Today Is The Beginning

Today is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Lenten Season for Christians all over the World. A sacred time and a time of decisions. If you are a practicing Christian will you be observant for the next 40 days? Will you be making a sacrifice as our Lord sacrificed for us? 

When I was a young girl, we hoped for a new dress and shoes for church and in those days we also wore hats.We thought we were so cool! We constantly, in our vanity, checked with others to see, "what color is your dress?"  As an adult I wonder this, why was a new dress so important and who was it really for? Was it to welcome the resurrected Christ or was this just a personal indulgence along with the Easter Bunny and our very welcome basket?

Today in the world,Christians are in a religious war and every day the brave and dedicated Missionaries, many who serve in nations unfriendly to their beliefs, are sacrificing to bring that word of the Lord to non-believers. Their sacrifices often mean , imprisonment, torture, death or conditions so severe they are forced into hiding or escape.  I honor and applaud their bravery, because I am afraid, if tested, I might  not be that brave.

We are beginning to feel that we are under siege in our own country.  I read not long ago that leaving Bibles in Hotel rooms is not any longer P.C.  That COULD be offensive!  That is only the beginning of many such stories. Removal  of Crosses that were dedicated to those who served us and died for us.How sad!

Perhaps in the Lenten season, while fixing Easter baskets for the Children and Grandchildren, which I think is a great idea and provides a sweet remembrance for them to store in their memory bank, your thoughts will include all of those who have sacrificed and still sacrifice for us today so that we may have the right to religious freedom.. Everyone needs a basket that has a special little gift along with, yellow Marsh mellow chicks, I love those. Jelly beans, yes I love those too. Wasn't it fun to hand dye eggs and then hide them all over the yard and then pray we could still make egg salad from them?  Today we have little plastic ones that we painstakingly fill with candy and of course , please don't forget the chocolate bunny!!

I have a dear friend who is eliminating sugar as her sacrifice,  this a a very big deal for her. She has supported and given me the strength to do the same.  Gosh , how will I give up my sweet in the afternoon with tea, my chocolate and a few other things I love, that satisfy my sweet tooth-- because I will be remembering, every time I reach out to take that forbidden sweet, what the Lord did for me! 

We arrange to send Lillies to the graves of those we have loved and lost, we contribute to the Alter Guilds to provide flowers for services and we order our Sugar Ham for the Easter table which we usually share with friends and family. It is after all, a celebration of the Risen Christ!  Please stand up, and show the world who you are and what you believe!  Make this a happy time and share with others!

If you were to visit my Garden, you would find this symbol of my Faith protecting all of God's Flowers as well as my Family and I.

Thank you for stopping in today and for listening. 

A slight correction to my Bromeliad Family Name

We all know how important family names are to some--guess Bromeliads are no exception to that rule.  Today I received some added information from our Botanical Gardens. The name of my mystery plant  is actually Billbergia Windii. It is one of the oldest hybrids  in the Bromeliad family and is the result of crossing  Billbergia nutans with B. Decora. This was accomplished in 1870 at the National Botanic Garden in Belgium.  I am thrilled to get this new information, now if someone could tell me where I acquired this little gem that would really make my day!  Name or no name, it doesn't really matter to me. It is a beautiful plant. I did not want to mislead anyone with the information I previously recorded.

I thought as long as I was dropping in again, I would bring you some pictures of the interior of our Botanical Garden and Agricultural information center . To the right of this information desk there is a beautiful and quite large Koi  pond. It was feeding time for these beauties.

  Some of these fellows were quite passive and then there were a few that were very aggressive, made it known they were "Top Koi" in the pack.

Below is the rock, man made waterfall that provides a continuous  water flow that keeps every one happy and healthy. Tropical atmosphere and peaceful soothing sounds .

Beautiful display of different types of orchids, which is maintained and constantly changed by the Master Gardeners.  When my Grandchildren were small they loved to come to the Gardens to watch the Koi, and if it was their "lucky Day" to be allowed to feed them!

It was lovely to visit with you again, hope you enjoyed.  See you soon.

Way behind, but Here I go Running to catch up in 2014

I haven't been able to post for awhile, as some wise soul has said " Life Happens" and our choices are limited.  I think I am back on track now, but that isn't a guarantee of anything. Some very serious health issues have been occupying our lives, we are learning to be more patient,  to take one day at a time, and pray a lot.

