Valentine's Day

Saturday was Valentines Day. I woke up late and there on the kitchen counter was a card and a big vase of large,lovely-smelling, red carnations. I read once that you should never give a girl carnations. They are supposed to be a cheap token, one not appreciated. I'm sure glad Mr. Scottie Dog doesn't read what "they" say because I LOVE carnations. I love the spicy scent (I basically wear two scents: Plumaria or Carnation...in fact when Sydney was only about 18 months old she came into a room and she "smelled" Grandma!), I like that they last a long, long time. I like roses too...I have some bushes and cut the flowers in season for the house or the store. My absolute favorite flower is daffodil. When I was little I told my Grandma Nellie Belle that God made Daffodils just for me.

The card brought tears to my eyes...Mr. Scottie Dog always picks the best cards. I don't know how he does it. We went to dinner with Liz & Steve & Sydney. Couldn't have been a more perfect day.






I stopped at the store mid-day to take Sydney her Valentine from Grandma and Grandpa and found a sweet Victorian Valentine cone waiting for me from my friend Katie Hartsell. It was made from Moda's Candy Kisses fabrics with a sweet button and fancy trim. (Oh and it was filled with chocolate and I ate every one! By myself!) Thank you for remembering me, Katie!





I have gotten several emails, calls and messages on FaceBook about my birthday pot. Yes, it's still growing with 9 spears so far. I think it might be tulips, but I probably won't be able to tell for sure for a few more days now. It has been a fun birthday gift. Thanks Liz.

In the background of the picture is scaffolding as Mr. Scottie Dog has been working on our master bedroom suite.....the walk-in closet needed some ceiling work that turned into ceiling joist work that turned into roof work....new 1" plywood roof, paper, tar & shingles. Just a tiny bit more to finish but the rainy weather has kept the scaffolding up. You can also see the hot tub on the patio and beyond the pond. There is a palm tree in a pot, but don't think I live in sunny, Southern CA.....Eureka is almost as north as you can go in California and it's probably too cold for palm trees in reality. Tomorrow I promise to tell the Disneyland Story.

The mystery grows!

Just a quick note today....was it because January was left behind and February has come that my birthday pot has grown so much? Saturday it had six green spears....on Sunday, February 1, I noticed there were now eight spears above dirt line! The tallest spear is 8" tall. I figure soon my Birthday Pot Mystery will be solved.



I'm getting ready for a trip to see my Dad and his wife, Willie. I love my Dad so much (I love Willie too!), and wish we lived close enough to visit weekly or even daily! I live about 1 1/2 hours from the CA/Oregon border and Dad lives about 1 1/2 hours from the CA/Mexico border. California is a very long state. Liz, Sydney and I will drive to Sacramento, a 5 1/2 hour drive on Wednesday. We'll do a bit of business for the shop and then stay at Liz's friend, Brilynn's house. Brilynn has a new baby girl named Rylie and we haven't seen her yet. At the crack of dawn-thirty on Thursday we'll drive to Redlands where Dad lives. It's about a 7 hour drive, maybe more depending on traffic. Thursday night Liz will drive to the Ontario Airport and pick up Jason & Beka and my two Minnesota Grands. Oh joy! I've missed them so much even though it's only been a month since I saw them last. Mercedes had her first birthday last week and we'll have a cake and celebrate while we are in Redlands. Lots to pack into that little trip....going to see my friend Kris and go to her Quilt Shop in Brea, going to the park where Bill and I met and get pictures of my kids & grandkids in the tree we met in (that's another story), Disneyland (!) and spending time with some friends who moved last year to So. CA. In between all that we'll hang with the folks, celebrate Mercedes' & Willie's birthdays, etc. We'll begin our drive home on Tuesday, probably spending another night in Sacramento. I don't know if I'll have Internet access, but I'll be sure to share afterwards if not before.

They're growing!

Here's picture #3 of my Birthday Pot. Sydney spent last night and all day with us today. She was quite amazed at how big the plants are getting. When we watered them this morning, lo and behold! A 7th tiny green point emerged from the pot. It's a tiny greenish white dot in the front right. These may be tulips, maybe hyacinths. I'm not sure. But they've been growing since January 1.

I love spring bulbs. They are so full of promise, so intensely colorful. I noticed that all over the front yard planter, hundreds of tiny green spears are pushing through the soil. These are daffodils planted by Sarah, my oldest child. Sarah planted them in early November 2004, just a few weeks before she passed away suddenly. Daffodils are her birth flower (March) and my absolute favorite. She knew that and planted them for me as an early birthday gift (Jan. 3). They are such a sweet reminder each spring of her thoughtfulness. They make me smile, less bittersweet each year, as time goes by.