Tag Archives: Daily life

Garden, Therapy Dogs, and Books I Read in August & September 2024

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Rose & Snapdragon

The roses are having a second bloom of activity with the rain and cooler weather. We haven’t had a hard frost yet, so all the plants in the walled garden are still gracing us with beauty. I think the blooms in the fall are twice as sweet. The plants bless us with a last round of activity before the long winter’s sleep.

In addition to gardens, therapy dog work has been keeping me quite busy. I have done more evaluations for potential therapy dogs this year than ever before and I still have three more sessions to go. That’s approximately 30 more dogs! Why so many? Personally, I think there are not as many evaluators around. I need to get Claire tested to be my next therapy dog since Shelby retired. The only evaluation I can find besides my own, is five hours away. I guess it will have to wait until next year. I never felt that Claire was quite ready to test even though she is sweet as punch. She will have to step up and start my next generation of therapy dogs. If she can master that long distance stay (20 ft), we should pass.

I read every day, no matter what. It centers me. So here is my list of completed reading material for the past two months. Occasionally, I start a book and decide it is not for me and return it to the library.

August 2024:

  1. Pets and the City-Dr. Amy Attas (Non-fiction)

This is the most engaging nonfiction book I’ve read in some time. Dr. Attas tells about numerous encounters as a house call vet in Manhattan, including several famous clients-Joan Rivers and Billy Joel are a couple. All the tales are entertaining and it’s fun reading what she encounters. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with this one.

2. East Coasting-Chitnis & Dorazewski (Non-fiction)

What a beautiful book! It tells you about places to visit in the northeastern United States and has wonderful watercolor paintings throughout. It worth reading even if you have no plans to travel.

3. The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club-Helen Simonson

The story is set just after World War I. Constance Haverhill is expected to give up her job, as are so many women of the time, to the men returning from war. She goes to the seaside for the summer as a lady’s companion. While there she meets Poppy Wirral and her group of women who wear pants and run a motorcycle service. Constance finds she also quite likes Poppy’s gruff brother who lost part of his leg during a plane accident. An enjoyable story.

4. Never Leave the Dogs Behind-Brianna Madia (Non-fiction)

Brianna is a social influencer who lives alone in the desert with her four dogs in a small trailer. She is brutally honest in sharing with us, her trials through the demise of her marriage and figuring out her new normal as she searches for who she is now. Of course I thought the best part was her dedication to her dogs.

5. Eruption-Michael Crichton and James Patterson

Although Crichton has passed, he left this partially finished manuscript and his research. It was finished by Patterson. A volcano is going to erupt in Hawaii and it will be the big one. Other factors added to the volcano make this a world threatening event. Volcanologists, the army, and demolition experts work tirelessly before it is too late. An exciting book well worth the read.

Magazines:  Country Living UK edition, Cottages and Bungalows, AARP (2)

September 2024:

  1. The Summer Swap-Sarah Morgan

Lily has escaped to Cape Cod after dropping out of medical school. She is figuring out the next phase of her life while cleaning cottages for the summer. Cecelia is reluctantly back at her Cape Cod cottage hiding from her family and the notoriety of her late artist husband. Kristen, Cecelia’s daughter, shows up at the cottage after walking out on her career-obsessed husband. All have issues they are dealing with and need to decide the direction they want their lives to take. They choose Cape Cod for their ruminations.

2. The Summer Escape-Jill Shalvis

Anna Moore is a private investigator. Her sister Wendy is expecting triplets soon. So of course, this is the perfect time to delve into their father’s past to see if he was a crook after finding a stolen coin in his belongings. It does result in Anna meeting Owen Harris who runs an outdoor adventure business. The coin is one from a collection owned by Owen’s aunt. Anna and Owen start to trust each other and work together on the case. Wendy gives birth to the babies in the midst of the investigation. Another enjoyable Shalvis book with likable characters.

3. How to Be Old-Lyn Slater (Non-fiction)

Good reading on what is expected of the older person and examples of how the author avoided it. This book covers the decade of her 60’s year by year. The author is a social/clothing influencer. There was a lot about the fashion world that I didn’t really care about. After finishing the book, I can say, I wish I had spent my time reading something else. The book is fine, it’s just not my cup of tea.

