We have an old house in an old peanut-butter-and-jelly neighborhood.
Our neighbors tell us that before we moved in, this house was the Eyesore of the Neighborhood. (I know. Sad, but true. I'll dig up some "before" pictures of the house one day and blog about it.)
Slowly and tenderly, for the past ten years, we have worked on This Old House and turned it into our home. We lovingly call it Casa de La Loma.
When we moved in, the landscaping (if you can call it that) was just freshly laid sod that we had to hand water because they laid it right over the sprinkler system. (Did I mention it was the Eyesore of the Neighborhood?)
So every evening, Eric and I would go out and take turns watering the lawn. Holding a hose and just aiming it at grass had a zen-like effect on me, and I would work out in my head where I would plant the roses (that would all have fabulous names), and I would pray, and I would mentally design the white picket fence that my husband would one day build for me. =D
"Maybe we should just get sprinklers."
We came to that mutual conclusion after dinner one evening when we were both tired and were making a rock-paper-scissors decision about whose turn it was to water the lawn. (By the way, I really just like to say the word, "sprinklers." It sounds whimsical to me, somehow.)
Anyway, we got sprinklers.
But we didn't get a timer for the sprinklers, which is a quick and easy set up in this day and age, but that's not important right now.
(A timer! Why didn't we add a timer? *slaps forehead*)
Let me tell you why….
This forces us to go outside every day to turn them on, right?
Which is something we'd never have to do if we had a timer for the them.
And if we never went outside, we'd miss stuff like this:
And, I don't know about you, but I hate missing a really great show. 😉
Uber-geek confession: I make everyone who comes over go outside and smell my roses. Is that weird?
"We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses."
– Abraham Lincoln
Someday I will see your beautiful garden in real life, and will definitely smell each and every rose in it. =)
Beautiful Marta!!!For years now I’ve been trying to get in the mood to go and plant a rose garden, and I just haven’t done it. Maybe this will be the year!!!
it’s not weird but it is VERY VERY Cuban! Mi Tia Rosa in Miami won’t let you leave her house until everyone “smells the roses” too!
Thanks, Amanda!*starts getting room ready*
I love Miami and all it’s gorgeous tropical foliage, but I’m completely enamored with my rose garden. Give it a shot!So Cal has the ideal conditions for rose growing, but that’s not important right now. =D
Sometimes we’re so Cuban, aren’t we? ;-)Besos,
Marta
Marta, mi amor, you can invite me to come smell your roses anytime! I don’t think it’s weird at all. Sometimes we need someone to remind us to stop and smell the roses because it reminds us to be thankful for the small but beautiful things in life! :)Besos, Maura
Very funny. Nice quote by Abraham Lincoln. Glad to have had the opportunityt to stop by.
You’d never have to ‘make’ me smell your roses, I’d attack them all by myself 🙂 When I was preteen my Aunt lived at a house with lines of rose bushes and she’d always give us baskets and scissors to go cut some every few days, fond memory. PS, I love that you named your house!
Thanks for the kind words, Maura.
Make yourself at home, Doug. Just don’t forget to stop and smell the roses!Besos,
Marta
Stephanie,I can almost picture you and the roses. You made me smile.
(I think everyone should name their homes!)
I can see this garden is full of love , we can see that you put passion in caring it and now the fruits of your love are so gorgeous , this roses are like your kids, very beautiful.
I say you do everyone that goes to your house a favor. You make them stop and smell the roses!! Beautiful by the way. I wouldn’t get a timer either.
Thanks for “getting” me, Juana.Besos,
Marta