Sometimes You Just Have To Walk Away

I'm back after being on a one month hiatus.  One whole month of being unplugged from my blog.  Summer was just so nice, and after blogging for 5 years straight, I thought a break was just what I needed, and well deserved if I say so myself.

I can't say this was my best Friday though.  Heading home from downtown today our car lost complete power in the middle of a torrential downpour.  We were heading to the top of the bridge and only 40 minutes before the start of the 5pm rush hour.  That's not the worst of it. You couldn't see 20 feet in front of you and our flashers weren't even working. Ugghh... Called the emergency road service and waited and waited.  Called back and they dispatched them to the wrong bridge.

All I can say is Thank the Lord, his grace was with us and kept us protected.  Nothing scarier than people flying up on you and barely missing you on a bridge.

So what exactly have I been doing for a month?

For starters I gave up running.  I really, really miss it too.  I got bursitis in my knee.  This picture was before it got really big.  I changed my workout routine getting rid of squats and anything else that would over work the knee and replaced them with others.  I'm happy to say that this week I went back to walking (and just a little lite jogging). 

I made a new ironing board cover and continued to iron clothes every week.  Neil ripped said new ironing board cover, which got him the stink eye from me.

Neil has been playing Mr. Green Jeans (a throwback to our Captain Kangaroo days) and is having fun nurturing his tomato plants.

While he's tending tomatoes I'm filling window boxes.  I spray painted the old black trays aqua and added lime coleus. Much brighter and cheerier now.

My first sunflowers ever.  They were a little sad looking but they still made me smile.  Next year I will shop for better seeds and plant them earlier, in big bunches.  I'm already excited about it.

Loved my pretty fuchsia zinnias.   I'll be planting more of theses too.

The last couple of months it seemed to rain a lot.  Sadly beach days were few and far between.  We're hoping to catch a few more rays before the warm days are gone.

(via)

Sometimes it's just good to walk away.  You get a fresh perspective and you can find the joy in things again.  It's good to be back.  It's time to change my schedule around. That's what's nice about a change of season, it's like you get a chance to make a fresh start.  

What's your favorite part about fall?  Mine is the crisp air & the many colors.  I feel energized by it all.

It's fall y'all...

Then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil.

~ Deuteronomy 11:14

My Weekend From Blah To Awww

My weekend started out with a visit to the Dr. on Thursday and a broken TV.  Not an epic way to start off a weekend.  Sometimes I wonder if their are unseen forces working against me for my own good.

Our TV is a big 61" projection TV (I know we must be the last people without a flat screen).  We still have a warranty on the last bulb we replaced, so now we have to mail it back and wait 7-10 days to receive the new one. Ugh...

After way too many hours at the Drs. office, I came home with muscle relaxers and retreated to the bedroom, where lucky I have a perfectly good TV.  After taking only 2 of the pills (one a day), I felt so much better.  I think that's because the pills forced me to stay in bed and let my back heal.  I'm not good at just sitting still.

So was my weekend exciting?  Not at all.

I spent my weekend in utter ordinariness....

But sometimes, if you're really quiet, you might see the most beautiful things.

The first day of no TV in the living room was rough.  The silence was deafening.  It makes you crazy.  But then by the second day, something changed.  My mind starts to adjust and slowly but surely, as I went about doing other things, that deafening silence was quieted.  I don't know if your ears adjust or your mind does. I start to hear the singing of the birds outside.  The brushing sound of one cat lovingly grooming the other.  I notice voices of neighbors enjoying their walks outside.  I feel calm.  My mind has been quieted. I have conversations with God and can focus on them, rather than throwing my whirling babbling chaos at him.  I bet he's thinking "finally".

I'm pretty grateful for what I started out complaining about. It just goes to show you even after 50 we still don't know what we really want.

My weekend:

• Drs. visit
• Lots of bedtime
• Snuggling with Mattie
• Thinking of and missing Ty and the grandkids
• Eating fluffy pancakes and fruit in bed thanks to Neil
• Dusting, sweeping, cleaning the bathroom
• Doing laundry
• Making an orange slice wreath
• Hanging out with the neighbors next door
• Walking to the grocery store
• Cooking steak with goat cheese & shrimp for dinner
• Sorting through & tossing piles of junk in the bedroom
• Pulling weeds in the flower beds
• Raking MORE leaves
• Enjoying fresh sweet iced tea
• Watering wildflower seeds
• Being giddy when I see all the little 2 leaf plants I grew
• Touching up faded paint on welcome watering pail sign
• Hanging welcome water pail sign
• Imagining what it would be like to have my parents visit
• Photographing my next giveaway
• Made a live ivy topiary
• Eating bowls of fresh fruit
• Putting a puzzle together while listening to my fav songs
• Roasting marshmallows outside
• Enjoying the unconditional love my furbabies give me
• Taking a nice long shower, shaving & exfoliating my skin
• Giving myself a pampering facial
• Visiting my sister via phone
• Spoiling myself with lots of body butters & foot creams
• Giving myself a manicure & pedicure
• Loving the good nights sleep I got after working so hard

Like I said, sometimes being forced to stay home, to be quite, leads to the most contentment.

