Over The Fence Lifestories: Meet Aunt Ruth

 "A child’s world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement. It is our misfortune that for most of us that clear-eyed vision, that true instinct for what is beautiful, is dimmed and even lost before we reach adulthood." Rachel Carson

TODAY'S SEEDS OF WISDOM

• JUST BLOOMED TODAY ~READER'S SHARE
• OVER THE FENCE:SHARING LIFESTORIES~#LS1 MEET AUNT RUTH
• TWEET TREATS
• DID YOU KNOW...?
• GARDEN UPDATE
• FAUNA
• GARDEN GIGGLE
• WHAT IN THE WORLD?  
• FEEDBACK

JUST BLOOMED TODAY ~READER'S SHARE
Today's share comes from Betty in Whittier, sharing her beautiful red sunflower she grew from seed. She shares that she planted several packages of seeds and this is the only flower she received! It IS gorgeous, Betty, and thanks for sharing!

OVER THE FENCE:SHARING LIFESTORIES #LS1 MEET AUNT RUTH

Unveiling today a new feature where we will be introducing you to interesting people from all over the world and in your own backyard.

It's funny how people in your life are there quietly in the background and you are suddenly blessed with the opportunity of discovering them and their fascinating life that you have missed out on so far.

My Aunt Ruth, for example. Married to my Father's brother, she is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and aunt. I would like you to meet her.

Ruth was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island in a time when parents toiled quietly and steadily, you played with your sister for fun and the lambs contentedly watched the world go by while munching on sweet grass.

Life had a slower pace then. Her father was a milkman and farmer. She remembers him wrapping fat apples in paper and putting them 'up in the cellar' to enjoy later on a winter's night.

One of her happiest childhood memories was making ice cream for the family visits on the weekends. Families back then ate their big meal early and then visited family (or as my Grandma would say,"To blow the stink off"). Her father, being a milkman, had access to cream. It was her and her cousins' job to sit on the ice cream maker, which was surrounded by ice, to hold it down while her father cranked. She said you could only do it for so long as your bottom got cold and you would have to switch out with your cousin so you could run around and defrost in the sun. I can just imagine how wonderful that real cream hand churned ice cream was on a hot day!Life was good at home for her and her sister.

She met the love of her life at age 17 in high school. The dashing Paul, youngest of his Irish family clan, was a flyboy and she fell hard. He did, too. Soon after they married, he was off to the skies for the Air Force.

Along came her two strapping sons, who had families of their own, who had families of THEIR own. All the children at some point in their juvenile lives sat on Nana's lap and received cuddles,a lucky child to have Ruth in their lives.

She would make crafts with them and then tell everyone how cute they were. A real trooper who took cake decorating classes so she could make the best birthday cakes; a recipe adventurer who was willing to try almost anything; a dedicated wife who kept her husband lean and trim to stay healthy and pass all the required aerial medical exams; a caring loving woman who was family-first.

Of course, today Ruth is known for her beautiful garden and her award-winning amazing amaryllis. Gorgeous, deep-colored huge healthy blooms that never fail to impress. She puts a lot of love in them and they love her right back.

In this day and age, she doesn't drive and hasn't for years, a self choice; but as a teen she did drive her father's tractor and truck! Yet, she survives. She adapts. She e-mails, she uses the internet and is active in her beloved garden club.She and her beloved Paul recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They are an inspiration to us.

She may have come from a time when life was slower but she is a living testament to how a strong woman can survive, be happy and thrive with love, like her beautiful amaryllis.

TWEET TREATS

bringing you the quirky, funniest and most interesting tweets from Twitter that we came across.  

My apologies to the thousands of bees I placed inside my nemesis Darren's birthday pinata.   @trumpetcake

DID YOU KNOW...?

That the Olympic medal comes with a monetary prize? It is usually $25,000 for Gold, $15,00 for Silver and $10,000 for Bronze. The US Gov't then taxes them, so for a Gold medal they will take approximately $9,000 in gift tax.

GARDEN UPDATE
Scorcher again today at 93F and counting. <sigh> Well, I guess we ARE into August now.  Not looking forward to September either, but crossing fingers and toes that it will be a mild transition into Fall.


