saturday sundries

My Garden:

I do not have a green thumb by any stretch of the imagination. I do not enjoy digging in the dirt, planting, weeding, etc. That is not my gift. I fully appreciate the beauty of those who do garden. While the front of my house is landscaped, including purple wildflowers, roses, potentillas, shrubs (which are in the process of being trimmed as they are out of control), some sort of pretty ground cover, a mock orange, etc., my backyard is lawn, a curly willow tree, and a huge lilac bush. I did have some rose bushes, but they were in too much shade and never did well. I had them ripped up and sod laid. My dogs were also a detriment to the roses, especially Poppet who loves to run the length of the back fence where said rose bushes used to be.

I love my backyard (except for the size of it when it comes to mowing and weed whacking). The curly willow casts shade across it starting in mid-afternoon and lengthening as the day progresses. Mom and I enjoy sitting on the patio on the porch swing in the cooler parts of the day. But we have missed the color that flowers bring to a yard. So this week I bought a "portable garden" in an urn, and it's amazing how it brightens things up.

Straight Up:

I was fortunate enough to be asked to do an advance read of Lisa Samson's next book, Straight Up (September 2006). PW gave it a very lovely review, and I concur. Here is what I had to say:

What if we chose differently in life? Straight Up is pure Lisa Samson — original, raw, and laced with grace. As always, Lisa's characters came to life in my imagination, becoming my friends. This book made me cry and also allowed me hope. What a treasure.

Lisa Samson has an original voice, and she doesn't pretty up the realities of life for her fiction.

What Brings People to Write Thinking:

Every once in a while, I look to see what people search for on Google and other search engines that ends up causing them to follow a link to my blog. Sometimes they are just down right funny. Typepad only shows this information for 24 hours so these are just what I can find in that time frame as of about 6:45 a.m. MDT:

Golf AND blister AND right thumb
How to write ten pages per day
Robin Lee
Mining theme for Christian women's retreat
I have an ugly thumb on my left hand
"Philip Anschutz" trusted assistant
Write farewell note
Hand pain golf
Write cheerful farewell notes

It appears that the problem with that blister on my thumb from golfing has created quite the traffic. Not sure about those farewell notes. And who is Philip Anschutz? Hmm. I must have quoted him or something.

---

Well, that's the end of my Saturday Sundries.

Until next time, may God keep you ...

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

Comments

[panasianbiz]

Like you, I am also not one of those people blessed with a green thumb. Roses, I know, will not grow without adequate hours of sunlight. However, you don't need to forego flowers altogether. Have you tried impatiens? Though they are annuals and must be replanted every year, they are so colorful and bloom so profusely for months on end.