In most parts of the country this has NOT been a good winter, and that is putting it mildly.   Florida has been very cold, which is a little unusual, but we did not have to cope with snow, ice, shoveling, dead batteries, and all that good "stuff". I remember Mr Dude and Son had shoveled our driveway in New Jersey and just as they finished,  the plow came along and piled it right over the end again.  Whew, certainly glad I wasn't within hearing distance of that conversation! We decided then that we would  not ever want to deal with that much bad weather again, so here we are on the West Coast of Florida, where it was in the high 70s today.

We were able to save most of our plants by covering everything and moving some to more protected areas. I have had a plant for about 3 or 4 years that I thought  was a form of lily, but never even knew where I had found it. Initially, I thought it was an orchid. I re-potted  it in the fall, and then ignored it.  Just before the cold weather arrived, I noticed that this plant suddenly had two potential flowers.  What a surprise that was!

I am sure that many Floridians will know right away what this plant is, but I wasn't sure.  We are so fortunate to have the Botanical Gardens very near to our home.  I have written about this wonderful place many times, but each time I learn something new, and today was one of those times.  Mr. Dude and I decided to take the now dead bloom to the Head Plant Guru, who happens to be an expert in Bromeliads.  Yes, that is what we have--a BelBergia Nutan or Queen's Tears and sometimes called Friendship plant. He was so accommodating, and then told us to look in a tree right outside of the main door--- This is the same plant, which has sent out so many pups that it is all round this huge Oak tree. 

 We had stopped, on our way to the garden, at our local Mickey D's for a Quarter Pounder with cheese. A treat for us. We rarely eat these, and of course if you are going to "Sin" you might as well go all the way--processed cheese and all, pickles and more! It was such a beautiful day, just warm enough, and sitting in the beach chairs, which are located all through out the area, we relaxed and watched the birds in front of one of the water ponds.  Winter does come here and most things are still in hibernation.  I could see all the buds coming on the Japanese Iris, and I know that the pond lilies will soon be in massive bloom.  There were quite a few winter visitors walking through out  the park, we met a couple from St. Louis and another from Mass. It was fun to share what we knew about the gardens. We all agreed this weather was better than snow and ice!

Our focus became the Bromeliad gardens, which up to now, we hadn't paid much attention to--here are a few views, remembering that at this time of year,  most things are not in bloom.

This is a  huge "Man Made" waterfall at the edge of the garden. The picture below  is a very small selection, of what will be wonderful color a little later on.

This is a Giant Alcantarea Imperials,  I would love to see this in bloom!  I know that I am "hooked" on these beautiful Tropicals. If you love Pineapples, then you must know that they are also a form of Bromeliad. This plant form asks very little of us, and shows us so much in return.  I will continue to visit this beautiful garden and bring you plants in bloom.  A great place for a stroll amidst beauty , then stopping for a little lunch, and a cup of coffee. Take a relaxing nap or read your book. A peaceful retreat in the middle of a busy, busy area.
Thanks for looking--see you next time--bring your lunch and we can have a chat!

A Galaxy of Holiday LIghts in Largo, Florida

Every year the Pinellas County Botanical Gardens in Largo, Florida, is turned into a wonderland of Holiday lights. Bus tours bring people from far and wide, residents of the area wait for this event and make sure the dates are circled on the calender.

Our very close friends traveled from another county to join us for a quick, all American supper. Nathan's All beef hot dogs, in bakery baked buns, buttered on both sides and roasted in an old fashioned iron skillet. Home made french fries , and salad. Nathan's are the best, in my  humble opinion, no preservatives, or extra added ugly things.Gluten free for those who require that listing .The bottom line is this, they are just darned good, as every New Yorker will tell you. We bundled up and layered up, gloves and all because it was more than a little chilly. We hopped in the car, drove a short distance  and here the evening begins. 

This is the walk way into the Botanical Garden. In the daytime water and tropical flora and fauna are visible.As we walked forward,  We were met with a fairyland of color. Remember this is a huge facility with

acres and acres of tropical's, animals and some of the most beautiful plants species you will see anywhere.,  The well established Master Gardeners program provides not only an education, but constant care of the plants and the gardens. There are separate gardens in different areas. You could visit this place many times and not see it all. Adjoining this area is the County Agricultural center. If you have a problem plant or need a plant to be identified, or care advice, the professionals on staff are very helpful, and if they can't find the answer right away, you can be assured they will find the answer before you leave the facility.

