Wedding: May 28, 2011

Rose Hill, near Rocky Mount, NC. Check out the links; this place is gorgeous!!

In a grove of ancient pecan trees - the ceremony site. It was sunny with light breezes when we were setting up. Shortly after we left the premises, the skies opened up and rain fell as if it were being poured from buckets. It was the kind of rainstorm that makes car drivers stop under overpasses - but we couldn't stop because we had to get back to Raleigh to deliver another wedding.

Blue and white hydrangea with delphinium. Navy linens to match the carpet - with burlap runners.

It might not look like it here, but this tree trunk was about 3 feet in diameter.

The Aftermath, One Month Later

These huge trees were felled during the string of killer tornadoes that raced through areas in and surrounding Raleigh, NC in April. Several of them fell onto the roof of the adjacent church (which has already been repaired), but these trunks and limbs remain. I am not aware of what the numbers mean, but I assume it is the diameter. Maybe you know? You may remember me telling how the tornadoes decimated a portion of South Raleigh, only four blocks from where I work. There are still many piles of lumber and building parts in that area, as well as tarps covering roofs, blown off porches, etc., and rubble. I cannot imagine the devastation in Missouri, and I know from experience that what you see on television is but a minute part of the way it looks in person. My heart goes out to all the people who have been affected by our spring and summer storms.

Salad with Crabcake on Top

I had lunch yesterday at Winston's, with a woman I've know for about 10-12 years. I did the flowers for her four daughters' weddings. The last wedding was more than 4 years ago, and I was very glad to see her again and catch up. I had always admired her sense of style, elegance and poise, and wished we could become friends. I guess we had to get all the weddings behind us before that could happen. I enjoyed hearing about all her girls; were they are now and how many children they have. It is a very close family, and I admire them so much. We talked about how both of us are lucky to have such good children and grandchildren.

The salad with fruit and avocado was topped with a crunchy crab cake, but I didn't remember to take a photo of it. I can't whip out the camera in front of just anyone, can I? Trust me - it was very good! I think they ought to serve it with two crab cakes on top.....lol. The iced tea was flowing, and we managed to skip dessert......I feel self-righteous!

I'm working today and for the next two - so visiting might be sparse. Have a good weekend.

It's Not Only the Girls in My Family......

who have art talent!  These two were drawn/painted by my oldest grandson, age 17, and I am surprised at how good he is! My daughter took the photos with her cell phone, so they are not the greatest quality - but I think they are terrific anyway!

I can tell you that he is much handsomer than his self portrait would appear. He did such  a good job on the hands - hands are the hardest thing to draw well. I started college as an art major, so I'd like to think that they got their talent from me. Their mother was always good at art too, as was their uncle. But they didn't keep up with their art - and I am really hoping that the grandchildren will!

Oldies but Goodies

 APHORISM: A SHORT, POINTED SENTENCE THAT EXPRESSES A WISE OR CLEVER OBSERVATION OR A GENERAL TRUTH:  

 1. The nicest thing about the future is . . . that it always starts tomorrow.

 2. Money will buy a fine dog, but only kindness will make him wag his tail.

 3. If you don't have a sense of humor, you probably don't have any sense at all.

 4. Seat belts are not as confining as wheelchairs.

 5. A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you're in deep water.

 6. How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the dark to become a teenager who wants to stay out all night?

7. Business conventions are important. . .because they demonstrate how many people a company can operate without.

8. Why is it that at class reunions you feel younger than everyone else looks?

9. Scratch a cat . . . and you will have a permanent job.

10. No one has more driving ambition than the teenage boy who wants to buy a car.

11. There are no new sins; the old ones just get more publicity.

12. There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 4 a.m. - it could be the right number.

13. No one ever says "It's only a game" when their team is winning.

14. I've reached the age where 'happy hour' is a nap.

15. Be careful about reading the fine print. . . . there's no way you're going to like it.   

16. The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket.

17. Do you realize that, in about 40 years, we'll have thousands of old ladies running around with tattoos? (And rap music will be the Golden Oldies!)

18. Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Cadillac than in a Yugo.

19. After 60, if you don't wake up aching in every joint, you're probably dead.

20. Always be yourself because the people that matter don't mind . . . . and the ones that mind don't matter.

21. Life isn't tied with a bow . . . .. . . .  but it's still a gift.

Carolina Fiberfest + A Blogger Meet-up

Vicki, of A Mark on My Wall, teaching this pretty young lady how to dye a silk scarf, at the Carolina Fiberfest, held last weekend at The NC State Fairgrounds. This is the third time I have started this post - only to have it partially disappear - so I sure hope this time is the charm!  Apparently, it is not to be, my last two paragraphs disappeared before my eyes. Suffice it to say I was very pleased to meet and spend time with Vicki, and you would do well to visit her blogs posts and read back into the archives. You are sure to be glad you did. I have to leave now - so I will try to resume this post later.

3:30 pm:    Dare I try again?

When I went to the fairgrounds, I was surprised to see hundred of cars and a whole bunch of people. I didn't know that in addition to the Fiberfest, there was a NC Festival going on there all weekend. It was almost as busy as the state fair in October;  there were rides, food vendors, displays, a tractor parade, etc. and it was 90* in the shade - which didn't seem to dissuade people from attending.I had to park about 1/2 mile from the gates, so I was very grateful when a shuttle picked me up in the parking lot. I found Vicki's building, and walked up while she was teaching the young girl how to dye the silk scarf. It was an interesting demo. There was a basket of finished scarves, and I found a beautiful one I couldn't live without.

Vicki took a break; we got something to eat and walked around the building looking at all the beautiful wool, mohair, alpaca for sale, as well as items made with all these things. There were knitters, weavers, spinners, felters and dyers, and I got a lesson in alpaca fibers. She is so knowledgeable about all things wool. I used to weave, so it was interesting to me. I never learned to knit, but Vicki says she can remedy that in short order! I would love the opportunity to learn.

If you have had a long-time blog friend, you know how badly you would like to meet them in person. From almost the first post I read of Vicki's, I felt we could be kindred spirits. I have 'known' her for over five years now, and we have quite a few blog friends in common. Being able to meet her in person was never thought to be a possibility, until she moved to NC last year. Although she is over 4 hours away, she had the connections to attend this fiber fair, making it possible for us to get together. I have admired her for her savvy, her intelligence, her wit and her expertise in so many things. I have known few people who have their fingers in so many different pies. Vicki gets an idea and acts to make it happen, while so many of us (me included) just wish it could be. I have now met quite a few bloggers; some local and some from afar, but I will always be grateful for this opportunity. Now if I could just have remembered two things:  to have remembered to ask all the questions I had in my mind and to have someone take a photo of the two of us together!

Beauty and the Bad

This one is supposed to be turned to the right, but I can't get it to do that now.

It's looking better, but it's still bad! I took two frogs out of the pool this morning and the hawk was very interested! I saw him fly off the deck and the pump house into the trees twice, as I went out onto the deck. One of the frogs is still sitting there and the other is gone. Either the hawk got him or he jumped back in the pool. 

*****

You know the building in New York where the IMF guy is now staying?   The one at 71 Broadway?  That's where my daughter lived for 18 months. It's 2 blocks from the World Trade Center location. Although it is a very nice building, with nice apartments, it must be quite a comedown for a man who is used to $3000 per night hotel suites!  lol

A Message from Beyond

A friend lost his 18 year old cat recently; just 3 weeks after I lost one of mine. I can truly say "I know just how you feel" , since my loss is still so fresh in my mind. 

He told me an interesting story:  He buried his cat in his yard, outside his dining room. That night, he went to look at her grave through the dining room window. As he stood there, a beautiful red, male cardinal lit on the grave, looked up at him and then flew to the window sill and looked at him again.

