Looking for a few good books

After the Twilight page-turning frenzy, I had no patience for the overly clinical, monotonously descriptive Déjà Dead and have since abandoned the books that inspired my beloved Bones. I’m willing to bet that the absence of David Boreanaz’s quick wit and undeniable adorableness played a large part in my inability to lose myself in the first book. Even more so, on the television show there’s more explanation of the technical terms, usually with quite a bit of humor similar to Scully’s over-the-head explanations to Mulder on the X-Files.

Maybe I'm a bit dim, but I think that anyone lacking an above-average aptitude for interpreting forensics would quickly grow tired and give up as I did. I decided to throw in the towel at page 75, especially since it took me over a week to get there.

I then turned my attention to a book highly recommended by my best friend: Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson. I started reading it Friday night and well before the 50th page I was hooked.

I haven’t seen the movie but I think I’ll want to. Most films nominated for an Oscar for Best Cinematography are worth seeing, even if only for the scenery. From what I’ve read so far, I assume the movie is visually breathtaking.

It’s so hard to come off of a series of books that you can’t stop reading but you don’t want to end. When they do, it’s such a letdown to have to try to find something else just as entertaining. So far, Snow Falling on Cedars piques my interest. But what next? Any suggestions?

The following is a list of books that I’ve accumulated either from friends or family. If you’ve read any of them and have an opinion, please share! Of course, all suggestions are welcome. For reference, my favorite book is probably White Oleander by Janet Fitch.

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• Second Glance by Jodi Picoult: Picoult’s books get such mixed reviews, I just haven’t been able to bring myself to try one yet.

• Mirror Mirror by Gregory Maguire: Maguire’s Wicked is one of my favorite books, but I struggled with some of his others, like LOST for instance.

• Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Kerry and my dad loved this one, but I just haven’t been able to delve back into the politics of the Middle East after reading My Life as a Traitor. I know I’ll read this one some day, I just don’t know how soon that day will come.

• Life of Pi by Yann Martel

• The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

• Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

• Merle's Door by Ted Kerasote

• Magic Time by Doug Marlette

Does anyone remember Field Day?

You know, three-legged and wheelbarrow races, track and field events, general outdoor fun which takes place at the end of the school year?

I was supposed to get video last night of Abby's 1st grade antics, but brother Todd didn't get it to me. He did, however, send me the photo below of his lovely wife Maria carrying the torch at the opening ceremonies for Vienna Elementary School's Field Day.

Maria and Todd are a bit hard core - marathons, triathalons, etc. I left all that behind when I left the pool, but I wish I could find the motivation they both have to keep in super-shape!

Unexpected memories

So I had one of those “oh my – why won’t my brain work” moments yesterday and it made me really sad, although I hope my sadness wasn’t noted (I don’t think it was).

My assistant and dear friend Jen and I had just returned from grabbing coffee at Starbucks and as soon as I put my car in park it started to pour down rain. Therefore, we decided to wait it out for a few minutes in the car. This lead to us discussing the upcoming company outing, for which we were offered three choices upon which to vote. This in turn lead to our discussing one of our past outings to Frankie’s Fun Park in Raleigh – one which Jen did not get to attend. Jen said, “I bet Chris Reuther was such a cute spaz at that place.”

As soon as she said it, I was dumbstruck and the first thing out of my mouth was, “Was he alive?” The answer that followed didn’t matter. I was immediately heartbroken.

Chris was in fact with us on that mystery trip, and I instantly remembered giving him my remaining tokens before I left for the evening. His face lit up like I’d just given him a million dollars. He was indeed an adorable spaz – an adorable spaz who knew how to have a good time and was a delight to watch doing so.

I miss him. We all really miss him. Sometimes the memory of him is extremely painful, but sometimes those memories make me laugh almost to the point of tears - happy tears.

It’s been just over two years since Chris was taken from us. I really hope he somehow knows how much he is missed!