As we walked along we entered what is normally the rose garden, and the wedding garden.

This year they have included a lot of entertainment that is appropriate. Folk singers, stationed in different areas, and a very talented Juggler.  The children were fascinated with his performance. This year the Gingerbread lane was introduced, along with Santa and Mrs. Santa. The line was very long for the wait to sit on Santa's knee, but we did take this picture, of Gingerbread figures and lollypops.There was also a train,

  but so much to see, Flamingos, birds and butterflies and of course this fellow.

When we reached the open pavilion we found the Dance club of Largo dancing to big band music. Young and old alike were really showing the rest of us how to stay fit and young.  Our dear friends  who were once great dancers took to the floor for a little whirl. Mr. Dude and I stayed on the sidelines for that one.

And here are some of the club members dancing. Doesn't that look like fun?

. The beautiful water spout, where we had sat and rested, just a week ago, looked glorious in its splendor of color.

The full moon was shining on us all this evening. We met some wonderful people, there were a lot of oohing and aahing, Mr. Dude took many more pictures, we came prepared to enjoy and enjoy we did.  I have tried to show a few interesting things, but if you are in this area, it would be worth seeing. I believe it will be closing after January 1, but you can check the dates by logging on to the Pinellas County Botanical website to see their full schedule. This site and Heritage Village which adjoin each other are two of the Jewels of this county.

We were very tired at this point, we had walked, lingered, and walked some more and now  it was time to go home, put the coffee on  and have dessert ( YumYum, Lemon Pie). A good time was had by all.

Rush! Rush! Rush! Its that time of Year -----Santa is Coming!

I know that every Mother, every Grandmother and all other Sundry relatives are desperately trying to cram into every day, all the things, we have all forgotten. My time management was poor this year and before I knew it that wonderful Yule Tide season is almost at my door step. Have I finished everything I wanted to---NO! Have I decorated the way I usually do---NO!  Do I feel guilty about that---NO!

I had planned a different type of Saturday, but when I saw that a valiant and old orchid plant had fallen over from the wind last night, my attention was diverted .  This is how this root -bound little darling looked,

This plant is 10 years old, loves to be pot bound, but this is just  a little much!  I did not want to disturb the very healthy roots too much, so soaked the root base in a pail of water for 15 minutes. If there were any dead roots or bugs living in there I would soon know about it. It also enables me to plant more easily. There are clay orchid pots that I like to use. They have side slits for drainage and aeration. Most orchids enjoy being  cramped so the next size up should only have 1/2 to 1 inch all around the outer edge.  This plant will not have to be re-potted again for a long time.  I use a combination of small foam peanuts( not the plastic ones) and tiny lava rock in the base of the pot to enhance drainage , then "special orchid Mix" which I have soaked. This usually is a combination of perlite, bark and charcoal.  I use a plant clamp to steady the orchid in the pot and voila!  It is ready to continue living a full life and bring enjoyment.  There are many types of Orchids and some need different combinations of plant material. If you are really interested in these wonderful plants visit a local Orchid club or grower. You will come away with a wealth of information and probably be addicted for life!

While working with the plant I check under the leaves for any "creatures" that shouldn't be there. Everyone has their own way of handling this, but I personally clean the leaves with cotton balls saturated with Hydrogen peroxide.It is inexpensive and effectual. If I have used scissors, or other utensils on plants that have a problem, they must be cleaned ( I use a bleach solution), if you don't do this, it is much too easy to transfer " the bad guy Germs" to all of your other plants. I use a slow- release fertilizer designed for Orchids.

I am not a professional grower, I am a hobbyist Gardner who loves almost all plants. In the beginning of my orchid growing, I nearly drove myself crazy, cleaning, and such. I later found, most of the time they all like to be left alone with minimal care. During the many years of my Orchid addiction Mr. Dude and I  housed and worked on almost 300 plants.  That is not physically possible for us today, so we content ourselves with a few old favorites.My best friend, who is equally addicted and has a magic green thumb, and I still continue to look and often "drool with temptation" and yes, we sometimes buy--after all how can you resist the gorgeous bloom of a Cattleya, which is Mr. Dude's favorite. Unfortunately this orchid only blooms once a year--the wait is filled with anxiety.

This is how this Dendrobium Phalaenopis looks in its new pot. Standing tall and looking pretty healthy. We should have nice new blooms next year.  Did a little watering, filled the bird feeders and went inside to have a cup of coffee.