4. Sandcastle Inn-Irene Hannon

This book is from the Hope Harbor series. Vienna Price loses her career job and goes home to her free spirit mother. Mary Quinn goes to Hope Harbor to help his sister with the rundown B&B she purchased. The two come together to rebrand and spruce up the inn. Both are running from trouble in their lives, as is the young contractor couple who join them on the inn redo. Hope Harbor is the perfect place to contemplate the life changes all are working on. A pleasant read.

5. Four Thousand Paws-Lee Morgan (Non-fiction)

A veterinarian’s tale about being a check point veterinarian for the Iditarod as the dogs race across the Alaskan wilderness. Morgan has been an Iditarod vet for 10 years and worked many different checkpoints to make sure the dogs are healthy. He has anecdotes about the dogs, the mushers, and the Alaskan natives. An informative and fun book.

6. Making Bentwood Trellises, Arbors, Gates, & Fences-Jim Long (Non-fiction)

Gives information about finding flexible wood and various ways of fastening them together. Contains a number of different designs. Good general info to help you come up with your own structures.

7. The Summer We Started Over-Nancy Thayer

The Grant sisters, Eddie and Barrett, are close even though their parents weren’t typical. The family and several friends are all at the new family home on Nantucket for the summer. The sisters are finding men and relationships whether they want to or not. The family loves books but dad’s obsession has reached hoarder status. Enter, Eddie’s boss from New York City. She is a famous author. Dad is a struggling, unpublished author. And then there’s the late brother’s child. Lots of fun relationships in this story.

Magazines:  Down East, Yankee, Country Living (2)

PeeWee the Sheltie

Bringer of Joy

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PeeWee

Time for an update on PeeWee! He has been with us for nearly a year now. He fits in so well that it seems he has always been here. (Read about his arrival here-First Foster Dog This Year! and his trials before he made it into the house Foster Pupdate!) After we lost Baxter unexpectedly to cancer last spring, our home was not the cheery place it used to be. Our pack was older, and Baxter was no longer here to make us laugh with his antics and expressions. PeeWee arrived in the fall and after adjusting to his new surroundings, he started making us laugh again. PeeWee was just two years old when he arrived. Our other dogs are all nine and older. He has livened us all up! He even gets 14 1/2-year-old Shelby to play with him frequently. Of course, her version of playing is to stand rigidly, wagging her tail and smiling while occasionally stomping her paws. It gets her exercise and makes her happy, so it’s all good.

At his six month recheck PeeWee still had high numbers on his Lyme test although it did come down about 100 points. So, he got a second round of doxycycline and will have another recheck in six more months. Mercifully, he shows no symptoms. And he loves getting his antibiotic because it is given in a chicken flavored pill wrap. PeeWee has lost one pound since his last vet visit, but it is no wonder. He jumps on and off the back of the couch about 50 times a day. His new favorite thing is to lay in the windowsill and watch the squirrels in the yard and the cars go by.

PeeWee fills his days with his windowsill antics, banana time, chewing bones, harassing his doggie sister Claire, occasional zoomies, and begging for food. Although this is all well and good, he wants us to resume hiking. We take the summer off from hiking because it is too hot and there are too many biting flies. Also, there is too much work here in the summer with gardening and large projects. PeeWee does not understand this. When it is time for a hike, he will zoom, squeal, and bark when his leash comes out of the closet. He runs to the car. On the drive to the day’s chosen hiking spot, he looks out the window the whole way to the trail head. If he deems the drive to be too long, he starts getting antsy and pacing. Once on the trail, he diligently looks at and sniffs everything he notices. There is no down time, he is on a mission to take in new information!

He also goes in the car with the other dogs for trips to grandma’s house. This is not quite as exciting as hiking, but still cause for constant watching out the car window. His favorite place along the way is a busy intersection where five roads cross with a couple of gas stations and other places of business. There is so much to see here that PeeWee’s little body is tense with concentration and watches all activity and even the excitement of pedestrians! We rarely have pedestrians where we live, so it is quite the novelty for him. There are no sidewalks, and it is rural so very few people ever walk by our house. The city streets are a thing of wonder to him.

