What Do You Think?

I finally got the first of my display pieces for my counted cross stitch collection. I found it rather funny that the camera picked up every stitch! But, nonetheless, I think it looks rather nice. This one is Cupcake, made from the artwork that made one of my bestselling cards. I'm still trying to find a market for these things.

I've already started the second of a series of four.

In other news...as I sit here writing this, the radio starts to play the Superman song (oh, I don't know what it's called, but I like it). It reminds me that I watched the new "Superman Returns" movie this weekend. I rather liked it. If you haven't had the chance to see it, I recommend it.

"Oliver!"

Today we were up and dressed up to take my oldest granddaughter to see the show "Oliver!". It was at the Historic Fulton Opera House in town...http://www.fultontheatre.org/.

This wonderful old theatre had been remodeled a few years back and this was the first time I'd been in it since the remodeling. Though not as big as some theatres, this one had all very good seats and it was easy to see the actors in all their glory and makeup. All the beautiful woodwork was gold gilded and restored to it's original beauty. There were also some very beautiful artworks that were hidden for years and surprised everyone with their near pristine beauty once uncovered. All the chandeliers are original but refitted for electricity and the bulbs that were used were hand made with a handcrafted element. The walls are decorated with all kinds of show advertisements from the history of the theatre. Still with all the restoration, there was a sense of oldness about it; a grandness; a maturity, or time lapse and elegance that's not seen in newer buildings. Kind of like Grandma's house; very old and very grand. The seats and railings were covered with red velvet. It's a beautiful theatre.

The show "Oliver!" was simply wonderful! It was 3½ hours of wonderful entertainment and my granddaughter Abigail loved it as much as we did. To me, there is simply nothing like the theatre. The cast got a standing ovation for their performance. I love plays and musical entertainment and prefer it much, much more than to a movie theater.

Husband never visited the theatre before he met me. The first time I took him to the Hershey Theatre to see the play "Cats". He still talks about that play. He was so impressed with the way they introduced the play and the characters danced down the aisles to the stage, one actually stopping to shake his hand! He loved that play and you would have thought it was the next thing to heaven. Before the show, we stopped at the Hershey Hotel for dinner in their 4* restaurant. The second time we saw a play was to visit a local dinner-theater to see "Guys and Dolls". For this one, dinner was first and then the show which was just as enjoyable as "Cats".

After the show today, we took Abby to a nearby deli that is known for their wonderful sandwiches, all named after birds. The waitress gave her a child's menu and her dinner looked at least as good if not better than my own. Her menu also had puzzles and coloring areas and came equipped with crayons which she took advantage of.

We talked about our next trip to the Fulton Theatre to see the play "Thoroughly Modern Millie" which is one I want to see. And we also talked about a train trip to Philadelphia with both Abigail and Hanna to the Museum of Natural History. I think both children will get a kick out of that!

On the way home we talked about our 25th wedding anniversary that is coming up January 4th. Husband said he didn't know what we would do for it and I told me that we had just done it. This was all I wanted...a trip to the theatre to see an excellent production. I don't need anything else except maybe a trip to New York to see the Broadway show, "Phantom of the Opera".

Christmas

Each year for Christmas I make a new card, send it out to some close friends and family. My gift giving is mainly for the children in my family who believe in Santa Claus and also those children a little older who still believe in Christmas. As far as adults in the family, my gifts are usually some home baked cookies and jams and maybe a pointsetta. I don't go for gift giving, especially to my family who have told me that I'm not worth the 39¢ for a postage stamp (one actually said this to me).

Of all the holidays in the year, Christmas is my least favorite. Of all the holidays, the one that causes the most stress is Christmas. It's not a fun time at all, not even close. I suffer from hypertension as it is and then to have the holiday on top usually throws my blood pressure over the top.

I don't want to hear the "Christmas Story" theme or the "Commercialization of Christmas" theme. To me they're both the same -- argumentive. If you really want to know the truth about Christmas...

The Encyclopedia Americana says: "CHRISTMAS. It was, according to many authorities, not celebrated in the first centuries of the Christian church, as the Christian usage in general was to celebrate the death of remarkable persons rather than their birth..." (The "Communion" which is instituted by New Testament Bible authority, is a memorial of the DEATH of Christ.) "...a feast was established in memory of this event [Christ's birth] in the fourth century. In the fifth century the Western Church ordered it to be celebrated forever on the day of the old Roman feast of the birth of Sol, as no certain knowledge of the day of Christ's birth existed.

