Surrounding herself with the things that she loved...

I was at a funeral recently of a family member and not listening to a thing that was being said. But sitting in the chair bothered that I just couldnt find her anywhere in that room. Not in the photo of her with her horse, that I actually loved, it was just a photo, and although it made me smile it just didnt feel like "her" to me, just a picture of her. I couldnt find her in the flowers, they were elaborate and although stuningly beautiful and chosen from her favorite colors, her favorite colors meant nothing to me, I never knew they were her favorite colors, so they just didnt feel like "her" to me either. Just pretty flowers.

Why was I on a search for her when I knew she was gone from this world, moved on to something so much better? Why was I even looking for her in that room? It wasnt logical , just a pestering feeling that I couldnt identify what I knew of Cindy in anything in that room.

I guess it started at the viewing the day before. I havent seen her in two years. And in that two years time she has been through so much. (Still seems to young for all her time here to have been gone, but I know his ways are higher than our own and he is in control...I know, I just will never understand.)

 I even knew she would look different, I expected it, I was told about the pink cap that covered where her beautiful long hair used to be.

And her family, sticking by their promise that they wouldnt "put her in no stupid dress" had stayed true to her wishes and dressed her in a pair of jeans and her Gator T Shirt. But even dressed in her usual garb, as I looked at that casket all I could think is..... thats not her. She was laying there in that casket and yet, not there at all.

 My head knows that its just her body, I told myself she wasnt there that she was up there watching us and probably cracking a few jokes as we talked. I logically knew she wasnt in that box but there was still a disconect, I expected to feel something of her there in that room. I wanted to know that something of her had stayed down here, with us.

As I said, illogical.

As I sat ignoring the preacher I began to think about Cindy. What DID I know of her? Was it just that I knew so little of her, that our paths had crossed so infrequently, I didnt think so, to meet Cindy at all is to know her, she was just one of those people that put up no pretenses,full of life and plenty to say, she is an open book type of a person, lay it all out there, I am who I am and if you dont like it Ok, have a nice day and dont let the dog get you on your way out kind of person. I liked her. Wouldnt I recognize something of what I knew of her if I saw it?

So as I thought about what I did know of Cindy and the strongest thing that kept coming to my head was that Cindy surrounded herself with the things that she loved. ALL the things that she loved. Horses , dogs, rabbits, chickens, people, if she could take care of it and it could need her to help it, then she loved it. She lived her life surrounded by the people and animals she loved. Cindy had a big heart.

I got to spend the afternoon one Sunday with Cindy, Hank, the kids and her animals. I' ll never forget it it was so awesome to me, I may dream of a farm and waking up with the roosters and feeding the chickens at dawn with my dog at my side, but she didnt dream of it she actually did it. She was living her dream world. Again, SURROUNDED by the things that she loved. Then I thought of Debbies Angels everywhere and her house full of people everythanks giving and thought she must get that as an inherited trait from her mom.

Well thats about the time the service was over and they started to walk everyone out. As I was leaving the room I saw Cindys brand new grandbaby being bounced on the lap of her father, and smiled. Im sure I must have looked like an idiot smiling as I walked out of a funeral, I couldnt help it, I had findally found the bit of Cindy I was searching for in that room. THERE was CINDY !!! In the things that she loved! She was there in those beautiful babies of Ambers, a tie stronger than any genetics, a mother daughter bond of love, not of DNA. And she would be passed on to those babies everytime Amber loved them like a mother should, like Cindy taught her over the course of her life. She was there, in that room after all. All I had to do is look around, Cindy was even at the end of her lifes journey, surrounding herself with the things that she loved. She was there in Tiffanys crazy rainbow hair, you just have to think what kind of self understanding it takes to walk around with rainbow hair because you want to and just not care what anyone thinks, perhaps a trait she got from her mother...."I am what I am and if you dont like it OK, have a nice day and dont let the dog get you on your way out." She was there in Tiffany, surrounding herself with the things that she loved. She was there in Hank and all of the memories and moments that 18 years of marriage to the love of your life can hold. In Debbie, In Dell. A mother, a grandmother,a wife, a sister, to everyone there in that room she was there with them in some small way. Because they had known her, she was now living in their hearts and minds. She was there in that room after all surrounding herself with the things that she loved.

So to Cindy, I say you will be missed, you were loved. But most of all thankyou! For in your story of enduring strength against all odds, I will forever find strength to keep putting all of what I have left to give into those around me that I love, just like you did. And in so doing, surrounding myself with the things that I love.

