Our Garden in 2008

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This year we were able to begin refining our garden. We added things to look at and experience. It's been fun to see plants bloom again that were put in pots last year and eventually faded as summer moved into fall . I was hoping that the perennials would come back and they did!! It only took a few flowers to fill in here and there.

I was able to get the little benches for the grandchildren to sit on and enjoy the garden at Ross and they didn't cost that much but adds lots to the garden. I found a beautiful old iron table and chairs at a garage sale for $20.00, which was such a great find. I finally got to use the old french door panel that was sitting in the garage for years. Planted around it is a passion vine that is filling quite nicely. Oh yeah.....the house finally got painted! YEAH!!!

Next year will bring new things........Let the planning begin!

Dave and I had such a nice day today. We took a ride out to Monterey and to Carmel. It was overcast when we arrived, but cleared as the day progressed. The smell of the ocean always revitalizes me. There is something cleansing about the sea air. After we took a long walk in the sand, stopping to watch the surfers in the water trying to catch that perfect wave and the dogs running up and down the beach, it was time to get back into the car to continue our journey. There is a serenity in that area that I don't feel in San Jose. I can see why people are drawn there, especially to live. But alas, it's too rich for my pittance of an income. We drove into the neighborhood that wove around the coastline there and happened upon a couple of garage sales. I found a few little treasures that I'll be using in some of my craft/art projects. As we were trying to find our way back to the main road we took a side street that began to look familiar. We giggled when we realized that we had made a big circle and ended back in town. We decided to walk some more and try and to find our favorite shops. There was one that we had visited before that carries unusual, fun garden accessories. I discovered another shop today named Piccolo that reminded me of the boutique I used to work in several years ago. They carry an eclectic mix of candles, paper, lotions/perfumes, objects d'art, and of course jewelry. I could have spent hours in there just taking in every little detail of the store. I bought a couple of special things for my Eiffel Tower/Paris collection (to be used in my positive altar). With stomachs telling us we were getting hungry, we stopped at the local market and picked up lunch and drove back to a spot where we could sit in the car and still see the water and eat our lunch. By then it was time to make our way back home. I'll be back again soon!

The wonders in the garden

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Isn't nature grand. My husband and I were in the back yard picking tomatoes from the garden. I stepped back and noticed that the high grass (weeds really) was moving. I thought that it was a lizard, which are prolific in the backyard. I noticed that it was a praying mantis. I hadn't seen one in our back yard....ever. It was such a nice surprise. I ran to get my camera and came back to find my husband holding it in his hand talking to it about eating all of the bad bugs in the garden and that he was welcome to stay as long as there was food for him to eat.

Family fun at the park

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Our daughter Juli called this morning and asked if we were game to heading off to the park for a picnic. We figured that were didn't really have much to do, so we gathered up the cooler, lawn chairs and of course Libby and headed off.

It was a gorgeous and anytime that I get to spend with any of the grandkids makes it a special day.

Gabi was such kick today. She is growing so big and is beginning to be understood and if she can't figure out how to say the words, she certainly knows how to make her self understood.

We spent the day in the shade of a beautiful oak tree. Gabi and I played with bubbles, her ball and we took Libby for a walk.

Memorial

I probably shouldn't start out my blog with such sad news, but I wanted to set up a memorial section for a very important being that left my life on August 1, 2008. His name was Jack (Jack dog, Jackson, Jackster, Jack be Nimble, Jack in the Box, Jack A Roni) you name it, we loved him. He entered our life when he was about 4 months old. We had just lost our two other dogs named Brandy and Bear earlier in the year and I swore there would be no more. Brandy was about 15 and Bear was about 13 years of age. They shared our lives for a good long time. I didn't want to go through the heartache of losing another pet so I decided I wouldn't adopt another dog.

My husband and I had traveled to Hawaii for a niece's wedding. Upon our return, our son met us at the door and said he had a surprise for us....knowing David, that could mean anything. So I braced myself. I was lead outside to the back yard and there on the deck stood the cutest little brown puppy with the most beautiful eyes. The minute I laid eyes on him, he stole my heart. My son said that he was going to keep him and when he moved out he would take him with him. Well the fact of the matter was, at 20 years old, moving out to a first apartment, much less finding an apartment that would allow pets, how was he going to take care of a dog!! I decided then and there that I would take responsibility for Jack.

Jack became my companion when I owned an antique store. He was the official greeter. I had a set of dutch doors at the front of the shop. People knew that when the bottom door was shut Jack was in the building. Many people would come by just to say hi to Jack. He became well known in the little town that we had our business in.

Jack was a "purebred" mix. He was part lab and part pitbull (some say he almost looked part rhodesian ridgeback). He was best natured dog. He was very patient, even when the grandkids started popping up in the family. They were curious about this 100 pound dog laying around in their midst. They would crawl up on him, pull his ears, lift his lips to see his teeth, grab his tags, use him as a step stool to get up on the couch. He didn't flinch when they were near. His favorite place was under the table so he could catch the crumbs as they fell; talk about a good vacuum cleaner.

He loved our fruit trees. We could always tell when the figs and apricots were ripe when Jack would spend lots of time under the trees or up on his hind legs with his head in the branches. He would pick the first fruits and eat them, careful not to eat the pit.

Jack lived for 9 years. With a pain in my heart on August 1, 2008, I had to let him go. We miss him so much. I know that he is in a place where all endeared pets who have preceded him go. He is there with Bear, Brandy, Madison, Sheba and Charlie. He is running free and without pain, until we are reunited again.