Instant mood lifter

I had seen hide nor hair of a single Burleigh for weeks before last night, when I happily accepted the task of babysitting sweet Felton and my god daughter, Sydney. The reception was fabulous - especially considering my recent absence - and Felton made me feel like a rock star.

His HUGE smile when I arrived was something I won't ever forget, and Sydney didn't cry after mom left! Amazing! The smile below was coaxed by Felton, who kept chanting, "CHEESE!" in the background.



The next photo was one of many where Felton was attempting to get Sydney to do her "Touchdown!" pose. She never did it, but she did say "Touchdown!" and she certainly smiled.

Those brown eyes are pretty powerful.



We ended up outside on the swings because despite the "too close to bedtime danger" both Sydney and Felton literally talked me into it. Sydney repeated "outside" as she adamantly marched to the closet to gather her shoes - to the point of near tears - which we all know breaks me when shed by a Burleigh child. Resistance is futile.

The last photo depicts what I call Felton Glee, which is wonderful. When he gets tickled there is nothing better, and he always tells me, "no one pushes me as high as you do! It almost scares me! Higher!"

I LOVE these kids to pieces.

I love Robert Pattinson, but appropriately so...

I love this kid, although I’m certain my love for him is different from most women out there. I seriously think of him as a little brother. He is too cute – and way too young for me – but his interviews are hilarious. His honesty and openness are so candid, which is rare.

His rise to fame is a feat above feats, and the fact that he is so dismissive of his talent just adds to the allure.

One of my favorite interviews with him online can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jujimDOqHqE&feature=related.

I think he might regret saying, “I like nuts girls…” because there are surely a gazillion NUTS girls out there with him in their sights.

For any Twilight fans, the commentary version of the movie (on DVD) is absolutely hilarious. Even if you hate Robert Pattinson before watching it, I can assure you it will change your mind. I am not afraid to admit that I I’ve watched it at least 10 times.

I’ve held off from buying “How to Be” on TWC, hoping it will be available on iTunes in the USA soon. We’ll see. I’m sure I’ll find a way to see it either way as it looks to be super-cute. Love the kid popping the balloon and spouting, "you do your music!"

Here's to hoping Rob can find a tad bit of enjoyment in the swarming fame, and also maintain some semblance of privacy as the rest of us would expect and covet.

Dog biscuit blowout

My friend Kathy recently asked me to make a batch of dog biscuits for her, so I took advantage of the long weekend and made a bunch. I have a huge bag for Kathy ready, as well as a smaller bag for Mike (he and his wife are amazing supporters of the Johnston County SPCA).

If any local readers want some more let me know. I aim to please the pooches!

Stereo update

Stereo is installed - although my fingers are sore from twisting all those darn receiver adapter wires. Ouch. One of my crazy neighbors sat on his car staring at me for the first hour while I worked and cursed to myself. It was embarrassing and very annoying.

I had to make two separate calls to the support line and I lost daylight before I could put my car back together again, but at least the stereo and the A/C both work.

As I told the Crutchfield staff on the phone, I was less than impressed with the way the instructions were laid out. There were several unnecessary steps, and had they been labeled as "optional" I would've saved myself at least 90 minutes.

If you're ever thinking of replacing your car stereo and you're not an automotive whiz, I suggest avoiding the headache and having your new stereo installed by a professional - or at least a knowledgeable friend.

I hope to put all the interior CR-V panels back in place without incident or difficulty tomorrow.

I sure hope sweating my ass off and stressing that I was completely breaking my car was worth it!

Delving into the unknown

My cd player in my 1997 CR-V broke almost six years ago, and I've been a slave to bad radio ever since. I bought an ipod adapter with a gift card last Christmas, but the reception is horrible, so I threw in the towel last Thursday and purchased a receiver from Crutchfield. My brother bought one for his wife several years back and recommended their store.

The installation task seems daunting, but after talking to my brother last night, I'm hoping I can handle it. We'll see. :CROSSING FINGERS:

Here's to hoping that next week I'll be free to enjoy my ipod tunes on my way to work.

