paper whites

 Recently, I was browsing around a new antique store that has opened very close to home. It is owned by a very nice mother/daughter duo. I had met them over a year ago at another antique store a little further away. I do not remember how we struck up a conversation that day, but I vaguely remembered sharing names. Zoom forward to the first time I went into this new store and as I stepped in the front door, the daughter looks up and says, "Hi Norma, how are YOU?" I was completely surprised! Although, I remembered meeting them, I couldn't believe she remembered my name. I even said to them, "wow, you remembered my name!" Her response to me was..."because that is Mom's name too", as she motioned to her mother. As thrilled as I was that they called me by name, in the same moment, I was rather embarrassed that I had not remembered that the mother and I shared the same name. But I will remember from now on and they are enjoyable women to talk to.

While at their new store I saw a display that they had put together. It was a large tray filled with these pretty blue and white ceramic spice jars. There were large ones for flour and such as well. They had filled them with bulbs. Naturally, with my weakness for bulbs (especially tulip bulbs that I rather miss around my yard) and my love of the color blue on white (like my dinner plates), I decided I had to leave with one of these little cuties.

I put it in a sunny window for a week or so and watched it grow taller each day.

Soon, the buds started to open and the flowers began to emerge. Quite literally, before my very eyes.

Each day, the stems grew taller and taller as the flowers burst their way out.

The flowers are pretty and delicate.

                                        And...they have a very light, very sweet scent. So pretty.

As you can see, once they started to bloom, I moved them to the kitchen table so that we could enjoy them every day.

Then one night, we came home and found the flowers had become so heavy they tipped over the entire little jar, spilling the water out onto the table. I set it back up, but to my dismay, the flowers were so heavy they just stayed bent over.

I propped them up in a corner on the counter where the wall could help hold them up. The flowers still looked so pretty and I figured we would just have to enjoy them over in the corner. Then, two days later, I noticed they were standing back up again, all on their own. So, I moved them back to the table where they still are standing tall, although a little wonky now.

I'm amazed at how long these flowers are lasting. 

Although I have seen the art of "forcing bulbs" before, I've never tried it. You can bet that I will be doing this in the very near future. A whole grouping on the table would be ever so pretty!

Paper whites.

smile project UPDATE

Last week, I featured "smiles", on Quote Monday.  I made some "take a smile" sheets and found a few places around town to hang them. That turned out to be the hardest part. Finding a place and trying to be sly about it. I felt like I needed to tape them up without being seen and forever reason, that made me feel nervous. Just anticipation nervous I think. Today, I will give you an update on how it turned out.

Thursday was the day. Here are the sheets and the tool needed to get the task completed on the car seat next to me.

The first stop was at the post office. I needed to pick my mail up and it is a pretty busy place, so I thought it would be a good place to start. This is where I sat and watched the many people go in and out the door. No one took one while I was there, but I did see one lady hesitate and actually smile!

Next, I placed one (very strategically) at the pet stop in the plaza. Because people that need one of these bags also needs a smile.

I placed one at two of the local grocery stores and near a restaurant.  Then, I went back through the route I had just taken, ending up at the post office. That is where I saw that indeed, someone had taken a smile! Yay!!

Yesterday, I went back around to check on the signs. I stopped at the post office and saw that either a lot of people took a lot of smiles or someone took it down because they wanted a clean appearance to the entrance.

Same with the pet stop. All cleaned up.

                                       But at one of the grocery stores...someone took a smile!

                                                            And that someone was ME!

I may try this again some day. I don't think I chose great locations for my smile sheets.
But, I love the idea!

                                                             Here is the smile I took....

               
                                                               It is for YOU!


Update:

 I needed to pick up a few things at the grocery store today and to my surprise...this one is still there AND two smiles were taken!  Yay!! 

quote monday

Although we are not experiencing a polar vortex or an icy cold winter, I thought others might want to remember that summer will arrive and you will once again feel the warmth of the sun.

Happy Monday!

to chea or not to chea

that is the question.

The other day, I responded to a question directed to me by a visiting friend having breakfast with Chuck and I.
It went like this...

She: "what are you drinking?"
Me: "chea"
 (laughter ensues by she and he)
Me: "I mean...chai tea."
  (laughter continues by thee, he and she)


But later, I thought, isn't a chai tea a chea after all?

That is my plea.

quote monday

This is always true. Smile today.

This week, I plan to make five of these and hang them in random places around town. I think I will quietly sit near one of them and watch to see if anyone takes a smile. Or, makes a smile.

Maybe one (or all) of you, my faithful readers, would like to do this too. We could spread miles of smiles across many states! If you do, snap a photo and let me know in the comment section if you'd like to e-mail it to me and perhaps I can share them here next monday.

Sharing smiles,
    ~norma~

a short letter

Dear Mom,

The plant that you gave (back) to me is growing. It has not bloomed yet, but I'm holding out hope that 2014 is the year it will flower.

I had it outside almost all of last year and brought it in only when we had a couple of nights of freezing temperatures. It will be going back outside again soon. I'm wondering if it is time to re-plant it in a new pot. I think it has been in this one for quite some time. Perhaps that would encourage it to bloom. Because, you know what they say...

      Bloom where you are planted.

That's all. I just wanted to let you know that it is thriving and growing.

Love,
Norma

no photoshop required

I don't ever officially announce or even make New Year's resolutions, but I have decided that I will get out and walk more this year. There are a few areas that could use some toning. Just a few. So I plan to stretch and strengthen and walk. It's a goal, not a resolution.

I'd say the stretching part is already working.

Look at my legs!

quote monday:

Now...be happy.

~norma~

it's a new year

                                Happy 2014 !

                                                   Let's make it a good one shall we?