weeds

It is a beautiful, rainy, spring Sunday.
After a good church service,
and a great breakfast with my oldest,
I ventured outside to look at my garden.

I am about to go on a road trip with Terry next week.
I am excited about it.
I haven't seen him in 5 months and he just got a 2 month job.
Our 25th anniversary is in June, so this will be our trip!
Minnesota for a new truck, then Corpus Christi to see the grandbabies.
Flying home on Sunday.

I look forward, but also am a little anxious...
mainly because the garden is about to burst out in purple!
Glads, Azalea, Lilac, Iris, Money plant...
I see it every year and enjoy it so much!
Maybe it will wait a week.

Back to weeds....
As I was looking at the garden and all that needs to be done...hopes and visions,
I began weeding a bit.
I know, I am one of those people that do not share many hobbies most would consider fun, but a few will know what I am referring to.

I can spend hours weeding in the garden.
Cool days, maybe a bit of sun for the shoulders, no mosquitoes...blissful for me.
I sit on the grass and pull what I see, which leads me to another patch and another.
Most times my brain is silent and peaceful.
Sometimes, God and I have long leisurely conversations.
I solve all the world's problems in the garden.

It took me many years to be patient enough for weeding tho.
So many early perennials look like weeds.
I must remember what bloomed where the year before, and then leave space around it for new starts.
I have pulled many a new growth and had to wait years for it to replenish itself again.
The Money plant is a great example of that!
I feel I have a good grasp on that beauty now.

As I was pulling crab grass and chick weed (worst ever)
I began a train of thought about weeds.
Like the cockroaches, I believe that weeds will stick around forever.
No matter how you treat them, how many you pull, stomp, crush, poison etc.
they always come back.
Even digging a trench between lawn and garden only stops them for a time.
Birds and dogs carry their seeds along,
They have powerful root systems that hide from you and set up camp in your nicely mulched areas, and last year I discovered a new way of weed propagation.

As I was on my hands and knees weeding, I was scared half to death when tiny seeds jumped into my face!
Normally, when I see a spider, the weeding is done.
So I was ready for an attack of the arachnid type.
No spider this time.
These pretty little weeds with hairlike stems and tiny leaves, when touched, release their seeds into the air!
Really!
All over the place!
I have yet to figure out when the best time to pick them is without setting them off.
Because, as I know now...once they spring, you wait until next year to find hundreds more where there once was just one!

Most weeds are pretty. Violets, dandelions, chickweed, those little white thingys...those purple thingys...
Why did God make them so sturdy?
Why did God make flies so annoying yet plentiful.
Spiders....won't even go there.
Do the weeds serve a purpose, other than making me and God time?
Will they take over the world when people are gone?
What about all the manicured lawns and lovely gardens that man so tries to control nature with?
Is it a short lived preoccupation that we have?
To pretend we are in control?
What is God's perfect plan for the land?
I know He gets a kick out of our creativity.
We do try so hard to be like Him.
One of the questions I will have to ask someday!

Ballard Curse

I picked up my baby today from her boyfriends house.
I must admit that this still bothers me.
I am getting to like him, but the overnights still bother me.
Please Lord....no living together until they are married.
So much to look forward to!

Anyway.....
She and Joe went to Cancun for the week with her work.
More of a vacation, than work, but.
If you know the Ballard family at all, you must know that nothing...
NOTHING ever goes right or well or as planned.
God likes to throw situations at us.
As a family, we have managed to survive, thrive and laugh about our "adventures!"

It rained in Cancun half of the time.
Hilary caught a horrible cold.. that always goes into bronchitis with her asthma.
The day she was in the sun, her forehead and nose got terribly blistered.
The training was a joke.
She couldn't drink because her throat was sore. (thanks God)
The one day she felt like drinking at the all inclusive bar in the pool,
it closed after one drink! (Again, thanks God)
Their one trip out to snorkel, swim with the sharks and parasail...
The way she told it to me, made me laugh until I had to pee!
Four party cruise ships and one catamaran...
guess which they got stuck with.
Her flipper fell off, her life vest fell off, swimming with the sharks was a pool.
The guy held the shark, handed it to you and they took a picture.
Next!
It was a nurse shark, with no teeth.
Couldn't parasail with a catamaran!
I swear it was going to turn out like that movie where the couple gets left behind and is eaten by sharks.....which, they were the last ones back on the cat.
And finally...
Her suitcase was ripped upon returning to the US.