In short, we are smitten with PeeWee. He is just so cute that everything he does is adorable. Not that we’re biased. Wink, wink!

PeeWee enjoying the patio.

An Expanding World

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View from my lounge chair.

Summer is the season when my world seems to expand. In so many ways, both good and bad. On the good side, our living area increases. Our patio becomes an extension of our home, and we spend time there, reading, relaxing, drinking a cup of coffee, and occasionally entertaining friends and family. The bad side about my world becoming bigger is the increased work. Weeding, planting, maintaining, and watering. Oh, the watering! It has been exceptionally dry here for so early in the season and I kept putting off watering in the hopes of getting rain. I spent two hours catching up on watering. I’m happy when the growing season starts and I’m also happy when it ends. I guess this is a good balance because it affords me the chance to appreciate each one.

Cassius the greyhound.

This is a place outside where I can take all the dogs with me to relax. (Or while I work in this area too!) All five of our dogs stay confined with the fences. No longer so when I put our dogs in the fenced pasture. Our newest addition and smallest dog, PeeWee can escape the pasture. I’m not sure where he gets out, but he has come running to me a couple times when I am doing yard work and am out of his sight. Apparently, my being out of his range of view is unacceptable. I don’t like to put the dogs in their crates for the amount of time that I spend working outside every day, so I have begun tying PeeWee out on a nylon coated, wire line near wherever I am working. I do have to move him around a little, so he always has shade, but we have a lot of trees, so this is not much of an inconvenience.

PeeWee and Claire enjoying the shade.

Our dogs all love the patio. It gives them a chance to enjoy the outdoors while hanging out with their people. They are trained to stay out of the flowerbeds, even when they see me working in them. They have an opportunity to be in sun or shade and usually move back and forth. They see the fountain as the world’s largest water bowl, even though they have their own in a shady corner. (I don’t leave them unattended in case they fall in although so far this has never happened.) Some of the dogs amuse themselves by watching and chasing chipmunks. Claire will stare at the rock pile for minutes on end. I don’t usually see them, but she knows they’re in there. Even 14 year old Shelby lays on a cool corner of the patio between the raised sandstone beds and lifts her head to give me her beautiful smile from time to time. Being deaf now, she also is keeping tabs on my location to make sure we aren’t going inside. A brief wave of my hand will have her getting up and heading toward the door.

Zinnia

Here is one of the flowers from a recent trip to a greenhouse for annuals. We have many perennials and plants that self-seed. We also plant annuals for variety and to make sure there is always something in bloom. I took my nieces with me the last time I went plant shopping and the zinnia was their pick. I wanted them to be able to participate and have fun too. One of them is attending an afternoon gardening camp soon. How cool is that?!

Variegated begonia

I love all things variegated! If a plant has multi-colored flowers or leaves, it’s likely to go in my basket. Weigelias, roses, petunias, it doesn’t matter. This tendency must be related to my busy mind. It carries over everywhere. I like dogs and cats that are spotted, brindled, and multi-colored. I like food that has many ingredients. My brother is fond of saying I don’t want any food, especially ice cream, unless it has five things in its name. I must admit this is true. I don’t see this variety as a bad thing. It prevents boredom and keeps my mind busy. I like my mind to be stimulated. That’s why my reading is so diverse too. I will read non-fiction, fiction, and memoirs on many subjects although I do admit being partial to mysteries. If you ask me at any point in time, what I am thinking about, the answer will rarely be “nothing”.

Sitting on the futon, staring at the sky.

Sitting on the futon and staring at the sky through the grape arbor always produces dreamy thoughts and inspires new ideas. Alas, this usually results in more work. But we only live this life once so we must make the most of it. May your life be inspired too, my friends!

