SIX WORDS FOR CHARMING

Red door, corn, tomatoes, sunflowers, backyardmonstrosity

TOOK SOME PHOTO'S TODAY

A friend of mine, Superwoman, showed me this house yesterday. I think it's charming--I wanted you to see that charming houses are still being built in America.


Superwoman does it all, by the way, she writes like a maniac--a good maniac. She quilts. She knows who designs what fabrics--that is unbelievable. She has two sweet boys. Her photographer husband is funny and charming, like this house, although maybe the house isn't all that funny. Superwoman never stops. Her house always has a new floor, a new wall color, a new interesting doo-dad. She serves gourmet food to friends who stop by to discuss books. She is always changing, learning, growing. She knows a little bit about everything, and a lot about more things that I even know a little bit about. That's why she's Superwoman.

This lovely window box was just around the corner.
And since we're speaking of charming, I think this little pocket garden is charming. As is this one.
And this one too.
And another little house that has a charming fence, all clean and tidy.
This house didn't photograph as well as it looked when I drove by. A neighbor followed me for blocks and blocks, around corners and onto new roads, probably taking down my license plate number in case I was casing the joint. She drove up next to me at a stoplight and I looked over at her, prepared to give her my most innocent smile but when I looked her way she pretended the road in front of her was fascinating and wouldn't look at me. She wasn't even on her cell phone. My best innocent smile, wasted.This garden looked wild but I think it was carefully tended. And then, right around the corner I saw this:I think I will send this person a nice little note, suggesting that a trumpet vine would be a great addition to his back yard sculpture--also known as Backyardmonstrosity.

Don't you think that is a dandy idea?

I always say I'm going to send a little note and then I never do so if someone sends you a little note it was not from me. Unless it was a kind note, and then I'll take the credit.

LOOKING FOR THE SUNSHINE

I planted one lone petunia in a pot on the front porch, not giving it much chance for survival as it is in the shade from the oak trees most of the day. But, it was determined and st-r-e-t-c-h-ed it's neck out until it found some sunshine. It's not the biggest flower around here but it's the pluckiest.

WHAT FLOWER ARE YOU?

I am a Sunflower What Flower Are You?

Here's what a sunflower person is like--supposedly:
"When your friends think smile, they think of you. There is not a day that goes by that you can't find something good about the world and your fellow human."

Okay, I am going to pick the first five friends/family that I hear from, either by phone, a visit or email and I will tell you something good about them. Because, supposidely, that's what sunflowers do.

Friend. She called. She is my friend with good advice and she will go to J-Dawg at any time, rain or shine: I have a document called, "All Is Well." I open this when I am blue, in the dumps or hanging off a cliff over the great depression pit . Nineteen of the thirty-five items in there are from this friend, usually sent to me via email. Today she told me about something her daughter said when she was about nine years old. She had a teacher who really was "one of those teachers,"--not in a good way. This wise nine year old said, "Why can't she see that she has to love us the way we are before we can get better?" Isn't that unusually wise for a nine year old? This friend said, "That's what the Savior does. He loves us in our imperfect state so we can get better." This friend is wise, funny, happy, willing to give and serve and do whatever is needed to be of help. She also loves cats. And me.

Child o'mine: Received two emails from this child who calls herself "yfc" (your favorite child). She is cheerful, giving, loving, organized--she'd love to tackle my bedroom,--,she thinks that a good deal of the summer is meant to be spent on the lawn swings, talking. When I die there will be no secrets left, she'll know them all. She has friends by the dozen and gets them all caught up in whatever it is she loves at the moment. When Gilmore Girls was on TV she'd get phone calls during the commercials from friends who'd say, "Can you believe what Rory did?" Then when the commercial was over everyone would hurry and hang up until the next commercial. She should write children's books because she thinks and says such funny things but she won't do it. Her one fault, I cannot MAKE her do things my way.

Friend--she called: This one took Toves, the kitten. She called to report in about what a good kitty Toves is. If this friend is sitting down Toves in under her chin or draped around her neck, purring. Toves got her up this morning, climbed on her bed and wouldn't let her alone until she got up and give Toves some kitty loves.

This friend is cheerful, friendly, helpful, loving, always laughing, has great insight, is willing to put herself forward to help someone, even people she doesn't know. She is one of my visiting teachers and I know Toves has the best home possible. This friend has a wonderful, musical laugh.


Friend--email: This friend is one of my favorite wacky ones. She gave me this last week for no reason but that she knows I love kitchen things and they were called French Bull Salad Servers.


She knows I love France or maybe she thinks I love Bulls. She found them here. She also bought some paper cups there that have noses and teeth printed on them so when you drink you see this funny nose--some with moustaches. Anyway, this friend sticks with you through thick and thin. I don't see her often enough as she has moved from the neighborhood but when we get together it's as if we never parted. We go to lunch and she pays. I have money in my hand, giving it to the waitress and she pays anyway. She loves to laugh and have fun and is always planning another outing. She is fiercely loyal to her family and would fight to the death for any of them. She is independent and yet very tender. Life is meant to be fun even though the trials, that's what she thinks. She brings fun to others every day.


Internet friend--email: He's funny, introspective, thinks I'm funny even when I have 5th grade humor--forgives me when I write stupid stuff on his blog. He even forgives me when I pose as someone from another country and post in another language--I've been myself, Jo from Paris. Walter from Madrid, Koda from Dakota Sioux, The Silent Storm of Undeveloped Thought--see, I told you--5th grade humor, Albert from Uruguay, Bucky--as in Bucky the Beaver, Jin from Japan, Den from the Netherlands, Miltiadis from Greece, Petr from Kyrgyzstan, Giovani from Italy, Gina from Cayman Islands, Baa from Falkland Islands--aren't there sheep on the Falklands?, Kate for the TV show LOST--because Sawyer calls Kate "Freckles" and his post that day showed a freckled horse, Nathaan Hatfield from United States, Joe Tuckett from United Kingdom, Marc Ratsiranka from Madagascar and Sim Ching from Hong Kong. Oh my, I didn't know I had been so many goofy people. I'll tell you, this guy is one very patient person. That's probably a good definition of a friend, don't you think? Patient with you when you don't deserve it. Another Internet friend--whom I will also never meet--calls him her "wise friend who knows all." And she's right.


So there you have it. My attempt to be a sunflower personality. And aren't I lucky, to have such great friends?