The Prize I Praise

Howdy Folks! The last day of this month is my wife’s birthday. The following words/feelings have been in my heart/mind for quite some time…this seems to be an appropriate time to let ‘em out.

I’ve often thought that one of the best ways to tell someone you love ‘em is to be able to stand up tall and proud, and proclaim it “in front of God and everybody”!

Some years back, in an effort to encourage my newly-wedded wife to try gardening, I suggested she get some string, go mark off a flower bed area next to our driveway, and I’d till it for her. Our driveway is more than 200 ft long and I knew she could find a nice little place next to it quite easily.

Sometime later she came back inside and informed me she was ready to have her plot tilled. Walking out the door, I went to inspect her “little plot” and saw she marked off the whole length of the driveway! Always one to meet my obligations I got busy with the tiller.

DW planned the flowerbed (annuals in the front row, perennials in the back row) and I have always stayed out of it (except for some misc tilling and putting in under ground water lines).

As the years have passed (seemingly as fast as my frustrated moments) I’ve noticed that her “slowpoke-ism”, her “half finished flower beds”, and her “constant monologues/questions/descriptions ad infinitum!” have been major ingredients in the culmination of what I call Success. (By the way, all the above words in quotes are mine, and more’n likely came about due to the afore-mentioned frustrated moments!) Each one of those incorrectly-named ingredients has blossomed into a very pleasant chapter in our lives, and we get to read that chapter daily!

I would like to mention that in addition to the Driveway Bed, and due to my Wife's efforts, we also have a nicely planted Entrance Bed (complete w/a gargoyle), a shade-loving bed around our daughter’s playground area, and a semi-circle flower bed at the side of the front yard that boast all the colors ever invented, the Rainbow Bed.

If I had more space to write (and you had more time to read) I’d mention the numerous “hide-y hole” plantings, the “just-thought-it-went-there” plantings, and the “trail-in-the-woods” projects. While doing my daily walks there seem to be on-going surprises that consistently declare themselves.

All these flowerbeds certainly seem to speak of not just beauty, life, and nature, but also of my wife’s ambition, perseverance, care, giving, and as I said above, success.
Sounds extremely nurturing, eh? Feels that way, too! In addition, hear this folks…it seems to be the way she nurtures her husband and daughter. What a garden we live in, eh?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I LOVE YOU!! ô¿ô


{And now folks, anyone else wanna spill your guts? Now’s your chance! Jump in! The water's fine!}

wow!!!! she's a lucky gal, shoe!!! and sounds like you're a purty lucky guy!

shoe, that is splendid! thanks for sharing

It sounds like you have found the other half of your soul and that is a wonderful thing to find! You turned the earth with love and she planted the vines that bind!

oh wow.....ahhhh,,,,**sniff sniff**

Tissues??!!!!??!!!

Beautifully said Shoe,

sounds like we both are very lucky ;-)

All the best for your Good Lady on her Birthday


Wintermoor

What a lovely tribute to your wife. Happy birthday, Mrs. Shoe!

Please pass along our wishes for MANY happy returns of the day to "Mrs. 'shoe" - what nice things to say, from a really nice guy :)

So, uh, where are some photos of those beds? C'mon...out with 'em. Of course, if you didn't capture them on film this year, you KNOW next summer we're going to be hounding (errr, reminding) you to take some for the landscaping forum!!!!

To "pay it forward", I'd have to say I give a lot of credit to my DH and sons. I also wanted a bed alongside our driveway (a "mere" 90 feet), which they had to till under/around low-branched trees, avoiding tree roots and underground lighting wiring. Then they edged it in landscape timbers, hauled in a lawn trailer load of cow manure from the neighboring field, shoveled it on in a (more or less) even layer over the leaves I had piled in there. And in the bitterly cold early spring, they tilled under the decomposed leaves and manure, so it would be ready to plant with daylilies in April. It turned out GREAT, thanks to their back-breaking work, so if I haven't bragged on 'em enough before now, hopefully this will suffice :~)

Shoe, I got tears in me eyes! That tribute truly was touching!
I too would like to "Pay it forward" and throw some accolades my DH's way. I moved into 'his' house last year. We had just gotten married. This past Spring, at my request, he tilled up the entire backyard. (it didn't have a flower in it, just grass) Then along with 4 of my children (all grown) spread topsoil over the entire yard. (it's not a very large yard) Anyway since then, he has more than just put up with my obsession with my garden! (now there's no grass, just flowers! hee hee)
He actually shows enthusiasm when I drag him out there for every little blossom that opens! Now he's just finished moving the walkway in our front yard! Gotta love that guy! Thanx for giving me the opportunity to show him off! So honey! I love you!!! your DGW

Yes, indeed..............what a beautiful garden we live in day to day!! Happy Birthday Mrs. Shoe, you have a great other half!!