Now to continue with unfinished knitting projects that must be packed and sent this week. There isn't any time left for new projects,

Shhhhh, please don't tell what I an sending to them, just praying the hats will fit, and that everything arrives in time. It is difficult when you are not near the ones you love at this time of year. I think of our service people who are in other lands, defending our way of life and our country while they are sacrificing their own family life. How grateful I am for everyone of them!

Coffee cup is empty and Now I will go back to finishing one of the projects above.  When you are rushing around, and feel frustrated and anxious about what you haven't done, STOP, and visit your garden, do something you love, read a passage of scripture or your favorite book and you will suddenly feel peace and know the real meaning of it all!

December 8th Sunday in the Park!

In this area of Florida we have a wonderful Botanical Garden, which I have previously  written about and every Christmas they have a light " Bonanza " that boggles the mind.  Mr. Dude and I had made plans to take friends, in the afternoon to an afternoon plant sale and then the night time lighting festivities. My assumption, after hearing an ad on local Television was that this was only a small event---my mistake!!  Sadly my biggest mistake was not taking my camera, and I have been giving my self a mental "shake" ever since!  Must never leave the camera home again, plus I also left my wallet home.  Why not, I didn't need more plants, I said to myself, why be tempted. This was only going to be an introduction to the Gardens, home for dinner and a return for the lights.  Well, it didn't work out that way.

As we walked into the Gardens we all quickly realized that this was a lovely craft, garden and Plant show and there wasn't anything small about it.  The first booth we came to was the wonderful Wool items of Alicia
Chivers. In September of this year I visited her shop and then wrote a blog.  Her partner George Castro was also there and he had brought 2 beautiful brown Alpacas for the public to see.   If you live in this part of Florida her shop is a " must" for the holiday shopper. Socks, blankets, Jackets, shawls, mittens and so much more. The knitter can stand and drool over the alpaca wool and the many wonderful colors. To refresh your memory I will re-introduce you with the pictures below.

My best friend and I ambled along and we came to the Orchid booth of an old Friend, and mentor. When I first began to collect and cultivate orchids, Mr. Dude and I joined several clubs and one night heard an excellent speaker with great knowledge. Michael and Paula Polen own a family business in St. Petersburg Florida. If you are new to Orchid raising or what to buy beautiful Orchids and supplies Art Stone Orchids is one I can recommend. Michael Polen is always willing to share his vast knowledge and is very patient with you while doing it. I remember asking him some very basic questions, and he never made me feel less than adequate.  I didn't buy any Orchids this day, but I did buy a beautiful Christmas Cactus that I needed, doesn't everyone have to have one of those?  My dear friend bought two plants,  I was tempted but I need to visit him for some Orchid potting materials. I know that I will also find a plant that I can't live without.

Now, isn't that a pretty one--when all those wonderful buds open up it will be a stunner!

As many of my friends know, I am a collector of rabbits, I no longer have real ones, so those that I have collected over the years are everywhere. One of the first large rabbits was purchased for me by Mr. Dude from the Polens at Art Stone and that was a long time ago.

Now isn't he cute, He stands pretty tall and is very heavy, made of cement. This year he had a good scrub down and now looks as good as new.  I am also going to show you another one of my favorites.

This is Benjamin and he feeds some of my birds while standing tall.

 In the event you would like to visit this shop yourself, here is his business card information.

 We chatted for awhile and then wandered off to see a number of other craft and plant exhibits. We saw
hand made organic dog biscuits, glass garden objects, bird feeders, jewelry and some very interesting plants.
I questioned one grower and although he does not have an open shop he does have a blogspot which should give you his schedule.What I found so interesting were the unusual and interesting tropicals that he was displaying.Here is his blogspot:   WWW.heyplantman.blogspot.com

It was getting late in the afternoon at this point and we had decided to leave, when we came to Mr Stan the "Honey" Man. I have been looking for raw honey for awhile and this is a very knowledgeable man when it comes to honey. Representing a honey co-op he travels to several local shows and markets in this area.. The honey is wonderful. He has blends for every season and even has black honey, which will be my next purchase. It tastes almost like Molasses.  I could not resist a purchase here , thank heavens Mr. Dude was ready to put his hand in his pocket, remember, I left my handbag at home-( hmm, I must remember that for the next time)-We tasted several blends, but finally decided that for our needs the Fall blend would be best.