Dianthus Amazon Neon Duo

Ok so this is liek the third year I have planted these, I have really sandy soil and they do great till about July when I go on vacation and its a million degrees and it hasnt rained in months. And I get back and they are fried. This year I planted them in morning sun only so we will see if that helps. If not, its all food I get to enjoy them for a few months from March to July so... much cheaper than my cut flowers. And the butterlies love them. Of all the freaking flowers in my yard that are supposed to attract butterlies, they are forever drinking from these and ignoring everything else in spring!!! What gives?

God People and Trees

So this is a post I did a few years ago and decided not to publish. I was struggling with being hurt by people I thought very highly of, I like to think the world of people around me,( even though Im hard on the people I love )  and sometimes , they let you down, and then sometimes they let you down hard. So anyway, I tend to keep personal pain to myself but this is a lesson I want my children to know and it means alot to me and maybe, as I have had to find out the hard way several times in my life from my High School friends to my first marriage... sometimes you do just have to "let folks go" so......here it is.

I had a bad day the other day at work. No kidding who didnt right? I usually enjoy life, enjoy my days and even enjoy my days at work. But it was the kind of day that makes you question eveything that you've done in your life, midlife crisis kind of day. What the HELL am I doing HERE kind of day. This is what got me through, what was brought to mind that helped me put a little perspective on the situation. Lizzy, Hunter, Tyler and Noah.... remember this it will help you.

Tyler Perrys character Madea sais....

"If somebody wants to walk out of your life, let - them - go!

Some people are meant to come into your life for a lifetime, some for only a season and you got to know which is which. And you're always messing up when you mix those seasonal people up with lifetime expectations.

I put everybody that comes into my life in the category of a tree. Some people are like leaves on a tree. When the wind blows, they're over there... wind blow that way they over here... they're unstable. When the seasons change they wither and die, they're gone. That's alright. Most people are like that, they're not there to do anything but take from the tree and give shade every now and then. That's all they can do. But don't get mad at people like that, that's who they are. That's all they were put on this earth to be. A leaf.

Some people are like a branch on that tree. You have to be careful with those branches too, cause they'll fool you. They'll make you think they're a good friend and they're real strong but the minute you step out there on them, they'll break and leave you high and dry.

But if you find 2 or 3 people in your life that's like the roots at the bottom of that tree you are blessed. Those are the kind of people that aren't going nowhere. They aren't worried about being seen, nobody has to know that they know you, they don't have to know what they're doing for you but if those roots weren't there, that tree couldn't live.

A tree could have a hundred million branches but it only takes a few roots down at the bottom to make sure that tree gets everything it needs. When you get some roots, hold on to them but the rest of it... just let it go. Let folks go."

Spring

Noah always called these little helicopter seeds and liked to play with them when he was little. Well he is 8 and Im sure when he sees them he will still pick one off and fly it around a while, but its always meant spring to me. Not the Azaleas blooming, Florida Azaleas are a little bit dur de dur. ( thats the french chef on the Muppets, cause I think hes a little dumb) anyway they bloom in the middle of winter because its 80 friggin degrees and then freeze next week because it goes down to 30. Azaleas might not be the brightest of the plant kingdom but trees seem a bit harder to fool and these Red Maples dont put out their "Helicopters" till its really actually spring. This is the tree John planted in the back yard for me last year, it had some trunk damage and wasnt sellable so I decided to give it a try in the back yard. Actually, I wanted some shade and I hate maples, because I have to clean up their leaves, (Im more of a Drake Elm / River Birch fan, you just mow them right over and be on about your day.) But John has been saving little baby maples for years. As long as I've known him he will attempt to save a maple sapling in a pot somewhere he thinks I wont find it so he can plant it out. I find them and throw them in the garbage. But I finally broke down last year and planted a drn maple to make him happy. Ended up it makes me happy. Its the first sign of spring in my back yard, time to get to planting some zucchinni! :) And of coarse my traditionsl  30 varieties of tomatoes that you cant tell apart when they are on a sandwich!

Red Maple" Helicopters"

Wish blogger worked on my stupid blogger app

What is wrong with the stupid google app for blogger.Its lame or im not technologically advanced enough to make it work. Why can the facebook app work so well when gacebook is a trillion times more complicared.I cant see what the crap I am ayyempting to type on my phone.ahhhhhhhhhh forget it. This is why noome does this anymore,and I liked it.a Ed Pt ?