Life Moves On

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I was out lunching recently with two former coworkers. As you may or may not remember, I retired about four years ago. One of the ladies has gone on to another job, and the other still works for my former employer. I worked with one for many years and the other for only about 3 or 4 years. Doesn’t matter. We are all friends who enjoy seeing each other and doing things together. We are three very different people. That doesn’t matter either. We care and appreciate each other, support and cheer each other on. We all need such friends. And it’s even better when they know us and like us anyway!

During my career I earned and maintained three professional certifications that allowed me to operate Class I Drinking Water Treatment Plants, Class III Wastewater Treatment Plants, and do laboratory testing for such plants. These are not easy licenses to get and require many hours of experience and study in addition to continuing education every year. I recently let the last one expire. The cost of maintaining them was too much when I wasn’t using them. My friend that I have known for decades, asked how I felt when I let them expire. The question alone, tells me that she gets it. My response was, “I felt sad”. For one, I worked hard to get those certifications. I would have to take the state tests again if I wanted to be re-licensed. The second and for me, more important issue is that by letting them expire, I am acknowledging that this part of my life is over.

For the longest time after retirement, I still felt that part of my identity was who I had been at my job. I suppose this is what happens when you work at the same place for 32 years. It has only been recently that I felt brave enough to let all of that go. I am still the same person as I was then, even without the licenses. I reached a point where I felt like I couldn’t move on while I was still holding onto this part of my past. And so, I let the licenses go. I am unlikely to work in the water treatment industry again. That is ok. Thirty-two years of working with water and wastewater is enough. There are lots of other things out there, and it’s time to move on. Even though I haven’t been using those certifications, they were taking up space in my head. While I was still grasping onto them as a safety net, I didn’t feel free to take up something new. And now I can.

I think we are all like that without realizing it. Just because we aren’t using or thinking about something doesn’t mean it’s not occupying space in our brains. This is the basis of what some therapies are built on. Memories and experiences that are not forefront in our minds affect how we feel and what we do. Some things have to be dealt with and come to terms with before we can move on.

What my new path will be, is yet to be determined. There are so many things to do. I feel like I should try them all. Where do my strengths and passions lie? Writing, painting, craft sales, dog training, more gardening? I’m even looking into canine massage to see if that is something I would like to do. And I can decide to work on multiple things. I am my own boss now and if I want to paint in the morning and do something else in the afternoon, no one is going to tell me otherwise. Ok, maybe the dogs will protest when it is time for a walk!

I suspect many people go through the feelings that I have experienced. I had no idea that it would take me so long to get where I am though. Well, now I have arrived. I am curious to see where the rest of life takes me. Onward!

Goals for the New Year

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Journal illustration
Happy 2024!

Now that all the hubbub from the holidays is dying down, it is setting in that the new year is upon us. I am looking forward to this year being a better one for us as 2023 was rather difficult. And I intend to make it a better one.

I titled this article Goals for the New Year since I have never been a big fan of making New Year’s resolutions. I always looked at it as a poor excuse not to set goals during the rest of the year. I would make New Year’s resolutions like, “Eat more chocolate”, as my form of protest. I know, what a rebel I am. I have set three goals that I plan to work on this year. We’ll see how far I get. Something is better than nothing, right?

Goal #1 “Daily writing/journaling for a calendar year perspective.”

The photo above is the inside cover page of my journal. The journal was a gift from my daughter last year and I can’t think of a better use for it. I have wanted to do some writing and following my life through a year seems appropriate with how tied to the weather our lives are here. What we do each day is very weather dependent. At this time of year, we hike. We check the weather forecast to see when the warmest temperature occurs during the day. We also check the predicted precipitation times. The goal is to stay warm and dry. During the warmer months, this flips, and we look for the cooler hours. The elements also play a part in our choice of trails for the day. Will this affect how muddy the trails are? Does the weather increase the chance for flies? How does this impact which shoes I wear? There is a bit of science to it. It’s not a good idea to just put on sneakers and run out the door.

