echoes of the past

I have always believed that Mrs. Council's ghost is with me because of the yard full of flowers she left for me to enjoy. I added to her collections from the yards of everybody and their cousin so that there's something blooming all the time. Once a Stepfordesque wife who made the hubby haul dirt and help plant annuals, I soon learned that perennial is the way to go. There is nothing more beautiful than a free form landscape with a little bit of everything in view. Right now I have blooming forsythia and whatever those little white flowers are. I think ice got the quince buds because it's already leafed out. Lots of buttercups and more on the way. The day of the first asparagus spear you'll hear me scream from pecan lane.

The puppies are still snuggled in the dirt and won't be out for at least another week or so no matter how many times I go out there in the horse poop with a flashlight. So, I think I'll pass because the warm days invite mr. snake to be out and about. He better not bother those babies or Ryder will tear his head off.

Another plane crash but no ISIS or credible Republicans so there's that to enjoy about a slow news day. The most significant piece that I read today was about Roundup as a carcinogen and when you consider how many brazillion gallons of that gets sprayed, it's a wonder anybody is still living. That is why there are cancer clusters in areas that are heavily farmed. Monsanto is the devil when it comes to organic farming. While I understand that it's imperative to keep beetles off the cotton and out of the beans maybe we should consider the commodity being grown. Crops grown for human food are much helpful and would fetch a much higher price but one that people would pay. That is, after the EBT/minimum wage thing is addressed. See...I've always been a dreamer and won't stop now. Teach a woman to farm and she'll eat forever.

Once my husband heard this huge racket up in our attic in the middle of the night and went stumbling up there with a damned rifle to protect our little fam. It was probably a squirrel..or maybe Mrs. Council digging through her past. He was a famous horseman and lived here alone for ten years after her death. Can you say "filthy?". Oh my gawd..it took six months to clean it out. There was paint and wallpaper and daddy and me had a ball. He would spend long winter days up here while I was at work and I'd drop by at lunch for a look see. BG was a toddler so she spent a lot of time with them after they retired. Where has the time gone?

It went is all I can say, and most of it I have enjoyed. That's not to say that there haven't been hills and valleys but for the most part I've been blessed. During the time when I was most pitiful several friends told me in no uncertain terms that I was "losing it" and to get a grip. And you know what? They were right and true friends to tell me that because I was. When you truly care for someone outside of what they can do for you, it is genuine and requires courage.

Time to get off on the colors. There will be pictures at 11 ^j^