"eyes"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALEXANDRA! It's so good to see appreciation spoken. :) You're blessed.

I was fortunate enough to get to admire Aledandria's flowers when Carol and I stopped by in July. They are really great. The funny thing is, I had just come in the house from planting some Iris that have been sent to me (Mystic & Vic), and some Agave given to me last week by Farizona...and saw this thread. It makes me realize how much my DH did in his gardening...and he was very good at it!! If he was still here I would trade and beg plants as long as he had the energy to plant them!

HAPPT BIRTHDAY, Mrs. SHOE~~~~~~ you're both lucky to have each other!!! Jo

Shoe that is beautiful! What a wonderful birthday present you have given her. Happy Birthday Mrs. Shoe. Hope you can take the time to enjoy all the beauty you have created on your very special day.

Oh Shoe, what a beautiful story! Wishing Mrs. Shoe a beautiful wonderful happy day and all God's blessings for a year filled with peace, health, and happiness. I'm so happy for both of you and yes, sap that I am, bawled my eyes out reading your story.

A beautiful tribute!! happy Birthday Mrs. Shoe.

{ah-hmmm...ah--hmmm!} (Ya'll did notice I wrote her birthday is a week from now? She's gonna love the birthday greetings/wishes when I print this out!) (On Halloween!)
Thanks a ga-zillion for reading and responding to this.
And like I said above, please(!), by all means, feel free to add your own thoughts/feelings of what is wonderful in your lives. We'd ALL benefit from it!
Meanwhile, Keep smiling!! ;>)

OH MY, PASS THE PUFF'S PLEASE!!!!!!

Now you know that we were waiting for the punchline here Shoe and you really fooled us this time!!!!!

Mrs. Shoe is a very lucky girl to have a wonderful DH that let's the world know how much she is loved!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEXANDRA, I sure hope shoe doesn't buy you a matching FIG LEAF!!!!!!! hehe

sue

Shoe! You ol' softie, you! I love this! What a guy you are.

And Happy Birthday, Mrs. Shoe! Alexandra, I'm sure you know what a catch you made when you snagged him! I'm lucky enough to have one like him ~ a nut who loves to dig.

Kenny's grown vegetables most his life and is so good at it. Last year he planted twenty tomato seeds directly in the ground and I swear fourty plants sprouted! I know just how to make him incredibly happy ~ come home with a six pack of tomato plants. Even better is when I trade seeds and the packages start coming in the mail. He gets more excited than a kid on Christmas morning! I try to trade for all different kinds of tomatoes, peppers and squash ~ his favorites. I'll trade anything for that certain kind of tomato seeds just to see his face when he opens the envelopes and reads what kind of seeds are in there. I love that!

He doesn't know that much about flowers except that he thinks they're pretty, but that doesn't get in the way of his appreciation of them one bit. That childlike glee filling his face when he runs inside to tell me that he doesn't know what it is, but there's something pretty blooming in the garden and I have to come see it with him right now ~ I'll never quit loving that.

Happy Birthday, Alexandra! May you have many, many, MANY more flower filled birthdays with Shoe.

Shoe, you really are a romantic person with a big heart of gold! (Who woulda thought?) Lord Byron couldn't have expressed his feelings like you did!

Happy Birthday to your DARLING WIFE

Happy Birthday Mrs. Shoe! Your marriage sounds like a match made in heaven.

Hugs to both of you.

Joan

That's just the sweetest, 'Shoe.
'Nice job!
Happy Birthday to the Mrs. :-)

What magic you conjure up when you play with words Shoe. I, for once, am lost for such words after reading your tribute but having read most of your posts I can understand why some of our members would not know this other side of you. You are like a rolling stone, sometimes passing over the rough surfaces but coming to rest at the moss! When are you going to write that book?? Happy Birthday Alexandra!! Next week is going to be such fun but can't imagine any day without fun married to this guy. You are both blessed!!

