Okay, so sue me! So I haven't been posting much lately, but there's so much to do these days!

First of all, our weather is really wacky right now. Basically we had nice warm balmy May in April, and now we're having pretty but cool and shower-y April in May! It's been really cool with highs only around the 60's some days, and for my part of the world, we're usually pushing 80 by now.

Then, there's the garden! Everything's so pretty, and I'm still cleaning out flower beds! But the roses have been gorgeous, the foxgloves are just incredible, as are the salvias and veronicas and columbine and dianthus and coreopsis, and on and on. But the star - the real, un-contested star is the one bloom on one of my peonies. This is the first time I've ever gotten a peony to bloom, so I'm really (REALLY!!!) excited. It's pink, a really bright, magenta-ish rosy pink, and it's larger than a teacup saucer and just gorgeous!

As for my back - well, I'm still going to Dr. G, and he's doing a great job, and he says I can paddle when we go camping in about 3 weeks. I'm gonna hold him to it!

And for camping, we are taking the camper to a large coe lake (corp of engineers) campground about 15 miles from here where my mom and I will stay for a few days. She's 76 years old, and she'd rather fish than almost anything, and that's my mother's day gift to her. She can fish, I'm taking books and paints, and will just chill for a few days. I'll bring her back here on Saturday afternoon, hubby will spend Friday night until we come back on Sunday afternoon. Poor baby, he's got to work Thurs. and Friday.

Memorial day weekend will be a stay at home, do yard work, clean out the garage, and entertain neighbors weekend. It'll be nice for hubby to be off for 3 whole days! He works almost every Saturday.

Well, I'm watching TV, and want to read some more. Take care, enjoy yourself, live, love, laugh, and play in the dirt a little! But most of all, be blessed! Hartsdelyt

Hello. I know it's been a while since I wrote, but I just haven't had the time! But I'll catch you up on what's been going on with me lately.

I'm doing great health wise, but I'm going to a great Chiropractor to correct my spine from some longstanding problems. He's doing a great job, and the adjustments are helping my general physical health as well, which is great. For instance, I can walk now without my heart going all wack-o on me and without getting so winded. Apparently the area of my spine he's working on is the part that feeds to the nerves of the heart and lungs, and I can really tell a difference. I'm still having a little pain, but mostly just a little soreness from the adjustments. Hopefully he'll have me back to where I can go paddling by June or July. We'll see!

I've been doing as much yard work as my back will allow. It's really hard not to be out there going full steam ahead like I usually do, but I'm trying to follow doctor's orders. But, I'm really excited about my plants! The David Austin Roses (Graham Thomas, Heritage, William Shakespear and Tess du'ubberville (sp?)) are blooming great, as are Honey Perfume, Glowing Peace, Emerald Mist and the little white climber I can't think of the name of right now. Honey Perfume is rapidly becoming my favorite because the color is so gorgeous and the smell is heavenly. Also, the columbines are still blooming, the violet dusk penstamon is gorgeous, as are the dianthus. Oh! And the foxgloves are opening now, and they are gorgeous mauvey/dusty pink and sooo pretty!

I don't remember if I told you, but I've got a new part time job! Yep, every other Wednesday I'm keeping our next door neighbor's baby boy, Braden. He's such a sweetie!

I've been in a cooking mode this last week, and tonight for dinner we had a traditional, old fashioned southern meal: Pintos soaked overnight, then cooked with a ham bone for flavor for hours on end; mashed potatoes, from real potatoes, not a package; cornbread, from scratch; coleslaw (ditto); cucumber/tomato/onion salad (double ditto); and for dessert, homemade fresh strawberry ice cream! No worries about calories there!!!

Over the weekend we went to Dick's Sporting Goods and bought a really nice canopy with attachable/detachable screen room for when we go camping, and then went to Lowes where my hubby bought me my own little shovel, just right for my little size, a new really dandy pair of pruners for my roses, etc., and a pretty little electric water fountain for our back porch. We have a tiny little screened porch - about 5 x 7 and just big enough for two wicker rockers, a small table with a lamp, a little bench for a place to put my binoculars and bird book and a mosquito candle, and the fountain. It's so nice to sit there and listen to the water trickling and making such a restful sound. I think that's my favorite room in the house!

