Home Grown

Today is a special day that most Americans don’t know about. I’ll share a piece of history with you.

This is an excerpt from a letter written by John Adams to his wife, Abigail Adams, on July 3rd, 1776-

The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.

Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, 3 July 1776, Adams Family Papers: An Electronic Archive. Massachusetts Historical Society. http://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/; Butterfield, L.H., ed. Adams Family Correspondence. Vol. 2. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1963.

It is also Steve’s birthday. The big 40.

I always stress and fret over what to do for his birthday. He always says he doesn’t want or need anything, acts aloof when you try to talk about something nice or special, pisses me off when he clams up and won’t communicate at all about parties, gifts and celebrations for himself.

So, I do what I always do. I give him a new flag each birthday and we have a little ceremony as she is hung. This year we also gifted him with spotlights so that she shines bright in the night (because we forget to take it down at dusk sometimes and that is not cool).

Happy Birthday, Sweetcheeks! I love you!

I had warned asked Josh to bring shorts with him on the day we planned to work on the koi pond. This once or twice a year ritual is tiresome but much needed. Everything around her over grows in the blink of an eye so why should the flowers around or in the pond be any different.

Josh stepped in and the work began.

He had to use the saw to get through the roots. I told him so but he didn’t believe me until he was in the throes of trying to haul out plants.

And he sawed.

And he sawed some more.

And I sent text messages to people asking if they wanted a piece of these plants. What I can’t use in the other pond or give away will have to go to the burn pile.

After cutting out nine root balls almost too big to lift the pond began to open back up. The fish began to move around and explore often brushing against his legs which made him squeal like a girl yelp.

The floating bucket is from the plants. I had 4 potted plants in here and every one of them grew out of the pot. Not one plant left rooted in their own pot.

Eventually enough of the plant was cut away to openup the pond. Colby got in to fish out the rocks that belong on the edging and to put them bakc in place. The plants grow so big they often push the border stones out of place and they fall into the water.

The lower end is clear now. 3/4 of the water you see was taken up by plants. Huge seems like an understatement.

These are some of the roots on the plants. Look at those things. Some are as big as large carrots. Nearly eight inches long.

Some of you may remember but here is a little flash back to what this pond looked like the first spring after we moved here and had to use the tractor to pull out one giant plant that filled nearly the entire pond.

Isn’t that just crazy?

My in-law’s anniversary is coming up next month. I am always wondering and searching for months before hand for something unique and lovely to give. It is really hard for me to settle on a choice as they are the type who have everything they need and most of what they want already.

This year they had their kitchen back splash tiled in the prettiest watery blues and green glass type tiles. It is such a lovely lovely lovely tile that lends an air of tranquility to her kitchen. It is a gorgeous kitchen, too.

So, what do you give someone who has everything?

I decided to grow our gift this year.

This is a 14 or 15 inch pot I found lurking on a gardening shelf in a store and I knew when it saw it that it would suit her tastes. Then I went and got me some tiny little herbs and put them in the pot.

I set it in the sun.

I watered it as needed.

I fed it once a week.

Look at this thing grow! The tallest plants are over 12 inches high. It makes me happy to look at it.

I hope she loves it.

Oh, no worries on spilling the beans, to the best of my knowledge they don’t read my blog and probably don’t even know it exists.

I would be thrilled to pieces that someone would take the time and effort to show me how much they cared. Also, for me, giving a living thing is way up there on the coolest things you can give list. (But not animals. Animals and pets should NEVER be gifted as they are such deeply personal choices to make. No, no living animals as gifts, thanks.) I also tend to prefer to be the gifter and not the giftee.

What do you think? Do you like getting gifts like this? Or do you prefer to be the giver?