Friendship & Love

The baby herbs were a big hit at the wedding shower. I got pretty caught up in my little garden growing in my studio. It was surprising to me how much humidity those little guys kicked out! I will be happy to have my red desk lamp back on my desk instead of in the incubator. I kept one of each of the varieties I grew, basil, sage, oregano, cilantro and chives. I'll bring them out of my studio and introduce them to their new home on my kitchen windowsill now. I'm not sure how long it will take before I can harvest. Any opinions about this? I am a rookie gardener.

The herbs were the theme of the shower, "Sage Advice". But it was the friendship and celebration that was the heart of the day. It was a pleasure to plan and host a shower for long-time family friends. Jana is the bride to be. My daughter and Jana have been friends since they were in, I think, 9th grade. I met Patty at a gift shop in Elk River that was housed in Steve's Nursery out on Hwy 10. We just hit it off. We realized we attended the same church. As we talked it seemed our husbands shared common interests. Could it be nearly 20 years ago? Probably. Time flies and seems to be picking up speed. Our families enjoy getting together for our annual Christmas Eve Brunch, alternating between homes. Our guys love classic cars. Years ago they both had green Camaros, so the ERGCC was formed (The Elk River Green Camaro Club) which had membership cards, t-shirts...the works! Now they each have white convertibles! We have enjoyed many cruises together, great picnics on the road and at car shows. Our families have vacationed together. The VandenHoek's are from California and since they didn't have family around, we invited them to join ours on numerous occasions over the years. They have become like family and I am grateful for their friendship, love and presence. We don't see each other as often as we used to, but that doesn't really matter. We slip back into great conversation and a deep realization that we matter to each other.

I love having my girlfriends over to relax, enjoy some good food and probably beer or wine, but mostly just to revel in our friendship. I love bringing out my pretty dishes, my Mom's old Fiesta ware, her snack trays, Grandma's punch bowl, vases collected form past occasions and the green dishes from the cabin. I love to create a beautiful environment and be surrounded by friends. In our busy lives, too often the time that we neglect is our own sanity, taking time to relax and nurture the friendships that sustain us. I feel blessed by the friendships I have and today, salute each and every one of you.

To Jana...wishing you a wonderful life. May your marriage be strong and your friends be many.

I'm Back

I'm back! After a bit of a hiatus, and problems with the server, I am finally able to post to my blog again.

Winter doesn't seem to able to loosen it's grasp of Minnesota. I love Winter, but I am really over it and very ready for Spring. I have started herb seeds on the heated floor in my studio. It's my first time and I find it fun and addicting. I'm looking forward to getting some tomatoe seeds, peppers and maybe I'll try some perennials, too. It's Spring in my studio in spite of the Winter Storm Warning that we have in our forecast. Hope you're enjoying sunshine where you are reading this.