Humble Pie

Humble pie is maybe a good thing sometimes. Balance where its needed in you r life. Every now and then something happens and you just have to eat a slice. But lately Ivee noticed that if you eat enough of it it starts to smell like skunk and leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Lifes lessons learned.

A TREAT FOR ME

Ive been working long hours this week. Last night I got home at 1 in the morning(left at 5 30 am) so today when I had off, well after I met with a landscape customer at 9, I decided to treat myself to a fun day with the kids. I went to lunch with Wendee and her kids and then we took the kids to see Ice Age Dawn of The Dinosours. I fell asleep during the movie but the boys liked it and I got a nap so what more can you ask out of life really.

The sky outside of walmart the other day.

thought it was worth lookin at again

The End of the Rainbow...

We were Driving home from work today when Paula and I sarted taking pictures of the rainbow. Well we fot to the light at the end of hood and St AUgustine and there it was the end of the freaking rainbow. Pretty neat actually, ive never seen the end of the rainbow but when we sarted to drive off at the light the rainbows end went right into the car. Who knew the end of the rainbow was a light blue Kia not a pot of gold. The rainbow stayed at the car till we turned off into her subdivision it was pretty neat. The picture just doesnt do it justice.

Kitties in the cupboard

Ok so I dont love the idea of the kittens sitting onmy dishes, but I had to admit it was cute whenthe cabinets were left open and all of the kittens were curled up in a bowl.

UF Butterfly gardens

John and I took the kids to the butterfly garden at UF a few months ago , we really loved it. It was so pretty, just a mad house of plants and a gorgeous water pond and waterfalls....

Lizzys crazy hair....

Seeing kids growing and changing into adults is sometimes a scary thing for me. Letting them have the freedom to express themselves and who they are becoming without doing any permanent psychological damage with the words that are coming out of my mouth seems to be a challenge I never envisioned I would fail at so often. Im so glad that the teenage years only last a little while, they are only a season, and Im sure that one day I will look back and miss them, just not today.
So maybe its hard for me to watch someone I love struggle with lifes choices, hurt with thier defeats and heartaches, shut my mouth and say not that I told you so buy that... I LOVE YOU, EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU, WHO YOU HAVE BEEN, WHO YOU ARE, AND WHO I SEE YOU BECOMING, AND I ALWAYS WILL. Im human, I make mistakes, I sometimes hurt when I want to help, I sometimes judge when I want to accept, I dont always agree with your decisions and instead of offer my own opinions instead of support, I sometimes let my fear of the future rule my actions today, sometimes Im intolerant of failures and ridicule instead of offering encouragement that you are so much more .... Sometimes I wonder when its all said and done if I told you enough...I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU, I AM ALWAYS PROUD OF YOU, YOU ARE AN EXCEPTIONAL BEING, DONT LET LIFES PROBLEMS LET YOU FEEL OTHERWISE.
Im so glad that you are feeling better lately, that your smile is ear to ear with your teeth showing does my heart good. I saw a rock thing at my customers house the other day that had a saying carved on it that I really liked. It said " Life is not about waiting out the storms, but learning to dance in the rain"

Trip to the beach

My Friend Paula and I took all our kids to the beach today for Memorial Day. We decided to take off of work and do something fun for a change. I cannot believe I got a sun burn! Yghh I put on sunscreen but maybe not the best of waterproof! Anyway, the kids all had a good time, and it was a nice relaxing day. For the most part anyway, Tyler did decide to try to tackle me, ha he has no idea, he may as well be trying to knock over a brick wall, I have to wigh almost twice as muchas him. Ok so he got me twice, but that was out of like 100!

Mothers day

We spent the weekend at Hammock Beach in palm coast with Mom.
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Sent from my T-Mobile Sidekick®

Parror flower

Just got this photo sent to me by a friend. Its the coolest flower, some
type of impatien that looks like a little parrot
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Sent from my T-Mobile Sidekick®

Hunter and Tylers birthday party pictures

The Boys birthdays were alot of fun but Im not gonna lie I am thinking thery are getting old to fast! I wince every time I see teenage boys with thier parents and they are just as big as them. I know its in the near future and i am looking forward to watching them grow buty what in the world hapenned to my babies? I thnk Johns back is going to give out everytime Hunter runs up and jumps on him when hes glad to see him home from work. And dont even get me started on Ty the kid is turning into a miniature linebacker.
Tyler had his party with some friends, his sisters and Colson and Maddison at the skating rink in Mandarin. And Hunter had his party with friends at my Moms house. They had a lot of fun, Ive really got to start bringing my for real camera, this stupid "sidekick" phone takes the worst pictures if your just even slightly moving. I prefer my Nikon on the Idiot setting. But I put the ones that were slightly okay from the camera phone up anyway. (Just dont laugh)
Happy 12th birthday Hunter!!!
Happy 11th birthday Tyler!!!
I love you guys so much and I am so proud of the little men you are quickly becomming!

