Its Christmas time and a white Christmas it is. We are staying home this weekend,tucked in and finishing those little projects and surprises for Christmas Day. Grandpa David is working on a dolly cradle for a certain someone, and Grandma has purchased the baby dolly, Great grandma has been woking on dolly quilts and blankets. Of course if it keeps snowing, our little one won't make it down from Portland with her parents. We will not get ahead of ourselves and will merely check the weather online every hour or so.

What a gorgeous Fall we have had! I have enjoyed the colors so much this year. Lately, have tried to get the garden beds cleaned out and ready for winter- cutting back perennials, planting iris, daffodils,peonies, day lilies for next spring. Just since these pictures have been taken, all the oak leaves have fallen and David is busy mowing over them, raking and composting as much as possible. I have sprayed the shrubbery for deer repellent, but found the deer have still been munching on the hydrangeas, Japanese maples and other delicacies .I cut the lavender and hung it in bunches on the porch for color and fragrance. David picked 3- 5 gallon buckets of apples from one of the trees- much more than last year. I did get him to help me start the twig fence around the "Secret Garden", will have to finish it in the spring.
Our neighbor felled a large tree and let David get the wood for his Dad and Mom. they were so grateful, and the wood was so huge! We are still heating with pellets, David hasn't installed the wood stove in the shop yet. Maybe next year. Now it's time to put away the oak and wicker benches, the hickory porch swing and the porch chairs. The rainy season is setting in. Too soon for me, I was still trying to plant more gardens!

Happy Mothers Day! I am content now having heard from all 3 of my children! Just to hear their voices and know they are well reassures me. I know the Lord has His hand on their lives, but one of the hardest things for me to do, is leave them in God's hands. I have a compulsion to try and fix everything for them! However, their lives are their own and I can just provide love and support.
We actually have sun amidst the cool Oregon showers,today. I am blessed with flowers today, roses from my daughter and rhododendrons from my husband. The husband helped me plant four rhodies and two azaleas this afternoon. I have my hanging baskets planted and even tho we had temperatures into the 30's this past week, I think they are starting to fill in. I will hang them along the porch, and wait for the spill of flowers to signal the start of summer.
Now the planning intensifies for the graduation time. We have 2 graduating from college, and now trying to find jobs and their niche in life. Weddings and graduations abound, What joy to see the young ones stepping into their futures! Joy and adventure awaits!

We enjoyed seeing Violet and her parents last Sunday. She is getting to be a big girl! So much fun to see her growing and developing personality, expressing her likes and dislikes. She loves to have a book read to her, and studies the page with such interest. I know she will be an early reader! If you can believe it, we arose on that morning, the 20th of April, to find it snowing and at least 2 inches covering the fields and hills. It was winter wonderland in spring! What is funny is that it was 84 degrees the week before!
Just today I have planted my hanging pots with white wave petunias, purple verbania, white allysum and verigated creeping jenny. I am getting ready to put in some day lilies, in a sunny bed which needs more flowers, and have plans for at least 4 more flower beds! Ah spring! Now if it will just not snow any more this season! Of course it is spring in Oregon.

I just realized I had not added an entry for awhile. Its hard to believe we had this snow only a month ago! Now my daffodils and primroses are coming up and showing color and soon Easter will be here!

I already have plans to add more flower beds as soon as the weather cooperates. I have the beds all marked out surrounding the fire pit area, with lilacs which were planted last fall, budding, a baby hedge so to speak, on each side. Also the rhodies we bought at the Small Woodland Tree sale. I plan to put a large quantity of perennials in those beds as well.
In the works are an arbor at the far end, the day lily bed, the Secret Garden, the cut flower bed. All which look, in my head,exactly like the pictures on Martha Stewart magazine! I also plan to put in a drip irragation system as we go, there is too much area to drag sprinklers around.
I have been busy pouring over the gardening magazines for even more ideas!