More Travel - More Flowers

 I'm off again....

Tomorrow I will head to Michael's in Alabama for a couple week/longer visit. He has been here in Virginia for a week just waiting for Memorial day traffic to thin out and we will take off south. It should be warmer down there. I think it will fit me better since we are having some cooler temps these last few days. The older I get, the colder my body temp is. I look forward to temps that are above 60s.  

Then, I am going to come home and keep myself put for awhile. Don't you think that is a good idea? I do!

I hope all of you had a good Memorial Day weekend.  I don't have anyone in my close family that we lost in war but I do know so many families that have. 

I will leave you with some random photos of flowers. 

I have always loved this plant. It's a watermelon Pepperonia. I had one many years ago, just don't see them for purchase much any more. 

Sweet Shrub is another plant that you don't see much anymore. I remember the sweet aroma of the blossoms. The ones I have seen more recently just didn't have that smell. Too sad. 

A Cat's Ear dandelion. Just growing along the side of the road. 

There's not a lot of Grancy Greybeard Trees around either. I love how feathery they look. 

This one is a Mexican Bush Sage. One the residents here at the Commons has this one. It is so pretty when it blooms every year. 

This is a Moon Vine that I had before I moved here. 

Guess I have bored you enough. Take care. I'll be back on blogger when I return. 

A New York Adventure!

                     Wow! What a delightful trip. 

Two weeks ago (tomorrow) I left for my daughter's in New York. We celebrated her birthday, Mother's day, attended a Southern Women's Club luncheon, bought some new clothes, began a search for a wedding gown (My grandson and his sweetie are getting married next May but it's never too early to start planning), Susan hosted a get-together in their backyard for Tighe and his friends and their parents. An end of school tradition.  and so much more. 

I did far better than I thought I would. Tried to sneak in rest periods here and there and I slept very well at night. Then Susan drove me back to Virginia. We got to my apartment Monday night and I can tell you, that traveling, although so much fun, is hard on these old bones! I am sooooo tired. I ache, I feel like somebody threw my body against a brick wall.

And.... 

My son is taking me back with him next week for a visit at his home in Alabama. Talk about being a bit on the crazy side. I wonder if I will be rested enough by then to head out again. I'm going to have to see to it, that's what! 

Here are just a FEW pictures from my trip.... When you get tired of scrolling down the page just hop off here and say 'That's enough!' 

Susan and I at the Southern Women's Club at Susan's friends home. 

Susan celebrating her birthday (late) at a Turkish restaurant. 

Our Mother's Day lunch at Appawamus Country Club

flowers from the yard for the get-together for Tighe's friends

My 'welcome' bouquet

A combination bouquet from oldest daughter and granddaughter, Marie and Yvonne, for Mother's day 

A potted hydrangea for me from grandson Owen

Too soon,  it was time to leave. Tighe was in school, Owen not up yet, so Grffin and Kelsey bid Susan and I a goodbye and safe journey. 

On the road again.............

heading to Virginia with a smile on our face and food at hand. Perfect vacation.

A Milestone!

                       Yesterday I hit a milestone!

picture made in 2023 on my birthday

I celebrated my 91st birthday and I think that was quite an accomplishment! 

It was cold, rainy, sleety, snowy...

no way was I getting out in that so I stayed home, all by my lonesome, and had a great day!

Had lots of phone calls, text messages, facebook greetings and I even got a hug or two. 

Oh, I won't forget the beautiful flowers my granddaughter's family sent. She knows I love pink and carnations! 

I thought about my precious mother, newly widowed, giving birth to me and not a cent to her name. No plans for the future. All that had been linked to Daddy, who was now gone. It must have been a frightening time for her.

My Mom and Dad

But, we made it and just fine, I might add. And, here I am 91 years later! Gee whiz! So many blessings over the years, so many heartaches, too, but I love my life. 

I spent the day in reflection, in meditation, in looking forward....

I'm Southern Through and Through

 Good Morning, all my fresh and frisky friends....

Hope life is treating you well. I am better... thank the good Lord for that...

I know we know each other, sort of... We know what the other posts about themselves. And, I guess most of you know that I am Southern. Born and bred. Proud of it, too. 

I've lived in a lot of places, north, south, east, west and I just never found that slower, gentler kind of life anywhere that you find in the South. I like slow... and gentle... 

I have trouble sometimes trying to decipher the reason we are the way we are and what makes us different. We all are humans. 

Now, I grew up eating dinner at noon and supper at nightime. Then I go to other places and lo and behold, supper disappeared and dinner has replaced it. Lunch was noon. I wonder why? I just never know which meal I am having anymore. But, I guess that's alright. Long as they call me for meals, who cares what they call it. 

