Missy Helps with Stamp Camp Prep

Another Stamp Camp is this evening, and I've been preparing materials for twenty participants.  Missy decided she would help by holding down any loose papers that might have fallen off the table.(grin)  She wants to be part of the action, I guess.  I lost count of how many times I removed her from my work area; she does love to sit or lie down on any form of paper.  

Despite her assistance, all the card parts are safely tucked into their individual packets and ready to go.  Perhaps I can even get in a snooze before time to leave for the event.

Remembering

Another Bloom

Iris - unknown (to me) variety

Once again, I'm put out with myself because I don't keep adequate records (actually, I keep none) of the names of the beautiful plants I have sprinkled here and there in my yard.  This Bearded Iris was a gift from Gardening Daughter a couple of years ago She acquired it at a sale sponsored by the Arkansas Iris Society. If I recall correctly, the name of the plant was written on one of the leaves. Did I write it down?  Or, memorize it? No.  That oversight doesn't, however, diminish my enjoyment of its beauty.

Tomorrow is also a day -- and there are buds waiting to flower.

Bits and Pieces

   John F. Kennedy Rose                           

For the past four or five days I've been plagued by vicious upper respiratory symptoms, made worse, I'm sure, by the dust I raised in the whirlwind attack on my craft room, about which I so cheerfully reported in my last post.  Since I subscribe to the "germ theory" of disease, I assume I picked up the responsible virus/bacteria a few days before I started the cleaning frenzy. Whatever/whenever/however acquired, the resulting symptoms caused an immediate cessation of my cleaning activities.  Although I've not felt ill enough to confine myself to bed, I have dozed, a lot, in my recliner, consumed quarts and quarts of various hot and cold liquids, sneezed and coughed until my ribs are sore, and kept the "Puffs" folks in business.

Missy cat stayed by my side most of the time, not demanding to be outside -- which was a good thing, since the weather was not conducive to outside activities, even for a feline.   Our area, like much of the country, experienced a sharp drop in temperatures from those earlier last week, and on again-off again precipitation.  Just rain here, thank you. Nebraska daughter reported another 2"-4" of snow on her acreage.

A cat has only so much sympathy and patience, and yesterday afternoon being sunny and temperate (in the high 50's) she demanded to be outside.   Having spied a few white roses from my kitchen window, I ventured out with her and found not only a bush full of roses but that my 'wet foot' Iris had bloomed.  (I'm sure this variety has a real name, but Gardening Daughter, who gave it to me, described it only as needing to be in a moist place, unlike many other irises. Adjacent to the back yard water tap seemed to be as good a place as any.) The iris is in a bed next to the wall and immediately under my kitchen window and thus not visible from it.  I'm happy that I ventured out; I would hate to have missed its blooming.

"Wet Foot" Iris

The new leaf growth on my JFK roses has me somewhat puzzled.  The leaves are at least twice the size of last year's leaves and, if my eyes don't deceive me, the rose blooms are at least half again larger.  (See rose photo; that's my not very small hand behind the bloom.) Also, the iris seems to have grown quite a bit taller since last year; perhaps the Christmas snow contained a tonic. 

Tomorrow is also a day.