Knock Out Roses

These are the red Knock Out roses that my mom bought for me last year. In this picture are two bushes. They are beautiful. I love their color. It is like a POP of happiness in my backyard!

I liked them so much that this year I bought two pink Knock Out rose bushes for the front yard next to my mail box. I had hosta planted there and had to relocate them. Some of the hosta went into three planters on my front step, some filled in some gaps in my front bed and the rest I planted along the side of the house. They look good.

A dream of mine would be to have a split rail fence along the front of my yard and all along that fence there would be Knock Out roses. All different colors - reds, pinks, corals, white - you name it - I would love to plant them.

*Sigh* Maybe someday...

I love these fiesta ware bowls. My mom gave them to me a few years back. They were her mom's from when she was married. I guess they are vintage. I used to put them on a shelf just to look at them. But for the last year I have been using them to cook. I love to think of how many different meals and treats were made using these bowls!

Island Beach State Park

Thank God we put the air on last might. Today my husband's car thermometer hit 109. yuck. Sara Jane and I had a few errands to run this morning and then I told her we were going to drive down Route 35 south to see where it ended up.

The trip took us about an hour and we had fun.We had a good time going slowly and looking at sights that we had forgotten or never seen.

As we drove through Mantoloking and Ortley Beach, Sara Jane made the comment that they needed to "grass it up". I pointed out to her that the soil was actually sand here and "grassing it up" could become a very expensive venture.

We had several "close calls" navigating the circles. Mostly bennies who had no idea what the heck a circle was. It was funny. We saw lots and lots of inns, pubs and ice cream parlors. When we finally came to the end of Route 35 we were at Island beach State Park.

Still Dreaming...

Still dreaming of potting sheds/greenhouses.

St. Fiacre

I love my St. Fiacre statue. My mom and dad bought him in Harrisburg PA. and brought him home to me. he has been in several different places in my backyard. He was under my deck surrounded by hostas. He was next to the water spigot but i was afraid he would get knocked down. He was placed next to a lovely raspberry bush but the bush turned mutant and is now taking over. I moved him next to my Scottish Broom plant but he just seemed pushed to the side and kind of forlorn.

So my new goal is to find a nice spot for him in my garden and make a little shrine for him. Kind of a meditative spot for me. Hopefully we will have nice weather on Wednesday and Thursday because that is the next time I will be able to work in my garden.

Me and My Baby

Today was a lovely day. I was able to spend the whole day with my daughter, Sara Jane. We did a lot of running around, nothing too strenuous...and a lot of talking.

I love spending those kinds of days with her. I love it when my mom is home and I get to spend those kinds of days with her also.

Now I am looking forward to tonight. We are having a sleepover. Watching TV and sacking out on futons in her room. It is nice to feel wanted and loved!

FaceBook has been a wonderfu tool for finding and keeping in touch with people from my past. I have found people I went to college, highschool, even elementary school with. They have found me also.

It is a nice way to keep in touch. Light, and if you want to get deeper there is messsaging. An easy way to get the word out if you want to get together.

A friend of mine, Stephanie, is living in Pittsburgh and decided to come to NJ for the long weekend. She stayed with another friend, Janine.

Through our connection with FaceBook a group of us decided to get together at a local pizza place that we all used to go to through our lives.

We has a great time going over the old days. We had a lot of laughs and some tears. Most imprtntly we decided that we are not going to let another 30 years pass us by before we get together again.

Thanks for the memories girls.