Love y'all...

But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.

~ Psalm 131:2

My Roses Are Getting Some Love with Pennington Smart Feed System

I'm as busy as a bee with my newest BzzAgent campaign.

Lets take a look at a before photo of my rose bush.  I've barely seen a rose on this since I planted it years ago.  It will fill out with leaves during the summer but seriously I only see maybe two blooms. 

But why make it and me suffer anymore.  I'm ready to see the plant perk up and that's just what Pennington Smart Feed is going to help it do.  And the best part is it's so simple to use.

Can you believe your eyes?  If I wasn't here I wouldn't be able to.  I am so glad that I had the opportunity to try Pennington's Smart Feed Sprayer System.

Best of all with the Smart Feed Sprayer there is no mixing, no measuring, no mess, Just effective nutrient delivery while you water.

My blooms are so gorgeous and I'm so proud of them.  This was after only one application.  

I've never liked mixing stinky, messy fertilizers and that's probably one of the reasons my plants were getting feed enough at all.  But the biggest pain in my patootie was the time it took to stand there while with the hose while my old fertilizer did its job.  With Pennington, all of that's a thing of the past.  The Pennington Smart Feed System delivers 100% of its nutrients in roughly 10 minutes.  That's half the time and half the water of competing products.

Using Pennington is as simple as 1-2-3.
      1.  Simply attach the sprayer to your hose.

      2.  Load in a pre-measured fertilizer tablet.

      3.  Spray to release essential nutrients for your plants!

Seriously.  Take a look at all the new buds that I have just after using Pennington one time!!

The leaves look bigger, they darker and brighter.  All around healthier.  And just look at all these tiny little buds waiting to open.  Whatever this poor little bush was missing from the soil it must be getting from Pennington.


Just in case you need some more reasons to use the NEW Pennington Smart Feed Sprayer System here are some facts.

• It takes the guesswork out of fertilizing, delivering nutrients to your plants for bigger, better results*
• No mixing, no measuring, no mess - water-soluble fertilizer is pre-measured and compressed into tablets you can easily dispense through the hose attachment
• The Smart Feed Sprayer has four different settings, so you can select the right spray pattern for your needs
• The clear chamber makes it easy to see when tablets have fully dissolved
• Each pre-measured Smart Feed tablet fertilizes up to 300 square feet of outdoor space.
• Tablet refills are currently available in three varieties:  All Purpose, Flowers and Blooms and Tomato and Vegtable
• The sprayer system retails for a suggested price of $12.99, while the Smart Feed refill tablets start at just $9.99
• The products are sold at Walmart, Home Depot and Lowe's

*versus unfed plants

Now go get your Pennington Smart Feed Sprayer System and feed your plants this weekend.  They thank you over and over again with big beautiful blooms!

Disclosure:  I received the Pennington Smart Feed Sprayer System and Flowers & Blooms Tablet Refills for free for the purpose of review from BzzAgent.  All opinions are my own. #GotItFree

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary How Does Your Garden Grow?

A few weekends ago I was able to get these beautiful clippings from the yard.  I'm hoping to go outside and get some new ones to bring in.  Fresh cutting make the house feel alive.

It doesn't take much to make a beautiful arrangement.  Green plant leaves add texture and can be used completely on their on.  I've got philodendron, ginger and ferns here along with some African Iris' and little wild purple blooms.

I love these shell ginger lily blooms that hang like a cascade of pink shells.

The Magnolia trees have started to display their big bold blooms.  Isn't this one huge.  Sorry about the dark pictures, the lighting is terrible in this room.

Hopefully I'll be able to reach up high enough to pick another one for one of these ancient trees. These trees are BIG and old.  Then maybe I can get a better photo.  They smell so beautiful too.  Now I just wish I had an orange tree so I might be able to get some Orange blossoms too.

What's growing in your garden today?  Pick some and bring in the sunshine.

♥ Tracy