MY SUN DAY NEWS
June 29, 2017
I think in my version of an ideal world, I would be completely self-sufficient. I was raised by a mom who learned at a very early age that you have to do things for yourself in order to survive.
When my kids were young, I would spend a lot of time with them outside. I was quite busy the summer that no one was old enough to push themselves on the swing set. During those summer days my mind would often wander.
The Klehm Arboretum, located in Rockford, is a local treasure for all types of gardeners. Their 155 acres is filled with beautiful flowers, shrubs, and trees. One of their premier events, The Garden Fair, occurs June 3-4.
For this article, I have asked Jim Wojtowicz to give us some insight about not only Klehm Arboretum itself, but also about their annual Garden Fair Weekend.
While walking with a homeowner around their yard a few days ago, I spotted a butterfly. I tried to continue to be professional, but the little kid in me was so very excited to see the beautiful creature.
Stress manifests itself to varying degrees in many ways. The stress of forgetting to pick up a needed item at the grocery store is small compared to that of waiting for a test result, but both are stressful nonetheless.
Earlier this week, my daughter Sarah and I spent two days on the campus of Purdue University. She relished the opportunity to listen presentations about Study Abroad options for Engineer majors and the experiences of recent Civil Engineering graduates. I on the other hand, found joy outside the lecture halls.
Mary, our oldest daughter, chose to spend her spring break at home. We all had a wonderful visit with her. Our days were filled with lunches out with friends and the evenings were spent eating dinner at home with relatives. Time was set aside for shopping with Grandma and of course attending the school musical.
As a mom who is in the process of sending her kids out into the world, I am sincerely grateful for the community in which they grew up. I am grateful to the real estate agent who spent the summer of â99 showing our growing family house, after house, after house.
On the afternoon of December 8, five Sun City residents will open their homes and hearts to us. They will share with us the beauty of their homes, their holiday traditions, and the giving spirit that is so very present this time of year through the Sun Flower Garden Clubâs 7th Annual Holiday House Walk.
While it has been wonderful to be able to spend so much time in our living rooms watching the World Series, there is quite a bit that should be done outside this time of the year.
At a certain point early this summer, I became very disenchanted with ornamental grasses. I was seeing so many ornamental grasses that were just not growing well. In many yards, the ornamental grasses were either small or only portions of the plants were showing any signs of life. On the other side of the spectrum, some ornamental grasses were taking over planting beds. It seemed like a no-win situation.
Lately, the lyrics from âTurn, Turn, Turn,â the 1960s song by The Byrds, have been floating around in my head. âTo everything-turn, turn, turn. There is a season â turn, turn, turn. And a time to every purpose under heaven.â I believe the term is âearworm,â and now I am passing it along. âA time to be born, a time to die. A time to plant, a time to reap. A time to kill, a time to heal. A time to laugh, a time to weep.â
Lately, the lyrics from âTurn, Turn, Turn,â the 1960s song by The Byrds, have been floating around in my head. âTo everything-turn, turn, turn. There is a season â turn, turn, turn. And a time to every purpose under heaven.â
I believe the term is âearworm,â and now I am passing it along. âA time to be born, a time to die. A time to plant, a time to reap. A time to kill, a time to heal. A time to laugh, a time to weep.â
There are documented health benefits from gardening. Can you give us a few examples?
I called my husband last Thursday afternoon and vented about a pattern of behavior that I had noticed in our son. While our son is innately the most caring, kind, and funny person I know (except his father of course), he had developed a pattern of behavior that needed to be addressed.
My daughter Mary and I decided to set aside a day to spend together before she went to college. Neither of us wanted to choose what to do on that day. I wanted to do whatever Mary wanted to do and she wanted to do whatever I wanted to do. We went back and forth about this for a few days, until I caved in.
It is often said that hydrangeas are not only one of the best-loved garden plants but also the most understood. Although, I think trial and error is sometimes a better way to learn about gardening, here are a few insights into the broad category of plants called hydrangeas.
Six thousand, five hundred, and seventy days have passed with only 28 more to go. The questions creep into my mind at all hours of the day and night. They range from the somewhat inconsequential in todayâs society, (âDoes she know how to iron?â) to the abstract (âHow will our family structure be affected as we all feel the loss?â), to the very serious, (‘Have I emphasized strongly enough that she needs to guard her drink at social events?’).
It is important to use a variety of animal repellent products. What works in someone elseâs yard, may not work in yours. What works in your yard for a while, may stop working if the rabbits get used to it.
We all have our routines. They keep us on task and help us to remember to do certain things each day. Most routines are helpful, but some can be counterproductive. Unfortunately, rabbits have routines also.
What types of plantings occur at the gardens annually?
The American Horticultural Society has recognized the Rotary Botanical Gardens, located in Janesville Wisconsin as one of the best botanic gardens in the Midwest. This winter I had the opportunity to attend a seminar given by Mark Dwyer, Director of Horticulture for the Rotary Botanical Gardens.
We all seem to have tricks to help us remember things. âLefty Lucy, Right Tightyâ pops into my mind each and every time I am using a screwdriver. My kids have all done really well on their eighth grade constitution test simply because they know the words to the School House Rock songs.
We have a new crab tree in our yard. The crisp, bright white flowers have brought me immense joy the past few days. Instead of looking down onto the floor that needs to be swept, I look out of the kitchen window and smile.
It seems that our Midwest seasons our fleeting. Bright red tulip flowers lift our spirits in the spring but are gone by summer. Gorgeous lilac flowers are prevalent in May by July the lilac shrubs drift into the background. The breathtaking orange tones on sugar maple leaves embody the spirit of fall and quietly drop with winter.
Last night my daughter Mary and I went to see the movie âMy Big Fat Greek Wedding 2â. This was a much anticipated mother-daughter outing. The movie was about the importance of family, with the underlying theme of an 18-year-old daughter choosing a college and moving away from her family. It is a story that has been playing out in our home this winter. Mary has chosen a college that will take her 620 miles from family but will bring her much closer to determining her unique calling in life.
Each year the Oxford Dictionary comes out with a list of words that they have added to their publication. Words such as pneumatologically, studerite, and waterly were added the dictionary in 2015. Way back in 2001, the word âappâ was added.
My kids have this unspoken competition between themselves. Periodically, they will take a picture of themselves (yes, I have just dated myself by refusing to call it a selfie) and then use that picture as the screen saver on my phone. The result is that whenever I look at my phone I see their bright, smiling face.
My 14-year-old son values his appearance. Specifically, he takes great pride in his hair. I am not quite sure what lead to this awareness. Perhaps it is the fact that for 12 years he faithfully went with his mom and sisters to a beautician every 7 weeks.
I am not quite sure if we are correctly curing all that ails them, but a recent study from the Harvard School of Public Health reported more than half of children in the United States are not getting adequate hydration. Are our plants?
The process of tucking our children into bed has come full circle in our home. The nightly ritual used to be a very hands-on event for my husband and I.