The weather affects our daily decisions and when we do what during gardening season too. I suppose we make our daily plans somewhat like farmers do. Infact, maybe we are a sort of farmer, except for our own enjoyment and not for profit. When it’s hot, we work outside in the mornings as much as possible. I try to limit afternoon chores outdoors as I am a baby when it comes to enduring heat. Sometimes it is necessary. Certain tasks can’t wait. If it’s been rainy, you mow when it’s dry, even if it’s 90 degrees.

Not all of my writing will be about these physical things. I also like to ponder thoughts and emotions, and pretty much anything. Like, why do I sometimes dream that the university is coming to take my college degree back? I once had someone else tell me that they’ve had this dream too. So far, I have missed one day of journaling. Not a biggie. Onward!

Journal illustration
Journal illustration

Goal #2 “Meditate each morning on: being kind AND, how can I spread joy today?”.

This has been going pretty well. During the brief meditation (I am starting with just two or three minutes), I focus my thoughts on drawing in peace to be stable enough myself, to be able to project positivity to others. Followed by several thoughts of a “Be Kind” mantra. Then I thought about something I might be able to do to spread kindness as I am going about my day. I plan to extend the length of this meditation as the year progresses.

If I have trouble falling asleep at night, I have begun thinking the mantra of “Be Kind” then too. If I am awake anyway, I may as well put my time to good use. I don’t know if this goal is having any impact on my life or those around me yet. I find it hard to believe that there won’t be at least a few positive experiences from it. I believe kindness makes the world a better place. And we definitely need our world to be a better place right now.

Goal #3 “Get another one of our dogs certified as a therapy dog.”

This goal is totally different from the other two, but I still deem it a very worthy one. Shelby is still certified with Therapy Dogs International and works occasionally. I don’t work her very often because she will be 14 years old next month. She is still very happy to be working with mom when I do take her on a visit. I used to have hopes that Zekie would be my next therapy dog, but his anxiety never receded to a level where I can trust him to be reliable to my commands. He is very obedient, and I believe he could probably pass the test tomorrow. That still does not mean he would be a good therapy dog. He is obedient to my commands, but I must give him commands all the time. If I did not anticipate an inappropriate action, it could be a problem.

I think the next dog I will try to train to pass the test is Claire. She will not be an easy dog to train for the required exercises, but I think we can do it. She is slow to respond to training. She is not stupid, she just doesn’t seem to understand what she is told. Either that or she just doesn’t want to do it. We will get there. One of my biggest qualms about using her for therapy work, or anything else, is the fact that she gets car sick if we drive more than about six miles. That’s why I don’t take her to my brother’s or my daughter’s homes. She would be well behaved once there but would get sick along the way. Claire also has a penchant for waiting until we are pulling into the driveway of our destination and get sick as I put the car in park. Other than hiking the only place Claire gets to go is grandma’s because it’s not very far.

We have a storm heading our way and I see giant snowflakes out my window. The winds are starting to kick up and I’ve received an email from the electric company on how prepare for possible power outages. I should see about making dinner now. Just in case.

Happy belated New Year to you all. May your resolutions, if you make them, be going well!

Therapy dog
Shelby spreading joy at an elementary school while we read to the kids.

Books I Read in April 2023

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My view while reading this morning.

I have been remiss in posting my reading list for April. I thought I better get to it since May is almost over too. My only excuse is that I have been doing lots of gardening. The vegetable garden went in on Monday. The flower beds are in good shape for this time of year. I still have some more dahlia korms to plant and a few seedlings to transfer. And we are having a bit of a spring drought which means we must water, water, water! And so, at long last, here is the list.

1. Tiny beautiful things-Advice on love and life from Dear Sugar-Cheryl Strayed (Non-fiction)

And here I thought she just hiked the Pacific Crest Trail. Turns out Cheryl was also an advice columnist. And quite a good one. Her answers are essays that we can all learn something from. I was impressed.

2. Killer Cupid-Laurien Berenson

Melanie Travis can get involved in a murder investigation anywhere she goes. This time it’s on a romantic Valentine’s Day retreat with her husband. I always enjoy the books from this series.