Okay, I've wiped my tears away and can try to write with clearer thoughts now. I was practically sobbing. How absolutely touching!

Okay, tears are mostly gone now. I'm with Go_Vols ~ where are the pictures??? Yes, next year, we will kindly remind you to share these wonderful places Alexandra has designed and created with your help :) I think you may want to give your DW a digital camera for her birthday!

♫ ♫ ♫ Happy Birthday, Mrs. Shoe ♫ ♫ ♫

A somewhat lengthy recap of my first year gardening.

DH & DS were not really paying a lot of attention as I slowly created a lasagne bedline around our split rail fence in January of this year. I was so excited, I was starting seeds indoors in February. In March, I ventured to Columbus per advice from fellow DGers to find good buys at a garden shop known as Demonye's. And, most helpful was a surprise visit from Badseed who was my secret plant trader! She just exploded perennials & annuals upon me! Not to mention her wonderful family and love :)

Boy, was I busy transplanting everything, this my first for gardening! Sometime toward the end of summer, my DH who really hadn't said much, noticed a Cleome in full bloom. He's not a man of many words, but he seemed to have finally found a connection when that Cleome caught his eye. I didn't plant Cleome (I didn't even know what it was until I posted it in the Identification Forum). I was certain it was from Badseed! She swears she didn't give it to me. So, where did this beauty find it's way into my new garden? I think only God knows that... You can be certain this beautiful flower will be growing in our garden forever more :)

One final thought. Apologies for the length of this. My DS, who's just now a "double digit" age as of a few days ago, had casually mentioned one early Fall evening that he really liked the flowers I had added to the yard. He said it really made a difference. As he's not one of many words either, my heart just melted. Knowing he noticed all my work and enjoyed it just made this new hobby of mine one that I hope I'll never had to relinquish.

P.S. Very nice touch, Wintermoor :)

Yeah, me too, just drill a hole in and watch the sap come dripping out. Call me sugar maple ;D

Happy birthday next week, Mrs. Shoe. He is a definite keeper. But of course you have known that a long time. And, obviously, so are you!

Sheeshh...thanks folks, I love ya'll sharing. Wingy, yeh yeh, I may be a softie, but only on the inside! ;>) And by the way, sound like you and Kenny would be great neighbors! You wanna move here? Or should we move to Texas? Thanks for sharing.
Romantic? Not me Doris. Maybe a bit sensitive to others (from time to time!). ('Course now I've also spent time being "insensitive" to others as well!) Now, being compared to Lord Byron, that's romantical! Much obliged!

Louisa/Mags!...Thanks. Trust me...I'm gonna get to that book! I will, I will! Maybe I'll need you to proof-read it for me, eh?

Morph...dry them eyes, you can't grow gourds well if ya can't see 'em! Thanks for posting your story! Loved it! That's what this thread is all about. You should print that out for your hubby and son to read. They'd be honored I'm sure!
Now as for you, sugar maple, er, uh.. I meant Loopy, uhhhh,..nope I meant Lupi (*grin*)...for some reason I think you have a story to tell. So...? ô¿ô

Question shoe! If I do the proof reading and you make millions, what will my cut be?? And don't say beans!! I wonder if I have enough years in me to wait for that best seller. I would consider it a great honour but feel Kimberley would be more suited!! :-)

Great thread, Shoe. What a nice gift for your wife! Some men are just keepers, and you are one of them!

To pay forward, I have to mention my DH. Since we married almost 11 years ago, he has supported my gardening interests. When we first moved into our log house, he built raised beds for flowers. Those beds are jam packed with perennials these days.

When I began starting seeds in the basement and the resulting seedlings needed a place to go, he built me a little greenhouse. From there I grew more and more, until my little greenhouse is solid green each spring. Since then, he has encouraged me to sell plants, so now Weezingreens sells plants to many of the folks in our little town.

Now he has begun work on a larger greenhouse so that we can grow even more. Last spring, he took the cooperative extension serice's Master Gardener Class, so he has become the family composter and has begun learning about the plants we grow.

A successful relationship is sharing each other's hopes and dreams, and most of all, letting those we love grow. In our house growing plants and growing together are one and the same. From this thread, I can see we are not alone in this.