HOW This Pagan Custom Got Into The Church

Now notice! These recognized historic authorities show Christmas was NOT observed by Christians for the first two or three hundred years - a period longer than the entire history of the United States as a nation! It got into the Western, or Roman Church by the FOURTH century A.D. It was not until the FIFTH century that the Roman Church ordered it to be celebrated as an official "Christian" festival!

Remember, the Roman world had been PAGAN. Prior to the fourth century, Christians were few in number, though increasing, and were persecuted by the government and by pagans. But, with the advent of Constantine as emperor, who made his profession of Christianity, in the fourth century, placing Christianity on an equal footing with paganism, people of the Roman world began to accept this now popular Christianity by the hundreds of thousands. "

So, even the holiday itself, isn't what some think it should be. I see it as a way the Roman's had for having something for people to celebrate a ancient holiday; thus trying to make it an acceptable holiday of the times. It doesn't change the fact that this holiday was originally to celebrate the winter solstice of the "New Sun"; a celebration that was observed by a number of different religions besides the Babylonians such as the Druids.

Many of our holidays are handed down from Pagan beliefs, but we've changed their meaning some to make them acceptable for the time.

I will celebrate Christmas as a holiday for which it has always been, but not necessarily for the same holiday that everyone thinks it is. It isn't a time of gift giving, but a time to celebrate the new sun and the prosperity of Mother Earth in the growing season to come.

It also doesn't make me believe less in what I was raised to believe, but in the honesty of the holiday, I don't see it as most want me to see it. So, in this sense, since so many try to push their beliefs on me, the holiday has become stressful and simply something to have to tolerate. Once it is over I will again become myself.

In all honesty, this is one of the things I miss most about working nights. When I worked nights, I often called off many of these types of celebrations because it was to difficult for me to make long trips to nowhere to celebrate a holiday I really didn't believe in with people who thought I wasn't worth the cost of a stamp for a greeting card.

Cooking Baking Time

Farmer Bear inspecting my cookies that I enjoy baking this time of year. Farmer Bear resides in my kitchen to make sure that all food I prepare is etable.

Every year for Christmas, I get my brother and sisters something. Then I also bake some cookies. I started this last night, actually, and will do one or two more kinds of cookies. On the plate are Cowboy cookies (the chocolate ones made with cocoa, chocolate chips, walnuts but very light with the flower, baking soda, etc; just enough to hold them together). The other, lighter cookies are my favorites, Snickerdoodles. I usually make at least two batches of snickerdoodles since I have a tendency to eat one batch. I also have at least two pounds of san tarts in the fridge to be cut into bells, sleighs, santas and stars, egged and decorated tomorrow evening. What I like about the san tarts I make is the cream of tarter. I don't usually taste it in the decorated cookies I get from other people. This recipe appears to be an old family recipe.

Husband went out today and bought a package of cookies saying that we should eat those instead of the ones I'm making or they won't make it to the tins I got to pack them in for Christmas presents. I might pack the store bought cookies. Mine are 100x better so it's possible that the cookies in the cookie jar won't get eaten. Wait until I make those San tarts tomorrow! The recipe I have makes 24 dozen. But boy are they good!

Are you making cookies this year?

The Broken Dryer

For the past month now I've been without a dryer. I had purchased a new washer/dryer set and had it delivered the first week of October. It was a wonderful b-day present if I would consider it so. However, the first week of November I noticed the dryer was making all kinds of really strange noises. We called the store and they sent a repair man out to check it out. At first he didn't find anything wrong, but then, on the return to the company, they sent him back out. The dryer was making the noises as Husband was on the phone with the company and they heard it.

The repairman discovered that the blower wheel of my dryer was actually split in half. He told me he wanted to order all the pieces but in the end, he only got one. Apparently, Bosh told him what he needed to fix this dryer. The second piece was even worse than the first one. So, yet another wait for another replacement piece (this time the entire assembly). All the pieces have now arrived at the appliance store except one. The appliance store wants to replace the dryer and Bosh keeps saying "no". Hopefully this machine will be fixed tomorrow.

I found a customer service email on their website and wrote them a letter:

I am complaining about my Bosch dryer Model #3321, Serial #84476022208. I've had it for two month and for the past month it has had a broken blower wheel. The dealer has been working with us trying to fix this problem, but after the 4th broken blower wheel, the dryer still is not functional. We bought what we thought was top-of-the-line and it just doesn't work. What is your explanation for this and is this the kind of workmanship I can expect from your products? There is yet another repair scheduled. Martin's Appliance are doing their best to try and fix this problem. My greivence is not with them. It is with you for allowing these cracked blower wheels to continue to be put in your machines.
I am tired of being without a dryer to finish my laundry, especially now that it's cold. I paid good money for this machine and want to use it.
What can you do to fix this problem? I want to know. Also I would appreciate an extended warranty since I can no longer trust the workmanship of your product.
Thankyou so much for listening. I'll be waiting your response.

