A Little Monday Inspiration - Winter is Dead

Some beauty for your Monday morning - 

My Mom's Dream Memorial

My mom is a Master Gardener.  

She always has been in all of our minds, 

but she actually took the class to become one. 

As part of holding the title of Master Gardener, you have to complete a project to benefit your community. Several years ago, after taking the class, mom created a flower garden at our church as well as at the nursing home where several of our family members

 have resided over the years.

 This is the same nursing home that I volunteered in 

while I was growing up and my mom currently volunteers there 

as well as visits the residents.

Maple Crest Manor -source

The gardens at both locations have flourished 

and been loved by many 

who watch the various flowers bloom over the spring, summer and fall. 

But, that wasn't enough for my mom. 

She wanted to do something bigger. 

Something that she has always imagined.  

This weekend we made it happen.

In front of the Maple Crest Manor in Fayette, Iowa is a strip of land 

that sits between Highway 150 and the driveway into the nursing home. 

In that strip of land are several maple trees. 

My mom has always envisioned hundreds of daffodils 

blooming in that Maple Grove every spring. 

But, she knew it would take a lot of bulbs 

and a lot of workers to make it happen.

All summer long, mom has been digging up her flower beds at home 

and gathering up daffodil bulbs.

I should let you know that if I dug up my flower beds,

 I wouldn't know what the difference between a daffodil bulb or a tulip bulb looked like. 

I can keep plants alive, but my mom has an amazing green thumb.

So, all summer, she gathered up these bulbs and kept them safe until Labor Day. 

She got permission from the city of Fayette to plant the bulbs 

and then made sure they weren't going to mow them over 

before they were done blooming. 

Since the area is under a lot of trees, the grass doesn't grow much there anyway.

 Approval was granted and we were on our way to making it happen.

We all met at the nursing home at 9:30 in the morning on Labor Day.

By all, I mean my two sisters, three of my mom's sisters and her brother-in-law, 

two of my nieces and their four children, and my family 

came with shovels, bulb planters, and gloves to get to work.

My mom wouldn't tell us until it was all done how many bulbs

 we were planting that day and that was probably a good idea. 

I don't think you would ever guess how many bulbs we planted.

Check out all these photos of the hard workers:

One tiny little bulb in each hole.

Many hands make light work.

All the way, 

as far as you can see, 

down to the furthest tree, 

we planted bulbs randomly underneath these trees.

My hands are still sore from pushing down on the shovels and bulb planter.

My mom was completely thrilled. 

Can't you see how happy she is?

Ok, so now I should tell you how many bulbs 

we planted in less than two hours.

Are you ready?

800 Daffodil Bulbs

I am not kidding you. 

We dug 800 holes and planted 800 bulbs in each one of those holes.

Pretty amazing, huh?

Now we just wait and see, hope and pray, that they will bloom.

Some of the smaller bulbs may not bloom this first spring, 

but hopefully each year, more and more will bloom 

eventually filling the strip of land with gorgeous yellow flowers 

and as the breeze blows through, 

maybe the residents will get a hint of daffodil fragrance 

flowing through the door each time someone walks in.

Thanks to my Aunt Kathy for taking the photo 

(and insisting it needed to be taken) 

and my Aunt Cynthia for posting it so I could grab it. 

My Uncle Floyd had already went to the car before we took the photo. 

After the day was done and we had filled up with food 

(of course, also prepared by my mom) 

and headed to our homes, this is what my mom said:

Sept 1, 2014 was an AWESOME day!! Thanks to my AWESOME family!!
 We planted 800 daffodil bulbs in memory of all our dear family members and dear friends who have spent their last years in the excellent care at Maple Crest Manor in Fayette. Thank you seems inadequate! Can't wait till Spring!!!

I think that sums it up exactly.
What a beautiful memory the flowers will be each and every spring. 

Thank you mom for teaching me the value of giving back
and for your amazing gift of gardening
that you have so willingly shared with others. 

A Little Monday Inspiration

A flower does not think of competing 

with the flower next to it, it just blooms.

Sensei Ogui, Japanese Buddhist Priest

• We live in a world full of competition. 
• We want our kids to be the superstar in sports. 
• We want our kids to get the best grades.
• We want to have the best house on the street.
• We want to be skinnier.
• We want to be prettier.
• We wish we had long blonde hair.
• We wish we had gotten the promotion at work.
• We are jealous of this couple's marriage.
• We are envious of the car our neighbor drives.

I could go on and on with how we try to compare ourselves to others. I am guilty of it on a regular basis. Our society of wants and gotta-have-its only encourage us to constantly compare ourselves to others.

Today, I want you to stop shooting yourself in the foot. I want to you look at the good things happening in your life. I want you to be grateful for everything you have. We all have difficulties, struggles, hopes and dreams. What your friend has or doesn't have shouldn't make any difference in how you feel.

Only you can create your own happiness. 

Your happiness shouldn't be based on other people.

Stop comparing yourself, your life, your dreams with someone else 

and start loving YOUR life.

A Little Monday Inspiration - Spring Is Coming....I Promise.

Are you wondering if Spring will ever arrive?

Need a reminder that Spring is on its way?

This video will remind you of the beauty of spring and the joy that flowers can bring.

She turned to the sunlight

And shook her yellow head,

And whispered to her neighbor:

"Winter is dead".

A. A. Milne

source

Scenes From Our Week - Week 25, A Cheer Up Gift, Flowers and a Bookshelf

I had gotten the idea on PINTEREST to send someone a "Cheer Up" package with everything being yellow.  So, I changed it a bit and sent a "Happy Spring" package to my niece who is in PA School.  I found some neat yellow items on sale at ZULILY.com and the rest I got at Target.  It was fun putting the package together and she was sure excited to get it!

