Today is Meredith’s birthday. Meredith, for those of you who don’t know, is my beloved little sister. She writes a very popular blog called Mereknits. She is the fiber wizard in our family – she knits, she crochets, she weaves, she sews.
She is a wonderful mother to her three boys.
She is the best sister in the world.
It’s a big birthday number for her, one that is hard to comprehend for this much older sister. How can that be?
Drop by her blog and wish her a very Happy Birthday for me, okay? She deserves all of the best the world has to offer.
I love all my roses, but this one – the New Dawn – has my heart. The soft pink of those blooms is simply stunning. This one is currently arching over the porch railing, right behind the glider.
As you no doubt know, I have a lot of hostas in the gardens. A few years ago, I planted two of them in front of the shed, which is a distance from the house.
I discovered this yesterday.
Yes, my hostas have been beheaded. I’m pretty sure the culprits are my friends, the deer.
The hostas in the other garden beds have emerged unscathed, most likely due to their proximity to the house. Time to spray some natural deer repellent. (No chemicals or pesticides are ever used here.)
We had a doozy of a thunderstorm yesterday. It went on for several hours. Booming cracks of thunder, torrential rain, streaks of lightning – what a show! I’m hoping the humidity will go away later today.
Please?
What are you reading at the moment?
I’m reading The Silkworm, a mystery by Robert Galbraith (who is really J.K. Rowling.) It’s the second in her series about a London private detective, Cormoran Strike.
Boy oh boy, that woman can write. I never read the Harry Potter books. I tried, but I just never got into them. (I know…you’re shocked.) So I am very happy that Rowling has moved into a new genre, the mystery/crime novel. I almost never do this, but after reading The Cuckoo’s Calling (the first book in the series) I purchased the second book months before it was due to come out.
The series is that good.
I’m thinking a lot about the new book blog. I’m gathering ideas. I’m pondering domain names. I’m very excited. It will probably take another week or two to launch. I’m still recovering from the long hours in the theater and subsequent lack of sleep during my last week in Chautauqua. But the ideas are percolating in my brain, rest assured.
Tomorrow is a special anniversary for Don and me. Stop by tomorrow and I’ll tell you a little story.
Happy Thursday.
I am reading the mystery To Darkness and To Death. It’s the 3rd book in a series by Julia Spencer-Fleming. If you haven’t checked her out you might want to .
I enjoy your blog so much!
Thanks for that tip, Claudia. I’ll be sure to check into this author. Enjoy your reading!
I am reading Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat. I am nearing the end of the book and have enjoyed every page. It is set in Haiti and is beautifully written. I would recommend it to anyone.
Love getting book recommendations, Debbie. I’m writing this one down. Enjoy!
happy birthday blessings to meridith!!! so glad you are “home” now claudia…although i REALLY enjoyed the pics you took when you were gone!!!
I’m glad I’m home, too. But I do miss Chautauqua.
It will sound crazy, but have Don visit them one evening! My friend swears by this method and has her little grandson pee on hers every month or so. She says it is some type of marking territory that works!
Hmmm. I don’t know whether Don will go for it, Dottie! But then again, he’s a guy and they love doing that sort of thing (the little boy never truly goes away.)
That beautiful rose just makes my heart sigh! I’ll visit Meredith for sure, she is a very special sister I know. I’m reading ‘Silver Girl’ by Elin Hilderbrand. I just started it, but I enjoy her books very much. I also never read the Harry Potter books, just could not get into them, but I will add her new series to my list! Can’t wait for the new book blog. Have a wonderful day.
hugs,
Linda
I love hearing what my readers are reading. It opens up my horizon….gives me new authors to put on my reading list. Thanks, my friend!
…and I thought slugs were hard on hostas!
I know! Let’s not mention the Japanese Beetles that are worse than ever this year. They are dining on all my roses!
I’m currently reading Ghost Ship by Clive Cussler and Graham Brown. It’s a mystery adventure…just started it…so far so good. The series you are reading sounds interesting….I’ll have to put it on my list. There are several homemade recipes for deer repellent…I know the deer used to have quite the feast on our hostas, until they changed their “route” for some reason. Course, now we have more coyotes and foxes…so Mother Nature has changed something! ;)
Sounds like a good book, Donna. I remember seeing it in the bookstore. On my list it goes! I have a good homemade recipe for repelling the deer – I just didn’t get to it quickly enough because I was away.
For some reason, the pink rose reminds me of my Grandmother. Such a pretty photo.
Thank you, Leslie Anne!
That rose just looks so soft and sweet..poor Hostas..the deer don’t bother mine but they are planted along the house..I am hoping that the humidity goes away today too..I would like to cook on the charcoal grill tomorrow for the 4th and sit outside to eat..I have been reading magazines at this time because of all the cleaning and purging going on here..I’m usually so tired in the evening that I start to read and fall asleep..Those new books by J.K.Rowling sound very good..maybe I will give them a try when I am done with this mess..Why do writers use different names on their works Claudia?