I hope these people respond to this because after a month of not having my dryer working, I am just a tad upset.

Thoughts

I thought I would try selling some of my counted cross stitch patterns on Ebay. Now that was a joke. Everyone who visits that website will easy buy, but only if it's nearly free.

I had checked some other cross stitch patterns that sold, $.99 or $2.99 -- You've got to be kidding!!! I would sell 1/4 of the pattern only for that price, not an entire kit! In stores the average price of a pattern kit runs around $27.98, some higher, some a little lower according to the number of floss colors, etc.

Knowing what it takes to put one of these things together, that alone makes it worth more than what people seem willing to pay. Add on to that the copywrites of original artwork and you get something even more valuable than what's in the stores.

I will find a market for my stuff some day. Or at least people who can really appreciate it. At least my boss does. He pays me a decent salary, according to my abilities to come up with creative ideas.

Check It Out!!!!

Something new from my desk...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:US:11&item=280053444272

and

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:US:11&item=280053448372

I am in the process of making at least one of these for display purposes. I'm hoping to be able to sell these. The ones I am making now are far enough along to really start to show and are looking really nice.

Thanksgiving

My Thanksgiving was spent with friends this year. It was the first year that we've actually celebrated Thanksgiving in over 20 years. Always before I had been working but now, with the new shift, I have the holidays off. All the other holidays I could celebrate about every seven years or so, but Thanksgiving was always on a Thursday. Oh, I was well compensated and the OT looked very good on the paycheck. But I have to admit, spending the day with friends was great. And to think what I've missed all these years. Yet, another bonus to working the day shift.

Today's Work

Today started out not so good. First thing was the brand new dryer. I put clothes in it and started it in the normal fashion. After a bit it started making a loud rattling noise like something was coming loose or never tightened. It dried the clothes in the normal fashion. When Husband got up, I showed him what it was doing and as the noise started, there was a loud "THUNK". The vent hose popped off the machine. Apparently it was never hooked up right.

Shortly after, I went out to do some gardening. Then things started going a little better. Working days now, I rarely get the chance to be out in the garden. It's getting dark now about the time I arrive home. So today, an overcast but rather mild day, I was able to get out and prune roses for their winter's nap and started pruning down the perennials that were ready for bed. I worked outside for four hours and it felt good.

I've been very selective about what plants I buy this year and don't see that changing any more. We get the garden planted in as far as I want it for now. We've already started rearranging the plants we have to accomplish the look we want for the property. But that will come when it comes. I'm not rushing anything.

I'm hoping that next weekend is very much like this one. I'm thinking that another four hours will do it for the garden this year.

For now, meatloaf is the day's fare.

Can I Cook or What?

I do have to admit, we like to entertain. Yep. When it comes right down to it, we do throw a great party.
And so was the case today. We had quite a group of folks who came to celebrate with my stepson and his wife who are expecting a third little girl. Friends and family came. It rained, so we entertained the children with a movie, which fortunately, none had seen before.

The newest of the clan, baby Sarah, was passed around to every mother, grandmother, great grandmother and great-great grandmother who had come to celebrate. Oh, and let's not forget the fathers, grandfathers and great grandfathers who were also there. Even her new cousins who hadn't met her before were there to help celebrate.

Even friends of the family came to celebrate.

Everyone had a great time. There was mostly finger food served with a lovely potato salad that was brought, cookies, dips with apple and pear slices, broccoli, celery, carrots, cheese and crackers, crousant sandwiches cut into small tea sandwiches, deviled eggs, assorted nuts and assorted Hershey's chocolates.

Chris got a few things that were and always are needed to start off a new baby.

It was a really great day and great fun was had by all. The children were all well behaved and wonderful to have and the adults had a wonderful time with Chris getting some really nice things for her new one coming.

Did I ever tell you that we throw a really wonderful party? I might be bias, but I think so.

Sick

It started at work yesterday. I began to feel horrible indigestion. As the day wore on, it became worse. Even popping antacids wasn't helping. This morning it was even worse. It was then that I had decided that I had a nasty 24 hour bug. There was nothing to do but wait it out. In the meantime, I had all kinds of things to do. Stuff that couldn't wait but more on that tomorrow. I'm feeling just fine now, even after a rather large dinner (I hadn't eaten in two days).

