Dirty Little Secrets

It's not really a secret per se, but I have a few addictions that I feel I need to acknowledge for the sake of full disclosure.

I am woefully addicted to shoes...no really, I need a 12 step (pun intended) program.  My latest loves are strappy high heeled sandals.  So far I've acquired 2 pairs of brown, 2 pairs of black, though technically one of those is a wedge heel, so it doesn't really count right?!  And I'm still on the hunt for a pair of white and maybe some coral colored ones...I think I need an intervention soon!

I thought I had beaten my addiction to footwear, only to realize that it would likely be replaced by a handbag addiction, so for now I will stick with shoes because I find them on the cheap, and I've not been so lucky with finding dirt cheap handbags!

My other not so secret addiction is to flowers.  According to Mr. Tide, who has been doing a lot of genealogy on my side of the family, I'm descended from some fairly notable royals, so I blame them for this particular affliction...and now that I think about it, maybe for the penchant for shoes as well?!

The other day I was having a Marie Antoinette moment as I looked around and noticed that I had 5 separate vases of flowers all around me, and I was in scent heaven!

If someone were to peek through my windows, they would see me sniffing the wind like a bloodhound, soaking in every single bit of their delightful fragrance!  The peonies have been especially fragrant this year, and one small bouquet made almost my entire house smell like a French Palace...minus the negative 18th Century smells! :)

And I have been known to walk visitors around my yard (sorry family and friends) to make them smell each variety of rose in our garden, while giving them a running commentary of what "I" think each one smells like.  It usually goes something like this..."oh, see that one, it smells like Pez candy!"  Thankfully, no one seems to mind too much...it's not as though I'm saying, "hey, wanna smell something weird?!"

So that's the deal...my deepest, fashionably darkest, and smelliest secrets revealed!  I could probably go to therapy or try and break my addictions on my own, but why on earth would I want to do that?!

I'm off to bed, where it just so happens I can open my windows and have the smell of my New Dawn climbing rose waft into the room since it is growing up the wall by the window on my side of the bed.  

I think my ancestors would be proud...happy that I can still appreciate the finer things in life, all these generations later!

Worth The Wait

Aside from my family, friends, and pets, there are few things I love more in this world than flowers.  I think it has something to do with the fact that my mother loved flowers and that one of her closest friends was a florist, so flowers were always an important design element around our house.

Flowers were used to adorn the exterior of our house, and inside they held a place of honor atop antique and vintage tables made of cherry, walnut, and tiger maple.

People used to stop and tell my parents how beautiful their yard was, especially in the spring when it was dressed in the latest finery of daffodils, tulips, cherry and plum blossoms, plus an array of other colorful blooms.

And on the farm property we own, my father decided to plant a half acre of Cosmos one year in shades ranging from deep fuchsia to white with just a hint of pink.  It was a show stopper, and something I intend to attempt at my own home this year...I have a bag full of Cosmos seed that promises to cover an acre!  All I need is someone to plow up the area and I'll be set to create my color explosion.

But of all the flowers my parents, grandparents, and friends all nurtured over the years, roses were never at the top of the list.  Sure, we had ramblers that managed, against all odds, to find their way into the nooks and crannies around various outbuildings, but formal roses just weren't on the menu for my family.

And yet my mother would drool when we visited historic homes and their formal rose gardens.  But I think she saw her house as a more humble abode, not worthy of such a prim and proper flower.

I think I likely had that notion for many years as well, until I met Connie of Hartwood Roses.  One short email exchange, or better yet, an in-person convo and visit to Connie's beautiful gardens will convince even the faintest of heart to grow roses.

There is just something about a rose that is unlike any other flower, and I'm a devoted fan of LOTS of flower species, but I am now addicted to roses!  Maybe it's their scent, or it could be their gorgeous shades that change as they mature and later wane...I don't know, but I do know that I love them.

