How Ya Gonna Clap?

Anyone who's ever walked around outside the fairgrounds during the weeks of Jazz Fest knows what this means.
Every year Louisiana holds the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. If you have never been to Jazz Fest, you really should consider it. I won't begin to tell you the history of Jazz Fest. I'll post a link to their website, so that you can soak it all up on your own time. What I will tell you is that once you go, it gets in your blood.

I've been going to the festival since it was introduce to me by John. We missed three fests in 22 years- this year being one of them. But part of me feels like I'm there anyway. I can feel the heat of the Louisiana sun. I can smell the smell of wet hay underfoot. I can taste my favorite crawfish pie. And I can hear the music.....

I didn't want Jazz Fest to go by without mentioning it. I haven't been back to NOLA since Katrina. Part of me is scared to death to see what's become of the city that I love and call home one week out of the year. But, the other part of me is homesick and longing to go back. There's always next year. Until next time.....

to learn more about the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage festival, go to their website at:
http://www.nojazzfest.com/

Earth Day 2007

Rainbow Calsilica is one of my favorite stones. It has all of my favorite colors in it- blue, green and brown. It reminds me of the Earth.

I'm spending Earth Day in my garden- transplanting our broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower seedlings- followed by a thorough watering. It's days like this, that I know I am the luckiest person on the planet! And what better way to spend a day that is set aside to honor our Earth.

Happy Earth Day! Until next time.....

Spring Cleaning

Do people still do Spring cleaning? I remember growing up, my mom did it. Everyone did it. Guess that's one tradition that I have no desire to keep. Sure, I clean and go through the house and fill boxes that go to the local Goodwill, but that's as far as it goes most years.

I am, however, deStashing my bead supply. I started taking pictures of them and listing them in my Etsy shop, in the 'Spring Cleaning' section. I'll be selling them at cost or below - no mark up on these babies. So, if you're in the market for some beads- a lot of them being vintage- check back often with me over at Etsy. I'll be adding (or trying to add) new beads daily. That's this years definition of Spring Cleaning for me. Until next time.....

Dogwood Winter

For a week now, I've known that Dogwood Winter was coming.

After being in the 80's for the past week, the temps are going to be in the 50's for a high and 20's at night. This means frost again. All this is normal here in Tennessee. It happens several times during the Spring. This one is called Dogwood Winter because the dogwoods are blooming now.

We have Dogwood Winter, Redbud Winter, Locust Winter and Blackberry Winter (that's the bad one because if we get frost then, there goes a lot of the local fruits. ). I know there's a few more, I just can't remember them right now.
I was looking through my photos the other day and saw one that I took last April. It was hail , the size of marbles on the back deck.

I am smart enough not to plant my summer vegees in the garden just because we've had a spell of unseasonably warm weather. That still doesn't keep me from worrying. After a long winter without much green, Spring always looks so fresh and inviting. I know that after Dogwood Winter hits, Spring won't look as pretty.

We broke a record last night. The temperature got down to 17 degrees. OUCH!
Spring vegees are fine. Most spring perennials are fine. New growth on trees and shrubs are trashed, but will come back fine. My favorite Spring flower- my white bleeding heart- is not fine. It was beautiful for two weeks and will be beautiful next year, but right now it's melted. (you've got to say that part like the Wicked Witch). Janis Joplin's song has been running through my mind since I saw them.....take another little piece of my heart.....

Dogwood Winter did bring one good thing though: it should have killed a lot of insect for our 2007 season! The silver lining.....Until next time.....