Busy Nothings: A Rose By Any Other Name

Hello readers! I hope you had a wonderful March and April. I wish I could say I was busy learning to play the piano, tending my garden, and making those kitchen curtains I have been meaning sew since last year, but alas, I was only preoccupied with cooking, cleaning, and studying for both school and the state exams. Here, Spring seems to have come and gone overnight and the hot grip of Summer is knocking at our door. I did, however, have the forethought to take some random photos in my month absence to share with you. Above and below are some photos of the iris that grow wild in my back yard. Some grow in seemingly little more than a wisp of dusty soil, and yet, they are so vibrant. My house is almost 100 years old and I imagine someone must have planted them at one time or another, but now they pop up in random patches along the perimeter of my backyard. I have been meaning to do some research as to what type they are and will let you know when I find something.

My courtyard received a little attention one weekend in March and I even went to a local garden center to buy this beautiful climbing rose bush. It's called "Jacob's Robe" and I absolutely love it. I had the same type with I lived with Mom and Dad, but it died after I moved to the Little House. The great thing about this rose is that it is disease and pest resistant, doesn't need to be trellised, and loves the summer heat. It's blooms go from a fabulous pale yellow, to hot orange, to vibrant pink. It's a variant of the "Joseph's Coat" rose, but way less maintenance. However, as with most roses, you have to be diligent about "deadheading" otherwise the plant will simply stop blooming. I can attest to this fact as my rose bush has not been deadheaded and while green and lush, no blooms have come out since I took this photo. So, don't be like me!

In the backyard I have what I call "The Lazy Garden" working. That parsley (Italian Flat Leaf) that you see in the lower right hand corner of the photo actually came back from last summer and I didn't have the heart to cut it down. I don't use much fresh parsley though, so it can get unruly fast. Within that bed are green bean plants. In the next bed back there are okra plants, along with some "salad" which I was highly disappointed with. The little sprig-lets barely got bigger than a finger then just withered and died. I think next year, that is something that really needs to go in a pot. And in the last bed are four tomato plants, two Celebrity and two Carnival. I hope this year I can actually get some produce from them. I call this "The Lazy Garden" because it is all relatively maintenance free. I have a sprinkler system now, so the beds are always watered, and the bugs have really been at a minimum this year (so far). I know the true gardener would say each of these plants needs special care to do its very best and yield the greatest crop, but I'm just too dang busy. And, mostly I just plant because I like to watch them grow.

In celebration of Easter I like to make traditional English Hot Cross Buns for myself and the family in remembrance of the best Easter I have ever had while on vacation in England. Besides learning "Hot Cross Buns" on the recorder, I had absolutely no clue what this so called "bun" even was. In the states, I only ever see them as sweet spiced dough balls with white icing traced across their tops. But the style I like only hints at sweetness, is heavily spiced and had the most bland pasty white cross on its top. I cannot say that I make them well, but regardless of how they turn out, I always have one or two over the Easter holiday if for nothing more than memories sake.

I finished the shawl I was knitting just a week ago, and while I think it turned out well, I have no picture of it in this post because I have yet to add the tassels or weave in those pesky end pieces. This will more than likely not be done for the next few months, just so you know.

I have been itching to get back to my cross stitching and decided to start with a lovely floral Victorian pattern from my Cross Stitcher magazine. The suggestion was to turn the finished pattern into a little pillow and, because I love over challenging myself with tasks I know I will procrastinate completing, I decided I would spilt the pattern over the fabric I had and make two little pillows instead of one. However, I am already talking myself out of this and considering instead making one long bolster with the floral pattern on either end.

Before I close, I want to give you an update on my school status. After trekking up to Denton to talk with my counselor I found out that I am actually not as far away from graduating as I thought. Only three more classes stand in my way of student teaching. I will take two this summer and one at night this coming fall. The best part is that I now know I have a full year to study for the state exams (as opposed to only a few short months) and my stress level has considerably decreased. In the spring I will begin my student teaching, which means that, with any luck, I will be teaching in my own classroom in the Fall of 2013! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it looks good.