I'm thankful....

Today I'm mostly thankful for good friends.

People look forward to the weekend for a variety of reasons. Maybe you like to sleep in... or just lounge around in your jammies all day doing nothing in particular; maybe it's your only chance to read your favorite magazine. Maybe you like to go to church, shopping, or hit local garage sales.

For me, it meant work. Yes, I looked forward to the weekend because I got to go to work! During the work week, I have the privilege of babysitting my grandbabies. Two of them. Babies.... six and eleven months old... This I do for my children and grandbabies. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing them every day, watching them grow; knowing they're in a safe and loving environment. But the weekends.... well, they're all mine! I get to go to work and play with the plants! This is my therapy. What I love to do.

But the downside of working weekends is that I don't get to do garage sales. So what does one do when found in this predicament? You whine to friends and beg for sympathy for your self-imposed plight! And, like all good friends, they had the perfect solution. They'll shop for me! Course, the fact that they just happen to be full-time garage sale enthusiasts didn't hurt. We were having drinks one Friday evening and I casually mentioned "if you ever find an old window pane....." all the while thinking, yea, that'll never happen.... and next thing you know, they're presenting me with this old, distressed window pane. How cool is this! I originally wanted one to hang outside, under a spruce tree, but decided I could enjoy it every single day if I hung it inside. I love it!

So today..... I am so very thankful to our good friends. Friends who look after friends. I didn't need them to... or ask for their help.... they just did.... For the past three months my husband has not been allowed to drive, well, or do much of anything for that matter. He had surgery and has been in recovery. Our friends would take him to his doctor's appointments (because I had babies to watch) or do other errands for me for no other reason than to help out; to make our lives a little easier. They knew this was a difficult time for me; trying to be all and do all, for all people. Their acts of kindness saved me more than once whether it was the dinner they provided, a safe haven to hang out and forget all my worries for a short while, or the errands they ran for us. So today I am grateful and so very appreciative of the kindness of others.

Here's to good friends!

winter is on its way

It appears winter is on its way now.... This isn't our first snowfall of the season and it won't be our last. I wish Fall didn't leave us in such a hurry though, but would find reason to linger a little longer. The colors of Fall are such a simple pleasure, and even more so once you realize that it wasn't so long ago when the only landscaping here was the color of ice....

With the Mendenhall Glacier just down the road from us, we've been watching it recede for years. As huge chunks of ice break off and melt, more of the mountainside underneath becomes naked; now a bare canvas to the possibility of cottonwood, spruce trees, and other foliage transforming the bare rocks with a carpet of color. And it is!

When I moved here in 1970, I found it to be a very difficult transition for many reasons. But one of the biggest was that there wasn't any color in the landscape. Despite rumors that nothing would grow because of our weather and the poor poor soil, die-hard gardeners plunged forward, finding the perfect blend of plants and colors to transfer our gray town. Slowly, over the years, seeds are deposited in the forested land and new foliage takes hold. Today our town is filled with color all season long! Cottonwoods have found their niche in the Tongass National Forest, adding their personal touch to the landscape painting. We have nurseries that bring the perfect addition to our yards.

Our color is all gone now. For another season. And, in its place, we'll have the color of black and white for the next several months. The darkness that winter brings and the snow that helps lighten the days. But that's okay because it brings its own mystic to the landscape and goes perfectly with the winter Holidays!

Have a wonderful weekend! Nancy

murphy's law

Why is it....

You wash your car, and it rains....?

The other line always moves faster.....?

When you invite a repairman to fix your broken appliance, it'll always work perfectly fine....?

You always find something in the last place you look....?

You get the flu shot.... and you get the flu....?

Yep, I've been sick sick sick with the flu. Haven't had it for YEARS! Got my first flu shot, and I get the flu. Go figure.

seasons come and go....

but rain stays forever.... At least here in Southeast Alaska. Lordy lordy have we had our share of rain this summer. Most recently, 32 straight days of "precipitation." And here it is fall; technically, our rainy season. Still, fall is probably my favorite season, despite the forecast for rain rain and more rain.

Yes, I love fall. Especially my gardens this time of year. I used to think the key to a gorgeous garden was flowers in bloom all summer long. But over the years I have come to appreciate the silent beauties. The oranges, golds, yellows, and reds that only fall can produce. Now my gardens are planted with fall in mind and the burst of color that comes just before the dreariness of a long and dark winter. (Wentworth Viburnum and Tor Spirea in the front)

Fall brings with it a mystery of what's yet to come. There's nothing more exotic than morning dew that lays gingerly on the tree branches, looking like single droplets of swarvoski crystals. As the weather turns colder, our morning dew turns to frost crystals. And fog gently weaves in and out of our massive spruce trees, hovering as if slowly unveiling the day to come, letting just a hope of blue sky to peak through.

Yes, we welcome today with open arms, lapping in the beauty that fall brings. And tomorrow.... with winter just around the corner.... well.... let's just say tomorrow is another day. Nancy

i'm back!

It feels good to be back blogging.... At least for the time being. It's been a busy six months but times are slowing down, my life has a few free moments, so I thought why not. Sure, why not.

So what have I been up to these past six months? Babysitting grandbabies full-time. Working at the nursery on weekends. Landscaping my back yard in my free time. Every spare moment has been used. And now, winter is setting in. My hours at the nursery have decreased to only a few. The yard has been put to rest. And I don't know what to do with all my free time! So here I am! We'll give blogging during the winter months a try again and see how it goes.

Anyhow, this is my debut post and I'll write more later, bringing you up to date with pictures and stories.

For now.... Nancy