Should any of my few readers have tips regarding car stereo installation, please pass them on to me :)

Happy listening!

Locks of Love: Abby's gift

On my way to the gym last night, my sister-in-law called to tell me the time had come - Abby was going to get her hair cut for donation to Locks of Love. It took just under a year for her to grow the ten inches of hair required. See first post regarding Abby's Locks of Love project here.

I think Maria was relieved. Last weekend she was crossing her fingers and wishing the end was near. Maria's feelings were reasonable, as Abby spends about 70% of the summer in a swimming pool. A pre-summer cut surely saved Abby's hair a great deal of damage, but also many miserable hours of painful combing! As I've mentioned in the past, Abby's tresses are not the easiest to tame.

I must admit that Abby's tolerance for tugging on her tangles has grown exponentially in response to the increasing length of her hair, but the fact remains that she is almost incapable of sitting still. A constantly bobbing, turning head + knotty strands does not produce a desirable outcome for adult or child.

When I talked to Abby last weekend about the impending "chop" of her hair, she sounded like she was dreading it. Her face registered horror when I told her she would have to get her hair cut really short. She insisted that couldn't possibly be the case, but as you can see, the new do is pretty short and cute.

I am so proud of her!

As far as I know, she came up with the idea to donate her hair all on her own, although that isn't surprising coming from Abby. I don't know how such a big heart fits inside such a little 7 1/2 year-old girl.

A new “novel” endeavor

So I finished the Twilight series – all four books in less than three weeks – despite the fact that the saga in total spans almost 2500 pages. Gah! I don’t know how I sped through so efficiently as I am a slow reader.

I managed to read Columbine by David Cullen immediately after finishing Breaking Dawn. While significantly shorter than my recent accomplishments, Columbine had me seriously enrapt. I had to concentrate to absorb all of the information. I both loved and hated the book. Actually, I didn’t really hate it at all, I just hated that April 20, 1999 destroyed the lives of so many people.

Moving on – I already wrote a brief review of Columbine so I won’t dwell here. Instead, I focused my sights on the books that inspired one of my favorite television shows: Bones, which stars David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel.

I found via Bones credits that the show is based on the novels written by Kathy Reichs, a forensic anthropologist from North Carolina. I fell in love with the show within the last year, so I was anxious to delve into the novels.

I picked up Reichs' first novel, Déjà Dead, last night at the local library and I look forward to getting into it. There are eleven novels following Dr. Brennan that I know of, and I hope to read all of them in the near future!

Columbine

April 20, 1999. I don't think I'm acquainted with many people who don't recognize the significance of that date. Two boys - yes boys - carefully planned and executed the maiming and murder of dozens of their peers within the supposed safe confines of Columbine High School.

The media monster ran uncensored and unchecked for weeks. Vastly differing accounts by survivors, largely tainted by the media's power of suggestion, created a burgeoning lie which left the tragedy of Columbine shrouded in supposition, misinterpretation and grief-stricken denial.

Columbine by Dave Cullen is a thoughtful and earnest account of the incident, the boys-turned-murderers; and lots of background information on the school, staff, community, the investigation, aftermath, etc. It is very thorough.

The reviews on Amazon.com are conflicting, but I can't be sure that there aren't motives behind them. For example, the top-rated negative review was written by the father of Brooks Brown - the ex-friend of Eric and Dylan - whose parents reported that Eric Harris had threatened their son's life on numerous occasions. While likely the fault of the local police department (many accusations were made against the department and law suits followed) there were no official police reports filed detailing any threat made by Eric Harris.

In a nutshell, the aforementioned failure to record instances of Eric's increasingly violent behavior seems to be among the biggest disappointments in the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department.

Perhaps one of the most disturbing accounts of the massacre was that of Dave Sanders, a twenty-five-year veteran teacher and coach at Columbine High. He undoubtedly saved hundreds of students' lives that day - literally sacrificing himself for their safety.

