March Blooms

Lady Banks is putting on her annual bloom fest...


The bees were busy in the Wisteria, but my camera is not strong enough to get a good picture. Can you guess what is on my ever-growing "un-birthday" list?

We had a lovely drizzly morning, and the pansies were soaking up the moisture.

The Spiderwort is quietly beautiful.

Spring Fever

Mark Twain said, “It's spring fever.... You don't quite know what it is you DO want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!”

Used to, everyone had a dose of sulphur and molasses in the spring – it was cleansing! Great Gram would threaten cod liver oil for Spring Fever. Just the thought of it would cause a miraculous healing.

I have Spring Fever. Nothing really wrong, but just can't get energetic about anything...and I have so much to do!

I go out to work in the garden, and I end up laying on my back looking at the sky. I walk through the house and see everything that needs to be done, and I end up looking through picture albums...or looking through gardening catalogs...or getting on the computer.

It has been a tough few months since the new year began. We have felt the economic crunch like so many others. Hubby has had to close down three offices in Texas...even the office here in Austin. Thankfully, his job has been saved--for now. He is working from home. Setting up his office has been quite a chore, and the transition from commuting to his office to working at home has been stressful. He does seem to be handling it well. It has been challenging to train the girls not to scream and the dogs not to bark...or it that girls not to bark, and dogs not to scream...anyway...whichever...

I think I need a vacation! Only three and a half months away...sigh...

...The falling leaves drift by my window...making me think it is Autumn--but no! It's Springtime in Central Texas. This is the time of year the Live Oaks shed their leaves. As the new ones emerge, the old ones turn brown and fall. Not only do I have all the leaves in my yard, but already people who know me are calling, asking me if I want their leaves...Uh, Yeah! Lovely brown matter to add to my compost pile as well as mulch for all the beds.


And look! I have actual blossoms on one of my Crab apple trees! I am so excited at the thought of having crab apples this fall!

We are having lovely rainy weather today. It has been gray and muggy all week, and the weatherman has been promising us rain. It finally came today! The cats are snuggled up enjoying this cool rainy day.

Look who stole the last box of Girl Scout cookies!


I can't believe I ate the whole thing!

Daffy Down Dilly

Daffy Down Dilly

Has Come To Town

In a green petticoat

and a yellow gown.

It seems Spring is bursting everywhere. I do hope my Crabapple trees flower this spring.

The Redbud is putting on a show this week.

And here is the first blossoms on the Mountain Laurel.



The sunset was even more colorful last night, but I couldn't get the camera out before it was gone. It won't be long until the houses behind us will be hidden from view when the trees have leafed out.

Happy Birthday Char!

What's better than having a birthday party when you are turning ten? Having two parties! We always have a family party for the grand kids, and then they have a separate party with their friends. Even though I made both cakes for the parties, I made sure I was long gone by the time the guest arrived at the kid party. The following pictures are of the family party with a special mystery guest who came to sing "Happy Birthday" to Charley.


After a special dinner and cake, the best part comes when Charley gets to open her presents. She is holding up an architecture drawing kit and money--always the right size and color!

A giftcard to Target. Just what she had been asking for so she can get the exact Littlest Pet Shop toy she wants (and needs)!

And here is our special mystery guest. He had to come incognito so he wouldn't get a barrage of paparazzi--so annoying!

After a costume change, here he is singing his heart out for Char.



Do any of you remember a thousand years ago, the song Inagaddadavida by Iron Butterfly? That's kind of what it sounded like, only to the tune of "Happy Birthday". The words went something like this: Uh,huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, Charlotte, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh!

The crowd went wild, and rushed on the stage and kissed him. What is a star supposed to do? If you are as gracious as Loudon, you just give them a kiss back!