Louisa, I sincerely doubt I could ever make million of dollars at anything! However, maybe that book could one day make a million smiles! And out of that, you can have as much as you like! Over and over and over! :>)

Weezin, very well said! Thanks for saying it out loud! I love hearing about about that kind of life! Without a doubt your hubby is a winner! (I knew that when I saw him planting a mater plant in 2 feet of snow!) Ya'll are great! Thanks for being brave and sharing.

Stories/facts, and the positive statements made above are what will one day out-number the negative news media stories, folks! Anyone else want to contribute? Now's your chance! (Pwease???? Pwetty pwease?) (Don't be shy!) ;>)

Hey, yeah, Shoe! I'd love having y'all for neighbors! But let's not completely move ~ we'll just come to y'all's neck of the woods when it's 110° and dry here. Then y'all can come stay in our guest barn when the snow gets too deep up your way ~ the guest barn has a beautiful view of the garden, btw. Alexandra sounds like a person I'd love to get to know. And that fisherman DD of yours would LOVE our creeks, I'm sure ~ bass, catfish and pan sized perch. YUM!

This message was edited Friday, Oct 25th 11:14 PM

It surprises me that anyone didn't know about Shoe's romantic core. To me, it always showed. (Shoe, I suggest you all move to Texas, so Wingnut and Kenny and I can be under that spell more often.)

Most of the time, I like, no, love my solitary life. But once in a while, like when Weez posts her sweetie with her underwear and he lets her, or Wingnut talks about her man and his sensitive nature, or Louisa has a second wedding and looks so bridal, well, I just wish I had a significant other again. I cure myself, though, when I think about...oh, never mind, I like the nice mushy feeling here and don't want to think about that!

Happy birthday, Mrs. Shoe. I had wondered about you when I first read Shoe's posts, and it's so great to know you are such a rare kind of woman. I admire you, wish you would be around more often.

AIMEE!!! Say what!? "I cure myself, though, when I think about...oh, never mind,"....

Edit starts here: Dogs! That's the SECOND time this has happened. The posts aren't coming thru completed. I remember someone else saying something about this also.

Okay, anyway, what I was saying...
Aimee, sounds like you have a story hidden in there. Care to share it further? Please??


This message was edited Saturday, Oct 26th 12:13 AM

Hehehe, Shoe, you really don't want to know that much! Let's just say I had really poor taste in men when I was a young thing.

Okay...I'll won't push ya! I reckon we all had "poor taste" at some point in our lives, eh?

ive always know shoe to be a caring loving guy with a great funny side!I know if I ever need anything shoe would be there for me or anyone! Shoe you made me cry. Its wonderful that you admire and respect her with such love! She is a luck woman and you are a lucky guy and your love is a wonderful treasure.
cherish the moments
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MRS.SHOE

I appreciate the way Howie and I can work together in the yard. He can't do much bending at all and is more comfortable lying down on the ground to work. I hurt if I am sitting on the ground for long, so I like to stand up and work on higher stuff. The Lord worked it out for us to work on the both the low and the high gardening chores together. How better can it get? And to be able to laugh while working together is a big plus, isn't it, Shoe? :)

Shoe, I think it's to Mrs. Shoe's credit that she knew how to appreciate you, and I think few women would really know how to handle you. The more I think about her, the more impressed I am with this silent partner of yours.

Aimee I think you said the magic word silent partner.I have been fortunate enough to talk to Alexandra once.Shoe I think we need to get her on DG so she can tell us some great stories about ya.

Shoe, like Aimee, I don't want to ruin the mushy good feelings here with my stories. Suffice it to say I haven't been great picking men either. Now if I had met you when I was young ... (just kidding Mrs. Shoe).

Shoe, what a lovely idea for Alexandra's birthday. Words from the heart are always remembered and cherished, whereas the shine of a material gift can be forgotten over a period of time. Once when the top of our refrigerator was dusty Adam wrote I love you in the dust and when I had went to clean it I found those words. It was an unexpected surprise that filled my heart with love and brightened my day! On the other hand, if it was Adam's birthday and I had a brand new bass boat in the yard or an envelope in my hand which would he pick? Probably the boat until he went to the boat ramp and finally figured out the envelope had held the keys in it! LOL Then again he knows me pretty well and would think it was some kind of trick and pick the envelope first. :o)
Alexandra, have a wonderful birthday and I wish you many more! I hope I have the opportunity to see your driveway bed again next year - I know it will be beautiful!