Bit of a Break

It has been awhile since we last visited.

It may be even longer before I return on a regular basis.

Our drive to Minnesota, for last month's appointment at the Mayo Clinic, was much like that old saying about the postal service:  through rain, sleet, hail and snow. 

Add in some unbelievable winds, a little sunshine, and a range of temperatures from freezing to sweltering, and you have a description of our traveling experience.

The news received from my appointment was a mixture of good and not-so-good.

I returned and decided to take a brief break, while enjoying this wonderful Spring season.

It has always been one of my favorites:
a season of rebirth, joy and hope.

I love to watch bulbs planted last fall burst forth in glorious bloom and color.

I wonder each year if my beloved peonies survived our long hot and dry summer, and if my hydrangeas were protected enough during the cold of our winter.

Nothing makes my heart pitter patter as much as that first glimpse of a red tinged peony shoot peeking up through the garden soil, or a bright green hydrangea leaf bud on an otherwise dead looking branch.

All of these were happening, and I was oh-so-happy!

I was also humming along in my sewing room, stitching on pretty pastels and summer brights.

On Saturday morning, my husband and I were outside working in our yard.

I felt a sharp prick in the third finger of my right hand.

I do not wear gloves.

There is nothing like playing in the dirt and feeling it squish through your fingers.

I find it more difficult to deadhead flowers or squash an unwanted bug with gloved fingers.

They never fit well, and seem to cause more callouses and blisters -- at least for me.

So, I am used to splinters, scratches and cuts.

This one was different.

It felt different.

It looked different.

My finger and hand began to swell before my eyes.

Then, I saw why.

A snake.

I screamed.

My husband ran.

I managed not to pass out, but only barely.

He identified the snake as a Copperhead, and rushed me to the nearest hospital's Emergency Room.

I was hospitalized for the weekend, receiving anti-venom and other medications.

I returned home with an extremely discolored and swollen hand and arm.

Yesterday, new symptoms sent us to another physician for additional treatment.

Recovery will be longer than I expected, and is much more painful -- both physically and emotionally -- than I wish to admit.

There may be permanent damage from both external and internal tissue damage.

Please be careful in your yards and gardens, as you welcome Spring this year.

I am not sure when I will be able to return to blogging, sewing, or gardening.

In the meantime, I wish each of you a joyful Spring and blessed Easter.

Watching the Magnolia Bloom

Gee, it has been a little quiet around here lately!

Somewhere in all those boxes I was unpacking last month, I also seemed to unpack a severe case of the blahs.  Hopefully, better days are ahead.

About the only thing I have been doing is watching my magnolia tree bloom.

I love magnolia blooms!

The ones from this tree are very dear and special.

Maybe one day, I will share the story behind this special tree.

The tree is now about thirteen years old.

Each year, I anxiously wait to see if it will bloom.

For the first several years, there was nary a bloom.

The last few years, there have been maybe two or three blooms each Spring.

For unknown reasons, there are now at least twenty four blooms!

I have been bringing some inside and floating them in water.

Their intoxicating scent fill my house.

I am loving them, and they are definitely helping to chase away those pesky blahs.

This is a magnolia bloom created with ribbon and tiny glass seed beads.

It was a project one year at Stitchin' Charleston Style, taught by Laura Jenkins Thompson.

There are folded ribbon roses on the other side, and the whole bouquet was to adorn a black silk evening bag.  A few years ago, I removed the cluster from the purse and nestled it in a bow on a hat worn to a Kentucky Derby party.  I loved them so much on the hat, they never found their way back to the purse!

And here is one more form of magnolia bloom found in our home.

It is a piece of Boehm porcelain, with a special link to the tree that I am watching bloom in our yard!

All part of a special time and people in my life.

And to my friends in Mississippi and Louisiana, where magnolias are usually in great abundance, my prayers and thoughts are with you.  May each of you stay safe from the danger and destruction of floodwaters.

Something about Iris

They seem to always be wearing their Easter finery,

complete with bonnet, frills, and ruffles!

Happy Monday!

Dirty Hands, Happy Heart

Besides playing with fine fabrics and lace, I also love playing in the dirt!

Some might refer to it as gardening or working in the yard.

It has been almost two years since I was able to do this.

When the thyroid disease first began, a high heart rate prevented me from doing much.

Last summer, I learned double vision, combined with sharp gardening tools, could be damaging and deadly to both human and plant life.

Once again, I can play in the dirt!

Not only was I prevented from  gardening these past two years, my husband was unable to much.  He had his own health issues, and was often taking care of me.