Well, I guess that's about all the news. Have a great day, and hope to hear from you soon. Be Blessed! Hartsdelyt

First of all, let me apologize. I'm sorry for not posting another message sooner, but, you see, I have some really good reasons!

One of those reasons is that I'm dealing with some back and shoulder problems that have been there for years but I've just ignored them. Bad Idea! I am now going 2 to 3 times a week to a local Chiropractor who is making me all better - eventually. You know sometimes it's got to feel worse before it feels better, but I am feeling a little better day by day. Apparently the increased pain and tingling running down my arms was caused by the problems that had been there for years being aggravated by the paddling of a canoe! I mean REALLY!!! I finally find a healthy hobby and it makes me hurt worse! But I want to get better because I really do love canoeing.

Another reason is that it's here!!! Spring, I mean! I just love this time of year, and go crazy at all the plant stores and nurseries around here. On Friday (after I left the Chiro.) I went to one nursery where I bought some herbs (basil and dill and parsley), some dragon wing begonias, and my trailing vines. I go to this same nursery every year to buy these vines. They are Moon Flowers, Hyacinth Beans, and Heavenly Blue Morning Glories. And I put them anywhere I have a sunny spot with something for them to climb on, and just let them go. My favorite is the morning glories which have literally hundreds of blooms in July, August and on until frost kills them.

Then I came home, dropped those plants off and went to another nursery nearer home where I bought some pretty white trailing things I don't know the name of to plant with the dragon wing begonias in my 2 green urns on the patio. I also got black sweet potato vines, lavender petunias with purple throats, pink impatiens and white sweet alyssum to put in the boxes on my deck rails in back. I also got million bells (fuschia colored) to put in hanging baskets on my front porch, and some zinnias, coleus, lantana and white sweet alyssum to plant in my beds for a little more color.

I also had several other herbs (sage, rosemary and basil) that I'd bought at Lowes on my birthday that needed to be planted.

And I made an executive decision. I have a pretty 4' x 8' herb garden in the back yard, but very little will grow there because it's too shady. So my executive decision was that I'm moving my herbs in with the flowers in my flower beds. Just planting them here and there with flowers and rose bushes. I mean, the main reason I plant dill and parsley anyway is for the butterflies to lay their eggs near so the caterpillars will have a good food source, so why not put them closer to the flowers!!!

Now it's time for the Camellia Cottage tip for the day!

Q - I have a birdbath that I keep filled with clean fresh water for my birdies, are there any other, prettier uses for my birdbath? Bailey Sue, USA

A - Why yes, Bailey Sue, I'm so glad you asked! I have a pretty blue glazed ceramic bird bath with a black metal stand in my rose garden, and a couple of years ago I was wandering through the garden and picked a rose, then wondered why I did that, and dropped it into the water of the birdbath. It lived for a couple of days right there floating in the water, and that gave me an idea! One of my favorite things to do in my rose garden is walk around, enjoying my lovely flowers, and lifting up prayers to God for whoever and whatever is on my heart, so I started picking one flower, or a bunch of tiny ones, and before I finish my prayers and go inside, I floated it in the birdbath as an outward, physical reminder of my prayers. Then, when I cleaned the dying flowers out of the water, I remembered my prayers, lifted them up again, and placed a fresh flower or two in there again. My favorite is to take a lady's mantle (alchemilla mollis sp?) leaf with a rose on top - it looks so much like a water lily! So now, my rose garden is known as my prayer garden as well. I hope you try this some time!

Well, I'd better go outside and plant the rest of those herbs. Have a blessed day, and I'll talk to you later, Hartsdelyt!

We made it back home! As you probably know my hubby, the girls (doggies) and I left on Friday 4/14 for a 9 day 8 night vacation trip to coastal SC. We had a great time, great weather, rested and relaxed a lot, walked the beach a lot, canoed 3 times in uncharted (to us) waters. So, I'll give you a rundown in a nutshell:

Friday 4/14: Left home @ 4:30 am, had safe, rather uneventful trip. The canoe stayed on the camper really well, and we only stopped twice - once for gas and once for food. Got to the state park campground, then our campsite and found the pull through site really was a pull through, but if you pulled it through in the direction of the one way road, your door was facing the road and no privacy. Not to mention the hook-ups were on the wrong side if you pulled in that way. So, hubby made a great job of backing the camper (with canoe on top of it) around and backing it into the campsite the way it should have gone. We got the camper put up, had quick chili dogs for dinner, and took the girls for their first walk on the beach. I think they liked it!