Sanders was shot through the back - the bullet tore through his rib cage and exited through his chest. The second bullet entered through his neck and exited through his mouth, shattering several teeth on the way out. The wounds sliced a carotid artery and his subclavian vein - both major blood carriers.

Sanders' life should not have been lost. Despite continuous promises that "help is on the way - no more than 10 minutes," Sanders was left with two dedicated Eagle Scouts, who despite their best efforts could not prevent Sanders from bleeding to death. It took more than three hours for him to bleed out.

I feel the utmost grief and profound respect for those two boys who did all they could to save Sanders' life. Aaron Hancey and Kevin Starkey are true heroes. While they may not have saved Sanders' life, they never faltered in their resolve to keep him alive. Their courage was phenomenal. We should all hope that more sixteen-year-olds turn out just as brave and selfless as those two young men.

I can't say that I did not read the book with a healthy curiosity for why Eric and Dylan decided to carry out mass murder, but I found myself quite moved by the stories of the survivors. How Patrick Ireland found forgiveness before he could even think about walking again; the heart-breaking recollection of Dylan's private funeral and his parents' fears of how to lay their son to rest; how Brian Rohrbough proclaimed, with dignity, that the accounts of his son's supposed heroic efforts before his death were false.

My heart ached the entire time I read the book. Every news report I watched in 1999 played back in my head. I cannot imagine the pain of those close to the incident.

I wish them peace.

Dog yawn

The photo below is another taken after we returned from Abby's recital on Sunday. (See another at the end of this post).

I love this one because Bailey's yawn almost appears to be an attack, but the look on Abby's face is all one needs to see to know that Bailey would NEVER hurt her. Bailey loves Abby, and she him.

Music Music Music!

Abby's annual dance recital took place on Sunday, and I was proud to be in attendance as I hadn't been to one since her first when she was 3-years-old.

As a 3-year-old she was pretty inactive. She kind-of just stood there, unmoving, for the entire performance. She looked a little bleary-eyed, star-struck, whatever. Her lack of ability to follow the assigned steps was beyond unimportant to me. I must say that I found her to be the most adorable apple on that stage!

Abby played the part of a Toreador in this year's production. Maria and I loved her dedicated seriousness while pushing her arm forth in the "toreador stance," alongside her partner (imagine arm up at near shoulder height, elbow bent at 90-degree angle, fist under chin, fist then pushing forth with fierce force). The cape helped.

Her obvious concentration on keeping a smile on her face was priceless. She truly appeared to enjoy herself, as I think Abby will almost always relish a challenge.

Maria was sure to bring Abby a bouquet of flowers for after the show, and while she was probably expecting them, Abby seemed genuinely excited.

I was so proud of her! Watching her reminded me that I shouldn't miss any more of her performances - no matter what they might be.

Showing off her glossy lips on the way to a pre-recital lunch at Village Tavern.



Todd, Abby and Maria after the recital on the steps of the Reynolds Auditorium.

Slim Pickins

May is prime strawberry-picking month here in North Carolina, so that's when Maria and I try to plan our annual outing with Abby, in search of the satisfying "snap" one hears after picking the perfectly-ripe berry.

At Fuzzpa's (seen below, walking ahead of Abby) behest, we do our best to locate organic berry patches - especially since Abby tends to eat as many berries as she picks while on-site. We don't want her growing a third ear or an eleventh finger!

Saturday's outing was to Iseley Farm near Burlington. They were truly almost completely picked over, but anyone willing to venture beyond the wild muddy yonder was able to fill an ample berry bucket.


Abby was proud of her building bucket-o-berries:


I was quite taken with the resident Australian Shepherd, although I didn't catch its name. The dog was adopted from a shelter for the purpose of helping the owner herd cattle, but according to said owner the dog is terrified of cattle. Nevertheless, the friendly dog seemed quite content to roam the berry patches and enjoy the sun.


Photos from Abby's Sunday recital are coming, but as a preview, I offer the photo below. My lovely niece and my sweetest dog, Bailey, post-show of course.

