plants: part three

I could keep going with plant posts, but this will be the last one (for a while).

Today I am showing you some of my friends' plants. My dear friend Kylie, who I mentioned in this previous post, got me started with plants. I met Kylie many years ago- our friendship is one that I think every person deserves to have. She has the cutest, old house with many features I dream of having someday.

- See the open shower behind those three plants?! -

I remember being at Kylie's house and deciding I need plants, too.

I had a lot of tropical varieties in the Northwest; they do well there with all that humidity. The photo below is a plant I left with Kylie when we moved away to AZ. That was almost 10 years ago.

- he's on the list of best air-filtering plants! - read about the Croton here -

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My dear friend, Guinn, sent me the photo below. Darling. I love that pot!

Guinn lives in an old house in AZ, right where we hoped to live eventually. They have an amazing kitchen. You know, the kitchen you always want to be in, drinking your morning coffee and sipping your evening wine. Her house is welcoming and I miss spending time there.

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 This photo is called plant with cat. The cat is Ken.
Ken lives with my dear friend Kerry and her sweet family in AZ. They too, live in a neighborhood we love. Their old house is more mid-century, I believe. Kerry has great style. I have been inspired by her many times in home and in fashion.

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i love and miss you gals

in the details:
Do you have a pic of your lovely plants?
Comment on this post and perhaps I will post it.

plants: part two

Confession:  I have 17 houseplants.

Sometimes feel like I have to sneak them in. They get a new pot and then get tucked into a cute spot somewhere in the old house. Hubby does not always notice.

Confession:  I feel like the old house needs many more. Here is my justification why:  They are friendly and vibrant. Not only do they add color and cheer to your house, they can be used in your decor. AND, they clean the indoor air- seriously. Google it or read about it here, here and here.

We spend so much time inside. The furnace hums all winter. The AC cranks out the cold air in the summer. We are exposed to toxins and chemicals from carpet, furniture, paint, cleaning products,
even the materials that hold our houses together.
Maybe two plants per 100 square feet (hubby- these are scientific findings!) seems excessive for you. Confession:  It does not seem excessive to me. I encourage you to at least consider adopting a few plants for the spaces where you spend the most time- living/family room and kitchen.
A plant never looks out-of-place in the kitchen.

Here are a few of my newest plants-

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And here are a few ideas I love!

First photo from BHG. Second photo from a fun blog a friend told me about. I am for sure going to do my own succulent centerpiece for the old dining room.

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Confession:  The old house has 42 windows, 38 of which are drafty (I can seriously feel a breeze on my hands from the two windows above this desk). Perhaps our indoor air quality is a little better than others, but I am still going to meet the plants per square foot standard.

plants: part one

I recently adopted five new houseplants.

When I texted this news to my sister, she laughed.

One of the first things I purchased for the old house was a plant. We stopped by a local flower shop/nursery that a random person told me about and brought home Norman- the norfolk island pine.
The kids think it's funny that I name some of our plants. Norman had apparently been at the nursery for a long time, so I did not have to pay much for him. We had already been to the hardware store that morning, so the back of the car was full of goodies and Norman had to sit in the middle of the car.

The boys were batting branches out of their faces all the way home.

- Norman -

When we moved, I had to leave several plants behind.
I gave many of my houseplants and tons of outdoor pots to my dear friends. In AZ, those outdoor plants stay cheerful for you all year round. A few of my AZ plants made the long road-trip with us. I could not leave my Christmas cactus behind; I had never even seen him bloom.

I wasn't sure he would survive in the new city, so I read about the Christmas cactus and its need for
"cold treatments" and 12 hours of night darkness prior to its holiday blooming season. The cactus needs to be cold for a few months or he will likely not bloom. The kitchen seemed like the perfect place. It is always cold in there. So, I set him next to a new plant on one of the seven kitchen window sills (yep, seven windows in this kitchen). You know what- he bloomed. He bloomed like crazy. In fact, he is still blooming.

