Dear Reader:

We might think (and rightly so) that these past few November days couldn’t get any crazier…but all we have to do in the lowcountry is look around at every seasonal plant blooming at the same time to realize Mother Nature has crazy moments too.

Certainly one of the most unusual experiences about lowcountry pre-Thanksgiving fall days… is the diverse variety of spring, summer, fall, and winter plants partying together before the first “Big Chill.”

I moved my two natural poinsettias from the thick adjacent driveway foliage to the front porch. Both poinsettias have survived a whole year without any help from their owner…Mother Nature must take credit for their well-being

Several fall mums are having their second blooming and even the summer impatiens are continuing to bloom and glow.

Morning glories, blooming since spring, are happier now than when they first bloomed.

Come with me and take a stroll through the garden…see how a lowcountry November fall day can be filled with every type of bloom imaginable in this semi-tropical paradise…every plant is determined to go out in style before Old Man Winter makes its appearance.

The rose…sturdy, determined and trustworthy…still blooming and the butterflies are still grabbing the last of the nectar from the plants in the garden.

Lantana is the most persevering…love the lavender shade… and Dianthus, like its name “Rockin Red” is still dancing too.

Spring and Encore azaleas are happily blooming side by side

And the camellias are coming in right at the right time…just beautiful. Along with fall marigolds and mums the 2nd time around…

“Big Red” the geranium is still healing from the wind storms that tore off some stems but overall doing well… natural poinsettias are smiling in anticipation of the Christmas holidays soon arriving (or for some already here) 🙂

One of the prettiest plants blooming now is the rainbow colored coleus.

Semi-tropical conditions create multi-diversified beauty…visitors and newcomers to the area might complain about the hot humid summers….but about this time of the year…all the whining stops…and they remember why they moved here to begin with….so they wouldn’t have to shovel snow all winter. 🙂

So glad many of you enjoyed the Fannie and Horace the Mule anecdote yesterday…thought I would pick one out to close “shop”today…  one of my favorite Miss Effie anecdotes.

“When the Preacher Came to Dinner”

There was an on-going custom in a small Methodist church (in a little Georgia community) that the families in the congregation would take turns having their single elderly pastor for dinner each Sunday following church service.

One Sunday the hostess and her husband excused themselves to finish dinner preparations leaving their five-year-old-son, Wilbur, with the preacher in the parlor.

“I bet you can’t guess what we’re having for dinner?” said Wilbur.

“Well…let’s see…probably fried chicken…” guessed the preacher.

“Nope” replied Wilbur.

“Is it smothered chicken” guessed the pastor again.

“Nope” said Wilbur growing louder.

“Oh, I know..it must be baked chicken” guessed the pastor again.

“Nope” said Wilbur…starting to giggle now.

A glint of hope arose in the preacher’s eyes…”Is it…could it be…roast beef” guessed the pastor… licking his lips.

“Nope…I guess I will tell you now” grinned Wilbur.

He looked around the room and then shouted “It’s BUZZARD!”

The preacher’s face turned white and looked downright agasp...”Buzzard…that can’t be?”

“Yep it is, said Wilbur…cuz I heard mama say… “I guess it’s our time to have the old buzzard  for dinner.”

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So until tomorrow…

…

And that’s why I surround myself with them…it’s why I have a garden…so laughter is always blooming…in every season.

*Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*The first Saturday in November is National Book Lovers Day…after the week we have had…the best choice of relaxation is finding a marvelous story and getting lost in its pages. To leave this world behind for a little while and experience another life with new exciting “friends” in a hopefully memorable book. 🙂

No rest for the Clemson Loyal Fans! “Lord…give me strength.”

We have gone from the nail-biting cliff-hanger Clemson-Boston College football game last Saturday…through an interval week of nail-biting election reports (or not)…to the biggest football game of the season….against Notre Dame tonight…still without Trevor but “all in” for D. J.  ( “I think I can, I think I can”)

I am babysitting tonight at John and Mandy’s …the game is at 7:30….time to get ready to hang on for one more roller-coaster ride.

Thought to self….I wonder if I can order fake finger nails on-line?