild :)

Sunday Practice

It was a beautiful Sunday in the garden!  Did I tell you that I'm walking Abe's Army again this year?  I'm hoping for two things this time around.  One, I don't want to be last over the finish line.  and two, I want to have a pretty garden as well as walk the Army.  Last time I was exhausted, either walking or sleeping all the time.  Thanks to Chad, I feel stronger this time around so maybe I can walk and garden at the same time :)  Hope your Sunday in the garden was a good one too!  

Peonies for the Kitchen

Beautiful peonies from Petals & Co :) 

I LoVe this cabinet that mama bought for me.  

It makes the perfect place for a bouquet 

to sit in the middle of the kitchen :)

Spring 2012 Garden Tour

Memorial Day Flowers 2012

I had a great time today.

Betsy & Her PaPaw

My old friends are back :)

Mark's Birthday

Happy Birthday to Mark, TBHITWW!  We're taking the afternoon off to spend out in this beautiful May weather :)

Betsy Stories

Daddy: Betsy, I love you to the moon and back.
Betsy: Daddy, I love you to the moon and back too... if its dark.

Betsy Stories

Daddy: What did you throw in the fountain?

Betsy: Money!

Daddy: What did you wish for?

Betsy: Money! 

 It's a beautiful Sunday morning here at Canada Garden.  The iris and peony show is in full swing.

 

Lots of excitement at Petals & Co in the past few days with prom and Open House at The Farm, so I'm just sitting back and enjoying the show this morning.  I found this quote from Marianne Williams this morning:

Magic is when you ask the universe to serve you.

Miracles are when you ask how you can best serve the universe. 

 I hope there's a show going on in your garden too!

Darcy's Beet Salad

Mark took me to Darcy's last weekend and I had this fabulous beet salad.   Extra spectacular fantabulous yum--beets, pineapple, spinach, roasted red pepper, onions, candied pecans, blue cheese with a sweetened vinegarette.  It was a special for the evening, not an everyday menu item, so we'll have to look for it and hope it makes a repeat appearance.

April BK Pictures

I LoVe this picture of Bets and Gumbo!  It seems like forever since we've seen her.

I was feeling sentimental this morning and went out really early to put a card in the mail to Judson.  His 29th birthday is Tuesday, May Day.  We are missing them  something awful and  hope to see them soon.  I need a huge BK hug.

DBG Continued

Just a few more pictures from the Desert Botanical Gardens. Aren't we thankful for our kitchens with running water and electricity?

Not sure what was planted in this vegetable garden, but those are some serious cages to prevent the critters from getting to the seedlings.   These sticks have thorns--also serious--to help keep the critters out too.  My mom makes garden fences with sticks from her butterfly bushes.

And like my mama's butterfly bush fences, this one has started growing. . . Instead of hills, their seedlings are planted in a  depression, then the whole garden is watered by flooding it.  I would have no idea how to grow a garden in Arizona.

Here in Illinois, the irises are blooming.  Hard to believe our gardens are on the same planet.