EASTER SUNDAY STROLL

KiKi
Trillum

Trailing Arbutus

Hosta and Pinks coming on as Daffidills wane.

pure of heart

Welcome home.

"Whatsoever things are true,
W;hatsoever things are honest,
Whatsoever things are just,
Whatsoever things are pure,
Whatsoever things are lovely,
Whatsoever things are of good report,
if there be any virtue,
and if there be any praise,
think on these things."

Phillippians 4:8

HAPPY EASTER

May you always know God's Grace in your life.

Visit other strollers at The Quiet Country House

GRACE NOTES

I am a collector of other peoples ideas. I write them down in a book . I am not alone, many people who have this compulsion do a double take when reading something that strikes a responsive chord. The next thing the person realizes, they have copied the words down on the flyleaf of the book, a slip of paper or the edge of the newspaper. We who are collectors have notes that flutter out of books, purses, billfolds, we find odd papers stuck in between recipe cards and telephone numbers. The book in which I record my quotes, poems and pithy retorts is stuffed with words yet to be enter on the blank pages.

I suspect someone reading through my book would be reading my soul and know me better than just reading my blog or talking to me. Thus, I think I will begin to use the middle of the week to share these items I have come to call 'Grace Notes' . Wednesday will be the day to copy out these favorite little thoughts and record them here in my journal.

With a nod to all who write down their thought I will start with the theme of writers

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Every writer should engrave on his/her wrist "There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are." Somerset Maugham

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Writers Prayer--- I am one

Let me become many

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I have six honest serving men (they taught me all I know)

Their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and Who.

The Serving Men Kipling

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"Begin at the beginning, the king said gravely, and go till you come to the end, then stop"

Lewis Carroll writing in Alice's Adventure in Wonderland

Until next time.

DOGWOOD WINTER

They call this Dogwood Winter because the Dogwoods have begun to bloom. We have two days of 30' or less with freeze warnings tonight and Tuesday night. I know plastic is not the proper cover for plants, fabric is preferred. But, we were in a hurry.

This is my tender beautiful Bleeding Hearts. It's snowing. I can only hope this will be some protection for them. But, if they die back it won't be the first time. They will have to survive Blackberry winter when it comes along as well. May 10 is usually the last date for hard frosts.
Spring generally doesn't spring forth in all it's glory, but comes teasing and enticing us out to play only to give us the cold shoulder a few times just to keep us on our toes.
This will be hard on all the pretty flowers and fruit trees that have bloomed. Being nipped in the bud is hurtful, but thankfully usually not fatal.

SUNDAY STROLL - REDBUDS

April is the month of The Highlands Redbud Celebration. The area just down off the mountain is called the highlands and the misnamed Redbud trees abound. The color is more like the color of Pepto Bismol. Events are scheduled all month in the name of the tree and fun is had by all. Yesterday there was music performed by the TTU Tuba Ensemble at the Cookeville Depot. (TTU is the Tennessee Technical University) There will be wildflower hikes at all the local state parks. A listing of the events can be found at http://www.redbuds.org/ There will be a Rain Barrel Festival and even something called Dragon Days. I'm sure you'll want to hop in your favorite mode of transportation and head on down to join in on all the fun.

Country roads and super highways are lined with the Redbuds.

It is breath taking to ride down the mountain and be surrounded by this delectable color.

The view any day is wonderful, at least to me. I never tire of the scenery as we go to town on any day. It is never the same. It is always a delight.

Can you dig it.
The Redbuds are the highlight now, but in a few days the Dogwoods will be in all their glory and the oohs and aahs will have to be shared.

To visit other strollers please visit The Quiet Country House

SPRING INTO THE GARDEN

We finally took our first trip of the year to the nursery and brought home three blueberry plants. Flutemaker tilled our garden and I did the planting, used a little home grown compost and toted the water. What a team. We'll put more in the garden as weather permits.


Here Flutemaker leaves the Hollyhocks against the garage wall. They have been there for several years and what was once a many colored display of flowers has settled on just a bright red. I should add new plants with more colors but I have really become very fond of this crew.


I also bought my annual herbs and onion sets. They will go in front of and beside this little plot of garlic. I want to till up the earth here and that will have to wait until another day. First I want to take up the lilies, bee balm and the wild geraniums. The English thyme can stay in the ground. Till or no till thyme is here to stay.
I want to resettle the perennials to the end of the bed or maybe somewhere else.
We aren't past our last hard frost date here but who can wait to garden until then. We'll just do what will work as we go along

SUNDAY STROLL

Out in the old garden area are two peach trees. They are very pretty, at least in part. Time and bad weather have pruned them unmercifully. And so they are what they are, neglected old trees.


I swear there was a gallant honey bee working the flowers when I took this picture. I suspect she is behind one of the flowers waiting for me to leave.

My all time favorite this time of the year are the Bleeding Hearts that line the entry ramp to our house. As a child did you ever turn back the heart so that you ended up with a ballerina?

These Selfheal and Dandelions have risen in our garden space which has not been active for a couple of years. We planted, but nature did not approve. Our town had to buy water from a fellow with a big lake not too many miles from here. We have had two years of drought and veggies don't make it very long, but the resilient weeds and herbs don't need endless watering and are content.


A pretty little Bluet.


Sweet Violet

I am still practicing close ups and still envious of all the bloggers who zero in on flowers so beautifully. I may have to take a course in photography again to learn some of the tricks of the trade.

See who else is strolling today at The Quiet Country House

JACK'S QUILT IS COMING ALONG

Here are the two blocks. I've made twelve of one design and six of the other.

Here is a quick glance of how they will be sewn together. I have to cut out the triangles that will complete the ends of each row. Then I can start sewing them together. One step at a time.