A couple of weeks ago I had purchased a software for my computer to create my own counted cross-stitch patterns. This is just something that I was kicking around for turning some of my artwork into something a little more creative. Some of my work is really creative. I have one posted on Cafepress...http://www.cafepress.com/byjuliesdesign. If you click on the mini-poster print, you will see that besides the poster itself, I also have this one listed as a counted cross-stitch. I'm actually making one right now to put on display when I show my counted cross-stitch patterns, hopefully at one of the stands that my rose society puts up. I have it about 1/4 done now and it's looking pretty nice if I say so myself. When I have it finished, I'll post a picture.

I have decided that my stomache still isn't 100%. I hope this clears up before tomorrow.

The Newest Family Member

Here she is!! Sarah Georgine. 5 1/2 lbs and 19 inches long. Born Oct. 31, 2006.

I went to Hershey Medical Center yesterday to see her and chat with her mother, my stepdaughter. She is the most precious baby. She is my third granddaughter and the first for my stepdaughter.

The Vacation

It was the last day of an extended vacation. The vacation had been nice, quiet and much needed. With all the stuff going on at work and all the changes, it was nice to be able to get away from it for awhile.
We decided to go to the Safe Harbor dam for a day of hiking and picture taking. Well, that wasn't to be, I suppose. It started out really fine, a nice day, some lovely paths and areas that were new and waiting to be discovered.

It wasn't long, however, before the bifocals in my glasses ruined the day for us. They distorted a curb I was on and I fell, head first onto a bridge that crossed the Conestoga River. What a mess! I had a nice gash on my forehead and my knees, elbows and wrist were banged up nicely. I'm healing nicely now. The pictures above are of (1) the purple cherry tree in my back yard. The foliage is wonderful this time of year. (2) The Susquehanna River. This river is a mile wide in spots and the current is treacherous. (3) The Safe Harbor Dam. We discovered this dam to be only about 2 minutes from my home. (4) The Conestoga River at Safe Harbor and (5) The mouth of the Conestoga River where it empties into the Susquehanna. Everything in this area is virgin except where they cut the train track through and built the dam. Most of this area is owned by the electric company and kept natural. It is truly a lovely spot.

The Volunteer

We get a good many volunteer plants in our garden, mostly wildflower or weeds. (If I like the plant and the flower, it's a wildflower and left to grow. If I don't like it, it's a weed and I will pull it.).

All summer there has been a plant growing in a flowerbed right next to my native spice bush. It's been left because it appeared to be a nice bush, though very young. Today, I actually thought about cutting it down but decided that I should at least find out what it is. So, I snipped a nice piece of it and went to the internet. I found all kinds of native plants, but nothing that looked quite like this one. Then there was the fact that I wasn't sure if it was a woody perennial or shrub or tree. It looked like a multi-trunked tree but at just a summer old, it was hard to tell.

So I took my sample, bagged it and took it to the Lancaster Environmental Association at the County Park. They took one look at it and told me it was a mulberry tree http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/mulberry.html. They weren't sure if it is a red or a white at this time, but would be able to tell if it was a little older. They also told me that the fruit is really quite eatable though I would have to fight the birds for it and that's how they often got planted; the birds. I had an entire family of Orioles in the yard this year. They did warn me that we should make sure the berries are totally ripe before harvesting them.

I'm thinking I will replant this tree to a more suitable area. It is right next to the spice bush and we were told that should we have to replant one, replant the mulberry. Besides, the mulberry is younger and smaller.

A Beautiful Day

We try to get to Longwood Gardens every year. This year, it was part of a birthday present as my birthday is tomorrow. So, we went today because the weather reports said that it was to be nice. It was gorgeous!! I had a great time at Longwood Gardens and also at the picnic lunch that we had taken along with us. It was a glorious day.

Eye of the water. This is where the master pump resides for the waterfall you see above. This is just too cool!

Something Pretty

Chrysanthemum 'Jane'. This is a very pretty mum, rather large and has a tendency to get kind of leggy even with pruning. Still, it's well worth growing and it's appearance of delicateness belies it's strength. I have two bushes that are 4 years old. Each year I think they are goners and each year they make a beautiful appearance, though be it late. The flower petals do have a strong tendency to spot when they get wet, which is probably why this variety isn't seen as much. Yet, the bushes are full enough and replenish damaged flowers quickly. I like this mum. The flowers look like little tu-tus.

The Tragedy

http://www.comcast.net/news/national/index.jsp?cat=DOMESTIC&fn=/2006/10/04/491902.html

I morn with these people over the five little girls that died because of the shooting this past Monday. I grew up near the Nickel Mines and I knew the people who lived there. I attended a one-room schoolhouse as a child with some of these grandparents. This was a shocking blow to everyone in the county.