Cindy with the boys at the pool

Happy Birthday John!

Just thought I would tell the world I love you! Happy 35th birthday OLD MAN. Your a great husband and a great father and I love you more every day. You are truly a gift wrapped and packaged exactly for me and I couldnt have asked for more if I had custom made you myself! On the more serious side....when Im not busy contemplating homicide Im thinking how great you are! I look forward to many more years of watching your wrinkles deepen and your belly enlarge. Just think of it this way hun youve got all of your hair, even if it seems to be spreading! You know you love me!

The Royal Floridian in Ormand Beach

Ibwent with my Mom down to Ormond beach to visit with My Aunt Martha and Uncle Bob. We took the boys and my Nanny (Moms Mother) came with us. Cindy met up with us last night. I tried poasting this from my cellphone so I could put up some of the pictures I took on my phone but its not giving me that option so Ill probably never get around to putting the pictures up. But we had a good time the boys played a put put golf tournament and swam in the pools. Wich is all stuff we could have done at home but I suppose its just more fun oceanside!

These are for you Wendeeda!

Grace and Bella when she was just born

Finally a picture! This is a photo that Melissa sent me over the internet after the baby was born. The two sisters! So cute!

Tyler and Bella

Hunter and Bella

Isabella

A visit from the new baby sister

Hunter and Tyler have a new baby sister! Her name is Isabella Mercy Dugger. Jason and Malissa are the proud parents and I thank God for that! Now if we add sisters to the family that is the way to do it! No pain and lots of gain(for me)Sorry Melissa, you had to do all the hard work we just get to enjoy the baby and give her back to you when she starts to scream! Anyway she reminds me of Hunter when he was a baby and I didnt put that together until I was taking a pciture of them together. But who know kids change so much!

ROBBED AGAIN (the tale of the book thief)

I usually dont mind Huners reading habits, usually. He is probably the only child on the planet that gets put on restriction from reading. That in and of itself should tell you something. Anyway, we are spending a week in South Ponte Vedra Beach with Mom. I of course have brought a few books to read. So the first day I settle on th last dan Brown book I havent read. (Deception Point) I read enought to get intersted in the story, wich actually doesnt take much, he is good at hooking you with intersting facts from the getgo. When Huner finished his Warriors book and caually picked up Deception Point that was laying around while I got some dinner going. Needless to say when I got back to my book it was MIA. Hunter was happily reading it in my place. So I smiled at my adorable dork of a child and went to pick ut another one. I settled on a Frank Peretti book I havent read called The Oath. The next day the same scenario repeated itself except this time Johnny was sitting in my chair reading my book when I sat down after dinner! Since Johnny rarely reads anything but the comics or the news paper, I had no choice but to concede. But this is getting a bit ridiculous. The next time someone in my family asks me about a book im reading before Im done Im not syaing anything at all about the plot! No interesting tidbits about whats happening coming from these lips! Well at least Im hiding my book when I cook dinner! Maybe Ill leave a decoy out that they think im reading and tell them a little bit about the plot to that one and leave off at a really interesting part. hmm trickery for the book thieves. ( by the way just for future reference, Hunter you finished the 700 + page Deception Pointe in less than two days, and read a Star Wars book Johnny bought for you Darth vader something and another Warriors book inbetween the two. (witch is usually not your style you read so quickly its not a problem for you to finish a book when you start it without starting something else but you were totally thrilled with the star wars book and the warriors book you have been waiting for Ty to finish so you can read it for a few days.)And stop correcting my typing and spellin errers and laughing at me. Thats not funny! just kidding. Love you Hunter!