I also love that their blossoms last well beyond my beloved peonies, lilacs, cherry blossoms...the list goes on and on.  And it is no surprise that royalty have prized, perfected, and pursued these delicate flowers for centuries.  I now join their ranks of admirers, and I bought 2 new David Austin rose bushes yesterday at a local nursery.  I had just left the nursery when my sister texted me with a picture saying she had also bought a David Austin, her first, just a half hour before at the same nursery.  I told her congratulations and gave her the "now you've gone and done it" talk, knowing she too will turn into one of those crazy rose loving gardners! :)

Some things need to be anticipated, like a big bunch of rose blossoms to grace your desk as you work, or a bowl of fresh, ripe strawberries grown organically and locally!

Maybe if we had these things at our disposal all year long we wouldn't appreciate their flavor, their scent, the magical impact they have on our senses.  Worth the wait?...you betcha!

Other things I've been waiting on that are now here...

1. Peonies

2. Hummingbirds

3. Lightning Bugs (just a few so far)

4. Sleeping with the windows open at night

5. Wearing shorts and flip flops

6. The smell of freshly mown grass

How about you, what do you wait for each spring?

Remains of the Day

As some of you know, from my last post, we had a guest here over the weekend.  It was a short but sweet visit amounting to just under 24 hours.

Our guest was Kate from Chronicles of a Country Girl, a blogger I have long admired.  I have always been drawn to Kate's beautiful images, but even more so to her kind, honest, and heartfelt approach to blogging.


 

I've only met one other blogger in real life (Connie), and I'm happy to say that both she and Kate are exactly the same in real life as they are on their blogs. 

I am always a little nervous to meet new people, though you would never know it by how much I ramble on once I do, it's part of my nervousness I think.  And though my rambling never really diminishes, I do settle in to a more comfortable pace once I get to know someone...it just takes a few meetings.

I think I worry whether I'm truly showing someone a good time, whether they are comfortable, and whether or not I'm conveying the southern style hospitality my mother instilled in me.  

Though our dogs barked a lot, especially because there was a party going on across the street, and the weather didn't fully cooperate so that we could go kayaking, or even spend much time outside, Kate was a very gracious guest.

She gifted us with a lovely candle, bottle of chardonnay which we shared by a bonfire, and she was even thoughtful enough to bring Quinn and Misty Belle some yummy organic treats!...thank you again!

She easily conversed with our children, connected with our dogs and gave them lots of love, leaving us all sad to see her go when she left after breakfast on Sunday.  The pups were a little put out that their new friend had disappeared so quickly. 

Kate has a calm presence, an easy going manner, and an amazing outlook considering all she's been through in the past few weeks, months, and years.  I'm so glad she took a chance and drove all that way to come see us, and we hope it will just be the first of many visits to come.

Thank you Kate, it was so wonderful to have you with us, if only for a short time! 

A Crazy Mixed Up World

Thank you all for your wonderful comments on my piano post.  The piano is on loan from our son's girlfriend until she gets a place of her own when she graduates from college.  Though my fingers don't know what they are doing half the time since it's been so many years since I've played, they are slowly but surely finding their groove again.

For now, and for the sake of our dear neighbor, the windows will remain closed whenever I play. :)

It's rainy here today, after a weekend of what can only be described as glorious weather.  The humidity was nearly non existent and the skies were blue, so we took full advantage and went kayaking.

When I did come back to my computer on Monday, I realized that my world was a bit crazy and mixed up.  Emails and comments I had read via my phone were no where to be found on my regular computer, and when I logged in to my FB account it showed all of my friends and messages, but it took me to the FB for someone else...I think they sold equestrian attire?!  

Needless to say, I was like WHAT is going on, did I get hacked?!  I've done an update to my computer, and now when I log in I am back to my old FB page, but it's all very strange and I'm not sure what to make of it.  Perhaps the crazy, beautiful weather caused Google, FB, and Gmail to go on vacation for a few days too?

I hope to be able to retrieve the emails, I would like to respond to those who have written to me, so I will keep trying to see if I can find them.  When I can't figure something out, I find it's best if I just go outside for a little while and take in the sights and sounds of mother nature.  