I've heard rumors that the Amish will either dismantle or burn the school. I don't blame them. Their surviving children will not go back there. Whatever they decide to do, they will put this horror to rest. Personally, I think I'd burn the school and till under the ashes to bury the entire thing.

This has been a sad, sad week.

The Baby Shower

Today was a good day. It was the day that stepson, Jim and wife Christina threw a surprise baby shower for stepdaughter, Jennifer. Was she surprised? You bet, at least by the look on her face as she came through the door this afternoon, carrying her own iced tea! Helping her in the door is her husband, Ron, and niece Abigail.

She is due in 5 weeks and has finally found out the sex of her baby. You know it really doesn't matter what the sex is, but to know ahead of time is to prepare properly. Until just recently, little Sarah Georgine wasn't about to let her mother know whether she was a boy or a girl, hiding from the doctor at each exam.

It was good to see both sisters sitting on the sofa, both very pregnant, laughing and enjoying the party. Christina is also due in about 5 to 7 weeks. Both seemed to really enjoy unwrapping the gifts and inspecting each one. Why of course they did! I would.

Even though I don't necessarily look like I was enjoying the party, I was.


Jennifer got a lot of really, really nice things. Her grandmother, Sarah, made her a beautiful blanket, bonnet and sweater. She got lots of diapers, a rattle, a couple more blankets and a variety of things. I was surprised at how calmly she seemed to be taking all this. Jennifer, even as a child, was always emotional. But today, after the initial surprise when she first arrived, she seemed quite calm. She didn't even cry when she opened her mother's gift, a model of the crib that her mother had gotten for her. The crib was to be delivered.

It wasn't until her Dad and brother, Jim brought out the other "big" gift that she got emotional. When we had decided on what to get her for this baby shower, I had told Husband what he should do. He was really unsure, but I told him that I always remember that she was very upset about Jim getting the cradle that both kids were kept in when they were tiny. Jim was the first married and the first with a baby, so he got Dad's cradle. Jennifer always thought that she should get it. So I told Husband, he had no choice but to make a second cradle, the same but different from the first. He did just that. As soon as she saw it, she knew he had built it, even though she still asked. I had gone shopping yesterday and found lovely cradle duds that I thought would suite, especially since I didn't know Sarah would be a Sarah at that time.

Not only was it a surprise baby shower for Jennifer, it was also her birthday, so we had to have a cake to celebrate both occasions. I have to admit, there were a LOT of candles on that cake.

She had a wonderful party and got a number or really wonderful things to start Sarah right when she arrives. Now we are counting down until we get to meet our new baby granddaughter.

Playing Hookie

Charles de Mills ~ Hybrid Gallica, introduced before 1746, dark red to purple depending on the light, rated 8.4 in the garden out of a possible 10, once blooming, extremely fragrant. This is a smallish bush only reaching about 5 feet tall. I have found that the canes like to droop and it's easy to peg this plant for a better flush. It will tolerate some shade and still do well. The biggest downfall of this bush is it, as do all Gallicas, blooms only once a year. It's bloom cycle is a long one however. It also doesn't last as long in a vase as the Hybrid Teas, but one bush will give you enough flowers to keep your vases full for the duration of the blooming cycle. And every bloom is perfect or near perfect. It isn't affected much by disease or insects. After all, it's been in gardens for about 300 years, so there has to be something about this rose.

This morning was to be a rose meeting. I usually try to go to these, especially when someone hosts them, which is usually the case. And even though this was the case this morning, I found it just to hard to move this morning. It's time for a break, I think.

I'm still adjusting to my new position and jobs. I really like the dayside shift much better than the night shift, but it is proving to be more of an adjustment than I was thinking. The work is somewhat different, though the same if you can understand what I mean. Except for the typing jobs, it's the same work as before but from a different viewpoint. Folks had been asking me what I think of it and I've been answering them honestly. I like the work, the position, but at the same time feel a little isolated because of where I am. Yesterday was a little different. The girl I usually type with was out for the day and I had a lot of visitors and got involved in a lot of conversation. Of course, the day was much lighter than the rest of the week, or the other weeks as well. It's just adjusting but it can still wear me down.

Still, I need a trip to the salon for a good neck massage and I decided to stay home this morning instead of visiting the group. Besides, I have a lot to do this weekend. I need to take care of some business, clean the house and get ready for a big party for family tomorrow. I will put a trip to the salon for the first available time I have, right around my birthday. My neck is very stiff. It's stress. It'll ease when I start to get used to my new job but who knows when that'll be. Hopefully soon.

In the meantime, I have a ton of stuff to do here.