Jen Struts

I went to see my Jen walk - as Tyra says, "work it out" - in the Strut 2009 runway show in Raleigh last night. She was fabulous!

Most of my photos were horribly blurry, which bummed me out because she posed like a pro.

Even so, I was happy to have been there to cheer her on - and trust me - I was absolutely the loudest in the room. I know I made her smile. That was my goal.

CR-V love

I'm not the only one who LOVES my CR-V.

I always thought Abby preferred riding in my car as opposed to her mom's van just for a change of pace. After all, the CR-V doesn't have a DVD player and it's usually quite dirty with a healthy layer of Bailey hair covering the interior.

Although it sounds silly - as it is just a car - I thought it was so cute when Abby professed her adoration of my precious Honda. While circling my vehicle on her scooter, she looked up and said, "I really like your car. I want one just like it."

I replied in a rather sad tone, "I love my car, too! I want one just like it, yet new, but they don't make 'em like mine anymore."

They really don't. If I could somehow have a "new" CR-V made just like mine I would. Apparently Abby agrees because she then said, "So when I'm older can I have your car?"

I promised her than if it's still running in nine years and I don't need it anymore, she can certainly have it. Her excited response was adorable because seriously, how many people dream of being gifted with a car more than 20 years old?!

My one aversion to this exchange is having to think of the tiny girl pictured here DRIVING. These are old photos as she is now 7 1/2, but when I think of her in protective mode (which is quite often), I see her more closely resembling the girl below.





Here's to hoping that when the time comes she keeps a cleaner and safer driving record than mine.

Proud Mama, and Auntie

I am a proud mama. Bailey is the sweetest Norwegian Elkhound alive - if not the sweetest dog of all breeds on this earth.

I took the photo below on Mother's Day, while he lounged comfortably in my brother's back yard. My niece kept asking me if Bailey could come in, and I'd say, "if he wants to come in." He clearly didn't, but she wanted him to so he did, each time she asked.


Abby and Bailey have always been pals. I made the scrapbook pages below long ago, but I always feel a strong tug at my heartstrings when I look at them.



The journal block reads:

“There is an understanding - an unspoken yet powerful friendship that forms between people and their pets. With that friendship, our pets adapt to us and begin to accept and love the same things that we do. The case in point is Bailey's love for Abby.

He entertains her, shows her undying attention (of course expecting the same in return), and in many cases, tolerates her (when she jumps on him, pulls his muzzle, picks at his ears and teeth, examines his toenails, etc).

She's adorable when she commands him to sit, although the fact that he does so is not impressive. What is impressive is that he obeys her regardless of the fact that he's bigger than she is!

Buddies they are. She calls him "Bay," and her face brightens whenever he shows up - and vice versa.”

Subsequently following the creation of those pages, Abby began calling Bailey Baywee, but that ended more than a few years ago. I still miss hearing her call him by that oh-so-cute name.

As noted Sunday, Abby has taken to calling him "Bail," and when we visit he still prefers to sleep either in Abby's room or just outside her door.

Quote of the day

"Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible."

-Marion C. Garretty, quoted in "A Little Spoonful of Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul"

100 most beautiful

I do not often purchase magazines at the grocery checkout, but I picked up People Magazine's 100 Most Beautiful issue yesterday. Christina Applegate is on the cover - what a gorgeous woman. Her 7-page spread includes some great photos, some dating all the way back to 1971 when she was an infant.

She is very candid about her breast cancer diagnosis, the following surgery and how she's been affected both physically and emotionally. Who knew "Kelly Bundy" would turn out to be such an inspiration?

As expected, there is a ton of eye candy throughout the rest of the magazine. But I must admit that I am pleasantly surprised by some of the 100 picks this year. Of course Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson are on the list, what with the Twilight super-craze that is sweeping the nation, but others include Moon Bloodgood, Michelle Obama, Tina Fey, Leslie Mann and many more. I heartily concur that the 100 most beautiful are, in fact, quite beautiful.