The rose garden is looking a little unsure as to what to do with our changeable weather, but the Charles Darwin seems unfazed and is happily blooming away.  Ahh to be a fly, and rest upon it's pretty petals!  I imagine for such a tiny creature the smell must be intoxicating!

Enjoy your week!  

Roses and Seashells

If you were ever to visit my home you would be sure to find two things...

Roses (when they are blooming)...and Seashells (all year long).

Some things just go together, don't you agree?! :)

To the Manor Born

I think I've been watching too many British period piece films lately.

I seem to think that I'm living in a castle or manor house with lush lawns and maybe even a pond or two, with a fountain of course.

At my lovely home, with its soaring ceilings and finely detailed carved mouldings, are a whole staff of people at my beck and call.

Someone to tend to my varied rose gardens, and to bring fresh flowers to my bedside table each morning before I wake.

And another bouquet to accompany afternoon tea...with gluten free scones...hah!

Yes, my manor house is quite lovely this time of year, you would like it should your carriage end up turning down the tree lined lane of my imagination.


 

And after such a long journey to get here, I would surely have a bath drawn for you, scattered with what else but fresh rose petals.

The first blooms of the season are here on my David Austin Roses, and their heady fragrance has me channeling a little upper crust luxury I think. :)

The Rose

There is nothing more difficult for a truly creative painter than to paint a rose, because before he can do so he has first to forget all the roses that were ever painted.  ~Henri Matisse~

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living.  We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon-instead of enjoying the roses blooming outside our windows today.  ~Dale Carnegie~

What a lovely thing a rose is!... Our highest assurance of Providence seems to me to rest in the flowers. All other things, our powers, our desires, our food are all really necessary for our existence in the first instance. But this rose is an extra. Its smell and color are an embellishment of life, not a condition of it. It is only goodness which gives extras, and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers.  ~Arthur Conan Doyle~

I hope your week is off to a good start! :)

The Secret Giveaway of Randomness

It's been a LONG time since I posted two days in a row, but hey, I'm the master of my own domain right, so I can do whatever I want!

It's not that I really have anything to say, or that I even have cohesive thoughts running through this pea brain of mine, but I did have the idea that it was time for another giveaway, so here goes.

Even when I don't post, I am thankful for those of you who pop by and look at my blog.  I appreciate the people who never make a peep, and those who are faithful with their comments.  We are all so very busy and I know I fall miserably short in the commenting and replying to emails department, but it's not because I don't admire the posts you write and the things you have to share with the world.

So I thought that in order to say thanks I would host a Giveaway while sharing some totally random images...a secret giveaway of sorts.  I'm not sure what the prize will be, but I will know it when I see it.  It will be something that stops me in my tracks as I'm surfing online, or browsing a favorite shop.  Those are the best presents don't you think?...the kind you didn't even know you wanted to give someone until the very moment you saw it?!

Kind of like the furry little caterpillar hiding up there in the top right of the photo, snuggly tucked amongst the rose petals.  I didn't see him or her when I cut the blossom, but their fuzzy yellow presence was a welcome sight none the less.

So here is the dealio.  

1.  You must be a follower of this blog.

2.  Leave a comment telling me what you hope to win...and don't be shy, wish for that string of pearls or that Villa in the South of France.  Of course they will likely not be what you receive, but it never hurts to ask right?!

3.  Blog, Tweet, Rent a Billboard, or FB the Giveaway and then come back to leave another comment for an additional chance to win...don't forget to leave a separate comment though.

The Giveaway is open to everyone, and will end at Midnight EST on Sunday, September 2nd...why that date?!  I have no idea, it just sounded good...another random thing about this giveaway.

So thanks again, for trusting that I will actually get you something worth entering for...and who knows, it might even be just what you've been longing to have!

My Newest Addictions

Thanks everyone for your well wishes following our accident in Williamsburg.  We are slowly feeling less sore, and working towards getting our car repaired.

