The Garden Blogging community is a generous and creative lot! Garden Blog pal, Kimberly at
Garden in Paradise (10 Things) invited me to share "10 Things" I like, on my blog. Soooooo ... here goes, in
no particular order:
Inspired by today's incredible weather, the 1st thing that comes to mind:
1)
Morning coffee & a quiet read on a Sunday morning!
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2005 - Sunday morning on the deck |
Nothing makes me happier then starting my Sunday morning communing with the 'flora and fauna' - whether it was sitting on my deck (in the picture above) or now, in my 3-Season room with all the windows open! Someday in the future, there will also be a paver patio just outside the door of the 3-Season room - so I have 'choices'!
(
Conversely - when the neighbors get the 'power tools', like leaf blowers,
out on Sunday morning - I want to say 'Have you ever heard of the "Day of Rest"?' ...and in my mind - I use a lot of colorful explicatives.)
2)
Hanging out with my husband and kids - enjoying the young adults the kids have become, and listening to their perspective on things.
|
Back when they were little... |
3)
"Girls' Night Out!" or
"Girls' Road Trip"
|
Night on Beale Street - Memphis, TN |
Nothing says "havin' a blast" like getting out for a night or a long weekend with 'The Girls'! A few years ago, we loaded up the truck and headed down to Memphis, Tennessee - to visit
Elvis at
Graceland and sing the
Memphis "Blues" on
Beale Street.
4)
Cranking the tunes on my iPod!
I
L-O-V-E, love music - and have a quite diverse music library. Depending on my mood, I listen to anything from classic rock to classic Bach! But I am especially dangerous when I'm driving!! I love to crank the tunes when I'm in my truck .... usually some serious rock n roll (Zepplin to POD) !! I'm also a iPod "playlist" queen (ask my friends) -- I've become the De facto DJ for all social events, and I'm '
ok' with this.
5)
Photography! ... it never gets old...
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Indian Rocks Beach, FL 2010 - "In the rain" |
It started with a Minolta SLR back in 1982 (yep,
that long ago!) and evolved to my current digital Canon Rebel XT (a generous anniversary gift from my hubby in 2006). Thank goodness for inexpensive electronic file storage, because I run amok when it comes to taking pictures - then sort it out after the fact!
6)
Hanging out with my extended family!
|
We're like 'cats n dogs' getting loud n rowdy! |
Whether it's with my brothers and sister, or extended out to our cousins, etc. - we are loud n rowdy! There is always animated conversation, laughter and an ice cold beer or two.... Sometimes we sound more like 'cats & dogs' wrestling, but it's always lively!
7)
Road trip - the "
Clark Griswold" drive out to Estes Park, CO
|
Rocky Mt National Park - Estes Park, CO |
If you can't be home for Christmas, then 'Christmas in the Rockies' is an amazing alternative. On a semi-regular basis, we pilgrimage to
Estes Park, CO to meet up with extended family. It's a driving vacation, so you can decompress from work - and after the 2nd day in the car - be
eternally grateful to reach in the mountains!
8)
"Big Boy Toys" ......... 4wd trucks, motor-cycles and high-performance cars
|
My 1st truck - 4wd Ford Bronco (351 h.o.) |
No joke! I love driving stick-shift ... motor-cycles ... and big ol' trucks. I have had quite a variety of vehicles in 'my youth' and enjoyed them all. I'm a little more reserved these days, but I still get whiplash looking at a brand new, tricked out pick-up (like a F-150 SVT Raptor) or a hot bike (like a 2011 Harley Fat Boy LO).
9)
The change of seasons! (really!!)
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Sunburst Locus - on a Sunny Sunday in October 2010 |
|
A warm breath of wind & sun in October 2010 |
|
Mums & Smoke Bush in the front garden - October 2010 |
As the leaves on the Sunburst Locus rain down on us right now, I have to say I just love the change of seasons in Zone 5! Even the snow in winter is picturesque - though I will be the first to admit the month of February seems about
90 days long (for the shortest month of the year)!
10)
Garden Blogging! Reading (fellow garden bloggers) and writing....
|
What a difference a year or two can make.... |
As I mentioned in an earlier
post, the Blogosphere and garden blogging has been very, very good to me! I have learned more and met some of the most amazing people in the garden blog community than I could have ever imagined. I am forever amazed, impressed and amused by the talent out in the virtual world! I hope anyone that stops by my humble little corner of the world enjoys the visit(s) and takes advantage of the garden talent that is linked on my home page.
Now, for the final task of this
meme - inviting 10 garden bloggers to participate (in random order). As my friend Kimberly so eloquently put it - I hope the invitees participate, but I certainly understand if you already have or choose not to. There are fascinating gardeners out there, and I look forward to what is on their list..... I love that this list is 'global' !!!!
Wall Flower Studio (CAN)
Crystal Coast Gardener (US - NC)
My Dry Tropics Garden (AUS)
Gippsland Gardener (AUS)
The Idiot Gardener (UK)
Dung Hoe (US - CO)
Dakota Garden (US - ND)
The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener (US - NJ)
Elephant's Eye (AFR)
This Grandmother's Garden (US - UT)
The 'rules' are very basic:
1) Post the person that invited you
2) List the "10 Things" you like/like to do
3) Invite 10 bloggers to participate