Flowers - Dolly - Standing on Promises

We have been so swamped around here.  Both of us went to bed last night feeling like somebody beat the tar out of us.

Hubby got the tractor running and had a little fun yesterday evening.  Boys and their toys!  He used the Bush Hog to go around the hay field and cut my trail.  After that - he used the box blade to clean up the drive way.  Feels so much better - now that all the rock is no longer spilling out onto the road.

Besides running a bunch of errands in Lenoir City - I brought home four more bags of potting mix.

I love Cyclamen.  I have two of these galvanized buckets - so I planted both of them this way - and set them up on our front porch.

However - the effort is proving to be more of an experiment.  The potting soil was soaking wet - as were the plants.

I’m hoping our temps will allow all to dry fairly enough to avoid root rot.

I also caved in and brought home a French Lavender plant and one Anaheim Pepper plant.

We liked Jaimie Oliver’s idea of using that pepper - rather than Jalapeno - in his Pico De’ Gallo recipe.  Figured I’d go ahead and grow my own.

And for the first time ever - I’m gonna try growing “ Bird House Gourds “ out in the veggie garden.  I have absolutely no idea which gourds they’re talking about!  But that’s the exact description they gave!  They’ll be allowed to grow on the fence.  And I think it’ll be fun to see what happens - period!

I managed to find more Florence Fennel, too.  Made the mistake of trusting Carlie - too much - when I put the first one on my patio table.  You’d think a gopher had ripped me off.  Only the pot and dirt were left by the time she finished destroying the poor thing!

I bought this Miniature Red Rose plant at a grocery store - the year before we bought this place.  Stuck it in the ground last year.  It didn’t seem too happy at the time.  It still looks funny.  But it’s kicking out blooms left and right!

The Azalea bush is blooming absolutely beautifully.  I am so surprised!  It must be one tough bush - considering it put up with Dwayne digging holes in the middle of its claimed area for rooting.

The roof is finished on the “ Chicken Hotel ” and ready for interior construction!  But Hubby and I have plans today for taking off to help Dolly Parton with her efforts to raise funds for flood victims from the storms that hit a few weeks ago.

I really don’t think people quite understand the impact and the damage that’s been done.  And a lot of that may come from the fact that folks in the " Volunteer State " tend to play it up low-key when it comes to their own trials and tribulations.

But - to sum things up in one sentence and compare the situation is fair to say it this way.

All the damage done during Hurricane Katrina - is equal to what happened in Tennessee - within less than 24 hours - without any warning.

It was an event of destruction that nobody expected.  And I pray that God brings healing and restoration to those that lost so much because of the storms - especially those that lost loved ones.

I love this song in the video I'm posting!  It fits.  Alan Jackson does a wonderful job - of course!  But this is one of the songs that remind me of heartfelt memories treasured from Sundays spent at Friends Church in Texas City, Texas - a wonderful little Quaker church that a handful of folks once enjoyed!   Brother Selleck and his wife - Edith.  Mrs. Selleck was my Sunday School teacher!