No phone again

Setting: three quarter moon over lake Santa Fe. 10 or 11 at night
Problem: Dad was lost trying to get the boat back to the dock and didnt know where he was going. (Santa Fe is HUGE)
Solution: John (Knox not my John) and I decide it would be brilliant to get the jet ski out on the lake with a flash light and just go out and find him, after all we know how to get back to the dock right.
Drama: I go out alone unsucsessfully to many baots on the lake even that late at night and Im totally freaked out about being on that thing by myself at night. So I go back and make Steve come with me Ill hold the flashlight whl he drives.
Steve shine the light over there taht boats coming right at us.
Me: You still on the phone with him? Ill flash the light at that boat ask him if he sees us
Steve: ya thats him he sees us
Me: Ok lets go. ( I take the flashlight and switch it to my other hand as Steve turns the jet ski around. Elbows colide)
Steve: Oh I dropped my phone (as he prepares to jump in after it)
Me: Oh its ok that was my phone its waterproof.
Steve: (slight hesitation at the comment as we both watch it sinking , a perfect picture of my screen saver the cute little faces of Hunter Ty and Noah staring back at us as the phone sinks deeper turning into just a blue light then nothing.)
Me: Hmm guess it wasnt sink proof huh?
Steve: you know I probably would have went in after it till you sadi that then I stopped to think for a second and it was too late.


WHAT WAS I THINKING? If there ever were a time that my IQ score was seriously questionable it was then. Anyway Im glad my husband loves me he wasnt even the slightest bit mad at my phone fiasco. Whwn qw got back in the house I called him to tell him we found Dad and told him about the phone he just said "its Ok babe I got insurance this time. You know youve cost me over 1200 dollars this year in phones." Now that is love, eight years and he gladly spends a small fortune to hear my voice. That is why I still love your grump self John, couse under it all your a big softy and you love me like noone else ever has. Happy anniversary by the way.

Hey Wendee

Glad you finaly got ahold of me sorry it was a pain in the rear! Ive beeen MIA on the phone for two weeks now. First off I cut the home line( i really just use it for work to fax stuff etc, but still) then Johnny had my 759 number switched to Verison so Id get better service out here in Keystone Heights and it took them a week to port the number over. So really unless I went into town or walked out front in the middle of the yard I had no phone. Then like 3 days after my phone started working i went to the lake on vacatin with the family and I dropped, well technically Steve dropped my brand new cell phone in Lake Santa Fe. Wich is really kinda funny couse Johnny is sick of me ruining cell phones by getting them wet when im at work. So he gets me a waterproof one and Steve and I wath it sink to the bottom of the lake glowing all the way down! It was pitch black at the time and we were on the Jet ski or id have been in the lake after it! But not at night! Anyway, you can get me easy now I PROMISE! Hope you have a good move! :) I know how much your looking forward to it.

Not alot of pictures

I really took alot more video than pictures. ( I had just got a new video camera) maybe ill learn how to post some of those on here maybe not. Mostly they are of the kids at the beach, snorkeling a rose island, teh underwater life at Atlantis witch you would have to see to believe, they take their aquairiums seriously! Jelly fish, huge manta rays, underwater recreated ruins of atlantis, tons of fish and 6 species of sharks. Its mind bogling. Then there is the beautiful oceans surrounding everything and teh pools at atlantis with water falls everywhere and water slides hidden at every turn. The kids really loved it.

Hunter and his shell

Ocean view from the city

my obsession with the native landscape

The Queens Staircase

The garden I forgot the name of but so Loved

Dinner at the marina in Johnny Rockets

Lunch uner the dome at Predator lagoon

Atlatis view from the marina

Htel Atlantis from atlantis beach view

hotel "Miamis"

This is the boys at the hotel in Miami. I loved it it was near the airport and had an unbelievable atrium with a huge coy pond and a stream with a waterfall and two bridges not to mention gorgeous pools and palm trees. The boys didnt want to leave it to get to the Bahamas! Noah kept calling Miami "Miamies" and he loved the hotel!

Paradise Island

Well, we all made it back in one piece. The boys and I tooka trip to Atlantis, paradise Island in the bahamas. We really had a good time. We went with my Mom and Cindy. We played on the water slides and by the pools, took a trip via taxi cab around seeing some houses and historical sites and een went on a boat to Rose Island for some snorkeling. We did that the last day we were there and Ill have to say I loved it! I tookHunter and Tyler out in this shallow reaf area and we saw alot of cool fish and pretty coral. I think if we had gone snorkeling earlier on the trip the kids would have wanted to spend more time in the ocean at different places, but it took us all week to get upthe courage! The nets tehy put up at all the beach sits get you scared of what they are trying to protect you from. Anyway.. I will put up some pictures when I can find my download cord, lost it, wouldnt ya know!

I love farfugium dont you?