Puppy Mills

http://local.lancasteronline.com/4/25867

This story is a pet peeve of mine. Mostly because in many areas I've heard it come up (Internet included), it's more about the ability to persecute rather than to make a statement or even to voice an opinion about a subject. I've been accused of supporting puppy mills or even having one with the folks who did the accusing knowing that I have one neutered dog. The reason for the persecution? I live in Lancaster County...therefore I'm a puppy miller. One Amish person asked a demonstrator why the Amish were being singled out and the demonstrator went on some wild explanation as to why without even knowing if the person they were talking to operated a puppy mill or not.

THIS ATTITUDE IS PERSECUTION!!! It is abuse in a much worse way than the treatment of any animal.

This attitude makes the demonstrators just as bad or worse than the people who actually keep hordes of dogs in obscene, filthy conditions.

These animal rights activists want to be advocates and not activists because the term activists bring to mind the right wing, over zealous people who cause more trouble than they're worth. But by rights anyone who accuses people of something because of their race or religious creed, are activists and are far worse than those who actually enact the crime they are accused of.

I had a friend once who was kicked off his internet service by animal rights activists because he told a 20 year old story of an incident that when 20 years ago attitudes were different. To me that is simply ridiculous. These people just don't know when to stop and they will keep it up until people get killed just like with the abortion protesting some years ago.

I don't condone puppy mills. I've seen first hand what these filthy, confined conditions can do to these animals. After all, the neutered dog I own came from one of these places. It took him three years to even understand what it is to be a pet; to know what it is to have a home; a place where he's wanted and can be relaxed and himself.

However, I do not condone persecution either. I honestly believe that those who have puppy mills should be singled out, away from the general population and dealt with individually. Those who would rather condemn and entire enmity of peoples are worse than those who actually do the crime and should be punished the same way as the punishment they want to dish out. That means they should be put into exploding abortion clinics, burned at the stake, confined to 9'x4' dog runs or have their lives totally disrupted to the point where they couldn't even buy food.

I have positively no tolerance for persecution. I grew up in a world that had no place for me. I remember the pain of the same type of persecution because of something that I had no control over. I wouldn't wish that on anyone and despise anyone who thinks they have the right to do so.

Something Old

My friend, Sandy who is still working nights at the job place, presented me with a gift today of a catalog printed in 1907 from The Conrad & Jones Co., West Grove PA. I am so tickled over this, I'm almost speechless. In this catalog, Conrad is introducing new roses such as Yellow Soupert, Striped Reine Marie Henriette (MME Driout), Ever-blooming Uncle John, the Hybrid Tea, Cardinal. They are also featuring the new Irish introduction, Killarney, La France and Helen Gould. They also feature roses such as Frau Karl Druschki, Clotide Supert and Papa Gontier. And American Beauty. All are around $.50 each. Own root, extra large plants are $1.00.

The Conrad & Jones Co., West Grove PA would later be known as Conrad Pile Co., West Grove PA and then eventually known as Star Roses. This very old catalog states at the bottom of each page "Growers of the Best Roses in American". This is no exaggeration. Even in later years when the company was known as Conrad Pile Co., it was still "Growers of the Best Roses in America". This is also the company the kept safe from Hitler and nurtured Meilland's Peace rose.

This catalog is truly a treasure.

My first day on the job

Sexy Rexy - Floribunda, medium pink, double, introduced in 1984. Rated 8.7 out of 10 as a garden rose. Don'tja love that name!!!! This is the second Sexy Rexy I've had. I left the first one behind when we moved thinking that it was very easy to get ahold of. This one came out of the garden of a friend who had passed away two years ago and his wife was nervous about taking care of roses. She told me that this is what he would have wanted anyway. A very good rose in the garden, disease resistant and in almost constant bloom. The blooms are rather smallish as is with most forlibundas.

Yesterday was the first day of my new shift. Now, you'd think I would be quite comfortable with this as most of the people there already knew me, I know the job, what's expected and what to expect. But it still felt like a new job. I'm using my typing skills for the first time in almost 25 years and need to get used to that. My time-card is in a different place. Otherwise, it's pretty much old news, yet different. I'm working with my old boss from years back and it feels good. He has seemed to mellow out some over the years which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

I want to give myself a week of getting up and going to work verses getting up and vegetating in front of the computer for hours. Then I'll know better what I think of it. Right now it just feels new.

Another Day

Perle d'Or ~ polyantha, yellow blend, very double. Introduced in 1884. Garden rated at 8.4 out of 10. A very old little poly that's stood the test of time. A strong grower in these parts, getting nearly 4 feet tall and nicely bushy. I've had very little disease with this tiny rose, even through the roughest time of black spot. It also seems resistant to insects. It wants to bloom for me in the regular HT type flushes, about thee times a year rather than the miniature all season bloom. The blooms are very small, maybe 1 1/2 inches across.