He said, "I got a message, but I don't know what it is." I told him I thought she was letting him know all was okay. We both got teary-eyed, but I see this as a comforting message, don't you?

Blog Fodder?

Do you have some???? I sure need it. I'm at the bottom of an empty barrel when it comes to subjects I can blog about. 

I don't want to talk about that stinker Arnold - others have done that better than I could and the subject disgusts me.  Since American Idol is almost over, I won't discuss that either, or Dancing with the Stars. So You Think You Can Dance is coming back next week after a long hiatus. I love that show. It is fun to watch people who dance for the sheer joy of movement and expression,  especially when they are very good at it. Some of the audition shows are painful to watch, and other are downright funny, but I enjoy all of it, so I'm  looking forward to that.

I get to work with Mel again, which is always good, and then on Sunday, I am going to meet a blogger I have really wanted to meet in person for over 5 years! I know that I won't be disappointed - I just hope that she isn't!! I'll tell you all about it next week.

Tap Dancing vs. Exercise

 

 

 

Yours truly, age seven. Now tap dancing is great exercise!! Maybe I need to take that up again? Tap dancing isn't artificial exercise - it's very taxing and good for the whole body! (Please try not to notice the weird spacing here - I have no control over it.) I'd hope, if I took up tap dancing again, that they wouldn't make me wear a costume like this....lol. It was baby blue with silver edging and a lot of ruffles. It was for one of my dances at the yearly recital, titled "Three Little Girls in Blue."  One of those girls is deceased now, and I never knew what happened to the other one.    

I saw some interesting license plates this week:  One said "SNAAAB" and it was on a very fancy Saab convertible. The other one was on a big SUV and said JNKNTRNK.

 

 

 

Here's a good quote: 

What a pitiable thing it is that our civilization can do no better for us than to make us slaves to indoor life, so that we have to go and take artificial exercise in order to preserve our health.

George Wharton James, journalist, author, and speaker (1858-1923)

Double Yuck + Butterfly Love

Double Yuck! It looks like a cesspool. It will be a while before anyone can swim in that! I love having a pool until something like this happens. There were holes/slits in the cover, so the rain water and gunk mixed with the pool water below - et voila - a complete mess. The pool guys will be back today to clean it.

My eleven year old granddaughter gave me her butterfly painting and I LOVE it!! Rainbows and butterflies - what's not to love?It kinda takes the sting out of the mess in the pool.

Tuesday at the Flower Shuttle + Canada Geese

Peonies, roses and solidago

Iris, roses, bachelor buttons and solidago

Tulips, roses, hydrangea, wax flower and purple statice

There was a story in our newspaper recently about two Canada geese who have chosen an odd spot in which to roost. It is between a mall parking deck and the post office, across a busy street with lots of traffic. There is no lake or water nearby, which seems odd for them. I went to the PO after the Flower Shuttle today and parked right beside their spot. He is on the left, and she is on her nest near the rear wheel of the car.

When I first got there, he seemed calm, but as traffic increased, so did his angst - and he waddled to the edge of the plot to stand guard. It is amazing how alert he is; turning his head from left to right, surveying the possible dangers. I asked the clerk in the PO how they were doing. She said that sometimes he stands in the middle of the street and won't let cars pass at all. I was lucky he was not in that mood today! I told her that I appreciated the way Canada geese males take care of their mates, and she said "Wouldn't it be wonderful if all males were like that!" 

I Didn't Walk Today, But......

I was otherwise active. I pruned the mutant forsythia that lives just off my deck; the one my daughters said on Sunday should be trimmed - not knowing that I had already cut it back 3' about 2 weeks ago. It is ridiculous how fast that plant grows, considering I never fertilize it and the only water it gets is what falls from the sky.

The roses got pruned too, and then I nailed two trellises to the deck fence, so the bush would have more support as it grows longer and longer canes. (Don't tell anyone that the trellises have been there, just leaning up against the fence for 18 months.)

