02-14 Flowers, dinner, gifts

 

Good morning everyone ~ First of all, I want to thank everyone for your love, thoughts, prayers and support for Valentine’s day. Thank you!

It is the 16th, Saturday morning, 6:55 est. it is gray, drippy, 63 degrees, supposed to get down into the low 40’s tonight. We had rain, sometimes very heavy the past two days. On the way home from work Thursday I drove through some of the heaviest rains I’ve ever had to drive through, and heard a weather bulletin saying there was a threat of a tornado, but fortunately for me, it was south of us. Tornadoes in FL are NOT like the ones you see elsewhere in the country. But, I still wouldn’t want to be in the path of one as they do do damage.

The rain, miraculously, let up just before I got home so that I didn’t get soaked unlocking gates. When I pulled into the driveway I spied a plastic bag with something in it, tied and hanging on the gate. I took it, checked the mail and there were two pink envelopes in it, then I proceeded to open driveway gate, drive through, unload stuff from it into screened porch, then drove and parked the van in it’s spot.

After getting inside our cozy, colorful little cottage, I changed clothes, checked dinner in the crockpot, then proceeded to see what my goodies were.

Two sweet cards from dear friends really touched my heart and the book is a wonderful devotional from my friend Julie, who lives pretty close. She wanted me to have it on Valentine’s day. I had held up pretty well and was surprised by that considering the day, God was my strengthening glue,  but getting these three things brought the tears on. I love the little yarn heart. My friend made and sent it because she knows I love hearts.  In my other friends sweet card were all these sweet little red hearts that I just love, they just spread love when you see them.

I got this sweet card and magnet from another friend a day or two before Valentine’s day. The magnet is on the fridge now with a photo of my DH from 1968. He IS/WAS the reason I know about love. She said the saying on the magnet reminded her of us and our love.

My friend Nanci, who owns shop next door to where I work (with her husband) made me a decadent bread pudding. Oh my goodness, you will have to make it yourself to see what I mean. She found the recipe here. Go down to the end of the post for  ~ Friday, February 8, 2013 ~ Gonna take a sentimental journey. In this post Rela mentions cones of pommes frites with mayonnaise, and we had these in Copenhagen,  in 1973 and they were fantastic. What great memories she brought back in this post. Here is the pudding wrapped up.

Here is my first slice. Mmmmmm.

Here is a photo of my ‘special’ dinner. DH loved these stuffed beef rolls. The crockpot cooked them while I was at work. They turned out great, and since there were three of them, I have two more meals worth. Hurray. One thing I learned early on was how I could follow a recipe and make wonderful meals, costing a fraction of what it would cost to go out to eat, it gave me much satisfaction, and we had left-overs.  I served dinner on these plates made in France, that we found three of ‘curbside’ many years ago. They are solid black through and through.

No, below are blooms from the gardens on Valentine’s day. I told my DH way back in the beginning that I would much rather have live flowers/plants than a dying bouquet, the gardens are the result of that. Even though he didn’t personally buy me every thing we have growing here, I feel they are from him, because he put up and encouraged me with this love/hobby. (Some plants are from friends, swaps, cuttings, and family too.) DH wasn’t interested in gardening per se, but he was happy for me because it makes me happy. He named me ‘FlowerLady’, because he knew he could always find me out in them.  He enjoyed doing the hardscaping projects. Oh how I miss him, constantly. I see and feel his presence and love everywhere around here, which is comforting.

So, here we go.

Azaleas

Begonias ~ These have huge leaves and these long stems of flowers that smell sweetly, I don’t know what kind they are. They are the only type of begonia I have.

Orchids from my friend Nanci.

Philippine violet.

Spicy jatropha ~ from a cutting from my late in-laws home.  The butterflies love this.

This is thunbergia erecta. I have the white and a purple.

New Guinea impatiens.

Old blush rose bud.

I think this is Bon Silene.

Louis Philippe or the Florida Cracker rose.

I love the lichen on the crepe myrtle trunk.

Well, that’s it once again from Plum Cottage gardens.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend.

FlowerLady

***

Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil,

getting dirty without feeling guilty,

and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity. 

Lindley Karstens, noproblemgarden.com