Where to begin ~

 

 

 

I had the loveliest Thanksgiving and the next day my Sister came to spend the week with me, so all Christmas decorating was put on hold while we had fun: Shopping, movies, museums and eating out, plus lots of visiting and laughing!

 

Yesterday after I took her to the airport I came home, put away all of the fall decor, and lugged up the containers of Christmas decorations from the basement I wondered...just where to begin.

 

 

 

 

With Miss Twiggley still in her kitten stage I have decided that this will be the Christmas that, less is more. But I have so many cute things and in order to decide what to use everything had to come out.

 

 

 Now what should I go with....hummm, Santas, sparkly garlands? Definitely my Merry Christmas sign in the kitchen window

...and this magnolia garland looks great on the mantle...

 

 A candy shop always is fun in the kitchen and a good excuse to use cloches...

 

A little sled full of packages would be great in the entry hall...but where could I put all of the snowmen, they are very cute too and what says Christmas better than Santas.

 

 It would be a shame not to hang this wreath in the family room...and so it goes. But I still don't quite know where to begin!

 

Thank you for visiting. I hope that your holiday decorating is going well...perhaps unlike me you are already done!

 

 

 

Traditions ~

 

 

Thanksgiving dinner is at Rose Arbors, everyone will be here: my children and grandchildren.  Last Thanksgiving my oldest grandson Samuel was away with the marines, but this year he is home, back at college and will be joining us ~ what a joy it will be to see them all together gathered around the table to celebrate this feast of thankfulness and plently.

 

 

 

As I began to prepare the food today I thought of the iconic dishes we will be eating and how this is a dinner that doesn't allow for many diviations. Oh sure, it is fun to try a new recipe or two but the menu largely remains the same. And one of those dishes that would be missed is the very trite, but really yummy Green Bean Casserole. The first time I ever ate it was at my then future mother-in-law's house, the remarable Lola Philp: cook extrodinaire, artist, seamstress, with inexhaustible enery and a zest for living.  Many of these traits were passed on to her son who became my wonderful husband and partner in life. Since then, I cannot remember a Thanksgiving dinner without this dish, and I have always served it in a pyrex cassorole given to me one Christmas by the self same mother-in-law. 

 

As I gathered together the ingrediants, it came to me that food is much more than simple nourishment but also envokes memories of the people we sit down to eat with, past and present and how these simple acts make up the traditions that bind us and enrich our lives.

 

 

So I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with family and friends, emjoying old traditions and creating new ones.

 

Bon Appetite!

 

Le Dernier Des Roses ~

 

 

It seems rather strange to be featuring a post on roses just a week before Thanksgiving but a couple of days ago I went out into the garden and picked a sampling of some of the roses that are blooming here now.

 

 

This will be the last bloom cycle before I prune the bushes back in January and as you can see it is almost...

 

...as if they are trying to out do themselves.

 

Maybe it is the cooler light or the fact that these are the last of the last, but they are unusually beautiful.

 

 Just about all of my roses are what is referred to as 'antique roses' with a few David Austin roses mixed in. I am particularly fond of old fashion tea roses, they do well here and I like the softer look both in the form of the bush and the bloom.

 

 

 

For the past few years I haven't put in any new roses and in fact took quite a few out, but this year I have decided to plant some additional bushes and I am keeping myself entertained making my selections.  I will order most of them from The Antique Rose Emporium.There are many, many plants I like but roses are my favorite: that is why I thought the perfect name for my house was Rose Arbors.

 

I hope you have a blooming, beautiful day!

 

Thank you for visiting.

 

This post has been linked to: http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/, http://maleviksrosentradgard.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

Un Peu De Beauté Pour la Journée

Oh, the beautiful glories of Autumn!

 

Liquidamber trees bring wonderful fall color to our warm Southern California gardens. They are also used as street trees and you can imagine how amazing that looks. This one shades a little sitting area along my driveway. Every year I look forward to this display, when like a lovely lady it puts on it jewels to come to the party and I can sit at my computer and gaze out on it.

 

 

 

 The world is filled with so much beauty; we are very lucky.

 

Thank you for visiting, I hope you have a wonderful day. Come back soon.

Plaisirs Simples ~ Bulbs

 

 Oh dear...it's almost too late!

 

After a very busy past few weeks filled with necessary obligations I realized that it was getting woefully late to plant fall bulbs.  Here in my warm Southern California garden they optimally should be planted in September, and here it is the first week in November!

 

 

 

So I made a determined effort that they would all be planted this weekend. 

 

 

 

 Bulbs that need winter chill don't do well for us,but daffodils, freesias, lilies, spraraxis and many other spring blooming bulbs not only do well but naturalize

 

So if I want additional beauty in my garden this spring like these glorious

lilies...

 

I needed to get busy!!!

 

 

 ...and I am happy to report that by this evening the basket you see below is now empty and I can sit back, relax, and look forward to spring when all of this beauty will be revealed.

 

 

I hope that you have had a chance to tuck a few new bulbs in your garden this year.

 

Thank you for visiting.