I've been taking it easy this past week, trying to get my cortisol levels back in whack.  When you have an adrenal condition like I do, what would normally not affect someone else can really throw my body for a loop, so I'm taking baby steps until I'm back to normal again.

One of the most important things I can do is to eat right and get plenty of rest...oh and avoid the news at all cost...Mr. Tide is keeping me up on current events so that I don't sound like a total dimwit!

Over the last 6 years eating organically, eliminating all sorts of things from our diet like transfats, etc., and in the past 9 months going gluten free, has been key to my feeling better.  And when I'm under stress, or have experienced a stressful situation like our accident, it becomes even more important for me to keep up a strict healthful diet.

I really try to eat mostly fruits and veggies throughout the day supplementing those with protein, and I've become a little addicted to Whole Foods spreadable cheeses...like the Pepper Jack Cream Cheese pictured above.  I've actually been out of it for a few weeks and I have to say that withdrawal has not been easy!

The other thing I am totally in love with are these Glutino Gluten Free Bagel Chips...both the original and the Parmesan flavor...YUM!  When gluten free tastes this good, you kind of forget that it can be a royal pain to stick to a gluten free diet.

The only problem is that our local stores don't stock either of these, and I've yet to find a good spreadable goat or cream cheese that can match the stuff they sell as their store brand at Whole Foods.

This was my lunch a few weeks ago, and let me just say that it was delish!  Usually I would have less fruit and more veggies, but our local grocery stores are severely lacking in good organic produce, and because Mr. Tide was on a trip, I hadn't made the 2 hour trek to our closest Whole Foods for awhile.  In fact, we are long overdue for a visit, but that will likely have to wait until sometime next week.

So curse you Whole Foods and your delicious spreadable cheese...and curse you local grocers for not getting more organic fruits and veggies so that I wouldn't have to drive to the ends of the earth to find some!  Oh and curse you people who have a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's right down the street and take it for granted...envy, thy name is Kat!

On a totally different topic, but still pertaining to addictions...let's chat about roses shall we?!

When we moved into this house 5 years ago we had the ubiquitous knock-out rose bushes, one pink tea rose, and another yellow hybrid tea...I really have no clue if they are hybrids or teas, but it makes me sound more educated so I'll go with it.  In total, we had 9 rose bushes...4 of which were knock outs and 2 were some sort of spray type bushes...and yes there will be a test at the end so keep track.

Thanks to the world of blogging, I met Connie of Hartwood Roses.  Connie is what I like to refer to as a rose "dealer."  You know the type, they talk about roses with a passion in their voice, invite you to their property which looks like a rose garden from an old English estate...well because it is an old estate and she has lots of rose gardens, and they slyly lure you in!

Then they put their crafty, mesmerizing spell on you and BAM you suddenly think to yourself..."hey, I could do this, I could grow roses with names I'll never remember, and care about each individual plant as though it's an adopted child!"

And so here I am, just a year and half later, with 25 rose bushes...yup 25...and counting!  A few of them are knock outs, but most are old fashioned roses that I've purchased from Connie or been gifted by friends and family.  I also have some David Austin roses, like the white one above, but please don't ask me their names.  

Unlike the gardens of true rose enthusiasts, my roses are not neatly tagged, beautifully trimmed, or probably even in the right soil or getting the perfect amount of sunlight.  But they do bring me joy and happiness, and I do care for them in my own way.  Heck, I'm even thinking about buying a wide brimmed straw hat so that I at least give the appearance of knowing what I'm doing!

Connie has taken a break from selling roses in order to tend to the many beautiful plants in her own gardens.  What she may or may not realize is that she did way more than sell roses to unsuspecting people like me...she actually created little rose loving addicts in the process.  And as I wander my yard cutting fragrant blossoms to place here and there throughout my house, I know it was never about the "knowing" part of growing roses she was trying to instill in others...it was always about the "loving" part and finding my inner rose addict...for that I will always be thankful to her!

What are you addicted to lately...do tell!

And for those of you in Isaac's path...STAY SAFE!