Spring Has Sprung!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Scotts® for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I am excited about Spring planting this year. Of course, I am always excited about Spring! I love to garden and grow flowers, vegetables, and any sort of plant. I will soon receive a sample of Miracle Gro Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix.

It allows you to grow 3X the amount of flowers and vegetables and improves the soil for years. It expands when water is added and feeds the plants for six months!

Coconut coir is the active ingredient, a lighter fiber that makes the mix more concentrated. Less bulk equals lighter bags to haul around. I love this aspect because less heavy lifting always makes me happy.

The mix absorbs more water thus making the soil more efficient and conducive to growing healthy plants. That is important to me since I live in the Desert Southwest where the soil is mixed with caliche, a clay like substance found in arid environments. The caliche tend to harden and makes growing plants difficult.

I plan to use my sample to grow tomatoes this year. I can’t wait to try Expand ’n Gro. Try a free sample for yourself and tell me what you plan to grow with this exciting new product.

Oh, and have a great gardening season!

I Made It.

The move went off with out a hitch. Except for one thing. The air conditioning went out just as I was pulling out of town. All I can say is thank the Lord it is not July. Considering I moved from near Hell to true Hell I am thankful.

Hope I won’t be sent there for that remark. You have to experience to know what I mean.

Lucie my, big red dog was a model passenger. This was her first road trip and she handled it like a pro. The first day she had to dance around the two cats, Smokey and Chloe. Lucie seems to be a bit protective over her bowls and bed. She may be willing to put up with a little hissing and howling, but no one is eating from the Queen’s bowls or sleeping on Her Majesty’s bed. Yea, no.

Now, two days after the move only one cat is still howling (yep, Chloe). Lucie and Smokey managed to pass each other on the stairs without incidence. I think we will all evolve into on big happy family.

Either that or there will be one big cat fight.

Tomorrow is the Day.

I head out of this town. This town in the desert where I spent a good part of my life. It is hot here in the summer. It is even hotter where I am going.

That is ok. I will be ok.

I wish the best for all involved. I truly did try. I do not care if you do not believe that.

That is all I have to say about that.

Art Work.

The article written by Alonso Kramer

When we were growing up, my sister was always so good at any kind of art. She could draw really well, painted well, and she was always so creative. When she got to college, she became an art major. My parents were not exactly thrilled about her choice for a major because they thought she would not be able to make any money with an art degree. Despite their concerns, my sister graduated with a degree in art last year and has been working as an art teacher.

Her real dream was to open an art gallery. She has been working with some other artists to open an art gallery. They have found a space to use and they are working on setting up all of the utilities. She told me that she went to t1.xo to set up phone and internet for her new art gallery. She said they just have to put a few finishing touches on some of the pieces that they have all contributed and that the gallery should be opening next week. She invited my parents to the opening and I think they are actually pleasantly surprised that she has been successful in achieving her dream.

I am so proud of her and I hope that she can continue to turn her passion into a career.

My Newest Roommate.

I will soon share a room with the best roommate in the world. My granddaughter Butterfly. I am in the process of moving to a new city. Same state, just a new city. I am still unemployed and hoping to find better job prospects in my new town.

Butterfly and I are not strangers on the roommate front. She and Cinderella lived with us when Butterfly was an infant and she spent many a wonderful night with me as a young child. We get along like peas and carrots and she already has plans for activities.

Of course, Lucie my big, red dog will join us on this adventure. I already warned Butterfly about the possibility of Lucie joining this pajama party. We have plans to swim, walk Lucie, play with her little brother, D. D., and surely have some interesting conversations.

Here is a photo of some of the texts I received from Butterfly.

Not the best photo, although, the point is clear.

I am blessed.

Thoughts on Traveling.

I recently spoke with my best friend, Lady Red on taking a red eye road trip to Laughlin, Nevada. Why? Well you take a bus overnight and wake up to a great resort on the river. You can gamble, eat, and enjoy free drinks. Yes, free drinks. I am not much of a gambling person, but I could sure sit on the river’s edge and sip a margarita or two.

The conversation got me thinking about places I would like to visit someday. Paris, Rome, and Calgary immediately come to mind. Experiencing the Eiffel Tower or cruising the Seine River would certainly make my top ten list. I could probably sit in the Sistine Chapel for hours and gaze at Michelangelo’s amazing work.

Calgary would be a great place to experience mountain views, lakes, and parks. I have always loved these type of areas and I am sure I would have a great time on this sort of tour.

I am looking forward to traveling in the future. I would love to see more of my country as well as different cultures, cities, and landscapes

Music That Moves Me – Part of Me.

I have a few more things in common with Katy Perry then I would like to admit. Trust me, they ain’t boobs and a terrific voice. I like the simplicity of this video. Straight forward. The point is evident.

Spring Fever.

Like a Good Neighbor.

Sometimes I think we forget the importance of good neighbors. I remember as a child we knew most of our neighbors. One lady had a son close in age to my sister and me. He had the greatest tree house ever. We spent many summer days letting our imaginations run wild in that tree house.

Another neighbor was a bit eccentric as she had hundreds of cats. These days that would be considered hoarding. Eventually the city came and made her get rid of all those cats. But, before that the neighborhood kids would sneak into her backyard and play with the kitties.

Another neighbor across the street came running one day and killed a gopher that had taken up residence in our yard. He later passed on but his wife would always invite us in for cookies or some other treat.

One neighbor had a huge garden in the backyard. I remember running through the corn and spending time in the shed that housed the harvested vegetables. That reminded me of my grandparents’ garden. Both probably had a hand in shaping my love for gardening. They had beautiful poppies growing in the front yard that is until law enforcement made them remove the flowers. These certain poppies are used to make opium. Who knew?

I have neighbors today that are so generous. I have opened my door to find bottles of wine, vegetables, and even found dog toys on my fence.

Here is a photo of the most recent gifts.

I opened the front door the other morning to find this bag of tomatoes.

They even came over with a portion of Edible Delights that I received for them because they were not home when it arrived. Yum is all I have to say.

When I shucked the corn, some of the husks fell to the floor. Of course, Lucie my big, red dog snatched them up and retreated to her bed. She does not miss a thing. Ever.

I feel lucky to have experienced great neighbors over the past few years. I hope that will continue.

Gift Baskets are Always a Good Choice.

Sometimes it is hard to know what to give to friends and relatives on special occasions. St. Patrick’s Day and Easter are coming up soon. Not everyone wants to go out for green beer. Some might like to celebrate at home with a party. How cute is this one?

We all like to bring a hostess gift when invited to a party. One present that is always appreciated is a gift basket. They come for every event and can include just about anything from food to flowers or toiletries.

Gift baskets can be purchased from store, websites, www.gourmetgiftbaskets.com, or contents that are bought
separately. It is fun to build your own and the whole family can get involved.

I have seen wine baskets, ingredients for a meal, and items for a birthday party. The possibilities are endless and even though it might be hard to choose just one, there truly is a basket out there for everybody.

When you are done, you have a decorative basket or container for your home. You can even use they empty container to make a new basket to give as a gift. I think this is an appropriate way to re-gift.

It is something to think about the next time you need