I must ask, where did this originate?

Engraved illustration from Goethe’s Faust.  The Decision of the Flower

It seems the first publication of “The Daisy Oracle” dates to 1471 in a songbook, and is believed to originate in France.  

“When planting, remember the first year plants weep, the second year they creep, and the third year they leap!”

here is a slightly different version:

“Perennials sleep the first year, they creep the second year, and they leap the third year.”

Which leads to this thought:

A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.
-Gertrude Jekyll

-I apologize for being absent from the blob for so long. 

-Its spring, and I have been doing those springy kind of things…cleaning up the outdoor furniture:

-Planting:

9 window boxes, put new soil in all of them this year.    I try to do that every other year.  How about you,  do you start fresh or reuse the soil? 

I filled most of the window boxes with my most favorite, easy and dependable plant….red dragonwing begonias, and vinca vine….for hangy down interest.  They have already filled out quite a bit.

-The garden is lush with new growth, I can’t help but stare and take photos:

-Jackie is working on her new house, and Jeff and I are helping.  Jeff is replumbing (his favorite job, ha!).  And I am wielding a paint brush.  All her closets were hunter green, deep fuschia, or chartreuse.  Why would anyone paint a small closet these dark colors?  They are now white.  I don’t think they have been painted since the late 40’s. 

- You should see my sewing room.  Stacks of stuff, boxes, furniture piled in front of other furniture, all awaiting Jackie’s move.  No wonder I have not wanted to come in here and use the computer.

-I went to Home Depot with Jackie to help pick out wall colors.  They had a large display of “Favorite Colors of Empty Nesters”!  That would be us.  But no, I do not want any of those colors. 

-I do understand the feeling of wanting to feather the Empty Nest!  I have some plans to shuffle, and reorganize and tweak our living space. 

-Back to gardening:  After a failed attempt at a wisteria given to me by a friend, I purchased one.  It’s a native plant, an american wisteria, with slightly shorter blooms.  So excited to watch what it does.  Yes, I am easily entertained. 

-The requisite photos of the viburnum in its blooming splendor:

-We have the second robin nest of the season on the climbing hydragnea…there are three babies about ready to fly on their own.  I have enjoyed watching them.  But have no way of getting a good photo. 

-The Japanese peony had a record number of blooms this year…for the short week it bloomed, quite lovely:

-The spring peepers have come and gone in our pond.  But there was a new danger for them….waiting on the warm rocks.   This particular one was caught in the netting we use to hinder the heron.  Luckily, we rescued him and no others got tangled:

We have since come across a couple in the the plantings and grass.    I am have never seen them around before, and am glad they are there…but they can surprise me when I’m poking around pulling weeds!

Hope you have a great day….

That would be my niece’s baby bump…(used with permission!).

We had a baby shower for her a week ago..can you guess whether baby is boy or girl?

I especially enjoyed the occasion because many of my favorite peeps were there…

Grandmothers Babe and Patrice….

Most of the Baguettes….

All the Capri’s minus one were there:

And my mom and daughters and daughter in law and even grandson were there….no pictures, drats as Colton would say! 

I guess I was too busy in sharing the fun of seeing Erin start her new life as a mommy! 

Last week, a baby robin was hanging out in our yard.  I first saw him in the driveway, while backing the car out…luckily before it was too late.  He let me get daringly close before he hopped to the edge of the grass.  After returning, I took Marlo for a walk, and there it was again near the rose bush.  So of course when we finished walking I looked for the baby bird.  I couldn’t see him, but he was chirping at me from inside the rose bush.  I was relieved, that must have meant he could fly.  He hung around for the rest of the afternoon, and gave me a very nice photo op:

Little bird, I hope you found courage, and flew to safety. 

I met with my Baguette friends today, and Nan showed us this video of  wood ducklings and their ability to take risks…..

And my youngest fledgling is also flying out of the nest!  Jackie is getting her own home, near but not here.  Now all of our children have homes of their own.  We are officially, Empty Nesters.    Sigh…..yet another leap for this mother and father in so many ways. 

I cannot resist giving you photos from our stay up north…

We just returned from a long weekend.

It was sunny but crisp, a fire felt just right.

And soon the wandering started, noticing debris that looked more like a still life. 

I also noticed the beach path, usually filled with foot prints.  When we arrived the sand had made its own landscape…

The beach looks desolate, until you look closely. 

This up norf’ beach house is the most relaxing and peaceful place I know. 

Until next time…..hopefully sooner than later! 

Finding worms and slugs (but they always had to go back under the rock with their family)

Discovering the contents of his new “tool box”…Thank you “Grandma” Gail:

(Those pots behind him were just used in a game.)

We also went to the park, made cookies, read books, swept the driveway, danced, played hide and seek and hopscotch.  And that is only the organized activities.  Have you seen a three year old in action?  Everything is interesting, has a secret life story that only he knows, and can become a necessary item for the next adventure!  I think we all slept really really good that night!

He is at a very fun age! 

After all, I don’t see why I am always asking for private, individual, selfish miracles when every year there are miracles like white dogwood.

~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh (June 22, 1906 – February 07, 2001)

And setting out to finish projects started last fall. Also fulfilling a promise of participation in a charity event:

Jeff convinced me to temporarily move “out of the closet”-mosaic closet that is. We set up a table on the porch, so I can work on some larger pieces (like the vintage window, below) that just would not fit in my little closet workspace.  It’s not feng shui (phooey), but it sure makes for a pleasant working environment.  Thank you Jeff for knowing me so well, and suggesting something that what would get me out of the slump I’ve probably been complaining about way too much. 

Tip of the iceberg of getting back to making stuff?  Hope so…..

For a beautiful image to contemplate Easter, go to this link:  A  mosaic of the Crucifixion, 9’ x 13’, and winner of ArtPrize 2011. 

Wishing you a lovely Easter full of hope, love, and thankfulness…..