The health club was on my agenda for this afternoon, but I was told not to bother since the weather people were forecasting thunder and lightning storms, and when that happens, the health club closes the pool. Want to take a guess on how much rain we had?  (about 3 minutes worth, unaccompanied by thunder or lightning.)  Bah. The next time I want to go to the health club - I'll go alone.

Tomorrow I will go to the Flower Shuttle for the first time in about seven weeks. I heard that others have taken over "MY" spot during that time, but I'll have to wrest it back, won't I?! Wish me luck.

What a pitiable thing it is that our civilization can do no better for us than to make us slaves to indoor life, so that we have to go and take artificial exercise in order to preserve our health.

George Wharton James, journalist, author, and speaker (1858-1923)

I can't believe he said that some time before 1923. It's true now, of course, but I never thought it was true back then. I like being outdoors, but I seldom get any exercise while I am outdoors. I read, or sit with others and talk. I really need to exercise. I've been thinking about starting to walk in the neighborhood  -  (thinking about it for more than a year)  -  but not putting it into practice. We belong to a health club, but we are using it less and less as the months wear on. Something has to change, and I need motivation. Give me a pep talk, won't you?

Odds and Ends

I've had this fish for years. The tag said it was made from oil drums somewhere in the Carribean. This year, it graces my pump house.

This guy is new; I thought the fish needed company. I should have bought the BIG one when I saw it. It was almost three feet tall and would have looked terrific on the pump house all by itself.

I bet my poison ivy is bigger than yours. The vines going up the oak tree really are poison ivy, and you can see the "leaves of three", on the lower right side, under the oak leaves.  We have it sprayed every spring, but this one has never fully succumbed to the spray. About ten years ago, before I knew what the vine was, I touched it. BIG mistake. I had never caught poison ivy before, but this vine is some sort of super ivy, I guess, and I was covered with it. That's an ouchie I hope never to have again.

My rambler rose is performing quite well this spring. Just wait until the Japanese beetles come back - hard on the heels of black spot. It never fails.

Weeds are better than nothing, right?  I have not been in the mood to buy plants (or seeds) this year, so I have let the weeds take over this (and a few other) pots. Some green is better than plain dirt, isn't it?  Do you know what kind of weed I'm cultivating here? 

 

 

The plumber is here now, along with some house cleaners. I had to put my high school Spanish to good use today, while leaving the cleaners a note: 
En dos banos, yo tengo agua caliente solamente; no agua frio.* Considering that I haven't had a Spanish lesson in 53 years, I think that's pretty good.....lol     We hope that the plumber will be able to repair the leak today, so they will be able to do the necessary wet cleaning. Have a good weekend!




*In two bathrooms, I have only hot water, no cold. 

My Advice?

If you are going to the dentist for a procedure involving the high-speed drill, leave your hearing aids at home. I'm jus sayin'.......(otherwise, the resultant sounds are more ominous than usual.)

As it turns out, my tooth didn't break  -  it was an old, old porcelain crown that cracked in half  -  leaving a jagged edge so sharp it is a wonder that I didn't cut my tongue on it. I now have a temporary crown; placed there with heavier than usual cement, so that it may last six months or more  (please God) before it has to be replaced. Yay.

The car passed inspection with flying colors. All I need to remember is to have the tires rotated at my next oil change. I can do that.

The plumber had a not so pleasant answer for us, however. There is a leak under the guest room toilet which necessitates it's removal and Lord knows what else to repair it. He cut off the water lines to that bathroom, so we have to use another one until he comes to repair it on Friday. Boo. As I said yesterday, it's always something. I just have to remember this:   it could be worse!

Between the Car, Gas Prices and My Teeth.......*

I'm in the poorhouse!! I sent in the paperwork to get new stickers for my car license plate back in April, and it finally dawned on me that I had not received them yet because the car hadn't been inspected in over a year.  DUH.  The rules in NC are that you can't get new stickers unless you have your car inspected and they receive a report of it from an official inspection station. So I've made an appointment to get the car inspected this morning and I am hoping against hope that they will not tell me I need a bunch of stuff done to the car so it can pass inspection. If you are the praying type, please send up a few for me, okay?

