Garden Brings Back Fond Memories

Morning from the Ranch! Saturday morning, that is… we’re all kind of lazy around here today, its close to 8am and Hubby is still sleeping and I’ve cleaned the kitchen, made breakfast, cleaned the kitchen again, drank some coffee, but now I am curled up in bed again with my computer.

Everyday is a work day around here and last night was later than most as we worked to finish bailing hay in case it rains today. I suppose that is why Hubby is cutting himself some slack and sleeping in later than usual…

Though we have been invited a few places today to spend time with our friends, I think today will be a quiet day spent at home. We could all benefit from a day of few commitments and more down time. During the week we don’t get much of that, and though we work all weekend too, the pace just feels alittle slower. That is a good thing.

I have plans today to give my growing garden some TLC. I am amazed at how fast and furious my plants are taking off! In the past week I have seen some major changes and in short order I know we’ll have some tomatoes and watermelons growing…

Around my vegetables, I’ve also made it pretty by adding potted flowers around the perimeter of the area. My beautiful gardenia is in bloom and smells so amazing. I love fragrant flowers. Across the way is a jasmine that is overtaking our little tool shed and its light fragrance is a nice compliment. I have sort of been hunting for night-blooming jasmine. In Venezuela it is called ‘dama de la noche’ and I used to have tons of it in my yard. I would love to have some as it brings back some good memories of my pretty yard…

Have I ever told you how much I loved my house and its yard in Venezuela? If only I could have transported all of that here… my goodness. We came upon a beautiful house that was almost being given away as the owners were being transferred to Europe. The big and beautiful home had been neglected and it needed a lot of TLC but we could both see the possibilities. Travertine floors, a solarium, barrel-vaulted ceilings were just some of the nifty things on the inside… outside was a wonderland of opportunity, a tennis-court, an 8-ft privacy wall, and get this: avacado trees, pointsetta trees, lemon trees, papaya trees, as well as lemon grass, mint, and spearmint growing around the yard. Oh it was amazing…

That was an amazing home. Being newly married with no children, just a cat and a German Shephard puppy, it was WAY TOO much house for us, but we loved it. There were many rooms that just sat empty and I would walk in them and dream about the possibilities. What one earth was I going to do with a 6 bedroom, 7 bathroom house? I had absolutely no clue, but I loved to day dream about it.

For some really weird reason, growing this garden here and smelling my jasmine and gardenias, I fondly remember my first house and all of its beauty. It is one of my most treasured memories of my time in Venezuela-