It's been raining here for the past three days and I'm not anticipating the sun to shine again for almost a week. That hurricane (what's it's name again????) is shooting up the East coast and we're expecting something from it. It is very rare that a hurricane has any force left by the time it reaches here and usually at best they are down graded to tropical storms. Hurricanes of note in the past century were:

Hazel (1954). Hazel hit this area the day I was born. Now you know what makes me the way I am!!!
Agnus (1972). Agnus visited the year I graduated from H.S. Ok, now I've dated myself. Of all the hurricanes, Agnus had been down graded to a tropical storm by the time it arrived, but it combined with two other systems right over us, causing extreme devestation and flooding. Entire counties were wiped out with this storm. Lancaster County being hit the hardest.
Floyd (1999). Floyd was the weakest of the strong hurricanes that hit this area. It left a lot of flooding in it's wake, but not much else. Oh, it did knock down an 80 foot tree in the neighbor's back yard in such a way that it landed on the roof of my house.

Between the raindrops, I was able to get outside to cut some roses for the house. I have three vases of roses. One for the dining room table, a beautiful yellow vase with brown stripes we found at Hershey Chocolate Factory filled with orange, yellow, apricot and vermillion colored roses. The apricot one is Just Joey, considered by the American Rose Society as one of the most fragrant Hybrid Teas. There's another clear and red cut glass vase with bi-colors (colors such as pink with white), shades of reds, pinks, salmons and purples for the sofa table. Last but not least is a tiny miniature vase, hand crafted by a pottery factory in the Poconos that sports one single miniflora rose, red with a pink reverse.

I will busy myself the rest of the day inside. There's much there that needs attention too. Tonight is my last night as an owl. Come Tuesday, I will begin the job in the daylight hours.

It's Official Now

It's official. Starting the week of September 4th, I'll be starting my new position in the prepress department at work, working days. This will be very different for me having worked on the night shift of the prepress department for 21 years. The day shift has a different rhythm and my jobs will be a little different. Most of them I've done before but there will be at least one new one.

The boss is a man I worked with for the first 10 years of my service there. Since there were no serious problems working with him then, I feel comfortable that there will be no serious problems now. I've worked with most of my co-workers before as well, but there are new ones there I've not worked with before. There are more co-workers. Right now I work in a team of 4 to 5. On the day shift I will be working with a team of 14 to 16.

The work load will be quite different too but right now, I'm not sure I can describe it. There will be quite an adjustment, not just having to get up in the morning to be at work instead of sitting on the deck with coffee but the entire job itself. As far as the morning coffee on the deck...I'm usually up by 5:00 am now and can enjoy a cup of coffee on the deck, do a load of laundry, hang it and still be ready for work by the 7:20 am drive to the job.

I'm looking forward to this change in the job and in the lifestyle. I'll let you know how it goes.

This Year's Garden Ideas Realized

Sweet Sixteen ~ Shrub. Introduced in 2002. Apricot blend, approx. 15 petals. Not enough comments on it to evaulate.

I've had this rose since it's introduction and have to admit that until this year didn't really like it. The color is lovely, leaning more toward a pink than an apricot in my garden, but as far as a garden specimen it seemed to be lacking. I knew I had it in a rather crowded spot, so I took the chance and moved it to a new bed we created in the early spring to encompus two tiny dogwood trees, three blue spruces and hopefully have enough room for a few roses and other plants. The bed is big beautiful and has lots of room for a number of roses. Sweet Sixteen has really blossomed since putting it in this new bed. It is blooming well and spreading nicely. It's form isn't as loose as Little Darling which is nearby but just as large and spreading. It also seems to be much more disease resistant than I had first thought. I am anticipating that in a couple of years, this one will be quite the beauty.

Now for new news...

This summer the developer along with his engineer and builder picked which lot next to be built on. It appears from the neighborhood rumors that this is the way things will be done from now on. The builder will build a spec home on the lot chosen by the developer and engineer and then sold. No more custom homes. That's to bad. It's one of the biggest reasons I chose to build here. I wanted my home. A home that reflected my personality, not a home of someone else's idea. At least eight of us got the home of our visions. It's funny, but none of these homes hurt the eyes. They all speak volumns about the owners and their tastes. They all look nice and add character to the neighborhood. Some of them are huge homes and others, like mine are more modest on the outside. We're all about the same price range although square footage does vary some. No two houses look similar and that's the charm we will lose in our neighborhood. That's the biggest thing I don't like about most neighborhoods. All the houses look almost identical...I call them cookie cutter houses. I don't want to look like my neighbor. I'm not my neighbor and don't want to go into a huge debt to live in a house that looks so much like the rest that the dog gets confused to which one he lives in.

