Getting in Shape

i was afraid i'd have to forgo gardening this spring because of my hip surgery, but the flower beds look better than they ever have. thank you, Lord.
some then and now shots....

 april 5

may 13

i love these pink diascia. they are considered perennials in the south, but not here. however, we had such a mild winter this year that they came up by themselves this spring.

before weeding and cleaning...

and after.

this one has a long way to go, but it's a start.

some of the other beds...

more to come. sorry.

Birds of a Feather

for anyone who knows me or reads my blog, it comes as no surprise that i love birds. i invested in a good tube feeder. (don't go cheap...squirrels can chew straight through the $4.99 plastic ones. don't ask me how i know.)
our feeder sometimes has as many as 10-12 goldfinches flitting back and forth. i love these bright, happy little creatures. 

all the following were shot by my daughter, erin.  she was sitting closer to the feeder and grabbed my camera.
  

 

although they're not quite as clear, i'm pleased with how well these next photos turned out. it was nearing dusk and i was using my zoom lens.

a pretty little house finch.

this red bellied woodpecker is a frequent visitor. 

  

"in all things of nature there is something of the marvelous."

aristotle

 

"Are You Going To Scarborough Fair?"

"parsley...

sage, rosemary....

and thyme...

remember me to one who lives there, for he once was a true love of mine."

do you sing to your plants? you really should, you know.

It's All My Fault

i admit it, i did it, i killed my tree. i didn't mean to, but i'm the one that planted the ivy. i'm the one who let it get out of control. i'm the one who didn't stop it soon enough. but it climbed the tree and choked it to death. on april 17th, we put it out of it's misery before we had a tree limb fall on the house or worse, on someone. 

it was already oddly shaped because we had lost a large limb years ago (pre-ivy) in a wind storm. 
 

i kept apologizing to it as i watched the tree guy at work.
 

look out below!!!
 

my husband had a lot of wood to cut up and haul.
 

we made the choice to keep this much of the tree for several reasons. it still provides a good bit of shade and a privacy block from the road. and a big reason for me... it is a huge sanctuary for birds. i'd like to know how many nests and families are in this thing. sometimes the amount of bird sounds coming from it is amazing. 

 it's kind of a large, natural high-rise aviary apartment complex.  :)

Where There's a Will....

the only thing that bothered me about the timing of my hip replacement surgery, was that i wouldn't be able to work on my flower beds. the main post surgery rule:  no 90 degree or greater bending of the hip. that meant no bending over and pulling weeds. 
i was sitting on my patio one day contemplating this. there had to be a way. i joked with my husband about the scene from the movie "honey, i shrunk the kids" where the dad rigged up a sling for himself, on a long arm that suspended him over the yard so he could look for his children with risking stepping on them. i asked gary if he could rig up such a contraption for me to weed. we laughed. 
but that got me to thinking. could i lay on something and weed? and i spied this little darlin'. 

it's nothing fancy and sorely needs a coat of paint, but this has become my most valuable gardening tool.  it is very solid and strong, and the perfect size and height to support my torso with my legs straight out behind me resting on the ground. i can lay comfortably and dig with my hand shovel and pull weeds to my heart's content. okay, you can stop laughing now. i'm serious. i'll probably weed like this for the rest of my life. it's much easier than bending over, it doesn't hurt the back. it's better than kneeling, no knee pain. i can weed for a longer period of time without getting tired. it allowed me to do this, three weeks after hip surgery, with no ill effects. 

 

okay, i might look a little funny in action, but you know, i don't care. :)

A New Coat For Spring

as i was recuperating monday with a new hip, our barn got a new coat of paint. she was starting to look a little shabby.

i dearly love barns and feel my husband and i have been entrusted with a piece of americana. i caught the tail end of a special on barns on public television the other day. hope i can see the entire program sometime. 

there is a gentleman who travels around the country and paints barns, carrying on the business after his father. he and his workers were here yesterday giving our girl a face lift. 

doesn't she look pretty now!

Back, With a Spring In My Step

okay, maybe not a spring in my step yet, but with the potential of a spring. it has been an interesting year. a good one, too. but for the last couple years i have been more and more limited in what i can do because of arthritis in my left hip and right knee. when my orthopedic doctor looked at my x-rays he just shook his head. long story short, on tuesday march 6th i had a total hip replacement. and does it sound weird to say it has been a wonderful experience?  God is awesome. He has blessed me so amazingly...i can't begin to thank Him enough for His goodness.

 my daughter erin brought these beauties to me in the hospital and gave me a day at home, cleaning, working in my flower beds and cooking us dinner.

my many blessings include my husband and family, my dear friends, my church family and a terrific doctor and medical staff. everyone has been wonderful and has taken such good care of me. they've given up days to be with me, cooked and cleaned, run errands and....most importantly...prayed. 

 the andersons stopped in to see me and brought these beautiful carnations. i teach piano and voice to three of their six children and just love them. 

i feel great and have had very little pain. i could not ask for more. and on top of that, we've had the most glorious weather. i could go outside and bask in the sunlight every day. 
those that know me well, know of my love for flowers and have kept me surrounded with beauty. all the flowers in the photos have been from family and friends. 

 my sister jan brought this gorgeous basket to me in the hospital and then spent a day with me later at home, helping out and cooking us a delicious dinner.

my dear friends, goldie, ronda, and lois sent me these stunning lilies and iris. oh, they smell so good!

bill and birgitt, a special couple from church, sent these beautiful tulips.

my mom gave me a day, baking a cake and an apple pie, bringing soup...yum...and doing all those extra things a wonderful mom does. she's amazing.  my daughter andrea gave me a day before my surgery to spring clean my bedroom, which was a long overdue, huge job. i was so grateful. she also brought me home from the hospital and spent the rest of the day helping out, making lasagna for dinner.

four families in my church provided us with meals which were so abundant in amount that they translated into at least eight meals.

my cup truly runneth over. thank you, everyone!

i'm hoping that i will now be able to do more and be a little bit more like the old deb and get some things done. there are a lot of projects around here that have been put off for some time.

oh, and there's that wedding in july that i will now be able to walk and not hobble down the aisle for.