If we were having coffee this morning, I’d tell you the cottage painting is completed and everything looks pretty spiffy! Don’t you think so too? All done before spring! Well official Spring that is. Now I am really ready for spring, although I think we may skip spring, like we skipped winter, and just go right into summer. It won’t be long and I ‘ll set up our coffee mornings in the garden! My hellebores are blooming! I have several varieties in the Woodland Garden. Some are pale chartreuse and the palest of pink with very deep green, variegated leaves. I love these plants for several reasons. They bloom right after the mahonia have finished up and I know hot weather is right around the corner! After blooming, the leaves add some color throughout the garden and the deer won’t eat them either. So I can always count on the hellebores in the garden. While I was out admiring the new paint on the cottage I noticed the plum tree is getting ready to bloom too, and that means the cherry tree will not be far behind. I am itching to get to the garden nurseries. I always wait until lots of plants are in around March 15 and then make the rounds. Did I tell you I found a great garden nursery in South Carolina? It’s Wilson’s Nursery and Gardens in Rock Hill. The drive from Charlotte is worth it, the prices are great, and I could spend hours looking over their large stock of plants, trees, pots and decorations!
I am reading a new garden book until I can really delve into the garden. It is Rhapsody in Green by Charlotte Mendelson. She has a garden smaller than mine! And I can relate to her with the plant names! When she bought her small, city-flat, with an even smaller back-gate garden, she would ask people from the bus stop if they could identify her plants, because she didn’t know exactly what they were. I can identify with that! I have a terrible time with plant names! She always dreamed of a large, well-tended garden, like you see in the gardening books, but if it was not to be, she would make do. I laugh and laugh at some of her antics! It is good, light-hearted garden reading.
I am almost finished with another book that has really caught my attention. It involves Agatha Christie, and you know how I am with Agatha! I have many blog entries about her and the gardens and the books! Remember the post I wrote about her mysterious disappearance in 1926? The Woman on the Orient Express by Lindsay Jayne Ashford begins where the real mystery finished, and Agatha is taking the Orient Express to Mesopotamia, to get over her divorce. I am loving it! It involves history, a mystery, of course, and features Agatha herself! The scary thing is that the landmarks in the book that Agatha actually did visit in her lifetime are known to me because of the involvement in the Middle East that we see on TV daily now. It is fascinating to know what the cities once looked liked and the people that lived there. I am learning a great deal about archaeology digs too.
Last week SBS and I went through the excursions available when we take our cruise. Wow, there were a lot to choose from! We discovered it’s the “World of Wine Cruise!” I didn’t realize that when we booked it. So, in France, at one destination, we will be going on the La Route des Chateaux in Bordeaux, to taste Medoc wines, of which there are eight different varieties. In Oporto, Portugal we will be tasting and learning all about port, and in Spain all about sherry. That’s in addition to the gardens, museums, small villages and everything else we are going to see in port. In twelve days there are 10 stops! I am going to have to do some research on wines I think! We have also been assigned a personal cruise advisor before our cruise, who we can call at any time to ask questions. We have lots of questions, the more we delve into all the “BITS.” We have decided to go to the UK a few days early before the ship leaves port and stay a few days longer after we reach Barcelona. I think I will also do some research on particular foods for these areas. Oh, how I love research! There will be lots to talk about wont’t there? See you next week!
PS I bought a little something for the cruise. I hope they work! Have you tried them? Results?
This is part of the #Weekend Coffee Share! I think it will be fun! It will be hosted by Nerd in the Brain starting next weekend! Be sure to link up so you can see what everyone else is saying over coffee! See you next week on Saturday!
ThatTravelLadyInHerShoes 
Sounds like a wonderful trip. I will read The Woman on the Orient Express . looks interesting. I look forward to hearing more about it. Have fun.
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Sherry we don’t leave on the cruise until September! I will try not to bore everyone until then!
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I love researching for trips. Love to hear more fun stuff about it.
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Oh I’m a big researcher that’s for sure! Ha ha! For some reason my WordPress will only open for comments and replies on my phone!!!! What’s up with that!!!!!
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Contact WP tech support. They are very good.
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I did last weekend and waited and waited and waited on them after they said what
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” What can I help you with?” Never heard another thing from them! Something is messed up!
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Go on the live chat. Do you pay or use free site?
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Pay for it.
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I hope you get support fast. Sorry you are having a hard time. So far my experience getting help with WP has been excellent.
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OMG a wine cruise? How fun! Check out an app called GardenAnswers. You snap a pic of a flower or plant and it returns possible matches.. I look forward to doing more planting this year.. I have a black thumb, but I’m working on it. 🙂
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Oh I will have to check that app out! Thank you!
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I love cruising! Have been on 6-7 of them and friends of mine went on that wine cruise and adored it. It’s next on my list, for sure!
I don’t need those wrist bands, myself, but my nephew has motion sickness and they worked wonderfully for him!
Oh I so hope you enjoy your cruise. Now we have to wait forever to hear all about it! ;-=)
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Oh Dale I am glad to hear from someone who likes cruising! I have never been on a cruise but I certainly don’t want to be sick either! Taking the bands as a preventive measure! Glad to hear they worked for your nephew!
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I love, love, LOVE cruising!
I hope you enjoy yours (with all that wine, how could you not?)
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We are not really big imbibers! Only a glass of wine at Christmas! That may all change!
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Oh well then….
You just may!!
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How I miss my garden. My is doors garden is not doing so well.Have fun on your cruise. Stay safe. Think Positive!
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Thanks BettyLouise!
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Those bands work okay, but ginger capsules with do the trick. I used them both when i used to fly gliders. Bon voyage!!! and best of botanical luck..
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Ok thanks for the ginger capsule advice!
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I’m glad you are enjoying your weather. We are still full on winter here in Oregon. In fact, we are having a particularly severe winter for this area.
I’ve not tried the sea sickness bands. I am lucky in that I don’t get seasick. Even when everyone else around me is sick, I’m not! I’m not complaining. I’m lucky that way!
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Oh Corina the first job I chose when I was a flying nurse was in Klamath Falls! I do not know if I will be seasick, but I don’t want to take any chances either!
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I came back! I haven’t read the other comments but it bugged me that you might have your cruise marred by motion sickness. There is a home remedy for motion sickness using ginger. I made it for my daughter and it worked beautifully. It’s crystallized ginger and very easy to make. It will keep for up to a couple of months. You can take it with you in a zip loc type of bag. Here is one recipe: https://www.verywell.com/crystallized-ginger-recipe-89374
It would be wise to take some with you along with the wrist bands. That way you have a backup.
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Corina thank you for the link for the ginger recipe! I will have to see into this!
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Nice to plan a trip. Porto is a fantastic city and I don’t know anybody who doesn’t love Barcelona. And meanwhile… Spring 🙂 🙂
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I want you to know I went out and and did a spring walk to post for your Monday Walks and none of my photos would transfer to WordPress!!!!!! I have been having a time with my new website! Hopefully all will be fixed for next week! Just LOVE your Monday Walks!!!’
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Oh, bless you- what a shame! I know WP has it’s ‘quirks’, that’s for sure. Thank you so much. I’ll look forward to it whenever you can make it. I’ll be in Florence from Sunday till next Thursday but back on track the following week. 🙂
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Have you been to Florence before? One of our favorites in Italy!
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No! It’s been on my must do list forever 🙂
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If you can, try to have the chocolate chaud at the patisserie on the corner in the big grand piazza down by the gold shops at the bridge! Everything in there is yummy.
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You are the second person to tell me we would love Porto!!!
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You will! 🙂 🙂
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