Anyway, when the builder had the new lot surveyed, I realized that I had more room in the back than I had thought. The rear 100 feet of my property is an easement for the electric company right away. They insist that there be no permanent structures or large trees that could get in the way of them checking the lines. I keep a border fence back there that can easily be removed to display a variety of perennials that can take abuse and snap back should the electric company crush them. They're mostly wild flowers back there to encourage the birds and insects to visit. Then there's a vast open space where we can set up volleyball nets and such should we wish to entertain with games. A play area. As you get closer to the house, the shed and large trees have been planted.

When the surveyers laid out the new lot, I realized that I was a good 50' into the plantable part of the garden. Instantly I staked out a spot for another shade tree. The nurseries are now getting their tree stock for fall planting. I found a lovely Red Maple to put in the back, kind of off center between the tulip poplar and the beech, placing it at about a 50' angle between these two trees in a triangle shape. When all three trees are fully mature (about 50 years), they should just touch each other with the tips of their branches making a lovely area for a gazebo or other outdoor room. Also, long before they fully mature, we can enjoy the wonderful fall coloring. The tulip poplar gets bright yellow fall color, the beech gets a deep bronze and the maple will get a brilliant red to orange. Add to that the now tiny Japanese maple that will get a gorgeous bright deep red color, the red oak that will get a lovely reddish bronze and the purple cherry that will get a more brilliant purple.

Add to all this the other benefits of shade trees. They help with heating and cooling costs, offer shade to an area that would otherwise bake in the sun and offer the rest of the garden one of the best benefits of all ~ leaf mold. As the autumn leaves drop, we like to rake them up, put them through a grinder and use them as winter mulch. This is the best (in my opinion) winter protection there is. In early spring, with just a light raking, the leaf mold disappears and turns into fertilizer for the plants filling the soil with it's loam and minerals.

You guessed it. I like trees. I need trees. My fair skin won't take a lot of baking from the sun and I need the escape the trees offer. The trees I mentioned are just the ones in the back yard. There are more, you know.

Colors

Sultry, Hybrid Tea, introduced 2001, interim rated (7.6); there's not enough ratings to give it a full rating.

This isn't the best shot I've ever taken, but it's still OK.

This rose was very slow to start for me. I was afraid of losing it altogether last year. This year it was much better. It seems that this one wants to establish first and give roses second. That's OK with me. The other one in this color area is Marmalade Skies which also was the same way. At the age of 3, Marmalade Skies is doing beautifully and one of the nicest roses I have.

What I like about Sultry is the color. Even from a distance, the color stands out and attracts the eye. In my garden this year, it seems to like the hot, humid days of deep summer over the wetter, cooler days of spring. It is a nice looking rose this year and is blooming heartily right now. But again, it's the color that I find so attractive. The apricot color is slightly bolder and the substance of the petals is better than Just Joey. This rose also has a nice fruity fragrance as well. Next spring I will take several cuttings of this rose and hopefully get a few more for the garden.

We each have a rose which we are drawn to by it's color. The two that draw me the most is Sultry and the pink of Chicago Peace.

What's your favorite flower color? Name the flower and the color. It doesn't necessarily have to be roses. The rose is my favorite flower.

Gifts

I received a beautiful card and note in the mail from a dear friend yesterday. I love receiving mail from friends and family, not just for special occasions, but anytime such as this one. I feel closer to friends and family when I get these. Email is nice, but the cards are something you can touch, feel, rub your fingers over and linger for as long as you want. You can hide them away, as I do, in a cedar chest for safe keeping just to get them out every now and again to muse over the relationship since it's beginnings; to watch how it's grown over the years.

Knowing this friend, the card itself is an older one having a copywrite date on it of 1935. But the card looks in pristine condition. Inside is a beautiful poem from a favorite book and a hand written note. Even the envelope is a gift with it's decorative stamps. There's always to much postage on it, but if you look closely at the stamps, one of them is probably as old as this card. All this makes getting these small gifts very precious.

Thankyou, my dear friend, for thinking of me.

Today Birthdays

Today we celebrate two birthdays!


Our sweet Bratley is seven today. No more young dog things for him!

My dear Shalimar is two today. She still acts like a kitten, looks like one too.

I think it's ironic that both animals have documented birthdays on the same day, though we got them two years apart. Bratley has his birthday listed on his pedigree and Shalimar's mother gave birth while in the care of the Shelter and so her birthday is listed on her adoption papers.