COFFEE WITH COFFEE TANK!

Its so good to be having coffee with you all again!

Topics covered so far include (surprise surprise):the middle school, busing, the sale of Jacks, coffee mugs, the traffic circle, camp coniston, skiing, ski racing, the new superintendent, first day of school, the start time changes (YUK!), facebook, alaska, Hillary Clinton's speech, the real estate market, oil prebuy, moving:(, pizza tasting, package delivery and wedding rings, moving locations.

Future topics : landscaping, master plan for town of NL, economy of NL, proctor, bishop brady, accidents at the traffic circle, the xmas yankee swap (I got my present today - it was seredipitous), chillaxing, the latest school board fiasco( I don't know what it is but there will surely be one), the barn playhouse and the rec center conflict (yes most of you heard it here first;), the rec department, the outing club "indoor facility" (we really need to come up with a "devil ray"/"traffic circle" type name for that), iphone, kip and shelley's wedding, oh jeez I also forgot the election!, turning 40 and a middle life crisis plan, all the kids sports, drop in topics, NY times reading assignments, great podcasts, corn, good books, refrigerator replacement.

I am excited to see what evolves to be our "corn" this year.  I think it could potentially be the sale of Jacks, but that may fizzle out quickly.  facebook? 

As you can see we have a lot to talk about so don't miss any days!

Spring Bulb DISPLAY

One of the marketing companies I get info from suggested putting a spring bulb flyer in the August Statement, which just went out.  (Without a flyer because I don't have any yet).  But it is time for all of us to start thinking about our spring displays.  

We have lots to think about, because in addition to our own properties, we have to consider the guerilla garden triangle.  Tulips are out because the deer practically have ownership of that area of town.  Do you think we could plant daffodils deep enough that the salt and stuff wouldn't get them?  And what is a garden without allium?  We have to plant allium to ASSURE we do not get a garden club award next year.  That's my current drug induced theory - its the allium.  It could be you know.  No garden on main street that had allium in it got an award.  If allium pops up in  all the main street gardens next year - that would be a great guerilla gardening feat.  

Here's a website to check out www.springdisplays.com for some ideas(login spring and password displays).  I especially like the tulip "blends" section. 

Now, I lied in the last post because I also feel very strongly about spring bulbs, so you really don't want to get me started on this topic.  You all need them and it needs to be a DISPLAY a la 139 Main.  Thats the dirty girl official company policy.   

Happy planning! 

I promise not to talk about the Iraq war while I am on steriods

Here it is!  The moment we have all been waiting for in this drama : the specialist appointment!  Now in this scene, I go to the doctor who is moved by the horrible plight of my "lost summer".  Like the hero that he is, he says "I know just what is wrong and I will make it all go away with my magic prescription pad".  Then i get a new, great pill that makes everything ALL better.  

Of course, someone forgot to send him MY script. You mean I don't control THIS either???  What exactly am I in control of then? (BTW, as an aside, I apparently am not even in control of my own behavior.  Sir prednisone has taken control of that.  I have been saying ALL of these strong angry things that I really don't mean, with curse words even.  I just want you to know, I REALLY DON"T CARE about any of these subjects I have been angry about.  Really.  I have no strong feelings about anything except the specialist appointment and not controlling everything. REALLY.)

Well, the specialist was the star though.  He was like President Bush(I know, its so disappointing, but I told you I don't control everything). We have a new plan of attack along the lines of "operation iraqi freedom"and "the surge".  Its called operation "resolve/evolve".  In this plan of attack we are still sticking with steriods.  STILL.  Like the war in Iraq, it just has a new name.  In case its not clear we are hoping for "resolve" not "evolve".  

So my new mantra is "resolve".  If you say it in a whispery voice it really can be a mantra.  I would like to just go back to believing I control everything, that mantra worked for a really long time.  But I hear I can't go back, so I am EVOLVING to be RESOLVING.  Sorry I couldn't resist.  At least it made ME laugh.

A Fairy Tale

The dastardly demon, Ra, who has stolen my life force and imprisoned it in his dungeon, succumed to the power of my knights yesterday, long enough for me to reclaim my life force for a trip to le gardin boutanique. My champion, the valiant knight prednisone, fought side by side with the knight naprocin and banished the evil Ra for several hours. During this repreve, Le Roi Lee (as opposed to Leroy) accompanied me to the garden. Yes, that does make me Queen Terri (ah, queen of the earth I believe is the translation), as if you hadn't guessed that at one point I would reveal my true identity.

Le Gardin Boutanique in Montreal is one of the finest botanical gardens I have visited. After Roi Lee and I walked through the rose garden, we arrived at the Chinese Garden (Gardin Chine). The entire garden was built in China and imported by boat and is believed to be the largest chinese garden outside of china. The incredible sacred lotus was in bloom. There were so many interesting plants that it was hard to change focus from the details of the garden to the structural elements which made this huge garden so impressive. My guess is that the chinese garden covered more than an acre and a half.

As we left the chinese garden in search of the japanese garden, we stumbled upon the "flowering feilds". A winding collection of english style borders centered on a small stream which was actually the watering runoff of the alpine garden, the flowering feilds were completely in bloom. The garden was created with a remarkable small palette of plants (for the most part, peonies, bearded iris, lilies, daylily and sedum - all my favorites:) I thought this area of le gardin botanique would be an inspiration for a garden I would like to create in my side yard. I have to get permission from the prince and princess to remove some play space, however.

I was really interested to see the contrast between the Chinese garden and the Japanese garden, but on the way, the feindish demon Ra, returned to fight some more. The knight prednisone was able to keep him at bay for a short visit to the Japanese garden where there was a remarkable contrast in style. The japanese garden was more manicured, more open and a bit more contrived as opposed to naturalistic. Is naturalistic even a word? whatever. The contrast may have been exaggerated, however, because the japanese garden for the most part was a sun garden and the chinese garden was shadier.

The king and i really had a great visit, it was encroyable. Unfortunately, it ended with the trimumph of the evil demon, no happy ending to this fairy tale yet. The good news is that the valant knights were able to reconquer Ra for a long dinner (4 and a half hours -no kidding!) in which the 20.000 courses could have easily fit onto one regular dinnerplate. I wish i had some pictures of that.

I'll post some gardin botanique pictures when we get home - I have some really good ones - so check back!