Crayons

This morning I received an email ad from Behr with a coupon for money off on paint. I love the Behr site http://www.behr.com because they have a tool that lets you play around with colors, adding them to walls, trim, etc. You can select the type of room you want to "paint" and then just start experimenting. I love how colors, and playing with color, can affect my mood. Even if I'm not in the market for paint, I find myself taking the time to "paint" and look at different colors.

I think I have always been drawn to this visual playtime. I can remember loving crayons and coloring books as a child. And, as a parent, I think I got as much delight - if not more - in buying new crayons and coloring books for my kids. Even the smell of crayons makes me feel good. How great was it when you had a brand new box of Crayola - that big triple decker box. I would pull out each crayon, one at a time, look at it, try it out on a piece of paper, and then carefully slip it back into its place in the box. Then I would pull out the next crayon, and do the same thing. If I especially liked a particular color, I would hold off from using it so that it would keep its perfect pointed shape - no rub marks melting it down. When a crayon broke in half, I loved to peel the label off and just feel its cylindrical smoothness, put it to my nose and take an big wiff. Such a simple little piece of wax could entertain me for hours. When I got older, I tried using colored pencils - but they were never the same. They were too hard, and I could never get the colors to be rich and thick on a page.

Yep, crayons, coloring books, and Spring. For me, they are connected because the world goes from drab to beautiful. I think I'll treat myself to box of crayons and a coloring book today - if for no other reason then to just sit with a new box and smell the memories of my childhood...

My Spring Garden

There's nothing so lovely as the anticipation of the Spring garden. It's the way nature teases with bright sun and warm days, followed by a bout of snow, and sprinkled with a cold rain. And yet, each day, as I inspect my garden, I see the hint and the hope of something green, something breaking through the hard earth ever so slightly and slowly. Right now, I can tell that the lavender has made it through the winter, but the rosemary was dead and had to be pulled out and discarded. I can see the beginning of ground cover below the barren Golden Chain tree, and tiny buds on the little lilac bush.

My neighbor has crocuses - yellow, white, and purple - near her garage. Every year those crocuses announce the official "opening day" for the gardener in me. Soon, the copper planter will be put back into the wrought iron window box, and I'll be adding new, rich soil. I'll start wandering around garden stores and will insist on buying something - because I can never walk away without even the smallest garden item.

In the past year I have fallen in love with gazing balls. I have a small blue iridescent one, and a glass red one that I picked up at the Corn Hill Festival last summer. I would like one of those big gazing balls, but my garden is too small. Perhaps I'll get one for the grave site - along with some chimes. The graves could use something new and fun.

I have plans for the back as well - beyond my own property - on the other side of the fence that borders our place from the carriage house. I'll add more of Jonny's bamboo, and will plant a little shrub or two. I am really hoping that the saplings I trimmed last year will bloom wide and tall. It will be so nice to have foliage privacy.

I am most anticipating the grape vine that I planted late last summer. I hope it made it through the winter and can be encouraged to climb the trellis! Grapes will add to the memory of family gardeners no longer feeling the soil of earth - my Grandpa Barbato (Fig trees), my Grandpa Carl (roses), my dad (gladiolas, snap dragons, and pachasandra), and my brother, Jon (bamboo, lobelia, geraniums, and more, and Ron's grandma - lilies - lots of lilies!

One of the best gifts of my heritage is the love of gardening. And this summer, I get to work in my daughter and son-in-laws San Diego garden! I'm so excited. I'll be able to play with plants that cannot be grown in the East.

Yep, it's a great time of year. Stay tuned for updates and pictures....

Hillary Fatigue

I think, like Hillary, I have found my voice - and right now my voice is telling Hillary to stop with the nastiness. If she wants to stay in the race - fine - but stick to the issues and stop being the spoiled kid in the schoolyard that has to have her way. And, while you're at it, tell Bill to go back to helping people in Africa and other places where he can once again be a great ex-president. Acting like Hillary's older brother with the smart mouth is just not attractive.

There was a time when I adored Hillary and was a passionate supporter, but I really don't like this selfish side of her. She was a woman that I once respected, but her actions and words are a true turn off.

If I could live out a fantasy, I would recreate that scene from "Moonstruck" when Cher's character hauls off and slaps the face of the Nicholas Cage character and shouts "GET OVER IT!" - only it would be me slapping Hillary.

Really Girl, stay in the Senate. You will effect change for many years to come in the Senate. What's 4 miserable years as president. Do you really want to age that rapidly? Gosh, if the guys look 10 years older, what would 4 years in the White House do to a woman's face - yuck!

I'm not asking you to do the ironing or bake cookies. Be your strong, smart, powerful, amazing self. Just don't do it as this witchy, conniving primary candidate. If you insist on "staying the course" for the next couple months, tone it down. We're all so sick of you already....