We are all ready for Fall and Winter this year, with a good two cords of hardwood chilling in the love shack, ready to keep us toasty warm and chase the electric bills away! Nice to have it all done ahead of time, so we are not out there cutting wood in the freezing cold, like usual.

GARDEN GIGGLE

 BEST OF CRAIGS LIST 2

• Seeking the services of a star turtle or other celestial amphibian to tow our planet closer to the sun. We need to evaporate a lake. Please note that the lake is sentient and evil, so please be prepared for that. Don't worry, we don't have peanut butter. 

Location: Terisdale
Compensation: gold, platinum, gems, or pizza
This is a part-time job.
This is a contract job.
OK to highlight this job opening for persons with disabilities
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster. 

• If you really want the crap skis you stole out of the back of my truck last week that bad, you might as well have the crap boots that go with them. I was about ready to give them away anyway, it might as well be you as anyone else.Give me a call, my first name is Chris, my last name is on the skis in permanent marker, I'm in the book
• I need help catching the gator that ate my prized pig. My pig (Rudy Belle) was wearing a very expensive necklace, a generational necklace, which was in my wife's family for years. The emotional distress I have had from losing my pig is nothing like the stress I will receive from my wife if I don't get it back. It happened at the Blue Cypress Golf Club and it scared the bejesus out of me. I spoke to management and they said there was nothing they could do. If anyone has found the necklace or has seen this gator ( has a weird blotchy snout) pleasssse contact me. Thanks,Jimmy T. 
• Are You A Ghost Surfing The Web?

Documentary style program is looking to contact a ghost on the internet. If you are DEAD and reading this, please respond!
What is your name?
How did you pass away?
Why are you surfing the internet? 

• This coffee table is perfect for someone with a cocaine habit or shooting a porno movie.

 The majestic beauty of this coffee table rivals earthly treasures such as: the color of the sky at sunset, the laughter of a small child, and infidelity.

Qualities of the table:
-Carpeted
-Mirrored
- It spins
-Doesn't have any weird splotches under black lights
The price of the table is firm: $7.83, four cans of Chef Boyardee Beef Ravioli, and a framed photo of Betty White.

• Autographed copy of the Bible-  I've read it three times. Pretty boring.
• First of all, I should clarify...this might be an ad that is of interest to someone who is NOT a vegetarian- specifically, I expect it to appeal more TO a vegetarian than say, someone who enjoys meat- meat eaters are not to be excluded. 

Here's the scoop. Attractive, anatomically interesting carrot is seeking someone to "appreciate" same.

you should know right away from that last sentence if this is something that turns you on or not- so I invite you to stop reading now if you think this might not be your thing.

If you're still reading, I'll assume that your interest is piqued, and that you're the kind of person who has an open mind, and might be interested in exploring vegetbles as more than a basic food group, and something worthy of more "special" attention.

My carrot wants to meet you if you are:
-respectful of yourself and root vegetables. Non smokers and fatties need not apply.
-open to the possibility of taking deep pleasure in healthy foods
-into gardening a plus!
- fond of the color orange
- not a rabbit/ rabbit owner (you might be surprised by how sick some people are...)
turn offs:
veggie peelers
stir fry utensils
rabbits (naturally.)
take a look and see if we might be able to make a connection.

FAUNA

Elevator Sign

WHAT IN THE WORLD? OVER THE GARDEN FENCEOn today in American history, people in gardens everywhere were talking about:
1492 Three sailing ships, commanded by Christopher Columbus, set out on a historic journey
1861 Last installment of "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens is published
1914 Germany and France declare war on each other
1923 Calvin Coolidge takes oath of office after Harding's death
1936 Jesse Owens wins his first of four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics
1949 The NBA is born
1958 The US Nautilus became the first submarine to travel under the polar icecap of the North Pole
1996 The 'Macarena' begins its top of the charts popularity
2004 The pedestal of the Statue of Liberty was reopened to visitors for the first time since 9-11
2008 Multi-million dollar baby photos of Jolie-Pitt twins published in People magazine
2012 US Women's Swim Team wins more gold; Badminton controversy as 8 athletes are sent home from the games for throwing a game

FEEDBACK

 

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