I feel like this is another life metaphor- perhaps.

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catch-up

I missed a few posts last week.

As you know, I was hanging out with my Dad. Post-transplant has been better than expected. At the follow-up appointment, the doctors were pleased with the blood test results. That meant the PICC line could be removed. I cringed, but watched the very thin, 16-inch (or so) long tube slide out of his upper arm.
It must have been the best feeling ever when that PICC line was finally out.

Almost seven months have passed since my Dad was diagnosed with multiple myeloma-
the same number of months since we left AZ.
He found out the day they were supposed to leave for our annual, summer lake vacation. We were already moved into our cabins- my brother, sister, their families, and my family. My aunties, uncles, cousins, grandparents, too. The news was sad, but only briefly. What a blessing that we were all together.

My Dad and Mom have been informed, open and positive from day one. The tests, appointments and treatment moved along quickly. You do what you have to do and then it is seven months later. Amazing how medicine and the human body can work together. Amazing what a person can do.

- endeavor to persevere - Dad says that -

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untitled

It snowed all day.

I got a how to use the snowblower lesson from my Dad, similar to the how to use the lawn mower lesson
I got as a kid. Dad is not allowed to do this task, but I think I did okay pushing it around.

There are so many restrictions after a bone marrow transplant.

The immune system is stripped down to nothing. All childhood vaccinations have to be repeated.

No crowds, no being around children, heavy dietary restrictions, if you have to be out in public you must wear
a mask. No dusting, mowing, washing cars, cooking, driving, exercising (except walking).

It is a forced break from your life. Maybe not your life, but your routine.

This is a break from my routine, too.

It has been nice to just sit- nice to just sit with my Dad. We rarely have this opportunity.
Usually when I am here, it is a holiday and the house is busy and loud.

My age was six the last time I was the only child in the house.

Things happen in life. People change and grow, but I still feel like a kid when I come home.

- this desert rat had on a few layers -

weekend drive

Do you ever get to your destination and you cannot remember getting there?
I had that moment for the first time in our new city. I guess that means I am becoming more familiar with our new routine. Or I am tired and preoccupied. Perhaps it's both.

Do you ever look at the car next to you and wonder where they are going?

They are probably in the midst of their routine, too,
but maybe they are going somewhere different today. Maybe that person in the car next to you is going to the doctor to get the results of the tests they had last week. Maybe they are on their way to the airport and
will spend the next week in Disneyland.
Maybe they are going to a job they hate. Maybe they will have a baby today.

Maybe they don't know where they are going.

My destination on Sunday was my parents' house.

My Dad is in the hospital; he had a bone marrow transplant last week. Today I had another drive-
96 miles over to the hospital. I will be spending the night on one of those pull-out chair beds that hubby had to sleep on each time I went into the hospital to have one of our children.
Tomorrow I will turn around and drive the 96 miles back to my parents' house, with my Dad.

- view from the hospital room just before discharge -

hearty

I do not love February 14.
I do, however, love making my kids happy. Last night before I went to bed, I set everything out
to make coffee cake- Grandma S's recipe of course. I did not sleep well, which is not unusual for me lately, so I did not make it out of bed by 6:45. I walked straight from bed, down the steps, through the kitchen, opened the coffee jar and took a big sniff of Vienna beans. It worked, and I had enough time for baking.
It was a good morning and the coffee cake was yummy.

I spent the afternoon helping with E's friendship party at school. I like the new friendship title.

In the evening, I met a friend for coffee at my fave local coffee shop. It was nice to chat and I am thankful for her friendship. Lloyd and I did not celebrate, but he did give me a small gift with a card that said,

"happy i love my wife day."

- our hearty cake -

I never thought to decorate for February 14 until we had kids. Kids get so excited on this day.

We kept it simple with vintage cards, homemade hearty, felt garland and a little love.

in the details:

LOVE decal - found it on etsy

hearty felt garland - red felt and fine red glitter from any fabric store, twine