Decisions, Decisions

This blog has been a bit in coming. But today I made the decision.

There have been many days lately where I wrote a blog, went “blech”, erased it and started over. There have been others where I started on one topic and thought “blech” and rewrote until it ended up being another thing all together. Lots of time flew by, and that was ok. I was getting to where I needed to be today.

When I started this blog 8 years ago, topics flowed freely. It was fun. I had ideas stacked up for weeks. Words flowed so fast I was writing the blogs on my phone on the patio. But I feel like I have blogged about all the “fun, easy” garden stuff and although I have rounded a corner now into the deep of my daylily propagation interest, that is a bit in the weeds for a generic garden blog.

I did think about starting another new blog, with just daylily stuff. Sharing what I am learning, successes and failures and things in between … Unfortunately, I am also finding myself NOT doing things that are also on my path.

So, to today. We are in the book of Luke with our Bible studying, and today it was on Martha and Mary. And attitudes, and, even more importantly, priorities with our time and giftings and callings. Ouch! Gardening used to be a fun share, a blessing to share. I need to get back to that with the blog and reprioritize my time. Get back on my path.

So here’s the cool thing in the garden right now. The Bluebells Clematis is budding. Soon the buds will open, and I will share those too 🙂

And the one tulip? I fear Bunimous Rex saw it the same day. The next morning it was gone, with a few smooshed petals strewn about. Bunimous!!! 🙂

I hope you have a wonderful week!

How do we get through this last month of winter?

We have had our February thaw, followed by a blizzard with ice underneath the snow, and now we are back into freezing temperatures. Which will be here for a while yet. How do we get through this last part of a Minnesota winter?

I try to enjoy all of the expanding daylight. The candles and lights of the holidays aren’t the ticket anymore. I get up early most days and enjoy the sunrise with some sort of hot beverage.
This last month of winter is not the month I take on a lengthy, boring, “I wish I didn’t even have this on my list” project.
We try to eat healthy, but nothing crazy depriving. My husband is an excellent cook. I am an ideas person. And a “keep the kitchen clean and organized” person. Today the idea was to use up some rotisserie chicken. I got the kitchen ready. He went to work. Fresh mushrooms, two peppers, a half bag of those tiny potatoes, the rotisserie chicken, two cans of cream of chicken soup, a dash of milk and some seasoning. Simmer for an hour. The house smells so good! And the soup/hash/concoction was so yummy!
We work to keep food treats in moderation. Not eating celery when we want chocolate chip cookies, but moderation is wise.
Have a daydream project. Mine is – you guessed it – garden planning, prepping what I can, and then blog posting and reading and replying for fun. Maybe just a tad of history. If I am so inclined.

Which leads me to ‘Hyperion’. I am daydreaming. I don’t need it. At all. And I have no idea where I would put it. But wouldn’t another diploid be fun?

Hyperion is an old daylily. It is both pollen and pod fertile. It is tall. I like its simplicity. And it is fragrant. Pink Tirzah could use a new option. In 3 years lol. Unless I buy locally. Then maybe I could get self-seed.

You see how this goes.

Yah. Winter here is long. Very long.

Cozy Time

We had some beautiful weather in the beginning of the week. I even got over to look at the historic cemetery.

To my detriment, I suspect lol. I started thinking about spring, and gardening, and all of my ideas for the upcoming daylily season ….

We are now headed back into sub-zero Fahrenheit temperatures for a few days and cold through to the start of February. I am not deterred, however, from enjoying the days. Not my first time to this “inevitable”. I am invoking layers and layers of cozy. And focusing on wonderful. The white squirrel crossing our patio toward the door, and only moving away after our dog approached, the way the sun hits the old prism on the window ledge and makes sparkles. Blue hour (before sunrise and after sunset). And then the layering begins. A good cup of coffee while snuggled with our 15 1/5 year old dog who is (amazingly) still with us. The smell of brownies baking while snuggling our 15 1/5 year old dog and watching the prism sparkles slowly move. A delivery of 3 ring binders, plastic sleeves, photo splits, so I am ready to start the next phase of making our nostalgic greeting card binders – while the fireplace warms the room and the wind howls outside and the brownies bake and our dog snuggles closer and makes a little contented sound and I sip my tea and watch the sparkles fade in and out with clouds and sun. Layers and layers of Cozy. It is the only way to get through a Minnesota winter. Or the only way I get through a Minnesota winter 🥰

And don’t forget the June in January pics. These are from June 16, 2024.