Happy Birthday to my Beast Fiend

Happy Birthday to my Daley-Dale. My BFF. My partner in crime. My soul sister, my art mentor. The friend that pushes me and encourages me and sometimes even can force me out into the public somewhat willingly. The friend that also knows she can find me outside in a quiet corner when she has lost me in a maddening crowd. The permanent (amazing) mother of my temporary kids. The inspiration for what has become my supercool collection of vintage elephant planters. One of the top 3 reasons I moved to Ocean Springs. The reason I was not afraid to pick up this desk at which I am sitting from the side of the road, or buy that piano in my sunroom for $75 at a garage sale. The reason I love popcorn and M&M's. And amaretto festoons.  The person with whom I invented view-mail. The one I can count on to be awake at 1am to tell me how to do some art thing, and can count on me to be awake at 1am to help her pick a photo for a contest whose deadline is 1:02am. The brave, just-go-for-it girl to my hesitant doubtfulness.  The nothing-is-ever-wrong girl to my constant hypochondria (yeah we should really work on meeting in the middle on this one).  I art you my Dale!! You complete me :).  

Oh Neal Stephenson, I Still Adore You Even Though You Broke My Heart A Little

Click here to see my review on Goodreads

It breaks my heart to rate this only 3 stars, because I SO ADORE Neal Stephenson, but this book seemed like such a departure from his "norm" to me. There was just very little character development or actual STORY. It was soooo much "tell me instead of show me". Long passages where he just says "then this happened then that happened". The long science passages didn't bother me at all. They were interesting, and I'm fine with that. The book almost seemed like more of a set-up for the possibilities of many stories rather than any real fleshed out stories. Let's have a whole novel about Julia, or Sean, or Ivy or Dina or any of them. Let's have whole novels from the perspectives of the Diggers, Pingers, Reds, Blues.... you get my drift. This book was classic Stephenson as far as amazing world building, science, and scenarios, but where's the true heart? I don't feel really connected to a single character.

The Garden Bug is Biting

FINALLY!!!!!  I am getting my gardening bug back!  I can't explain why, but I couldn't be happier to welcome it!

A landscape architect is in the process of drawing up plans for my front and side yards.  These plans are going to give me the bones of a garden that I need to proceed.  Otherwise, I am just overwhelmed.

I did, however, plant some really cool stuff last fall that survived the winter.  All of this is in the little courtyard off my living room:

Buddleja davidii 'Black Knight'

The remains of a foxglove.  How cool is that??

A rare Doodle.  

A last Foxglove

Colocasia 'Electric Blue Gecko' 

Colocasia 'Coffee Cups'

A Giant Ligulaira

A Giant Schnauzer

Figs I will have to fight critters for

The last of the Johnny Jump Ups

About to bloom

My Friends May Know Me Too Well

Got this email from my friend Charlotte about a door she thought I may be interested in.