Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Tuesday.....


My wife's cousin Jeannie liked growing violets.  She did so with some years of success and some years they just wouldn't grow well.  I have the same experiences with them and for now while I am at the new house,  I will try to maintain the ones that I can.  Jeannie had been in a hospice for the past four days and she passed away last evening.  Her struggles through blood clots and the removal of them was such an offense to her body. Her choice to go to the hospice was her decision to stop her pain.  Her daughter did spend time with her the last two days after almost 28 days of hospitalization and hospice. Our memories of Jeannie will be the ones we have of an energetic, people-loving woman who loved dogs.


I don't think I will ever get a large collection of violets again, but nothing stops me from picking up a cheap violet once in a while in memory of all those people that grew them. We both enjoy this window area for the plants to be displayed in the light.

I bought this cactus a couple of years ago in bloom and it now is going to bloom for me again. It is like a Christmas or Thanksgiving cactus but the blooms are so different than those two.  I have never seen this variety for sale ever again since that time a couple years back.  I moved it from the basement to the living room and I hope it doesn't cause it to change the blooming cycle.



The peperomiai plant continues to thrive in its simple small plastic pot. It hangs down below the seat of the chair as if I had planned it that way.  I have mentioned before that it use to be used in terrarium back in the 70's.

We are resting today with a few loose ends still to do concerning my wife's cousin's death. I am resting today instead of mowing my back yard.  The hot temperatures do give me a good excuse not to do the job.  I need to water tomato plants and new hosta plants as they are suffering in the heat.  My neighbor is saying it is time to water the yards but I will have to think about that.  I have never watered a lawn in my life. I guess if it looks too yellow compared to all the neighbor's other yards I might have to consider it.

Thank you all for staying loyal to my blog.  I wish everyone to be well today.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

My deepest sympathy in the loss of Jeannie. You both were very kind and attentive to her during these difficult days. I know your love and devotion were much appreciated by her.
I always love your violets - they remind me of my mother and Karen's oldest son when he was little.
You have some great house plants - something I have NEVER had success with.

Sorry the heat is making the grass mowing difficult. We got rid of all grass here (mainly because John can't use a mower). Slowly we are filling in with plants which eventually will fill all the spaces. For now we use cypress mulch to cover the "dirt" areas.
God bless you both in the coming days as you lay Jeannie to rest.

RachelD said...

Those frilly bright faces with their fuzzy leaves are a lovely remembrance of my Aunt Lu---my Mammaw's sister who had a small-town general store, and very few moments to tend anything but the counter, the feed room, the butcher block and the cash register. Her one spot of beautiful was rack after rack stacked like stairsteps in front of several of the windows in their little attached living quarters at the side.

Those shelves of pot after pot of "her girls" glowed blue-white day and night in the first grow-lights I'd ever seen, and they flourished as beautifully as every sun-struck rose and dahlia in the outdoor heat of Mammaw's quite considerable garden. She's also the one who spent her few spare moments with her paint-by-numbers, giving out pictures to family and friends of her carefully-painted scenes.

She NEEDED a bit of colour and bright in her life, and those sweet violets, so lushly different from the small delicate rows of their daintier cousins along the brick walk, and the paintings of red barns and flowery scenes are a sweet memory.

Hope it's not TOOO hot out there. My DDIL is in Des Moines for a few days at a conference, and she met her first "Zombie Burger" last night---is that a local delicacy?

rachel

A Colorful World said...

I am so sorry about your family's loss of cousin Jeannie. I know she will be fondly remembered. How nice that you have some African Violets and they help keep her memory alive.

Far Side of Fifty said...

I am so sorry to hear of your cousin's passing, my sympathy to you and Della.
I am sure you will find a perfect spot for some Violets in your new house eventually! It is hot up here too! The Fern leaf Peony that you sent me a few years back bloomed with one bloom! :)