Friday, September 06, 2019

Five On Friday, Maybe Six



"Flowers seem intended
for the solace of ordinary humanity."
JOHN RUSKIN


The last couple of days have been very summery. We feel the balmy air and warm sunshine as we sit on the front patio eating fresh peaches and sipping our Monk's Blend tea. It hardly seems like September when we see how the garden just keeps blooming. We think it's all that rain and cool weather we've had. Plants relaxed, having neither to fight for water nor shrivel because it's too hot. Plus, it made our world green, green, green. Trees that have struggled for lack of moisture over several years this year seemed sated and happy once again. Makes me happy.

Today's post is short and sweet, but we hope our little offerings will be worth your visit. Our thoughts are still with those dealing with Dorian. And any thought of my grumbling about any little discomfort or inconvenient thing these days dies on my lips as I remember these dear folks who are experiencing such trauma, devastation, and loss.



~ ONE ~
The last roses of summer

Yesterday we plucked the last sprig of roses in bloom from the Peace Rose. These four beauties were all on one stem. A perfect offering for our neighbour two doors down -- a token of celebration upon hearing his very good news after a cancer scare earlier in spring.



~ TWO ~
Gazanias on the deck

These have been fun to watch all summer. On the many cool and wet days, these sun loving flowers closed up and remained in tight wads. But as soon as the temperature warmed and the sun touched their petals, the daisy-like flowers opened. Gazanias need the rays from the sun in order to survive and add new growth. They've been a joy to host on our back deck. 



~ THREE ~
A glimpse of the front yard

In spring I dared to plant shade-loving begonias in our southerly facing front yard. Mostly because by the time I went to the greenhouse -- I don't plant annuals too early for risk of frost and, alas, snow -- the heat- and drought-hardy sweet alyssums which I usually get were sold out. If we would have had the usual warm summer days, the begonias would not have thrived, but as you can see in the left photo, they flourished and grew lush in our cool and rainy summer. Blessings in every port... 



~ FOUR ~
Reading Louise Penny's latest

Louise Penny fans were chomping at the bit this summer, waiting for the August release of her latest Inspector Gamache detective mystery, set in the pretty village of Three Pines. I ordered my copy from Amazon back in May, joined the 'Three Pines Friendly' Facebook page, and kept company with other fans as we waited for our copies of A Better Man to arrive.

I read it in two days and then sat there for the next two rereading the last chapter trying to prolong the ending. It's a page turner. It's in Louise's beautiful style. This story does not disappoint. Loved it. Loved how it ended. Yes, I did. Already looking forward to her next one. Thank you, Louise.

By the way, she's going to be in Edmonton, Alberta in a couple of weeks. I've got tickets! I can't wait to see her in person. I'll be standing in her autograph line for sure.   




~ FIVE ~
Taking a selfie

"Less perfection, more authenticity." Snapped this photo to show my sister my new hair cut. I was worried it was too short. But it grew on me (haha). After editing out the wrinkles, I'm posting it here for you to see too. If I'd known I was going to post it for the world to see, I'da fixed my lipstick before taking the pic. C'est la vie!




~ SIX ~
Saying goodbye

Sage
Beautiful
Sweet, sweet girl
Fun, Funny, Friendly
Happy

You were our joy

Loved by those who knew her
Will be terribly missed
Your Aunty Brenda
♥ ♥ 


* * *

Wishing you a beautiful weekend.

Hugs,
Brenda
xox



21 comments:

  1. Brenda, I think my Orient Express rose was grown from a sport of the Peace rose and another. there are some similarities I think.
    So clever to take a selfie that actually looks good!

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    1. Your Orient Express is quite lovely, and yes, I thought there are similarities.

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  2. My begonias are flourishing this year too. They are the last thing I see as I go through our back door and my heart always - always - thrills to see them. Never fails to make me smile as I enter my house.
    And, I like your hair too. 😊

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    1. What a splendid idea to have those lovely pots so near a spot so you see them as you come and go.

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  3. So clever to edit out wrinkles! I noticed on FB how green your garden was, and I was envious. Our lawn is always brown by about mid-July. Our green is in winter, when yours is white (HA). Your flowers are wonderful. These lingering days of summer are lovely, and your post perfectly captures that.

