The New " In Love" Diary!

27 Nov '07 9:20 am

Lady Jeany and little Nicholas have been really close recently! Just have a look from last Sunday morning...

(I have also posted some photos from my Nursery , just some minutes ago, in the previous page)

27 Nov '07 2:59 pm

It's been too long. Nicolas is looking happy and healthy as is Lady J. We just had a 4 day weekend for our Thanksgiving holiday, which consists of basically three parts. First it is an occasion to have family and friends over for a large, heavy, rich meal usually consisting of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and/or a yam dish, gravy, cranberry sauce, some veggies and bread followed by various pies and tea. Second, the theme is to reflect on what you have to be glad about or thankful for which isn't bad for me since I seem to best at noticing what isn't working generally. Finally there is endless American football, mostly at the college level, on television. Often, driving and/or flying are part of the ritual with all the roads and airports choked with people going somewhere for dinner Thursday - elsewise how would we have these big get-togethers? We were fortunate to have Lia's dad Jim (now 93), my stepson Kalle and his girlfriend Anee', my brother Terry and his wife Nora and their little girl Tera - pretty much my entire innermost circle of family. Since we aren't big on football we played games after dinner.

Oh yeah, while we eating I had my niece Tera who will be 2 in February on my lap feeding her bites from my plate. Lia had put a Fuyu persimmon in the green salad she made and Tera discovered she really liked it. After eating several pieces it occurred to me that there was one more of these in our tree. So I took her outside, pointed it out to her, got a ladder to reach it, handed it down to her and then carried her back up to the table holding the fruit. There I peeled it and cut it into sections so she could make the connection between this new thing she liked and where it came from. It was a big, perfectly ripe one growing in the highest part of the center of the tree that had eluded me because it never seemed worth it to go get a ladder for one fruit.

I don't know how it is in Belgium but I find I like to make trips to the nursery all through the year to see what various plants look like in fall, winter and early spring. It looks like your nursery is still open. Will they stay open through out the year?

Okay, I have just a little school work to do so I think I'd best get to it. Please give your 'pets' hugs for me,

mark

27 Nov '07 6:31 pm

What charming photos of Nicolas and Jeany-they look so relaxed and happy together.
Thank you for telling us about Thanksgiving,Mark.We see TV programmes with Thanksgiving in them,but it was interesting to hear about your family special occasion.Persimmons are one of my favourite fruit,but we don't have any growing at our place.
Dixie.

28 Nov '07 1:40 am

Hello dear Liza! It was so nice to see the photos of your favorite nursery. It looks like a really great one. I enjoyed the pictures you posted, but no picture of the new acer you adopted. Please post a photo and tell us about the spot you found. And, Nicholas and Jeany look so sweet together!

30 Nov '07 8:59 pm

.....it feels SO great every time I come back and read your replies!

Oh, Mark!! How I liked the whole description of the Holiday, until the least detail! Halloween and Thangsgiving, as I said somewhere else, is a lovely European/International Holiday my country never participated in. So, it feels really great, to learn and learn more, since I am and feel part of this world, like each one of us!! And Mark, I never visit any of my nurseries between end of November and mid-March because they have a VERY miserable look, like my garden...Here is N. Europe , Mark!! Temperatures during Winter are between +5/-5 Celcious, or lower!!! When I gave birth to Nicholas in 1996, 12/12, the temperature outside the Maternity Clinic was ...-13 Celcious (!!!) with a magnificent starry night sky!!

3 years ago I was in Minnesota/USA for the birth of my grandson, little Philippe. There, I was living with the family of my Alexandra's in-laws, a huge multi-membered family, with European(papa French)and Scandinavian (mama Norwegean)origin.When I left, it was 12-13 November already, and everybody in that huge family was so happy that THESE Holidays were approaching...I never asked details about them then, cause I thought I would sound a little rude, since the family was VERY traditionally religious..Me, being NEVER traditionally religious...

Faith, when I decided to adopt my new baby Acer, most of his leaves had left... So, his look was not so attractive to capture him...Imagine, that his look now is as a standard's Rose, with no leaves or blooms left , not having been pruned yet... I keep him protected in a corner, with his pot well wrapped with a special clothing.

Well. Coming back to reality. It is SO cold and rainy outside!!! No work in the garden! I feel SO guilty I have abandoned my garden in a way , when I had to be in there every day...But looking back to my image files to relive the colourful reality again, I was so happy with my Clematis photos!! And here I want to share with you this Clematis joy of mine..

30 Nov '07 10:13 pm

Dear Liza - taking a break between sets of marking I found all your lovely posts of the last days, as well as Dixie's...How it has gladdened my heart. I find the repetitive nature of year-end marking, knowing there is going to be no personal feedback to each child so dull! Oh well - only 5 days to go!!

1 Dec '07 5:25 am

What a spectacular burst of colour,Liza...I do love your clematis.
I visited a friend's garden last week-I can't believe she is over 80.Her garden is full of clematis and maples;she says her clematis self-sow,and pop up through the garden.I hope it is ok if I share a couple of photos with NZ clematis.They are special all over the world!
(All the best for your marking,Jack)
Dixie.

9 Dec '07 11:38 pm

Well Liza, your garden is as lovely as usual...but the clematris flowers are astounding. What a nice choice...and so many! I stumbled upon a montana sort called "freckles". I planted it this year and it bloomed a little, but I shall have to wait to see what it will do next year.
Just amazing this collection.

11 Dec '07 2:32 am

Dear Liza, thanks for reminding me how varied Clematis are. I have just a few in my gardens and I think I need to plant a lot more. You have again inspired me.

11 Dec '07 5:38 pm

They sure are beautiful and variable. I've only got one in the garden, but I've killed a good deal more than that. I don't think they much like me. The one I didn't kill was buried with an old coffee can nearby to retain water. It grows up one side of the gate into my garden with the rose 'Golden Showers' (which is the one I'm hoping to replace with 'Amber Queen' this year). It definitely has its roots in the shade but I'm afraid to prune it and it seems to grow fine anyhow. Any advice for the less lucky with Clematis out there (like me)?

The New " In Love" Diary!

Jeany et Nicolas!!

Hi Liza,

news from over the world

Nursery fun and cuddly babies

Dear friends,

Taking a break

Colur

Clematis

So many Clematis!