You are invited to the DBE Home and Garden Tour and Tea, April 5 at my house

Home & Garden Tour

 Presented by

 The Union Jack Chapter

of

The Daughters of The British Empire

        Date:                             April 5, 2014

        Time:                               10am-2pm

        Place:                        1827 E. Marshall Ave 

                         (north   of Missouri  access from 18^th Street)

         Phoenix, AZ 85016

Great ideas for your garden and hanging plants for sale

Hanging containers made of wallpaper samples

Some of the many succulents for sale

Some of the color to catch your eye

 We have been getting ready for the Home and Garden Tour and Tea.  We have baked many, many scones (apple, blueberry, raisin, current) and have divided and thinned many of our plants and potted them for sale.  It has been a busy time for our little group of the Daughters of the British Empire.  I have been gardening to get everything in tip top shape and it has been fun for me because I love to see things grow.  I am also in the middle of harvesting my oranges now, so am busy picking and juicing, also storing some juice away for the heat of summer.  I am blessed to live in an old citrus grove to make this possible.  Harvesting and processing fruits and veggies were a big part of my childhood.  We had friends who had many, many oranges so we would pick, juice and put the juice away for a hot summer day.  On hot days Mom would let us open the freezer chest and get out some frozen juice.  We would eat it as orange slushy with a spoon.  It was quite a treat and continues to be a favorite for me to this day. I hope all of you who live in the Phoenix can come! 

 

The west side of my back patio today

    

Statis flowers with oranges in background

     $10 entrance includes Art & Garden Tour, Tea and Scones

Raffle – includes original Watercolors by Elaine Shearer

 Homemade sausage rolls, scones, tea cozies, & cards for sale

  Master Gardener in attendance & Plants for sale     

Home is filled with beautiful art work

                        This fund raiser provides funds for The British Home in California and for a local charity

selected each year by the Union Jack Chapter=

Flowers of the Mother of Millions succulent

Onion flowers, a bulb that came the Orcutt family

White iris from my neighbor Mitzi

Snow peas,  seeds from the Sing family in South Phoenix.  I got the original seeds from them in the 1970s

I think this rose is called  Lovers Lane

Nasturiums and flowers from unnamed succulent someone gave me

My back patio a few years ago.  My how that palo verde has grown!

My favorite rose, Rio Samba is in full bloom

Happy New Year, Mom's 90th Birthday Party and other 2013 activities

Family group here for Mom's 90th Birthday

Today is Jan 1, 2014.  Happy New Year!  I hope this year brings you all joy and happiness. OK,  I haven't written in a long time. My excuses are party planning, work, babysitting and dating.  Mom turned 90 on July 14.  We had a big party for her in the fellowship hall at First United Methodist Church in August.   I was busy planning Mom's 90th Birthday party, then family came into town from all over.  Her party was a great success and a good time was had by all.  Out of towners were Jacki and Larry, Diane, Kelsea, Philip, Romey, Archer and Beckett, Noel and Sean and the girls (Bailey, Aubree and Airah), Dick Ayraud (next to Mom), Gayle and Bill Kerfoot (standing in back next to Ryan). It was wonderful that my cousin Gayle and Bill could come with Dickie.   I had just started dating a man (Gary) and so invited him to the celebrations.  He is behind my head in the Hawaiian shirt.  Roger Patterson lives in town (black shirt next to Jacki). He is a family friend, having known Diane way back in the ice ages.  Standing in the back row are Javier, Niko, Maceo, Nathan, Larry, Bailey, Sean, Paul, Ryan, Gayle, and Bill. Middle row are Jacki, Roger, Gary, Dick, Mom, Diane, Aubree, Noel, Addie and Philip.  Front row you see me (Carol), Airah, Romey, Jules, Faye, Kelsea and Archer. 

Dick Ayraud and Mom

Mom talking to her brother Laurie (95years) in Australia.  Also on Skype were Geoff and Annie West (my OZ cousins)

Mom holding little Beckett (Kelsea and Philip's youngest)

Mom, Diane and Elsie Melgaard who Mom and Dad met about 1950 when they ran out of gas in front of their house on New Years Eve in South Phoenix.  Elsie is a young 97 year old!

Dorothy Romey (standing who is Larry's Mom) also came into town from Strawberry, AZ

Mom, Kelsea and Beckett

Yours truly playing piano with Romey, Archer and their Dad, Philip, singing

I will include more pictures from the actual party in a later blog.
So what else have I done in 2013??  Well I've been working part time at Grand Canyon University teaching senior nursing students.  I'm a adjunct faculty member and am a clinical instructor for Community Health Nursing.  This means that one day a week I go to clinical sites where my students are working with RNs such as schools, health clinics at homeless centers, jails, respite care, outpatient clinics (wound care clinics, occupational health clinics etc) and adult day care clinics around the valley.  Then I lead an hour and a half post conference at the end of the clinical day and I grade papers in my spare time at home.  It is fun and challenging and grading papers keeps my critical thinking skills sharp (hopefully).

I also babysit both Jules my Granddaughter one day a week and Addison my GrandNiece to give my brother a break on Sunday afternoons. Both girls are a joy, keep me young by playing games and laughing.  Mom usually comes over to visit and play when they are here. 

Addie

Mom with Addie

Jules and I playing in tent

Jules and Rosie

Jules hopping with Sunflower

Cuddle time

Gary and I have fun together.  We both are widowers and so understand how hard it is to loose a spouse.  In the link below, we were ice skating in the outside iceskating rink they built in a street in downtown Phoenix each winter.  It was also raining off and on that night and so the news crew was there interviewing people about it raining in Phoenix (not unheard of, but rare).  They interviewed us as we were resting from trying not to fall down (me that is, Gary is a good ice skater).  There is a short ad, then a short on the rain comes up.   First Gary is talking then a minute or later I am talking so check out the link and you can see part of my 15 minutes of fame. 
Gary and I Ice Skating in Rain in Phoenix

Born 87 years and a day apart: Great Grandma Coral and Jules

Jules turns three

My dear sweet Julianna today you are three

Let me tell you exactly what this means to me

You know what you think about so many things

Like prayers before tea parties and what we should sing

You know how to jump and to run oh so fast

When we're racing, I know, I'll always be last

You seem so grown up now you are three

You used to be little, you're big now to me

When looking at things, you wonder how they are made

When riding the merry-go-round, you're never afraid

When you were little, you sat in your high chair to eat

Now Rosie's in the high chair and you're in the seat!

Great Grandma Coral turned 90 and you now are three

Let's celebrate your birthdays together, now that is the key!

Why look it is Minnie Mouse in dress, shoes and ears!

An outfit most fitting, will last through the years

You have been to the Zoo, saw a giraffe this is true

And we all wish to say, Happy Birthday to You!

I need bandaids, give me more.  I know I don’t have any sores!

Mom turns 90!

Now you are 90, this much is true! 

So how can we say Happy Birthday to you?

We can sing Jolly Good Fellow and shout Hip Hooray

But wait that is normal, this is your 90^th Birthday!

We must announce it to all, shout it near, shout it far

We could built us a spaceship, then could shout it from Mars!

We could get on the Telly, Facebook or Skype

To talk of your life which has been oh so bright!

Maybe we’ll celebrate with Jules who is Three

She has 87 years and a day to catch up to Thee!

What I’m trying to say in this your 90^th year

I’m blessed you’re my Mom &; I hold you so dear!

Happy Birthday Mom!