boo′by trap` n. 1. ahiddenbomb or mine that can be set off by an unsuspecting person who steps on it, touches a tripwire, or the like. 2. any hidden trap set for an unsuspecting person.
My grandkids know there is a closet shelf with a little stash of old-school vintage games at Grandma Cindie’s house. When they were younger, we’d play some of those games together when they came to visit. In those days, it didn’t seem to matter that my games weren’t played on a device or a big screen. It was the time spent together enjoying one another’s company that mattered. Of course, it didn’t hurt if grandma had freshly baked cookies or a favorite snack on hand.
Momma lived out her last years with Alzheimer’s. As her primary caregiver, I was honored to be an eyewitness to her faithful walk with the Lord, even as memories slipped away and her body failed her. I loved to hear her pray. May the Lord bless each of my readers with the grace to live life in the hard places like my momma.
Just a little splash of Clematis love coming from our July garden.
Clematis ‘Prince Charles’
I would describe the color of Clematis ‘Prince Charles’ as lilac-blue. My husband dug this clematis up for me earlier this summer and then rehomed it in a spot about 2 feet away so that it wouldn’t have to reach so far toward this backyard arbor. I call this handsome guy “Charlie” as it is planted to remind me of my oldest grandson, Charlie.
Clematis ‘Comtesse de Bouchard’
Clematis ‘Comtesse de Bouchaud’ is most definitely a gorgeous showstopper gracing the south-facing front of our house. We gave her a bigger trellis a year or two ago, but it looks like we may need to upsize again in the near future. “Comtesse” is the French word for countess, a female member of nobility. This lovely lady is definitely regal.
A closer look at lovely Clematis ‘Comtesse de Bouchard’
Another view of ‘Comtesse de Bouchaud’ earlier this summer–just loaded with buds waiting to burst into glorious bloom. I just love her six-petaled rosy-pink (almost lavender) blossoms with creamy yellow stamens.
Clematis ‘Sunset’
The petals of profusely flowering Clematis ‘Sunset’ are a stunning, velvety purple with streaks of sunset red radiating from her beautiful creamy white anthers. She’s a reliable repeat bloomer, but I’m going in with my pruning shears this week to snip out spent flowers to encourage a stronger repeat bloom.
Pretty in pink Clematis ‘Princess Diana’ is charming and super-happy this summer. I have her planted in full sun on both the southwest and southeast sides of our home. Though not technically a climber, I’ve trained her to the arbor at the entrance to our backyard.
My “Lady Charlotte”
Before life with Alzheimer’s necessitated moving my sweet momma out of her home, I took a digging of clematis from her lovely garden. I never found a tag for it, but think it just might be Clematis ‘Multi-Blue.’ This beauty has scrambled up one side of the arbor at the entrance to the backyard for almost 10 years now. I call her ‘Lady Charlotte’ in remembrance of momma, and hope that she will one day meet up with ‘Princess Diana’ regally scrambling up the other side.
That’s a wrap for my Six on Saturday from hot and humid Southern Wisconsin this Saturday. To enjoy the world garden tour visit our Six on Saturday host Jim at http://gardenruminations.co.uk
Every morning, as I sit bleary-eyed in front of the bathroom mirror getting ready for my day, my kind-hearted husband brings me my first cup of coffee. That little gesture is a sweet reminder that Wayne loves, honors, and cherishes me as his wife—49 years today, in fact. How grateful I am for this man’s faithful love and care for me.
July 3, 1976
Another sip of coffee as I glance in the mirror, then I pick up my hairbrush and begin smoothing the tangles away. I smile as I think about how I was 15 years old when I met Wayne. He was a sailor stationed at a naval air station in Hawaii. We had been writing to one another for a few months but met for the first time in person at church when he was home on leave.
One of our first dates
As I got to know him better in those few weeks, I found myself wanting to do things that pleased him—like growing my pageboy hairstyle longer because Wayne said he liked long hair.
Me at 15 —going on 16
He still likes my long hair, so not much has changed about my hairstyle since the 70’s, except that the gray hairs now outnumber the brunette hairs. I have tried to cover those gray hairs in years past but now consider them a badge of honor. As I look at my reflection in the mirror today, those gray hairs framing my time-worn face remind me that God has blessed me.
The years of marriage that lie ahead are surely fewer than the ones behind, but we have every confidence they will continue to be blessed. Even if our golden years together are sprinkled with hardship and painful loss, we have assurance of His faithfulness. The Lord promises, “Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am he, I am he who will sustain you” (Isaiah 46:4).
Linking up with Kate and friends at Five Minute Friday. This week’s FMF writing prompt is: FACE. For instructions on how to join the link-up, click here.
The peony love continues in my Wisconsin garden with Peony ‘Gold Standard’ taking center stage today. The frilly central bomb of golden yellow staminodes is a perfect jewel to accent the sweet creamy white guard petals of the Japanese-form blossoms.
Peony (Paeonia x lactiflora ‘gold standard’)
Two of these beauties grace my mailbox garden. Their arresting beauty and light fragrance stop passersby in their tracks. Like most peonies, she enjoys basking in full sun, but would be just fine in part shade.
Her annual show begins in late May or early June with each beautiful blossom lasting a week or two.
It’s always a bit sad when her floral show ends, so I usually cut a few of the unopened buds to save in my fridge. I choose buds that have a little marshmallow-like squish to them, then wrap a few of them up in a dampened paper towel, slip them into a Ziplock bag, then store them in a refrigerator drawer.
The “marshmallow squish” test
A few weeks later, I remove a stem or two from the bag, give the stem end a fresh cut, then display it in a bud vase and wait for the petals to open. It’s definitely worth the effort to extend the ‘peony love’ out for a few more weeks.
There is great joy in my heart and a smile on my face when I first spy the Itoh peonies opening. Itohs are a hybrid cross between tree peonies and herbaceous peonies. I love their sturdy stems that can stand up to heavy rains. This deep pink peony opened on Sunday.
This sunshine yellow peony unfurled the petals of her first flower today.
They both hold the promise of many more blooms yet to make their debut. Which color is your favorite?
We got into a friendly lunch table debate on the proper pronunciation of a plant that’s taking center stage in my garden right now. The lovely lady known as Clematis.
Clematis Boulevard ‘Samaritan Jo’
Any way you pronounce it, Clematis ‘Samaritan Jo’ has proven herself to be a stunningly beautiful addition to the southeast corner of our home.
Stepping outside my door this chilly morning donned in a cozy flannel shirt and my garden visor was an absolute pleasure. Taking notice of the glorious array of spring flowers in my neighborhood brought me 40 minutes of great joy. Let me share with you a little peek at some of the beauty I most enjoyed.
Daffodil Frills
Dainty daffodils Tiny and sweet Such pretty frills
Magnolia ‘Elizabeth’ beginning to unfurl Classic yellow daffodils are a spring garden must!
“A garden should make you feel you’ve entered privileged space — a place not just set apart but reverberant — and it seems to me that, to achieve this, the gardener must put some kind of twist on the existing landscape, turn its prose into something nearer poetry.” ― Michael Pollan
Tiny daffodil bouquets make me smile.
“God’s yellow, in all its gloriously beautiful shades and hues, adds sunshine and poetry to even the smallest of garden spaces.”
~ Cindie Winquist, gardening barefoot in Wisconsin
This is a painful (literally) and somewhat embarrassing post for me to write. I’m not writing it for sympathy comments; rather, my hope is that it will be a reminder to gardeners everywhere.
Sun is a friend of your flowers, but not a friend of your skin.
Barefoot Lily Lady 