Gas prices are reported to have come down as much as 10 cents in the last few days. I sure hope it will keep up that downward trend. I had to have two things done to my car last month that saw my credit card jumping to record levels, and adding $40-50 worth of gas every week isn't helping me lower that balance much.     :-(

I will go to the dentist this afternoon to see what needs to be done with the broken tooth I suffered yesterday. It feels as though half of it is gone - so I suspect she will tell me I need a crown. Ouch; for the pain of the crown and the pain of paying for it. Wish me luck there, too, please.

*I didn't mention plumbing. We've discovered another leak under the house. It's always something.

Extra, Extra!! Read All About It!

Current Headline from The Dental Times:

"Molar Succumbs to Soggy Cereal"

Ms. Kenju reports that as she was eating her morning cereal, the normally crunchy bits became even crunchier when a molar broke and shattered into small bits, leaving what feels like a gaping hole in the normal bite structure, and requiring immediate action by the dentist - who, nevertheless - cannot get to it until tomorrow at 2:30 pm. (AAACK!)  She did what anyone would do in that situation; she went back to bed. 

Further reports as events warrant. 

Did You Know?

The "Great Tornado" of 1925 still holds the record. It's estimated that the tornado stayed on the ground for 219 miles and over 2 1/2 hours, affecting 3 different states and leaving ruin in the aftermath.

Horses can't vomit and pigs can't look up in the sky.

The national anthem of Greece has 158 verses.  (Whew! I'm glad I don't have to sing that at every ball game!)

The state with the longest coastline in the U.S. is Michigan.  (I didn't believe it either.)

A large swarm of locusts can eat 80,000 tons of corn per day.

If the sun stopped shining suddenly, it would take eight minutes for people on earth to be aware of it.

The setting sun is redder than the rising sun because the air at the end of the day is generally dustier than it is in the beginning of the day.

Fluorescent lights are much cooler than incandescent bulbs. Consider using those in the hot summer months.

Use Listerine as a spray to ward off mosquitoes by putting some in a spray bottle and spraying it on your deck, seating, etc.

Quote - Discuss, Please

from "Of Human Bondage" by Somerset Maugham:

"Before I do anything I feel that I have choice, and that influences what I do; but afterwards, when the thing is done, I believe that it was inevitable from all eternity."   

"What do you deduce from that?", asked Hayward. 

"Why, merely the futility of regret. it's no good crying over spilt milk, because all the forces of the universe were bent on spilling it."  

*****

Again, Happy Mother's Day to everyone who qualifies!











(Chapter LXVII, Page 20)

Happy Mother's Day

My adoptive mom at age 16.

And at age 45. I think her hairstyle made her look older here. I remember the lacquer she used to get her hair to stand up and wave like that.  It might as well have been glue - that's what it felt like. I remember that suit; she also had a hat made to match it.

I have posted photos of my birth mother on my blog, but I don't have time to search for them now. I really look a lot like she did in her 60's and 70's, but my younger daughter is her spitting image when she was 17, the year I was born.

 

I don't think I've ever gone two days without a post before; it feels strange.  I've been working in a shop (not the usual one) for Mother's Day. I thought the last shop I worked in was busy, but I didn't know busy until I started working for the new one. In addition to all daily work and the Mother's Day arrangements, they have six weddings this weekend! I know it is hard to keep the details straight in your mind for more than one wedding, so I can't imagine having six at one time. It is rather like a factory there!

Photos would be nice, but I hardly have the time to take any. 