Saturday: Up early, walked the beach for what seemed like hours, lazed around a lot, went to a local mom and pop fresh shrimp place and bought 1 lb of shrimp for dinner. Had grilled steaks and fried shrimp, fried potatoes and onion rings for dinner - yummm!

Sunday 4/16 - Easter: Up early, quick cup of coffee and then out on the beach. What a glorious way to spend Easter morning!!! Praising God for His Son, Praising His Son for giving Himself so I can have salvation and live eternally in heaven with Him; singing He Lives! and the doxology from the top of my heart!!! Can't get much better than that!!! Then we got ready and headed to Bluffton/Hilton Head in search of a charger for my digital camera battery. That's the only thing I forgot to take!!! But, it was Easter and EVERYTHING was closed!

Monday: Canoed the lagoon, just as the tide was coming in - incredible! Went to Beaufort looking for charger - nada! Then were lazy rest of day - partly because we had thunder storms and rain, but they cooled the weather off and got rid of the bugs! And it was the only rainy day of the whole trip.

Tuesday: Walked the beach, drove to Charleston, found charger @ Batteries Plus in North Charleston - ptl!!! Went downtown, walked for miles in old historic area, shopped a little, stopped at Barbara Jeans for dinner on the way in, nice day!

Wednesday: Took the canoe out to the state park boat ramp at Fripp Inlet, put her in, canoed a good way into the marshes on Johnson Creek (I think) then back into Fripp Inlet (big mistake) where we paddled almost across the inlet, saw a bunch of dolphins frolicking in the waves, then started paddling back. Problem - the tide was coming in and the wind was strong, and we thought we never would get back to the dock. But we did, and had a blast!!!

Thursday: Drove down to Savannah, walked around, shopped around, went by Lady and Sons (Paula Deen's restaurant) and asked about wait time; it was 11:20 am and we couldn't get a table until 2:45 pm - HAH!!! We had a very nice lunch at B & D Burgers on Broughton St., shopped around some more and headed back. Another nice day.

Friday: Walked on beach for hours again. Took canoe back out into Johnson Creek. Pretty lazy. Watched the deer, and actually fed a couple lettuce from my hands - cool! Pretty laid back because we knew tomorrow was pack and go home day.

Saturday: Packed up, left @ 11:00 am, stopped at Cracker Barrel on way home, got home @ 7:00, talked to neighbors and saw their new baby for first time - he's gorgeous! Collapsed into bed, exhausted.

Sunday 4/23: My birthday - # 54. Slept late, got up and lazed around, got camper in the garage, went to Lowes and bought herb plants, flower bulbs and seeds. Hubby took me to Ninja for Japanese food for my birthday. Pleasant day!

Monday: Laundry. Loads and loads and loads of LAUNDRY!!! I did 6 loads yesterday, and have 5 more for today. But! in the meantime I worked in the yard. Cleaned out the bed at mailbox, moved some purple verbena to that bed, planted some gladioli bulbs and 4 o'clock, cypress vine and snow in summer seeds in that bed. Then I started clearing the bed in front of the front porch, got it cleaned out, divided a few perennials, planed some dahlia tubers, hollyhock, larkspur, johnny jump up and snow in summer seeds in that bed. Oh! and planted a bleeding heart plant there, too!

Tuesday, today: Read yesterday's comment and duplicate - more of the same!

Have a great day - be blessed! Hartsdelyt

Sorry for no news the last couple of days. I've been busy doing laundry and packing everything back into the camper. Tomorrow it's errand day, and then Thursday it's pack her up and hook her up and go to bed early, cause we leave at "dark thirty" on Friday morning.

So, I doubt if you'll hear any more from me until after April 22nd. (btw, the 23rd is my birthday -- yippee!!!)

Anyway, this is to wish you a blessed and joyous Easter, with hearts light with the knowledge of Jesus gift - His life for ours!!! Be blessed, Hartsdelyt