There's a "beauty after baby" section featuring moms with their children, and I must say that Milla Jovovich's daughter, Ever (18 months), is absolutely stunning. Seriously, WOW!

While not on the 100 most beautiful list, I was delighted to find a "Scoop" page on David Boreanaz. I love both Angel and Bones, largely due to his starring roles in both shows. His characters are often both dramatic and hilarious - he's made me cry and laugh hysterically within a one-hour show many times.

Unfortunately the movie reviews leave me even less likely to visit the box office any time soon. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past starring Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner got one star. Obsessed with Beyoncé Knowles and Ali Larter got two stars. In fact the highest-rated movie in this issue only got three stars and I've never heard of it (although that shouldn't mean much). The three-star movie is The Merry Gentleman with Michael Keaton and Kelly Macdonald. I still know nothing about it and have no desire to look it up. Hmph.

Happy Mother's Day weekend to all!

Addictive saga

So all you crazed Twilighters finally got to me. I am frighteningly inseparable from this book. I can only assume the dark circles under my eyes will grow worse before the story is over.

Honestly the last book I read was one I had to force myself to complete, so I couldn't resist a reported page-turner like "Twilight."

I am not disappointed. In fact, I almost bought the second book last night, but resisted. If anyone out there owns a copy of "New Moon" and would be willing to let me borrow it once I've finished "Twilight," I'd be forever grateful.

On the other hand, I'm more than willing to lend my copy of "Twilight" to anyone who wants to read it. Happy Reading!

Rescue Me - 9/11 overload

“Rescue Me” has become one of my favorite television shows - it’s great drama and comedy. Denis Leary is fantastic. Now in its fifth season, his character, Tommy Gavin has made me laugh, cry, shake my head and love him more with each episode. Special thanks to my friend, Jeni, for letting me borrow the season 1-3 dvds!

The last few new ones have taken me back to memory lane a bit more than I’d like. I’m sure no one has fond memories of September 11, 2001, but “Rescue Me” is partially based on the aftermath of that event.

The second episode of the fifth season “French” introduces an author (Karina Lombard) writing a book on 9/11. Over episodes 2-4, she interviews several members of FDNY’s 62 truck and hits a few nerves. According to IMDB, she’ll be in at least two more episodes.

Lombard’s character, Geneviéve, also stirs up a bit of competition between Tommy (Leary) and Kenny Lou Shea (John Scurti). In an attempt to win Geneviéve over, Lou tells her he has some writings she might be interested in. She gives him some footage of the event to jog his memory, but he admits to Tommy that he could only watch 3 ½ seconds before beginning to unravel.

Hence, when Tommy walks in on Geneviéve’s praise of Lou’s writing, the following exchange occurs:

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Lou: I watched 3 ½ seconds, there’s no reason for her to know that.

Tommy: Boy 3 ½ seconds and you got 46 pages, that must’ve been some…

Lou (interrupting Tommy): Do you think I need to watch any (bleep) footage to remind me of that day, Tom? To remind me of what I saw and what I felt? To remind me of what my nightmares are still like, Tom, do you think I need that?

What I write down in these pages is a little bit, a tiny little chunk, a healthy little chunk of some of the shit that I’m feeling inside of me. And maybe by doing it Tom, maybe, just maybe, I can chip away at it and I can lighten my load, just a little bit. 3 ½ seconds of footage…

You know Tom, you weren’t the only one down there that day. Sometimes you forget that and sometimes I have to remind you. I just did.
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Tommy is not often rendered speechless. In fact, he more often prattles on and bumbles his way through arguments which usually end in incomprehensible babbling (hence my frequent laughter), but his argument with Lou left him speechless and me with chills.

Franco (Daniel Sunjata) and Mike (Mike Lombardi) also had a heated discussion regarding their differing opinions of 9/11.

Franco is the “conspiracy theory” man in the house. Mike is a firefighter because he saw that as his way of helping after 9/11.