3. Red Dog-Louis De Bernieres

This work of fiction is a take on the life of a real dog who was mostly Australian Kelpie. It takes place in Australia. Red is owned by no one and everyone. His was a short life full of adventure which is shared here.

4. We Are the Light-Matthew Quick

This story is told through letters from Lucas Goodgame to his psychologist. He is a survivor of a mass shooting that took the lives of 17, including his wife, at the local theater. The shooter’s younger brother, Eli, takes up residence in a tent in Lucas’ backyard. The two forge a bond and undertake a project that they hope will heal the survivors and young Eli. At first, I wasn’t going to read this book because it sounded depressing but it got good reviews, so I gave it a chance. The book turned out to be beautiful and uplifting! I highly recommend it.

5. Said No One Ever-Stephanie Eding

Ellie Reed takes a vacation to Montana by herself after breaking up with her fiancé and boyfriend of six years. Upon arrival, her host is taken away by ambulance, leaving her with several farm animals and a bulldog to care for. She becomes entwined in the lives of her elderly hostess Marilyn and Marilyn’s grumpy grandson. What a fun book this was!

6. The Stand-Stephen King

This book is on many “Best Books” lists so I decided to give it a read. I am reading other books while I read this one because it is 1,154 pages and I find it to be depressing. Especially since the Covid pandemic. In the story, an infectious respiratory illness wipes out 99.9% of the population. Those few who remain congregate and follow either 102 year old Mother Abigail or The Dark One-Randall Flagg. I completed the first 500 pages of this book in April.

If you only have time to read one book from this list, I recommend We Are the Light. It is more about love than it is about death. And we all need more love. Peace to you, my friends.

 

Magazines: Yankee, Country Living, Country Living the Complete Book of Fixer Uppers, Cooking Light Mediterranean Diet, Midwest Living, Horticulture, The English Garden

Dogs and the Country, Sex and the City, It’s Not!

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We’ve been watching the television series Sex and the City which neither my husband nor I had ever seen before. We just started Season six and I got to thinking how this program is the polar opposite of my life. It’s not much like any of my friends lives either. The show is based in New York City. I live in the countryside, outside a relatively small town, in a sparsely populated, mostly rural county.

The group of best friends from Sex and the City are all svelte and stylishly dressed. They wear well fitted and often skimpy, slinky clothing on their jaunts around town. They love their shoes. The main character, Carrie Bradshaw, even has a shoe obsession. She spends hundreds of dollars on her Manolo Blaniks and such. In one episode, the girls calculate that Carrie has spent approximately $40,000 on shoes and that is why she has no down payment to buy her apartment.

The ladies frequent night clubs, swank parties, and upscale restaurants. The women focus mostly on looking for the perfect man for relationship material or deciding whether they are content to go it alone in life. Sights of the city abound, from the normal New York City Street scenes to images of the majestic skyline at night.

My life is quite different. I am… well…not so svelte. I once was but that has been a couple decades ago. I don’t know how someone who subsists on fancy restaurant fare and takeout and works on a computer in her apartment, like Carrie, can maintain a size 2. I guess because it’s television. I hike two to three miles most days, work in vegetable and multiple flower gardens, rake mountains of leaves, etc. and am nowhere near a size 2, or even a size with a single digit.

And their shoes! Most of their shoes I would ruin on my way to the mailbox. That is why my shoe collection consists of sneakers, hiking boots, athletic sandals, and plastic clogs that I can rinse off with the hose after a day of gardening. On a bad day I’m may even be rinsing dog poo off my shoes.

On to clothing comparisons. No shiny, high maintenance fabrics here. In the summertime, I wear tank tops made of serviceable fabric, no silk or dry clean only items! And shorts or capri pants. In the cooler months, it’s sweaters and jeans. For “fancy” times out, it’s usually a Lands End slip on dress with sandals or boots. One of my main considerations when purchasing new clothing is, “What will happen when a dog jumps on this?” I also prefer no-snag fabrics that cat toenails are not going to shred. Priorities, people!