Then, there is the tradition of  us Southerners have for funeral possessions. We pull over to the side of the road and give our respect to the one who has passed. It's only decent. I know, having heavy traffic, mutiple lanes etc might make that difficult but I feel bad to just keep driving as I pass a hearse. I wasn't raised that way. I hope somebody stops for me when I am on my way to my final resting place.

We southerns have our sayings, too. My grandchildren just bend over laughing at me sometimes when I let one of those southern things roll outta my mouth.. Like

when they misbehave. Or 'you're so noisy I can't hear it thunder'. Oh, I have a bunch more but I won't bore you. 

I love the smell of wild honeysuckle growing by the side of the road, or the sight of a blackberry patch, the vines hanging heavy with dark black juicy fruit. I love to wade in a cool creek or throw flintstones on the water to watch them skip over the surface. 

And, don't get me started about the cooking. Yes, we Southerners don't know what healthy eating is... everything is fried and there's lots of it. I could eat my weight in hot biscuits and country sausage gravy. Or Mama's fried apple pies (folks other places call them hand pies). There's tons of bacon in or on most of the dishes. Oh, and the pecan pie... I am gonna shut up before I have a diabetic attack! 

I'd love to hear about the traditions where you live, now and when you were growing up. We all are so different so it's fun to learn and grow and enjoy. 

I hope you enjoyed this post. I hope you'll go have yourself a piece of pecan pie and a glass of sweet tea while you read this. Love you all. 

Having lunch with Susan

Susan and I  had a fun trip to Westport, Conn. You see, there was this really neat place called Terrain that she knew I'd love. She was sooo right! 

I could have spent a ton of money!

It was my kind of place!

We had lunch there so this post will focus on that but rest assured, there is more to come.

Our bread was served in a pot with wine-shallot whipped butter. I had the strawberry lemonade. 

My grilled cheese sandwich was unreal...guereye cheese with thin slices of apple and fig preserves. 

Susan's salad looked good. 

Why I did this, I have no idea...stuck one part of the bill in my mouth to get it out of the way of my signing our bill. Susan of course, just had to snap my pic.

I am not a Gardener!!

 I have always loved flowers. Never was much of a hand at growing them, though. Right now I am trying to keep what few potted plants I have alive. 

I find that the potting soil you buy in the garden shop doesn't hold moisture at all. I am watering the basil and rosemary every single day and even then they look wilted by nightfall. Do you have that problem? Or is it just me? 

I do want to share some pretty blossoms I have seen lately. Just makes me so joyful to see the pretty colors. 

Next time I plant flowers in a pot I am going to try this tip. Looks like it might work on keeping the soil more moist for a longer period of time. 

The Sun, the Moon and a Convertible

 One day Shirley and I were out tooling around when we stopped at the Visitors Center here in Suffolk. Sitting next door was this gorgeous old convertible. It looked lonesome. I sure wish I'd had a key... it wouldn't be lonesome anymore!!! Don't you think I dressed the part. We even match. 

We had an eclipse today... guess you did too wherever you are.

I didn't have the viewing glasses so no pics. But, I thought I'd post a picture I took some time back of the moon rising over the pine trees near my apartment. 

My crazy Christmas cactus is blooming again. It doesn't know what season it is anymore than the weatherman does!! 

I am happy to report that since my daughter gave me the subscription to MasterClass online I have seen and learned a lot from over 22 hours of instruction so far. Everything from Gut Health, Writing and Cooking. I have a ton more to watch yet. They give you workbooks and instruction books with most of the classes. I'm enjoying it all so much. 

Today I started watching Alice Waters (restauranteur, cookbook writer, etc, etc). One class was on how to shop for the best produce at Farmer Markets. Now, I can't wait to go to one to try out my new skills. 

Here's a picture from 2013 of me in the Farmer's Market in Smithfield, Va. 

Have a fabulous week. 

Hugs,

Latane

A Rose is a Rose!!

 I got another beautiful bouquet from my daughter Susan. She signed up for one of those 'Once a Month' deals. I'm loving it but I hope I have convinced her that she should stop. Flowers are so expensive. Well, isn't everything and anything these days. Price of groceries are up about 35%-50% from 2020. Eating out is ridiculous. Gas is high, flight is high, Oh.. I will shut now about this now!! 

And, back to the flowers. This month it was a dozen roses, grown in Ecuador. I see a difference in those from what's grown here. Stems much longer, stronger, the blossoms last longer and there a nice aroma to these. 

Just look at this beauty!

and this one....

I love flowers, never was much of a grower myself. But, I love that other people grow them so I can enjoy them. 

Have a wonderful weekend!!