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    1. Haha ... airbrushing via PicMonkey works wonders on those rascally 'rinkles. We've enjoyed the green of this past summer so much. Haha, yes, and then I envy your green when our lawns are white and six feet under snow.

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  4. Great haircut! I firmly believe in erasing wrinkles. 😉 I am smitten by the flowers, especially the Gazanias that are totally new to me.

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    1. (agreed! just read your comment after posting mine;-))

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    2. The Gazanias are new to me as well. I only saw them in one greenhouse in the Spring. I hope I'll find them again next year. They added such a vibrant touch on our deck.

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  5. strolling through your soothing post/gardens was just what I needed with my coffee after tucking in kiddos and looking out on a rainy afternoon. Yes, my heart is with those in the aftermath of Dorian as well!(our tale-end Rain-instead-of sun simply doesn't give us any grounds for complaint! thank-you for the breath-taking photos. Your flowers are STUNNING! I wonder if we have Gazanias in Ontario. I have never seen them and they are gorgeous! thank-you for continuing to bring beauty to the world!

    and Thank-you for sitting on your porch;-0 seems like a rare sight these days!
    Hope you have a blessed weekend!

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    1. Janet, here's a bit of info I found online about the gazania flower.

      Named after the 15th-century Greek-Italian scholar Theodorus of Gaza, it's a low-maintenance South African annual. "The look-at-me color spectrum available in gazanias may not blend into a Victorian cottage garden, but butterflies will flock to these prolific summer bloomers."

      Gazania flowers are a member of the daisy family Asteraceae, genus Gazania. Growing zones 9 to 11, which means it's strictly an annual in our region (Zone 3).

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  6. Brenda, I love, love all your blooms. And, they have certainly loved your rain. We can water until we are silly but it isn't the same as rain from the Heavens. Love your new haircut, it is most becoming.
    So sorry about Sage, she does look like she was dear. Lovely weekend to you, my friend.❤

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    1. Yes, there is nothing like rain from the heavens. Giggled about watering 'until we are silly'. Sage was a dear 'niece' doggie. We loved visiting her house and she was a most gracious doggie host. Always ready with a welcome grin and a tail wagging when we arrived.

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  7. That cluster of Peace Roses almost look like they were made of porcelain. They are just gorgeous.

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    1. I say a big thank you, Ruth, even though I take no credit for Peace's incredible beauty. So grateful for the man who created this particular species and so grateful for the One who made them all in the first place.

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  8. Love the gazanias!

    New haircut looks great! I also tend to get my hair cut to chin length. Last spring, after getting 2 inches cut, I *thought* that my hair looked uneven. But I figure it was just the way my wavy hair curled. When I got my haircut again this summer (at a different salon), the hairstylist told me that one side was like 1 inch longer than the other. So I was right about my "asymmetric" hairstyle. HA!

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    1. How odd about the 'asymmetric' hair cut. When I think I've had a bad cut, I'm always grateful that hair grows out so quickly. It's never permanent. Whew!

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  9. Brenda, sorry about Sage. :-( Your haircut looks lovely. And your flowers are enviable. So glad I found you through Margie's tea blog. (BTW, if you like tea, you'll like my post this week!)

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  10. Jean, thank you so much for stopping by and for leaving your lovely comment. I'll come and visit shortly. We're going to miss Sage very much. She was such a lovely dog and we always looked forward to seeing her when we visited my sister and her family.

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  11. Love to see how your garden has grown this year! Lovely roses and begonias! I've never read Louis Penny but your speaking of her book makes me want to read it!

    Your hair cut is great and you look wonderful. Sorry for the loss of a beloved dog.

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  12. Dear Brenda - first and foremost I am so very sorry about Sage. Pets have such a way of being family and the loss leaves a big hole in our hearts. Your garden is just gorgeous and the book sounds wonderful friend. As for the selfie - you are certainly looking young and so chic! Have a blessed week. Hugs!

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To My Beautiful Readers,

Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same. ~ Franz Peter Schubert

Thank you so much for leaving your 'footprint' here in my comment box. I do appreciate you taking a moment to share your thoughts today.

Brenda xo