The Sex and the City girls may have their outings at exciting events and locations, but I have some worthy experiences too. I don’t often go out to eat in restaurants and rarely get takeout. Mostly, this is because we can cook far better at home than most of prepared foods we can find around here. That and the fact that there are no exciting restaurants in our town. In the summertime, I go into the garden, see what is ready to harvest, and use it to prepare dinner. That is the peak of freshness. We are decent cooks from years of practice and are usually happier with what we cook at home. We make Indian, Mexican, Italian, Greek, and other assorted cuisines in addition to good old American selections.

We don’t have New York landmarks or a city skyline to gaze upon, but we do have lakes and beautiful sunsets to watch from our porch. I have the satisfaction of sitting on my patio with my dogs and taking in wonderful sights and scents of flowers that I have grown with my own hands. It used to be that I spent little time on our patio because it was not fenced in. Now it is entirely fenced, and our five dogs can be with me whether I am working or relaxing there. The only hitch in this set up is when we have a foster dog that has not been trained to stay out of the flowerbeds. It is a little more work, but a leash solves that problem.

I’m not saying that the city is bad. It is not. It is just not for me. My priorities lead me in other directions. I have not lived “in town” in 35 years. Town is someplace I go when I have a specific task that must be completed. And my very favorite reason for going into town has never once been mentioned on Sex and the City. The library!!! I find this rather odd as Carrie makes her living as a writer. I never see her, or any of the characters, read. Granted her newspaper column is about sex and relationships. They must be too busy making experiences!

As this column comes to an end, it’s time for me to put on my raincoat and hat to take the dogs out in this heavy rain and pick up the soggy dog piles before coming in to dish up five bowls of kibble.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Spring Blooms at Sanctuary Acres

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Dogwood tree in full bloom.

With the advent of some warmer weather, plants are really starting to take off around here. Finally! From my Facebook memories, I can see that the plants and trees are nearly a month behind where they normally are. But growth proceeds and I know it is only a matter of time before I will be complaining that it is too hot.

The dogwood in our front yard is at its peak right now. The picture of it in full bloom in front of the house is one of the things that drew me to this place when I was looking for a new home 19 years ago. The animals that have come and gone over the years have been hard on the place, but a home of such age, built in 1830, is up to the task. Lots of living goes on here.

Blueberry blossoms

This is one of the bushes from my blueberry patch. This particular one is in its third year. I am hoping for more than the handful of berries that it produced last year. Most of those were consumed one by one as we walked past on our way to or from the vegetable garden. None the less, they were appreciated. We have five blueberry bushes of varying ages, all young. A couple bushes did not thrive, and we replaced them rather than wait and hope for them to recover.

Redbud trees

Our redbud trees are also at peak bloom right now. They were such small sticks when we got them from the County Extension Office that we planted all five of them in a clump to wait and see which would survive. They all did. And they grew so beautifully that we left them in that original clump. These trees reseed so prolifically that we find them everywhere. We let the one that sprouted in my rose bed grow for a couple years and then gave it to our neighbor. We have a few others that we will transplant around our home.

Traditional lilac

Our old-fashioned lilac is blooming now. My husband transplanted it here as a shoot from one of his grandmother’s lilacs. It is getting old and doesn’t produce as many blooms as it once did. It is time to cut off the main trunk and let some of the newer ones take over. Then we will be awash in that lovely lilac scent once again. We also have a Miss Kim lilac and many Royal Lilacs. They bloom later in the season, so check back then.

White violets

We have violets growing throughout our yard. There is a patch under the huge pine tree near the house that grows densely with white flowers. We also have many of the purple violets and very rarely some that are white with the purple centers. When we hike at a nearby state park, I’ve seen a few with yellow blooms. I’m not sure exactly how they proliferate. They have transplanted themselves to my rose bed. For a time, I let them go. I enjoyed their delicate flowers and having color so early in the year. Now, I have begun weeding them out of the rose bed because they are taking over and encroaching on the roots of my roses. I tend to like plants that decide to grow in unusual place, but these have gotten out of control.

Azaelea bush

This bush was supposed to be an azalea but seems like it is crossed with a rhododendron. It is a nice little bush that always flowers but never seems to get any bigger. It doesn’t require pruning, just occasional weeding. It knows its place.