Elizabeth id getting on to me about never posting on my blog anymore so I thought I would talk about plants. Since I know thats her FAVORITE subject! HA Got ya Lizzy. Anyway, this is my "crested leapord" farfugium basically looks like an overgrown clumping spotted dollarweed and I love them. I never even bother to fertilize them and they just sit there in the yard taking up space like they are supposed to.Behind them is a "monstera" philadendron that I thought would die this winter but decided to put it out of its misery from house plant hell. (my living room) but it overwintered fine and is growing big beautiful leaves outside, maybe I should have found out how big they get before I planted it seeing that its name is MONSTERA....hmmm sounds to much like monster.... Then in front of it is my variegated Mondo grass. Love it, pretty little stuff. Gosh I love my gardens, even the overgrown weed areas. HE HE HE ! Ya, I have them I just never post any pictures of that! maybe that will be next! the crabgrass thats taking over the african Iris bythe pool! Fun fun fun. Ok Lizzy, Im done now, hope you enjoyed the new PLANT BLOG. Somebody has to. Love ya BYE

Here you go Lizzy a new post. I finally got this thing to work. The end.

This is the newest addition to our family. If I had known it was a terrorist Id have left her right where she was. She is a shitsue mixed with an...oh I forgot but they are ugly little dogs with long noses and long skinny bodies. Shes about full grown now and really isn,t much bigger than Ahleys water bowls but the headaches she gives me are another story. She barks ALL THE TIME! Its one of htose little annoying yipe kind of barks that makes you want to throw thing at her. She has to stay on a chian every time we take her outside becouse her brain is missing. Well OK its not missing but I sware it doesnt function properly. The huge holes in the yard next to her are not from her digging. digging I can understand, its a dog thing I get it. But these holes arent from digging, I can tolerate a dog digging holes to sit in, the earth is cooler and its pretty hot in Florida so they dig a hole and sit in it, its quite a logical thing to do,Ashley does it all the time,I dont like it but ive learned to live with it, I just leave her favorite hole digging spots plant free. But this dog is not actually digging holes, see she is on a little red chain and the chain stops where the holes are, whe tries to get farther than the chain will let her go, she pulls against the cahin till only her back feet are on the ground and shes jumping against the chain as it pulls around her neck pulling her front feet of the ground. Im gonna put a ballerina skiert on her and video tape it. Its her get me off this chain dance.

I transplanted about 6 primrose from the front yard a few months ago when I put in some variegated dianella in where they were. I thought htey would probably bite the dust but they seem to be alot tougher than I had anticipated. The pink one is my favorite.(they were from a mixed color tray)I guess they think its spring as well.

Sighns of spring. My dwarf powder puff in the backyard has been blooming for weeks now. It blooms in the spring and again in the fall here and there wasnt much of a break this year between the two I guess.

FINALLY! I have actually planted these tricolor sage almost every year for at least the last 6 years. I cant help it I love the coloring. And every time they look like crap till they are dead. (usually from the rain at one point or another) So this time I planted them in pots so they couldnt possibly drown, so far they are doing great wich I must say is a bit of a suprise but Im happy with them. I almost ley them stay in theyre own pots (as you can see with the one I left in the smal container it came in on the right) I just felt like planting them would be ensuring that it would soon be needing a funeral procession. SO... I planted two in one pot together and left one to try again later when those died. WHO KNEW? Well, they have onlybeen in for a few months but they are actually growing!

I just cleaned the stupid porch last weekend and its only Friday.4 kids and two dogs and a dirty landscaper husband seem to make it impossible for me to keep anything clean.

My favorite Pentas have been in bloom since the day I put them in over a year ago. You cant beat that. They are about 3 ft tall nowand 4-5 ft wide with the two of them planted about 18 inches from each other. I dont know why more people dont plant them. They take full sun or partial shade and bloom there but off all year. If you have a hard frost they get bit back some but recover quickly in the spring and last for years without needing to replant. Anyway, this is a variegated strain of the classic garden Penta, the old fashion one that grows tall does MUCH better long term in the garden than newer shorter hybrids, and Ive been told by the butterfly garden in Gainsville that they have alot of nectar in them but the newer hybrids do not. Whats not to love?

Everyday life with guns

We got the movie Mr and Mrs Smith from my brother for Chritmas. It was actually a pretty good movie. John and I had never seen it but always thought we wanted to. We laughed when we saw it, are you trying to tell us something? All I knew is it was about two married people who are trying to kill each other. Steve was suprised we hadn't seen the movie yet and said it was pretty good we would like it. John said it sounded like everyday life, with guns.