In this case, it was because J. K. Rowling wanted to try something new without the onus of her Harry Potter popularity hanging over her head. She submitted the manuscript under the name Robert Galbraith and only a few people knew the true identity of the author. But someone along the way figured out it was her and she was outed. She is so wildly popular that I can see how tough it would be to try something new with all the expectations that people would have hanging over her.
Claudia- I anxiously await your new book blog. I LOVE getting reading ideas from other readers. I now have to look into J K Rowling as I didn’t read the Potter series. I never tried and may give it a try but the new series sounds more my interest.
Thanks to you and your readers for all the new ideas. I am a reading fool :)
One topic you might address is books vs kindle. Do you still read from your paperwhite?
SueZK
Yes, I do! And it is invaluable when I’m out of town. No more packing lots of books.
Thanks for the suggestion. That will be worth a couple of posts, at least!
Used to live by The Park of Roses (in Cols., OH) and my absolute favorite was New Dawn. Dad had many Peace roses, too. I really love them both. Your gardens are always so pretty.
Oh, Peace roses are so pretty! I wish I could get rid of the Japanese Beetles that are especially bad this year. July is Beetle time.
Claudia, Maybe the bunnies from under the shed are eating the hosta. The deer leave mine alone. I love the oink rose. Such beauty! Growing roses intimidates me for some reason.
I have put your series of books onto my wish list. I never read Harry Potter either. Something about wizards put me off.
I usually read mysteries, but sometimes I need something a little lighter to read. Enter the cozy mystery.
I like the idea of a book blog. You are so knowledgeable about your books, and your reviews show that.
I think it was the deer because of the way they were chopped off, all at the same level. To top it off, for the first time since we moved here, some animal got in the trash last night. Most likely raccoons. What a mess that was to clean up!
I’m still reading “Winston and Clemmie” – which is the story of Winston Churchill and his wife Clementine told almost entirely in the form of their letters to each other. Edited by their daughter Mary Soames [I must be a bit of a voyeur because I love reading biographies with lots of personal letters]. Oh, and that rose! Wow, that is one beautiful rose. If I had ever got married, I would have planned the entire wedding around that rose and that color. Good luck with the deer issue. I’ve heard garlic powder was good, as well as that old standby, hot pepper sauce. And eggs for some reason. ???
I remember reading Noel Coward’s letters and they were fascinating. He was such a witty man, so intelligent. It makes me sigh for a time gone by. The deer problem isn’t a big deal. I have a homemade remedy I use, but because I was away, I didn’t get around to it in time. Now, the Japanese Beetles are another story.
I just started The Cuckoo’s Calling. Seems great so far. Laura
You’ll really like it, Laura.
Usually by the end of the summer, bunnies are the ones that behead my hostas – but they don’t quite do the job that your deer do….wow that is quite a beheading! :) Looking forward to seeing your new book blog. So proud that you decided to do it – and then just do it. I have been contemplating my “real” blog for a couple of years now. I have the name, the basics set up – but I just haven’t written that first post. Never can “find” the time. …. guess I’m just a procrastinator. So you go girl!
Yes, I think the deer are much more thorough! I have to think of a name for the blog….any ideas would be welcome!
Thank you for the wonderful birthday wishes and for singing to me on the phone. I loved Harry Potter, and read them all twice. I did not like The Casual Vacancy, but I do want to try here new series.
I love you a tone,
Mere
Happy Birthday, sweet sister! I heard that The Casual Vacancy wasn’t very good – but this series is very good. xoxoxo
Oops ton not tone.
I understood!
Looking forward to your new blog…I always have two books going. One is next to my bed for my afternoon nap. I finished Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline, a gift from my son who saw a teacher reading it at school. While on vacation we went to a used book store in Salt Lake City and I found New Mercies by Sandra Dallas…love love love her books, couldn’t put it down…love stories about strong women. I’m also reading the biography of Marion Davies since I finished the book about the Hearst Family.
I want the New Dawn rose real bad…bad enough I might start behaving myself so Santa will bring it to me!
I’ll definitely stop by Meredith’s blog and wish her a happy birthday when I’m done commenting here…
That’s too bad about your hostas. Last year we had some kind of bug destroying a lot of our leaves. Like you, we don’t use any chemicals so the leaves were pretty much destroyed. But those hostas all came back just fine this year, and so far, so good.
I just started a new book last night – 10% Happier by Dan Harris. My neighbor recommended it to me. Our little library (my town is a population of only 6000 people and our town’s library is basically just one big room!) actually had the book.
Those naughty Deer! Claudia, would you please send some rain out East? we keep getting sprinkled…we need a down pour!
Have a great 4th of July!
Blessings, Joanne
So thrilled to read about your new blog venture. cannot wait. Love to recommend books to readers…:)
The rose is lovely. I’m surprised the deer left it alone. What natural deer repellent do you use?
I was never a Harry Potter fan either but I picked up Cookoo’s Calling at a yard sale and like it a lot. I preordered the second book and just got it – can’t wait to start it.
I read recently that she plans 8 books in the series – I’ll be happy for a few years to come.