My Garden...Yeah Right!

Okay, so this isn't my garden. It is a photo of a lovely garden in Maine that is featured in this month's Cottage Living. I showed this to hubby who promptly said "that looks like a big mess." Men! Presently, I 'm a little obsessed with creating something along these lines in my yard. Oh, did I mention that my yard is a mess?! Well maybe not quite a mess, but definitely needs some TLC. This is our third year in our house and I haven't had any time to even think about a garden until this year. I have to rebuild beds and do some serious work before I can plant anything. I have a whole design drawn out but there is no way it's all going to happen this year. So, I, who needs instant gratification, am coming to terms with the fact that I have to start small. Especially since my big plan was to get the front beds ready to go this Sunday and the forecast is for rain! UGH! Weather gods, why do you displease me so?! Here is my question to all of my blogging buddies out there - can anyone suggest some good gardening/planting books and/or websites?

Also, a reminder that the other Karla over at Karla's Cottage is having a fabulous bucket giveaway. Check out her blog to see all the yummy items she is including! Natasha is also hosting another fabulous giveaway for a beautiful hanging strawberry! I just received one of her lavender strawberries a few weeks ago and it is simply divine!

Inspiration Times Two

Last week Bob and Lee Woodruff visited the university where I am gainfully employed. I was truly lucky to be able to escort this absolutely wonderful couple around our campus. They are two of the most remarkable and inspiring people I have ever met. They were extremely gracious and kind to everyone that came to see them. They stayed late into the evening to make sure they were able to sign every last book and take every last photo with our guests. Can't say enough about these two, I could go on and on. They have started a foundation called the Bob Woodruff Family Fund to help soldiers going through Traumatic Brain Injuries. Through their connections, they have already made some fantastic improvements in the quality of care and procedures that our injured soldiers receive. If you haven't read their book, consider doing so. It is not only a detailed account of what Bob went through but also a moving account from Lee's perspective. This family went through so much and this is an inspirational story of how they made it through and are all the stronger for their struggles. After reading the book, I thought "What the heck am I complaining about!"

Disclaimer: I went against my better judgement in posting the above photo. The day was so lousy weather wise and I had been rained on and all my lovely make-up washed right off so you can see the drowned rat version of me! Funny how the Woodruffs still look so lovely!

Happy Earth Day

Today is Earth Day. Its a day I never really gave much thought to. I recycle my newspaper and plastics and cardboard and I figured that was good enough. Well, was I ever wrong. I was shocked to hear some statistics on an episode of Oprah last week. Did you know it takes 1,000 years for one plastic grocery bag to break down? Or that it takes 14 million trees to produce paper grocery bags?! I always thought I was doing a good thing by choosing paper and reusing all my bags whether paper or plastic but these statistics really floored me. I'm going to purchase some canvas shopping and produce bags and stop contributing to so much waste. Oprah also featured an interesting story of a couple whose young son was suffering from asthma. They went back through the family history and no one had the same affliction. They figured out the cause was the household cleaning products they were using - regular everyday stuff that we all probably have in our kitchens and bathrooms. They switched to products by a company called Shaklee and their son's asthma disappeared. They ended up buying the company and are offering a great discount on their cleaning products. Check them out here. I ordered some for our home and will let you know how they are once the arrive. In the meantime, we should all try to do what we can to make sure we leave behind a vibrant Earth for the next generation.

On a fun note, I did finally get to the flea market!! Yea! They actually opened today! I found some great vintage postcards and beads. I'll have to take some photos and post later. Below is a photo of some collages I worked on last week. A few went out to some friends, but I'm not saying who! :) I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with the bird collage, if anyone is interested in a trade, let me know. Leave a comment or e-mail me at kookykarla@yahoo.com.