Dreaming in the Garden

Sometimes I gather the chaise lounge cushion, set it on the lounge in dappled shade, find a book to read and head out to the patio.
At the foot of the chaise lounge this is what I see.

Do you like to relax on your patio or lawn, or anywhere special in your yard like I do?

A cool drink is always welcome too, and any favorite book.

Can you see the blue bird playing a saxophone? I got him in honor of my dad who played alto saxophone and clarinet, and earned money for expenses while attending college by playing in a jazz group. 

The yellow lilies are tiger lilies and they have tiny brown spots on their petals. I planted them in honor of my mom, as she always grew them. The tiny gnome sitting on a pot edge has a story; he lay for many years under a cover of leaves in my garden. Last month I saw his blue legs and thought it was a long lost toy. But no, it is a garden gnome, returned to sit with his plants on my patio.

Happy Garden Dreaming.

I am on Grandma Yellow Hair's Blogazine today

I am excited to be on Maggie AKA Grandma Yellow Hair's blogazine today. She is definitely worth a visit and has a wild sense of humor which I love.
Her blog is Just Between You and Me and my contribution is at http://grandmayellowhair.blogspot.com/2013/05/blogazine-guest-terra.html

I share about how I co-authored 2 books with gals I met in an online Christian writers' group.
Our most recent book is full of tips for moms, and proof that our two adult sons still love us is that my hubby, sons and I just returned from a lodge and camping trip where a good time was had by all involved.

Bicycle riding, a bag of 55 fresh raw oysters picked from the bay right that minute before we bought them, a roaring campfire, and s'mores were part of the fun. I read a book while two of my guys rode bicycles (mountain bikes) and one rode his new motorcycle. The book I read is "Her Royal Spyness" by Rhys Bowen.
Hey it is June already, how did that happen?
The summer looks promising here, and I hope for you too.

Two garden vignettes, lily and succulents

Two patio scenes, the top one is of a fiery orange red lily given to me by a friend in 2009 and this lily is a very happy and faithful bloomer. The second photo shows a little scene with quite a few dainty succulents in a pot, one is blooming with lavender flowers, bless its heart.
The subtle colors of succulents are so pretty I bought several and put them in one pot recently. Actually the one that has flowers I already had in a huge pot, so I broke off a piece and put it in this container, but I bought the others. As you may know you can break off a piece of succulent and put it in dirt and it will usually thrive and grow.
And yes, that is my lavender color chair from my previous post. I like the effect of the new paint job, and a fellow blogger inspired me to paint the chair. I linked to her in the previous post.
Happy gardening, painting, crafting and most of all, no matter your passion, happy June.

Memorial Day and Heroes

Memorial Day Commemoration 2008
Originally uploaded by davidyuweb
Poem "In an Age of Fops and Toys" by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Please read it all, the last two lines will make your heart sing.

In an age of fops and toys,
Wanting wisdom, void of right,
Who shall nerve heroic boys
To hazard all in Freedom’s fight, ---
Break sharply off their jolly games,
Forsake their comrades gay
And quit proud homes and youthful dames
For famine, toil and fray?
Yet on the nimble air benign
Speed nimbler messages,
That waft the breath of grace divine
To hearts in sloth and ease,
So nigh is grandeur to our dust,
So near is God to man,
When Duty whispers low, Thou must,
The youth replies, I can.

By Ralph Waldo Emerson

Pretty Lavender Chair

I did a project, me! I don't do many since I am busy in my garden, writing poems, etc.
I have two old white lawn chairs that were mottled with gray, so I was inspired by a fellow blogger.
Several years ago she wrote about Fusion Krylon spray paint for plastic chairs so I bought Lavender color and sprayed one of the chairs. If you are that blogger, let me know in a comment so I can give you credit. I think the color is Gum Drop, there is a little label on the can that says that; the can top shows the color.
Instead of mottled splochy grey and white it is now a pretty color.

This picture above doesn't show the full loveliness of the new color, but it gives the idea.
Here is a before and after with the unpainted chair on the left.

Sad old chair above with grey splotches.

Above is the pretty lavender chair that looks completely new. The spray paint covers beautifully.
I used almost one can of spray paint which cost about $7 and next I will buy the turquoise color and clean and spray the sad white and gray chair for a festive new look. I spray painted outdoors in the garden.
Our patio will look so festive you may want to come to visit.
PLEASE FRIENDS WEAR GOGGLES WHILE USING SPRAY PAINT!!!!
I accidentally sprayed toward my face on my first attempt and my glasses protected my eyes. No harm done, but I went to urgent care, my son drove me there. So from now on when I use spray paint I wear PROTECTIVE  GOGGLES. BE SAFE.
And beautify your lawn furniture!
Tete in her blog Beyond the Garden Gate is the gal who gave me the tip about the Fusion spray paint. Her blog has oodles of flower photos, lilacs today among others, so go over and say hi to her at http://tete-beyondthegardengate.blogspot.com/ if you like.

Winnie and Piglet

Winnie, you sly dog
Originally uploaded by TACD

"What day is it?" asked Winnie the Pooh.
"It's today" squeaked Piglet.
"My favorite day" said Winnie.

Wise words, today is precious and it won't roll around again.

Golden Poppies and Lavender and reading about Tudor England

Thank you to all my blog sweeties for your birthday wishes. You are each one a treasured friend in my garden of friends.
For today's blog post I saw these Golden Poppies and Lavender on my walk along the bay today.
They are growing two blocks from our house.
The red brick wall gets very hot and holds the heat which California poppies and lavender both appreciate. I think orange and purple / blue flowers on a red wall are an odd combination, but it works and they look right purty.
I had time to read a bit today, and before that I exercised in a pool for an hour and did a wee spot of gardening.
With my reading I get to time travel, in a way, and today I am in the Tudor Court, reading a not yet released book about Henry VIII's sixth wife, Catherine Parr. The book is "Queen's Gambit" and it is the first novel by Elizabeth Fremantle. When I saw the author's name I thought she was born to write fiction about England's royalty.
Do you like to time travel with a book too?