In a later conversation – after a fight between them in the house – Mike admits to Franco that he can’t handle hearing his theories because he’s not comfortable viewing the “bad guys” as those who live at home. Mike is always viewed as the dumbass of 62 truck, and he plays that part well, but his admission to Franco sincerely touched my heart.

I love the show. Both Michael J. Fox’s last appearance and Sean's (Steven Pasquale) trip to the eccentric chiropractor had me on the floor laughing. But I truly hope the next few episodes are a little lighter on the gloom and painful memories.

As a side note, I am immensely grateful that my parents happened to be visiting me in Michigan on September 11, 2001. Having them with me that day made me feel like the luckiest girl in the world, while at the same time pitying those who had no idea what fate might have befallen their loved ones.

Oh pollen, how I loathe thy presence

I developed distinct allergy symptoms at age 23. While I remain uncertain as to what, exactly, is the main offender, I can only imagine that pollen is not a friend to my sinuses. Dogs may be a contributing factor, but I will never be without a dog by choice!

As my brother noted last weekend when he was here, we are not lacking in the evil yellow dusty particulates - especially on UNC campus. When we get a lot of rain, my driveway becomes a yellow river. Yuck.

On most days I look like I'm stoned. On the worst days I look like I'm a stoner who spent the entire night before crying. My eyes water like leaky faucets.

For the last few days I've been taking Claritin RediTabs, which have provided mild relief. I've also been occasionally using Afrin Pure Sea Nasal Mist, which seems to temporarily reduce my need for kleenex. I have an air purifier in my bedroom that seems to help, but it tends to dry out my nose.

Anybody have an allergy cure they swear by? Are prescription drugs the only real cure? Any ideas as to why my left eye waters 10 times more than my right?

ARGH! I hate allergies.

Blooming color

I noticed a couple of days ago that my irises had bloomed, but I didn't have time to photograph them before yesterday. I planted the bulbs a few years ago and this year they produced their second round of blooms.

I got the bulbs from my "digging friend," Judy, at least that's what she calls herself. She gave me another type of iris bulb at the same time, but those haven't ever produced any flowers. They sprout green shoots every year, but no blooms.

Judy has given me so many wonderful plants from her yard. She also gave me a cutting from a hydrangea a couple of years ago. It was flourishing so nicely before it suddenly died. Sadly I never got any blooms on it.

My mom bought me a lantana plant back in 2005 that managed to become a perennial until this year. (You can see a bit of my lantana plant from last August on this post). I propagated several other plants from the original, but none of them appear to be coming back this year and I'm so bummed. I shared some with Judy, so maybe I'll have to get a new cutting back from her!

I love lantana. I can't believe it's thought of as a pesky weed in many parts of the country! It's such a pretty plant, especially in potted arrangements. I have the tri-color (yellow/orange/pink), and I'll keep hoping it makes a comeback before the summer arrives.

I have several pots that need to be emptied and replaced with new plants. Some of my favorites for pots are pansies, dianthus, marigolds, verbena and ivy.

My dad gave me a great book, "Container Gardening," by Paul Williams, that has some amazing arrangements in it. It also has a container plant directory complete with photos, great step-by-step instructions on how to pot and sections on how to choose healthy plants and appropriate containers. My favorite find from this book is Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'. It is a hardy perennial, deep-black in color and fairly hard to find. The contrast of Nigrescens potted with brightly colored flowers is gorgeous.

The azaleas pictured are original to the house. I'm ashamed at how badly I've neglected my plants and lawn this spring, but these azaleas have always been a bit wild. I should do a better job of pruning them, but they seem to hang in regardless.


Back in 2006 I ripped out a few of the holly bushes that were originally planted in front of the house. I really don't like holly bushes. I always get poked when I prune them and mine tend to get moldy and no longer produce many berries.

I replaced the holly bushes with some additional azaleas, sedum and other colorful ground cover.

Unfortunately it's supposed to rain here this weekend and the following two weekends are pretty busy, but I hope to find some time to work in my yard soon. Happy gardening to all!