I've Got The Cedar Fever Blues

If I were as talented as Annie at the Transplantable Rose, http://annieinaustin.blogspot.com/ I would write a song about it. I can hear it in my head, but it looses something between there and paper...and I couldn't hear it if I played it anyway. That's one of the symptoms I get when I get Cedar Fever--my hearing goes. My ears plug up, and quite often I will have spells of dizziness and nausea along with the red itchy eyes and nose. It starts a couple of weeks before Christmas, but doesn't get too bad until mid January to mid February. If I weren't taking massive amounts of Pharmaceuticals, I couldn't get out of bed. I have tried Butter Burr and Stinging Nettles and other natural remedies that escape me at the moment, but nothing helps. The only thing that seems to make it manageable are Zyrtec and Singulair. It's not constantly bad. I will have good days with lots of energy and I feel like I can tackle the world, but they are almost always followed by attacks of sneezing, stopped up nose, and red swollen eyes and nose that looks like I have been crying all day. Very attractive! Then there are the body and head aches and chills that make you think you are coming down with the flu--but no! The thermometer says no fever--lug yourself out of bed and off to work with you once again.

The weird thing about Cedar Fever--it doesn't come from Cedar Trees. The correct name is Juniperus ashei. I have no idea why it's not called Juniper Fever. Except maybe it sounds better. Cedar fever-- Juniper Fever. Sounds better I guess. All I know, it stinks and I'm not talkin about the smell!

Happy New Year!

A New Year's Story From The Past

Instead of looking at the year in review, or looking forward to resolutions that I might make, I thought I would start the new year with a story from long ago. This is a true story about a young boy who grew up to be my husband. Many years before I ever knew him, he was growing up in a little town in the Texas pan-handle. Every Christmas his family would travel to the big city of Amarillo for Christmas, and then to the smaller city of Lubbock for New Years. He was always excited about getting together with his cousins during the holiday season. There is nothing quite like several little boys between the ages of 8 and 12, who get together once or twice a year when extended families unite to celebrate Christmas and the new year.

There are never enough hours in the day to get in all the activities that only young boys can think of to play. There is something about little boys getting together that is so exciting. Even though they may be the best boys possible, they still think differently than little girls. For instance, not many boys would , when Trick-or-Treating at Halloween, even give it a second thought when presented with the opportunity of a bowl full of candy and a note attached to just take one.

Why, you just empty out the bowl into your bag, of course! If you don't the next luck (and smart) little boy will do it! But no! This poor boy has to go Trick-or-Treating with his older sister--and she is IN CHARGE! She is, of course, your conscience! She has taken in all the lessons from home and church to heart, and of course they are good in theory, but when some other little boy is going to score all the candy--why, you have to be practical!

But, no, she insists. If you don't, she will tell your parents, and that will be the end of it. You will end up with a lecture--or worse--all your candy taken away. So with a sigh, you only take one and sigh again when you see the next lucky group of guys walking up to clean out the candy bowl. Oh well, you didn't like that kind of candy anyway.

But, I digress. There's just nothing like getting with boy cousins, and playing cops and robbers, snowball wars, anything a group of young boys can imagine. Which brings us to our story. On this New Year's eve some forty-four years ago. After a night of ham, and rolls, and potatoes, and black-eyed peas. If you have never had black-eyed peas or dried beans of any kind, they can make you--well--flatulent! Little boys by nature are competitive and soon a contest begins! The Lubbock cousins lived in a small house and the bedrooms were tiny. Imagine several little boys closed up in a tiny room, each trying to out-do the other in--well--farts! After several hours, the black-eyed peas had done their worst, and the effects were wearing off. So the little boys sneaked into the kitchen to "re-load" their ammunition. Well into the night, they were happily playing their somewhat musical war. The bedroom door was suddenly flung open, and the little boy's aunt came into the bedroom. Holding her nose, not saying a word, armed with a can of air freshener, sprayed the room with the entire contents and closed the door.


Now, that's what I call "Tooting your own horn"!

Happy New Year, Ya'll!

I hope the new year is happy and healthy for all.

I am sure there will be many changes, tests, and challenges, and I pray for the wisdom and strength to meet them head-on with the presence of mind to stop and enjoy what life has to offer along with it's problems.

"The True measure of a man is not how he behaves in moments of comfort and convenience but how he stands at times of controversy and challenges."

Martin Luther King Jr.