Viburnum bush

I passed one of these bushes on one of my many trips to the library years ago. I didn’t know what it was, but it smelled so heavenly that I had to have one. I researched until I discovered what it was and got my very own viburnum. It is an attractive shrub, not overly showy to look at, but it has other merits. I cut flowerheads from it every couple day and put them in a vase in the house where I can catch a whiff of the scent every time I walk past.

Bleeding hearts

The bleeding hearts we have are not the flashy domesticated ones. We have the good old woodland type. They grow under the very old, very large rhododendron near the side door and also under a pine tree near the woodworking shop. I enjoy the delicate lacey leaves and dusky pink flowers. They are one of the few flowers that can survive the battle with the bishop’s weed that was here when I moved in. I have been trying to eradicate it ever since. I suspect the previous owner spent their time in residence trying to eradicate the bishop’s weed too.

Trillium growing amongst the myrtle and trout lily.

Last, but not least is the majestic trillium. At one time it was endangered, so I am honored by its presence. I leave it alone since it is a fussy plant, and it graces us reliably with blooms year after year.

This is just the beginning of the growing and blooming season here, so click to follow along with the blog or sign up to receive emails. Not only will you see flowers and gardens, but also stories about our dogs and cats and general daily life here at Sanctuary Acres. Blessing to you.

Are You Happy? You Can Be!

Gardens, Thoughts On Life, , , ,
Heirloom Cherry Blossoms

Did you know you can take actions to make yourself happier? Apparently, you can.

I am currently taking an on-line college course that was offered for free by Coursera. (Not all Coursera courses have a free option.) I had never heard of them, but now that I am aware, I will be taking more of their free classes on my computer. The class I signed up for is through Yale University. Other classes may be provided by other institutions. If you want a certificate at the end, you have to pay, but I don’t care about that. I am auditing the course.

This class is about happiness. It is taught to Yale students, and during this time of Covid, they wanted to offer it to others who might benefit as well. I first became aware of the opportunity when it was mentioned in the newspaper. The name of this particular class is The Science of Well-Being. It lasts for eight weeks and requires about two hours per week of effort. Lectures are pre-recorded video clips and there are quizzes and a bit of home work. I’m having fun!

Double Daffodils

The lectures first tell you some of the science behind happiness and various theories, studies, and experiments. Then it moves on to how this pertains to us. I am learning a lot through the course and having a good time doing it. Some of the ways to be happier are not news. The one that everyone has heard about is gratitude.

Narcissus

Gratitude is an easy outlook to apply. Just look around you. What do you see that you are grateful for? I see flowers, plants, trees, and gardens that I am grateful for. If I look at my more immediate surroundings, I see dogs, books and magazines, and coffee in a gifted mug that I am grateful for. One of the dogs is currently gazing at me adoringly and that is a true blessing. And there are so many more. We have but to open our eyes and hearts and see.

What are you grateful for? Yes, I really want to know. There may be things that I am overlooking, and I care what others see as blessings.

Namaste. Peace be with you.

This Is My Bag Check!

Country Life, Thoughts On Life, ,

Bag Check
Hiking Bag and Contents

Have you seen those photo ops called “this is my bag check”? Since I rarely go away these days, there is little point in doing my purse. Maybe it will be more exciting post-Covid.

But I do use this belt bag or fanny pack every day. I strap it on for hiking, to carry all my essentials. I used to keep these items in the many pockets of my parka, but with the changing seasons I kept changing coats and forgetting something.

So what do I take with me?

  • Poop bags-important on every outing!
  • House and car keys.
  • Face mask-a Covid essential.
  • Pepper spray-I never go on a hike without it since our scary run in with loose dogs. Encounter With Loose Dogs, Gone Bad
  • Tissues-I spared you those in the photo. Good to have when applying pressure to a wound, as well as the usual uses.
  • Cell phone-not pictured because I was using it to take the photo. Also useful for accessing maps, tracking distance, and as a compass.

Is there something unusual you never leave home without? Inquiring minds want to know.