A dogwood planted last spring
They are just starting to pop open.
And here are the results of my purple annuals purchased last week :} 
I have got to say it is finally starting to look like a garden around here. When I saw this bleeding heart in full bloom I kinda went nuts photographing it. You don't know how many years I have tried to get bleeding hearts to hang out and multiply in my garden. They always petered out after one year or so. But in this garden I have finally hit the right combo apparently, east facing against a wall. You know it pays not to give up. I am sensing a little analogy here Lord. I seem to have so much patience with my garden. I keep trying different combo's till I find a solution, till something works. I think I need to take this lesson into other areas of my life. Just keep trying to find the right way, the right combo, the right direction the right fit. Just don't give up especially on the things He has placed in your heart. Then one day I will say it was worth it, just like my lovely bleeding hearts! Bingo! I think I will name this bed "My Encouragement Garden"
This was the first year I planted this bed, and now you can see the results three springs later!
Flowering apple tree
Redbud...oh it has been so long since I have been able to 
My Garden of Encouragement
She received this gardening gear from my dear friend last week.
We started out our Saturday morning by enjoying our coffee outside in the bright sunshine on the back porch wrapped in a blanket, listening to all the birds singing, watching a pair of geese that are nesting in the springs behind our place come in for a landing, and a distinctive white hawk circling around the prairie behind our house probably looking for breakfast....it was a very good day!
In reference to my last post that did not make a whole lot of sense even to myself the next day...what point was I trying to make ? 
Age 8:- She looks at herself and sees Cinderella 
Age 15:- She looks at herself and sees an Ugly Sister ('Mum, I can't go to school looking like this!') 
Age 30:- She looks at herself and sees 'too fat / too thin / too short / too tall / too straight / too curly' –but decides she doesn't have time to fix it, so she's going out anyway
Age 50:- She looks at herself and sees 'I am' and goes wherever she wants to 
Age 60:- She looks at herself and reminds herself of all the people who can't even see themselves in the mirror anymore - goes out and conquers the world 
Age 70:- She looks at herself and sees wisdom, laughter and ability and goes out to enjoy life 
Age 80:- Doesn't even bother to look - just puts on a purple hat and goes out to have fun with the world 
Yes I feel like my life has been on speed dial lately. I am trying to catch up on blogs in between all the hoopla =] I love that word hoopla. When I say that to my students they look at me like I am so "Old School". Well I am old school ha! And I plan on revelling in it. I have always been a little anxious to get to a certain age...not this middle age stuff, but old enough to be completely eccentric and get away with it. Oh which reminds me of this wonderful painting I saw a few years ago. It was done by this locally famous artist who had taught watercolor in our area for years, some simple type Georgia O'Keeffe style water color flowers. Interesting but not my thing. One day I was grabbing a coffee at Starbucks and saw this painting in the gallery window next door and it simply captured my heart!
The theme of the two sisters or that's how I thought of these women immediately spoke to me. They definitely seemed like intimate friends anyway. The vibrancy of the colors and the way these colors were used. Admittedly so this photo is extremely poor with the glass reflection. Let me see if I can blow up some of the areas where the colors go insane. 
Well I know this is not so good on the Internet here. Back to my train of though...the lady at the gallery told me this artist was now in retirement and she felt she could really let go and just do what pleased her. No more painting for the crowd. Matter of fact this gallery owner had to beg her to let them show her new work in the gallery. It was such a transformation of style. From palish watery water colors to bright bold acrylics. I was so inspired. I kept starring at this picture trying to figure out how she managed to put all these crazy colors next to each other in the same painting, heck in the same strokes and made it work. Ahhh yes an old dog can definitely learn new tricks. Or at least step out of the BOX!
Okay so if you are still reading my ramblings...kind of how my life has been going...back to the hoopla.
For those of you who may have been wondering how I have been doing with Jenna Dear gone. Just fine! I have been too busy to notice...sorry Jenzie. Dan went back to work last week and I had a very dear friend come and spend the week with me. We had all kinds of fun. She came to Interns with me and taught the kids a great lesson on the fly. We did a word study together, went shopping and made Thai food. I helped her start a blog. I will introduce her blog to you all as soon as she publishes her first post. She will be kind of like a female version of Strider to those of you that followed that dear friend. I think? We did a little vineyard touring of the Yakima Valley. We ate Greek olives and feta cheese for snacks. Oh and we whipped up her famous gnocchi sauce one night...mmmm delish. We were going to do some painting but ran out of time. The visit was perfect timing for both of us. Her daughter recently left town for a new adventure and we both did not want to sit around and mope.
My roses and pre season garden work has just been completed as of 7:00 this evening. And basically I have been on stand by for my new little granddaughter. It seems she may be making an early show of it. With six weeks to go Megan has been showing early signs of labor. P.T. was two weeks early. So I am trying to help keep Meg off her feet. Lots of nesting going on at her place =) We are praying Sweet Pea will stay put a few more weeks in momma's tummy.
Update: Last night my son-in-law had an emergency appendectomy...oiy vay! He is doing great and on his way home now. I better get P.T. home and to bed. We are all a little pooped out :]
We had important jobs to do...weeding 101
Check out the gloves =]
If your interested...check out my latest download of this year's student art work. At the Drawing Pad.