All I know is that Hilary and Joe made the best of a bad vacation.
They laughed and joked and had a good time with what they were delt.
They brought me huge seashells that Joe dove in the ocean at night for.
And a beautiful beaded bracelet and iguana charm.

It was good to see them again. Good to hug her tightly again.
Good to be able to get and send good morning and nighty night texts again.
I will enjoy seeing all the pictures and hear more stories!
And change my panties!

Thanks God for bringing them home safely and allowing them to laugh at your sense of humor with such character building!

very nice

I had a wonderful weekend.
Nice dinner with girly girls.
Funny play at the Morris about girlfriends.
Made me want to place my friends in the characters,
like I used to do with movies like Big Chill.
No one fit very easily in these characters,
but I believe we all fit in the crazy one more than any other!

Church was great.
Always is.
I love my church!
I love the pastor. He's so down to earth.
Most times.
The underware model thing was a bit much!
But he is humble.
I feel like I belong.
I know people finally.
I have a mission, and I feel fulfilled.
It needs to be expanded, but God blesses me through it!

Today was chilly but sunny.
I washed three pots of Shetland sheep and dyed them at the same time.
Never tried dyeing in the grease before.
Worked really well! Love skipping a step.
I now have green, purple, blue, orange red, fuscia and another softer red.
I dyed mohair curls at the same time.

I feel happy.
I am curled up in sweater pants, and a sweatshirt with hot coffee.
Chuck is beside me sleepy.
It's ok to feel warm and comfy on cool nights, even in the summer!

No matter how happy I am today, I realize that others are struggling.
I wish everyone was as happy as I.
V had a horrible day. It's raining in Cancun on H.
People in Europe are stuck because of a volcano.
A friend has stage 4 lung cancer.
People are lonely.
People are sad.
People are stressed.

I thought Teresa's communion talk was so wonderful.
She prayed for God to bless all those surrounding her.
To lift them up and heal them, make them happy and feel loved.
I can't put it like she did.
I wish I could.
It was very moving!
I pray that for all of you too.

I am blessed and loved and healthy.
I do not want to take that for granted.
Peace.

Flower Frogs

I have many passions.
I have many collections.
One collection in particular focuses on a passion.
Gardening and flower frogs.
Flower frogs were invented in the 1920's and 30's
Apparently a huge fad of flower arranging was all the thing then.
As you can tell from my small collection, there are many types of frogs.

Some are shaped as animals with holes in their backs.

Some are tiny sharp needles to hold flowers made of metal.
These are often put in a bowl or container that is not tall enough to let the flowers stand properly.
They are also good if anyone breaks into the house....good small weapons to throw and injure....alot! Just Kidding!

Glass, porcelain, clay, and metal holders with holes in them,to put in vases.
They make the flowers stay where they are put and not all fall to one side.

There are even wire cages in all forms.

In the 1950's the invention of green floral foam was invented
and overnight wiped out the flower frogs.
Seems like such a short period.

Every time I go into an antiques mall, or thrift shop, I have my eyes peeled for
flower frogs or sugar shakes....another blog at a later time...!
Some days, I find lots. Some days nary a one.
I try to remember what I already have as not to duplicate.
This doesn't always work.
If the price is low enough, it's mine!
I never pay more that $10 for one and hardly ever that!
My girls are very good at finding treasures for me!

I also like collecting tiny bottles to put in a group for an arrangement of fresh flowers from my garden.
I love it!
A simple pleasure from long ago that makes my spirit soar!

Spring Chores

I love this time of year!
I spent all day yesterday staining the deck and picnic table!
Today will be finishing the picnic table and painting the arbors!
Moving things back onto the deck, and hopefully getting to some weeding and treating the lawn.
The weather is perfect!
Thank you Father for lifting all of our spirits!
Looking forward to Easter and celebrating with family...the reason we are all so joyous!
Family time is so precious!
I am so lucky to have wonderful family, friends and a Lord who wants to give me all my desires!
Right now my desire is to be outside!
I am blessed!
Come enjoy the beauty when everything is in bloom! Restful!
Happy Easter!