May Event on Whidbey

I am feeling so smug! No, actually, I simply have no place to put them ,even in the ghetto. I am trying to change a very bad behavior pattern - that of buying plants or bring home plants when I'm not sure where they will go. Don't tell Soferdig. He will make fun of me. I am almost hopeless. I went to Mcclendon's today to get something specific and to look for hebes for the front area. They didn't have any hebes I wanted, but they had a few other things like several pretty creeping thymes and a lovely little creeping veronica for the front area. Also a couple of dianthus that will look great in the crevices up front, and a pleasing Agastache 'Sangria' that I couldn't live without, and Fuchsia m. 'sharpitor aurea'. I killed the last one I had because I ordered it from California (which I will never do again because those plants die of culture shock), so I had to have another one. Plus they were 20% off. I put two plants back, so I was okay. Everything is planted except the fuchsia.

Good job, Melissa!!! And because you put two plants back, everything is copacetic!

Looks like a great group having fun!

Loved the mirror too and the bathroom it is in, fantastic! Carole I did not here the story and glad you posted that. There was so much to see and people to chat with it was hard to take everything in. You have a beautiful place. Thanks for having us.

It looks like we missed a wonderful time! At least your day was beautiful, and from the pictures I have seen so far, so were the gardens.

Carole, I just adore your mirror, and what a wonderful gift from your cousin. There is nothing better than something that will evoke a fond memory of someone we have lost.

Lynn, you did a very good job as photographer, and I am looking forward to the rest of your pics. Thanks so much for sharing with those of us who missed out!

Sunny day, great gardens and new faces. Sounds perfect. So nice to finally 'meet' bonehead, springcolor, murmur, thistledown and to see Pixie and Rachel again.

Rachel you are looking just beautiful and glowing. Congratulations on you baby boy. Willow

Sounds like a wonderful event ...can't wait for more pics.

yea - what Linda said.

i was counting on mannnnny pictures since i could not be there for real.
still waiting.

But I know how this went - you guys were TALKING too much to take pics.
I know from experience it takes uber concentration along with a firmly-fastened seatbelt to maintain the momentum of that ride!
The NE forum may make more posts than us, but we can have a small group event with 20 different conversations simultaneously AND swap plant AND sort seeds while ID-ing plants without missing a beat...
(insert applause here.)

Yeah!!! (Clapping wildly)

Is that a good thing? Yay - I thought I had an illness . . . no requirement for recall, though, right?

LOL

Sorry guys, I haven't been feeling very well. I am going to have a minor surgery this coming Tuesday - nasal valve collapse. They will take cartilage from my ear to repair my nose. I will only have a 23 hr hosp stay, so it is no big deal. I am looking forward to being able to breathe better again.

Back to the story:

Gwen's little kitty is watching us from her perch in the sunroom. I could have curled up and had a nice nap in there.

Gwen has a yard full of cool garden art. There was so much to look at.

Her dining room setting was so inviting. She even had linen napkins.
I am kinda ashamed of my napkins, aka paper towel roll.

And here is the lovely Gwen "Vanna" B showing us her amazing AGA stove. She "fries" eggs in her oven. Gwen is an excellent cook.

Lunch was so yummy. That was the best egg salad and chicken salad I had ever tasted. It must be the fresh eggs from her chickens.

Judi (Portland) is the happy face on the left. She met us here at Gwen's. I still cannot believe she made that long drive to join us. It was such a pleasure to meet her and the rest of the PNW gang.

The roosters are crowing in the kitchen.
Gary (Rachierabbits daddy rooster), Mike (Pixie's rooster), and Jim (Gwen's rooster)

Gwen's girls are so adorable.

The other girls are working. Lots of scratching and pecking left to do today.

They live in style.

You girls had better shape up, or we will have chicken soup tonight.
7 girls and only 2 eggs.


I will post more later.

