Clematis Bloom, New Meme and PKR Gets New Job

1. I was blessed with two very mature clematis plants in my backyard when I moved to this house last spring. This flower is from the smaller of the two, and the first to bloom. I can see this bloom out my patio door. I think it is so beautiful.

2. Ponderosa Pinings tagged me for a new meme. Here are my results.


INSTRUCTIONS: Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so:


1) BlondeMomBlog



2) It's A Schmitty Life



3) Life is short, buy the shoes



4) Ponderosa Pinings



5) Silver Valley Stories




Next select five people to tag:



(Sorry, but I'm skipping this part. Join in if you would like. Leave me a comment if you do.)




Answer the following questions:




What were you doing 10 years ago?


I was living in Meridian, Idaho. My children were 6, 2 and 1. I was a stay at home mom who did a little bit of childcare. Besides being a full time teacher at one of Meridian's Alternative High Schools, my husband was the Youth Pastor at our church, and I helped him minister to the middle school and high school youth. I also was very involved in my daughter's school, helping with the PTO group, and volunteering in class. I loved to garden and bake and can food. I loved to write, and helped write our church's newsletter. Life seemed a little slower and simpler then. A different kind of busy I guess.

What were you doing one year ago?

I had just moved into my new house at the end of March, and was still getting settled,

Five snacks you enjoy:

Cheese
crackers
popcorn
pretzels
apples


Five songs that you know all the lyrics to:

Love Will Keep Us Together
Moon River
Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey
Copacabana
My Favorite Things


Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:


Hire a personal financial advisor
Hire a maid
Get out of debt
Save for girl's college tuition
Save for traveling




Five bad habits:


Eating late at night
Sitting too much
Reading the paper first instead of the Bible in the morning
Not planning meals for the week
Forgetting to clean out the litter boxes




Five things you like doing:


Going for a walk each night with my husband
Helping lead worship in church
Praying and reading the Bible and having something new revealed to me
Sitting and talking with my three daughters and laughing at our own private jokes
Spending time with my brother and sister and mom.




Five things you would never wear again:


Cheap, uncomfortable shoes
Big 80's hair
Clothes with big padded shoulders
Leggings
Maternity Clothes





Five favorite toys:


Laptop computer
Espresso machine
Karaoke Machine
Backgammon Board
Digital Camera



3. My husband PKR has been a teacher at alternative high schools since 1991. He worked at Meridian Academy in Meridian, Idaho for 8 years, and has been the director of Silver Valley High School here in Kellogg for 6 years. Well, change is coming. Yesterday, he interviewed for and was offered the job of Drama/Speech and English teacher at Kellogg High School, which he accepted today. He is very excited, and it was fun last night taking our walk, and having him share some of his vision for the drama program at the high school.

Barefoot Tour of My Backyard

I toured my backyard today in my bare feet. Oh, the grass feels good!! So soft and warm. What a beautiful day today.

I wanted to see what progress was happening around the yard. And I wasn't disappointed.


I saw some daffodils about ready to bloom. They have come up among the Bishop's Weed, which will soon take over the flower bed with their green and yellow variegated leaves. Maybe the daffodils will open in time for Easter on Sunday. That would be very appropriate. I love yellow flowers. They are so happy and sunny and give you such a boost. Thank you, Lord, for these beautful flower in my backyard.



There are also some irises coming up among the Bishop's Weed and the holly. I think I may have to dig up my iris bulbs this year and transplant them to a sunnier place. It seems like last summer they didn't bloom very well because they are under the shade of some trees and bushes and didn't get much sun. I'll keep an eye on them this summer and see how they do, and maybe get them in some more sun this fall.

H-m-m. What is this? Some kind of rare white spring bloom? Ah, just a dirty sock found out in the flower bed. My two younger daughters like to jump on the trampoline barefoot, so this is a common occurance once trampoline season comes, finding discarded socks close by that have been forgotten by the jumpers. They have been gone this week for spring break, and just finding that small sock made we wish they were home. I can't wait to see them all tomorrow. I'm getting very lonely.

Here is one of my lavender bushes that is growing in the flower bed next to the house. Lavender is my favorite flower. I can't wait until they bloom. Lavendar does okay here in Kellogg, but when I lived in Meridian, I had so much lavender, because that arid desert is just right for lavender. Oh, I can't wait to see those beautiful purple blooms.



My sister, Inland Empire Girl, planted a flower garden beneath my clematis last spring as a housewarming gift. I see some new growth on some of the perrenials she planted. This garden is full of beautiful blue and purple flowers to match the clematis that watches over it all summer. I can't wait until they all bloom again.




Even my rose bushes are starting to see some growth. This is my "Jessie Rose", because our cat Jessie is buried underneath it. We have three different rose bushes for three cats that we have lost over the years. There is a Lynx rose, and a Mikey rose. This rose garden is a very special place to honor the pets we have loved and lost, and as they bring us beauty each summer, it reminds us of the beauty these friends brought to our lives when they were here.

Ah, the raspberry canes are also beginning to bud. I love to pick raspberries when the berries are warm and juicy and sit and eat them one after another. Picking raspberries and eating them tastes like summer to me. Yum! Yum!

Thanks for joining me on this barefoot tour through my backyard to check out the progress. I'll give you updates from time to time as the garden comes to life so you can check enjoy the beautiful flowers as much as I do. We moved in this house a little over a year ago, and were blessed with a lovely, established yard with beautiful plants, trees, bushes and flowers, as well as bringing some of our own.

My backyard is a very special place, and I look forward to enjoying it and sharing it with you.