Package included:
Peeps, Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs, Crystal Light, Yellow Nail Polish,
Yellow flowered dishwashing gloves, A yellow flower dish scrubber, and Lemon Drops. 

My amaryllis is blooming and is just gorgeous.  Thank goodness my mom "wintered" it for me so I could enjoy the blooms again this spring!

Reagan took this photo of me before I went out with Pat for dinner.  I was excited to be wearing my new boots. 

I've been wanting Pat to build me a shelf for all my cookbooks.  I had been keeping them in baskets in various spots in the kitchen and I really wanted to clear up some space and have them all in one spot. So, I finally got my wish......

BEFORE

AFTER

Pat built this shelf right on from the kitchen cupboards.  Sherwin Williams matched up our stain perfectly and you would never know that shelf wasn't supposed to be there.  I just love it and it has freed up a lot of space and makes it so much easier to get to my cookbooks.  And we have a little workstation where the kids can do homework or work on the computer, if needed.  I just think Pat did an awesome job! 

We are absolutely loving this warm weather here in Iowa.  We hope it is here to stay!  We are also gearing up for the Easter season with Palm Sunday next week and then Easter.  A lot of school and church things coming up!  Stay tuned...............

Flower Pictures

Every year I attend the Como Conservatory Flower Show in Minneapolis with family.  This year, the Winter Flower Show was still going on and it was just a glorious as the years before.  When you open the door to the sunken garden room, the smell of Stargazer Lilies and all the other beautiful flowers envelopes you and takes you away from the winter blahs....for as long as you are willing to stay in there.  Below I am sharing some of the photos I took from this year's show.  Soon, our own gardens will be full of the beauty and smell of summer flowers, but until then.....Enjoy!

This cute little bird is one of many that live at the Como Conservatory in the Tropical Room.  He was so cute and had such vibrant colors, I had to get a photo of him. 

Book Review: The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS
By Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Published August 23, 2011
Fiction

The Victorian language of flowers was used to express emotions: honeysuckle for devotion, azaleas for passion, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it has been more useful in communicating feelings like grief, mistrust and solitude. After a childhood spent in the foster care system, she is unable to get close to anybody, and her only connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings. Now eighteen, Victoria has nowhere to go, and sleeps in a public park, where she plants a small garden of her own. When her talent is discovered by a local florist, she discovers her gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. But it takes meeting a mysterious vendor at the flower market for her to realise what's been missing in her own life, and as she starts to fall for him, she's forced to confront a painful secret from her past, and decide whether it's worth risking everything for a second chance at happiness.

When I was approached by Random House to read this book, I was fascinated by the premise of the book.  I was also interested because it was the author's first novel.  I just wish I hadn't let it fall down in my pile of books to read.  Once I started this book, I struggled with the fact that I couldn't put it down, yet I didn't want the story to end.

The character of Victoria took me back to my early social work days of working with juveniles in alternative high schools and group homes.  It reminded me of some of the kids who left an impression on me and made me wonder....where are they now?  All would be adults by now.  How are they doing?  Was there someone there to help them transition into the adult world?

I liked how the author flipped back and forth from Victoria's childhood in foster care to her current life as an adult.  It made the story move faster and gave you the history you needed at the time you needed it.  I can't say I had a favorite character, because I loved each of the them in their own special way, but Elizabeth and Renata were amazingly strong, patient and caring women that I would love to know.  I also loved that a certain person in the novel was named Hazel Jones.  My grandmother was Hazel Jones, and she also was a flower lover and passed that on to my mom and to me even though I never met her.

I loved the history and language of the flowers. It was fascinating and made me look at flowers in a whole new light.  I have a new flower garden that we will be planning for next spring and I am thinking differently about the types of flowers I want to plant in there.

This novel touched on many different topics that would encourage lots of discussion including forgiveness, love, heartbreak, despair, hope, and second chances.  We all make mistakes, so shouldn't we all deserve second, or maybe even third, fourth and fifth chances?  This novel makes you believe second chances must be given and received.

THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS is powerful, engaging, enchanting, thought provoking, and beautiful.  When I got to the final chapter of the book, I was sad and torn.  I wanted to get to find out what happened, but didn't want the story to end.  This one is a keeper on my bookshelf and I have a feeling it would be on yours too.  Run out and get this book today! 

For more on THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS or Vanessa Diffenbaugh, check out her website http://www.vanessadiffenbaugh.com/ or her Facebook Page.  PEOPLE Magazine named THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS as one of their "Great Reads".  I am also super excited to report that FOX 2000 has also purchased the rights to this book to make into a movie.  I think it would make a fabulous movie and hope that it will be made soon.  For more on Vanessa Diffenbaugh and her thoughts about the book, check out this video.



Thanks to Random House for sending me an ARC of this book for review.  I was not compensated in any other way for this review.  This review is my honest opinion and I do not review anything that wouldn't benefit myself of my family.

Is Spring Here Or Not?

 Even though Spring arrived on Sunday, it certainly doesn't feel like Spring.  In Northern Minnesota where I have family, they are having a blizzard right now.  They are talking possible snow showers for us here in Iowa tomorrow and tonight it is rainy and cold.  So, I thought I would share a couple of photos from my weekend with you.  We went to see the flowers at the Como Zoo and Conservatory in St Paul, Minnesota.  It was the last week for their Winter Garden and my was it gorgeous.  Just walking into the room, the scent was amazing!  I hated to leave the warm humid, floral scented air.  Enjoy and think Spring!


The entrance to the sunken garden.  Amazing!



The amaryllis were so pretty!



The Stargazer Lilies are one of my favorite flowers.