Lynn, sorry to hear about your upcoming surgery! I hope you feel better afterwards. What's with a 23-hour stay? Why not 24 or 22? LOL

Hilarious post of our roosters in the kitchen!

Will you please email me high resolution images (original images from your camera before DG converted them to low res webshots) of the chickens in the corner and also the last one of me holding up the eggs.

Btw, we got 7 yesterday! Normally we only get 6. (Each chicken lays her egg an hour later each day, but they only lay in the daytime, not the nighttime. So if she's 'due' to lay an egg and it's dark, she holds it over til the next day. So you don't get every chicken laying every day. And in the winter they lay even less but we surprisingly got 5 or 6 eggs every day all winter and sometimes even 7.)

How are you feeling now, Lynn? Are you miserable until Tues when they do the surgery?

Lynn, sorry you have to go through a surgery. It's not the most enjoyable thing to do but you will feel better afterwards. Let yourself be pampered for a few days.

I love your photo comments! And the photos are great. The one of Gwen with her Aga is so cute.

The one of Gwen with her Aga is so cute. NOT

Lynn, love your pictures and your comments. I am looking forward to more.
I know you are not looking forwardt to the surgery. Will try to check in with you this weekend to commiserate.

Lynn, how long is the recovery and then how long before you see results and start to feel better?

Sorry to hear about your upcoming surgery. Hope you have an easy time and a quick recovery.

Lynn - just keep your focus on the relief at the end. You'll finally be able to breathe!!

I'll be hoping that the surgery is effective and that your recuperation is full and quick.

Lynn, just a quick "I'm thinking of you!" Hope all your health problems are soon handled!

Hey, who is that gorgeous man in the blue and white striped shirt standing in Gwen's kitchen? Wait! That's my husband! I think I better go to bed now.

But not before I say that I hope things go easy for you, Lynn. Hope recovery is swift and that it helps with your breathing. Not being able to breathe is no fun at all.

Why are all the photos of me showing my mouth open? I'm going to work on that. The problem is I get so completely over-stimulated in the company of so many people who have interests in common with me. I can't pay attention to that many people at once so I end up leaving half the conversations unfinished. And it makes my brain go about 100 mph. I've probably left a million people hanging in mid conversation because of this. I think the answer is more art projects. I completely enjoyed hyperfocusing on doing the little bib for Rachel's baby. And I think I might have been quiet for most of that time, too.

Then we need to get together to make some hypertufa projects!

I am loving the pictures!

Pixy, LOL... I am the same way in groups of people that I have things in common with.... I feel like it is the only time I exhibit symptoms of ADD... lots of conversations stopped in mid thought as a new one comes from a different direction!

Lynn, You will be in our thoughts, and if there is anything that you need or needs tended to, let us know. I know that everything will go smoothly for you and that the end result will be well worth the down time!

Julie it was a fun day and I'm sorry that I could only be there for part of it. I hope to meet you and Sharon sometime! I really enjoyed meeting everyone and would like to learn more about them! It's fascinating to me how people live different lives, and how they got there. And I keep thinking about Gwen's chicken salad - the best ever!

What do you want to make, Gwen? Hypertufa is really easy.

This message was edited May 21, 2010 8:30 AM

Judi, I have friends in Oregon City who I visit on occasion. Where are you from there? I know Julie and I would love to get together with you. We shall see what the summer brings in terms of free time. Right now we are both so far behind in our worlds that leaving them unattended seems to be a pipe dream but I know that will cnage after the spring turns into summer.

Sharon I am in the city of Portland, the inner south east area. Close to Hawthorne and SE 34th. I would love to meet you guys! But I do understand that you have had a busy time lately. Maybe things will settle down a bit and you will have some down time to relax.

Here we are decorating the bibs. What a great idea, Gwen.

Rachel is keeping everyone in line. Great art work, ladies.

I do my best work with my mouth open.

I may be a Bonehead, but we are done and enjoying the sun! Right, Julia?