Saturday, April 9, 2011

Today's Assignment


and then dinner with friends. Good plan!

Friday, April 8, 2011

Meet my Friend Allison

I've been a total slug this week - blogwise, anyway. I will blame the job, which has kicked into high gear for the next three months leaving me with a To Do List that is miles long.

I will also blame this stupid budget "crisis". I have kept my TV on 24/7 listening to our elected representatives argue over policy instead of dollars. Instead of dithering, tho, Alison has been thinking and writing. So, in case you don't already follow her... read this. And, be sure to tell her "hi"... and then go email your representatives.

ps: I should have told you... Allison writes the blog 400 Wake-ups - the life of an Army wife, whose husband is on his third [count them, third] deployment to Iraq. He and the 352nd are preparing the Iraqi people to take over their own security, while Ally keeps the home fires burning in Georgia. They say that less than 1% of Americans actually know a deployed member of the armed services. If you don't, here's your chance to see what life is like on the "home front" thru the eyes of an insightful, honest young woman. I hope you will enjoy her blog.Link

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

The Event

You may recall that I have been anxiously awaiting the first blossoms on my fledgling magnolia tree - 'Rose Marie'. More than two weeks ago I worried that it would bloom during the weekend that we were out of town.

What Mother Nature gives with one hand, she often takes away with the other. And, in this case it was my blooms. The cold snap - remember the snow? - caused the bloom to slow down and wait for me to return to watch it open, but it damaged the blossom. It should be a deep rose color, not the washed out pink, and you can see that there is considerable cold damage on nearly all of the petals.

There is a second blossom that is nearly a week behind the first in maturing, but we are due to have mid-30's tonight, so I fear a similar fate for that one.

On the other hand.... what is it that keeps us gardening? It's the promise of a better crop next year! This tree is only three years old and these are her first two blossoms. [Clearly she is a "her" since she is having babies!]

I can only imagine what she will be like next year with maybe a dozen flowers - and maybe no late cold snap!