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Onward and upward! something that you say in order to encourage someone to forget an unpleasant experience or failure and to think about the future instead and move forward.

My e-mail: jjmiller6213@comcast.net

Saturday, July 15, 2017

Happy Times

I had a sweet day Thursday.  Lunch with the Old School Gal Pals and a visitor came.  A girl who graduated the year ahead of us, but of course, in our small school we all knew her and besides, she was in the band, as we all were.  She is losing the battle with metastasized breast cancer and is taking no more chemo.  She is here from Montana, visiting her younger sister.  You wouldn't know there is a think wrong with her.  She ate a lot of food, laughed a lot, seemed way more stable in her mind and her walk than a couple of girls in our group.  It was wonderful seeing her.
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My sister and brother-in-law weren't home yet from their death vigil to Virginia.  My BIL's brother called a couple of weeks ago with the news he had liver/colon/pancreatic cancer.  He wanted his siblings to come for a visit so they could have some laughs and share memories.  He was quite all right for the first couple of days they were there.  Didn't eat much, but sat in his chair and laughed.  Then one day, he just slept most of the day.  Still got up to use the bathroom.  The next day, his children called in Hospice to help out.  At least the Hospice people didn't immediately inject him with morphine and put him into the "death coma", they just kind of hung around and every now and then, he'd waken and talk a bit.  He died, naturally, two days later.
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Knowing sis wasn't home, I stopped in at a woman's house--Pammie's friend--that has the most amazing gardens and bird feeding stations!!!  I spent about 45 minutes walking around and taking the tour.

This is the view from my parked car, in the back.


As I walked up to her house
 Her deck by her front door

 Her deck by her back door--this is where her many bird feeders are located

The view from the back deck down a slope to her woman cave.  Which just happens to be carpeted, a small settee, a ceiling fan and where she stores all her gardening tools.

Her back lawn continues back to the river

My gardening attempts fall far short.

 I planted three sunflowers as a back ground for my Zinnias.  They did not germinate.

 My Grape tomato plant is doing fine, but my Zinnias, planted in three rows of 36", 24" and 8", for some reason have all floated down to the north end of the planted and are coming up in a jumble of sizes all together.
 2 planters of Sweet Peas.  Lots of vines, no buds.

As well has this--Morning Glory Vine of blue and hot pink.  Lots of vines, no buds.

I just want you to know that one time, I had a 100' long garden, 6 feet wide, that extended from one edge of my front lawn to the other.  On a slight slope, where the lawn sloped down toward the road.
It was filled with flowers for every season.  I can't find a photo of it, but ....you would be impressed.  HAH!  


15 comments:

  1. That woman's yard is beautiful! So peaceful for man and animal. I'm sure yours was too, back in its day.

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  2. What a beautiful yard. Here, that would take a large gardening staff to keep going. I know this because of an acquaintance who has just such a staff and just such beautiful grounds. Each time I drive by his large compound there are many workers on the grounds taking care of the foliage.

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  3. The woman's garden beautiful and I am like you nothing is blooming this year like in the past, will blame it on all of the rain..

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  4. Such a beautiful garden of flowers; although you're no slouch Judy when growing them. :)

    Yes, that liver cancer is so very horrible, and that's what my sis-in-law sister had. :( I'm sorry for your b-I-l and his family.

    xoxo

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  5. Oh, and being gone for a month, my wee flowers aren't faring too well. :(

    The good news about being ill, Patti and Britt mowing the lawn. :)

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  6. I'm impressed with what you have now, as I wouldn't be able to do even that much. The other lady has a gift; pure and simple. The gift of growing things. I don't have it. What a treat it must have been to visit with the lady who is dying, whose attitude and spirit are good. I think that's wonderful. I hope, if I'm tested in that way, I can go out singing. xoxo

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  7. I think I've seen that photo ... look on FB maybe? Oh the energy we had back in the day!!! We had a gorgeous backyard, mostly decks and when the weather finally turned dry ... we entertained out there several times a WEEK! Once I did 7 days in a row. Bought flowers that lasted almost the whole week, and many beverages and food items in large quantities that lasted.

    Those were the days my friend!

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    Replies
    1. we thought they'd never end.............

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  8. The amazing-ness of that womans's garden and grounds, reminds me of Cielo's blog.

    Click here, and see her post, with before/after photos, of what she has done, with her yard. Amazing!

    Luna Crone

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    Replies
    1. OMGosh!!!!!!!!! How can she keep it all up, I wonder?

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  9. it matters not to me!! i am impressed with you anyway - your little front porch - your needlework and your happy spirit!! you doin' pretty darn good girl!!!

    cancer, it sure does suck!!!!

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  10. I agree with Debbie ~ we still try anyway! You should see my attempts to have flowers this year; they're all growing wild. :)

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  11. Your friend's gardens are gorgeous. Does she tend it all by herself?

    I'm so glad that your friend from Montana got to visit with you guys. I'm sure she enjoyed it, and I know all of you did, too. It's nice to be able to do something like that while you still feel well enough.

    Our zinnias look fine, but the sunflowers are kind of puny. It's funny how some years our things do so well, and others.... oh well.

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  12. Frustrating to have a garden making lots of green but not flowers and vegetables, Just been a weird year. Looks like the other garden is operating on all cylinders at the moment. Wow. I feel envious of beautiful gardens. I can get mine looking that way only with about 20 hours a week labor. I wonder how much time and effort that gardener has put in!

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  13. She works on it every day, but has it heavily mulched so rarely a weed appears, she also mows all the lawn and you should see her house! Like something out of House Beautiful. Her husband works as an Engineer on the railroad and is gone 4 days at a time. They had no children, so, she has little else to do, BUT--she is always busy.

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