The flower business is one where some designers float around working with many different shops and someone you met years ago while working at one shop may pop up later in another.  When I walked into the shop on Wednesday, I saw a woman with whom I had worked 4-5 years ago. Of course, I couldn't remember where I had met her, but as soon as she said the name of the shop, I remembered. There was a man who had given a seminar/demonstration some years ago at the wholesale florist. He didn't know me, but it was nice to see him again and watch him work. We can all learn from each other and I have noticed over the years that most florists don't mind sharing their knowledge and secrets. That makes working a whole lot nicer, don't you think?  I sure am enjoying it; if I didn't - I wouldn't be working. My body doesn't always cooperate with what I really want/need to do. I forget and pick up something too heavy, or twist while I am lifting - and then I pay the consequences for weeks. Someone needs to keep reminding me that I am not superwoman!

There will likely not be another new post for several days, so have a great Mother's Day and I'll catch up with you later.

Working.....

today through Saturday.  I'm hoping that all mothers will have a great Mother's Day!

This creepy possum was drinking water from the top of  my pool cover yesterday, but he moved away and went off the deck as soon as he heard me coming. It's no wonder that our pool covers only seem to last one year; considering all the animal claws they host. He was big - as large as my cat who weighs 10-12 pounds. I really don't want him around, so I hope the fox comes back and gets him.

The Weekend in Photos...

On a clear day, you can see [almost] forever......

One of our Saturday weddings.....the guest book table

One of the centerpieces...

Luscious parrot tulips look good enough to eat!

PINK!

Chester...our shop mascot and chief overseer. Twenty pounds of sweetness.  I had another photo, but it disappeared. I'll try it tomorrow.

A Ten Hour Day.....

gets looonng! But there were respites and bright spots and some humor - so it was all worth it. I left the house yesterday at 9:15 am and got back home at 9:30 last night. But to be honest, there was at least one hour spent in the car (I drove just over 100 miles) and an hour for dinner and an hour killing time in the choir room of a local church, so we could tear down the decor after the wedding.

The first wedding was at Washington-Duke Inn, a gorgeous place and the setting, outdoors on a terrace over-looking the golf course, was beautiful. The second wedding was at Raleigh Country Club, and the setting was almost identical to the first - but on a putting-green type lawn adjacent to the golf course.

The third wedding was a bit unusual. Mel had been asked to place a chuppah in a Catholic Church! A Jewish man was marrying a Catholic woman, and the ceremony was to be officiated by a Rabbi as well as a Priest. We have done inter-faith weddings before, but they are most often held in hotels, clubs or event sites. We got to the church during 5:30 Mass, so we had to wait to set-up. Then, when we found out the ceremony would only take about 30 minutes, Mel decided to wait and take down the Chuppah so he wouldn't have to go back later. We cooled our heels in the choir room and heard some beautiful music during the wedding.

The humor happened at late-lunch/early-dinner. Mel took us to the Golden Corral.  As we went through the line to pay, the cashier was flirting with our helper, a nice young man, who I will call Bill.  A bit later, when he left the table to get more food, she came up to Mel and asked if Bill was Mel's son. Mel replied no, that he was just working with us. She said she was very interested in him. A few minutes later, when I went back to the buffet, she talked to me about him and said she was really interested. Then she gave Bill a piece of paper with her phone number and told him he could call or text, and that she was getting off work right then. Bill was obviously a bit embarrassed, and said (to us) "It's never this easy." 

She hung around for a while and finally left - or so we thought. As we excited the restaurant, there she was, sitting on a bench with a few other people. When she saw us leave without saying anything to her, she went to her car. We teased Bill for a while, and when we were at the church, taking about her, I said..."Mel, you'll notice that he hasn't thrown her phone number away....lol....he only wants us to think he isn't interested, and he'll call her later." At that point, he dropped it in the nearest trash can (which was actually a recycle can for drink cans).

That girl was not bad-looking at all, so I can't imagine she had that hard a time finding dates. Why she thought it was necessary to come on to him that way is a puzzle. She turned him off with her bold flirting. Take a lesson, girls, most guys don't like it when you are the pursuer - especially if you do it as strongly as this girl did.