Yesterday, we took advantage of warm temperatures, grabbed gardening tools and went to work!

Due to a more harsh winter than usual, and two years of neglect, there was plenty to do.

The deadwood was removed from my hydrangeas above.  The roses were finally pruned, along with other trees and shrubs.  Lots and lots of leaves were raked.

Good thing Mondays are pick-up for garden recycling and bulk trash.

There is still lots of work to do, and hopefully more warm Spring days to come.

Don't worry.

There was lots of soap and water, before I started to play with fabric and lace again!

"No occupation is as delightful to me as the culture of the earth,

and no culture comparable to that of the garden."

~Thomas Jefferson~

Tiptoe through . . .

the tulips!

The tulips are blooming in my yard!

May there be a sign of Spring in your corner of the world, too!

Spring is nature's way of saying,

"Let's party!"

~Robin Williams~

Pity Party and Pansy Planting

Thank you so much for the all the warm and fuzzy birthday greetings and wishes!  They truly lifted my spirits and and carried me through some discouraging days.  Results from my recent CT scans were not what we hoped.  More appointments and tests will be conducted next week.  I held a pity party for myself for a few days, but now it is time to move on to . . . .

pansy planting!

Currently, we are having slightly above-normal daytime temperatures that still climb into the low's 80's.  The general rule of thumb is that pansies should not be planted until daytime temperatures are consistently under 80 degrees.  However, these little flowers just always make me smile!  Smiles were needed, so pansies were planted.

So far, so good.

They seem to be enjoying our sunny days and cooler nights, and not minding a few extra degrees of warmth.

The tulip bulbs are also puchased and in the refrigerator chilling.

I love fall gardening!

Patience is a Virtue, or Hurray for Hydrangea Blooms!

Remember a previous post when I was anticipating my hydrangea blooms?

The wait is over!

The bushes are now a riot of pink and blue blooms!

The soil in my area is naturally alkaline.  In order for the blooms to be more blue than pink, I have to amend the soil with aluminum sulfate.

My hydrangea bushes are located near the corner of our house where a downspout is also located. 

With recent rains, it seems that much of the aluminum sulfate was washed away.  Hence, I have pink and blue blooms on one bush, and even a few blooms that are half pink and half blue. 

That's perfectly fine with me. 

I have never met a hydrangea bloom that I did not love!

If pressed to declare one particular color my favorite,

it would be the deep periwinkle blue.

Coming in a very, very close second

are the pink blooms when they still have a hint of that bright green.

The colors evolve over time, and I never tire of watching them.

It amazes, and also amuses, me how each bloom is composed of many individual blossoms.

Maybe a lesson we should all take to heart --  many coming together, even when not of the same color, to work together and create something beautiful, magical and memorable.

One drawback to my hydrangea bushes is the blooms never seem to last long enough.  

That may all be about to change!

The bloom in the photograph above is my newest hydrangea, and one that supposedly will

continue blooming through the summer.

Its blooms are a little different from my beloved mop heads, but lovely still.

In the meantime, I will savor the days of these blooms!

Dallas Blooms!

The Dallas Arboretum is located on the grounds of the DeGolyer and Camp Estates.

The gardens first opened to the public in 1984.

It is located only a few miles from our previous home, and quickly became a favorite spot of mine.

Overlooking White Rock Lake, the gardens now cover approximately 66 acres.

Dallas Blooms, held each year by the Arboretum, marks the beginning of spring for many of us!

Over 500,000 spring-blooming bulbs burst forth in glorious color.

In addition, there are pansies, azaleas, cherry blossoms and an assortment of other flowering plants and trees.

This year's theme was Fiesta de las Flores.

It featured brighter and warmer colors of blooms, instead of pastel hues.

Ferdinand the Bull, a topiary towering twelve feet tall,

was a highlight of the festival!

But the main focus is still on the massive plantings of tulips!

Yet, some of my most favorite parts of the gardens do not involve flowers at all.

There are many spaces . . .

perfect for resting,

meditating,

and reflecting.

There is also the background which has become a favorite . . .

for many a bridal or other formal photograph.

Could there be a more lovely frame?

By now, these blooms have all faded away. 

I am a little late in sharing them with you.

 I hope they brightened your day as much now, as they did mine on the day I strolled through the gardens of the Dallas Arboretum!

 

A Favorite Thing

If you have read my profile over there on the sidebar, you will know that peonies are a favorite of mine. 

So, from my garden to you!

Enjoy, and have a wonderful weekend!