We sat for awhile and watched the fountains in this peaceful place, the weather was superb and we all had thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We decided to come home for dinner and visit the light display another time. We were all a little tired, and it was time for dinner and relaxation.

Meatloaf, Mashed potatoes and gravy, candied glazed carrots, string beans and salad. Pumpkin pie, with lots of whipped cream and of course a cuppa of  good coffee.  We sat, talked and talked, as we say in Swedish-prata, prata, prata.  It turned out to be a delightful day spent with old, dear, dear friends. How much better could that be?

Where has Happened to Civility?

I have had this on my mind for awhile and today at the risk of not being politically correct I am going to exercise one of my 1st amendment rights, a little free speech. Last week-end Mr. Dude and I spent a wonderful afternoon with loving, polite, gracious people.  Today I was reminded, that isn't how it always works in today's world.

In most dictionaries  the synonyms for civility are: courtesy, politeness , consideration, good manners and respect.  Respect, such a small word that means so much. Esteem, honor, regard, admiration, reverence, just to name a few. 

When I did not move my car fast enough, after the light changed, the man in the car behind me ( who was old enough to know better) Honked his horn and gave me a salute that had nothing to do with the flag! I was suddenly reminded of the erosion of civility in America. Is rude and disrespectful  behavior to others becoming our new norm?

Dr. P.M. Forni, a professor at John Hopkins University co- founded the John's Hopkins Civility project in 1997 and has written several excellent books on the subject. One which we should all read is, " The Civility Solution, What to Do when People are Rude". The instant response, for some, to rudeness is not Civility which only increases the Heat level!  The old adage of Honey instead Lemon--hmmm.

The subject has now become so involved and complex that Anger Management is prescribed routinely along with medications in the hope that these things will alter behavior. Is it so difficult to comprehend and understand that to choose civility in life as a response, means we are participating in a social network exchange that will enhance our lives and the lives of others? The response we receive from others for this simple behavior will bring peace and harmony to our lives and the lives of those around us.

I am reminded of our duty and responsibilities of parenting and how complacent some of us have become.  How many times have I heard a parent of teenagers say, ", Well things have changed since your time as a teen". Some things have changed but simple respect and good manners toward others should not be some of them. We have a new scourge of destruction in our system now, called "Bullying". This technical internet world has not made us nicer people, it seems to have given some, the license to treat each other in terrible almost socially psychotic behavior. How does this happen?

Lack of manners is not confined just to the young. In our First Amendment rights included in our US Constitution, is our right of peaceable assembly without interference and the right of free speech. The display of disruption at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, when the invited Police Commissioner of New York, Raymond Kelly was not allowed to deliver his address, was a violation of his rights. It was not a peaceable demonstration, it was disrespectful and a host of other things. It is everyone's right to disagree with laws or policies, but there is a way to address this and this was not the way. It was a sad display and not just disrespectful of Mr. Kelly, but disrespectful of an honored institution of learning. Mr.. Dude, who is a 3rd generation graduate of Brown was appalled and saddened by this behavior.

Regardless of your opinion of Mr. Kelly's policies, he has a resume that none of the students have yet to achieve and for this he deserves respect!. He is a Vietnam vet, He has spent 43 years of his life in public service, has several college degrees, including NYU, St. John's Law and Harvard, plus many honorary degrees. Say what you will, but NYC is now a safer place since his tour as commissioner.  If the protestors and bothered to listen they might have learned that after 9-11 he created the 1st counter Terrorism bureau in any municipal Police dept in the country by stationing NYPD Detectives in foreign countries. I know that the objection to the law of search in NY is supposed to be about racial profiling, strange that the statistics have shown that the very people who have been saved from the horror of shootings have been the people in the most disadvantaged communities.The parents who were proud of their adult children's behavior have forgotten the rules of civility, respect and good manners.

This incident prompted Brown University President, Christina Paxton to issue this statement" "The conduct of disruptive members of the audience is indefensible and an affront to civil democratic society and to the Universities core values of dialog and the free exchange of views"   Mr. Dude and I are grateful for this statement.

When George Washington was a school boy he wrote in a paper 111 points of Civility. # 1 was Respect!
# 111 was, " labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called, Conscience !

I am not asking you to agree with me about this issue, but please give me the respect to voice my opinion, just as I would respect your right to disagree.