It’s my first full weekend home in about a month, and I’m very happy to be here.
Yesterday, in the middle of May, I turned the fireplace on and made soup–such was the chilly, rainy Saturday. But I like making soup (potato and ham at Kat’s request), and the fire added cheer.
I also had to address the matter of dealing with an incredible amount of stuff that needed putting away. This is a usual weekend task, but due to losing weekends, going here and there, coming back with more than I left with, the amount of stuff grew, grew, grew.
Plus I had a photo shoot on Thursday, which means a day of hair and makeup, a prep day of figuring out wardrobe. We had fun with it. Laura tried a little Facebook live, and that added more fun.
[KGVID]http://fallintothestory.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/18429147_125539854669035_2216974870229549056_n.mp4[/KGVID]
But then, all THAT stuff had to be put away, too.
On the other hand as BW, Laura and our helpful Kat, were in Boonsboro at Green Fest helping out, I had many solitary hours to accomplish it all. Plus, Thor and then The Avengers happened to be on TV, and if you’ve got to haul, carry, toss, organize, it might as be with superheroes for company.
The sun came out for about twenty seconds so I had a walk around with the dogs in there.
Adding all this domesticity to my Saturday morning workout meant ending the day with more than 20,000 steps.
Whew. (But I’m catching up with Jason who’s currently kicking my butt in Fitbit standings.)
Before the end of the day, BW and Kat arrive, tired but happy. A long day for all of us, but we have the little salad I made, the soup, and a nice round of fresh sour dough bread. And I get to hang out with my girl awhile.
Sunday’s a whole different ballgame. Once the workout’s in the bag, I can head out to the garden. I need a light jacket, but it’s sunny, at last, at last. I weed. I yell at the dogs when I discover they’ve been up and digging in a part of my beds. Parker and Atticus slink away, as they damn well should.
BW and I stake the tomatoes, and he yells at the dogs when he finds they’ve dug up a drainage pipe.
We recently had one of the guestrooms repainted, which meant everything had to come off the shelves and off the walls. I dealt with the shelf stuff during Saturday chores, so attack the walls. I know not everything that was up’s going back. Some I’m taking outside. I like outdoor art. It’s fun–if a lot more steps–to take a piece around, find where it can go, choose another, do the same.
Picking the spot’s my job. Making it so’s going to be BW’s.
I’m ridiculously happy to have all the damn boxes out of my living room.
And happy to wander, sans jacket now, around the gardens taking pictures. My peonies have started to open, like a Mother’s Day gift. I got my kids an RC car from here.
My mother loved peonies (I pronounce it like she did–Pee-O-Nees), so I think of her when I take a deep sniff.
My faerie garden’s exactly right, roses and yellow flags are starting a show out by the water feature. I have dianthus madly blooming, and much, much more. My poor basil is sad after so much wet, cool weather, but I’m hoping it perks up as the rest of the herbs are doing just fine.
BW gave me the cute yoga frogs, and the lovely reading girl for Mother’s Day. They look happy where they’re now planted.
My pots (yell at dogs again when I discover they’ve dug out a plant from one) are full and colorful. My clematis is pure glory.
Now, I’m about to go out and point so BW can hang things where I want them, then I believe I’m going to sit around with a book or a movie.
It’s Mother’s Day, after all, and I qualify!
To all moms out there, I hope you have a lovely day, as lovely as a peony opening in the sun.
Nora
You look like a shorter Eve, real badass, in your photo shoot. It looks like a sun room, with all windows, where the shoot was going on. That must be lovely w/the sun pouring in.
I love your peonies, and especially those cute frog planters. Have a wonderful mother’s day- it’s fitting, how you are the one doing the cooking for everybody, even on your one day off.
Happy Mother’s Day Nora! Your flowers are beautiful and the potato and ham soup look delicious.
I loved watching you guys on fb live. That Kat is a nut!! Laura did good and you looked magnificent! BW is so talented. Can’t wait to see some more pictures. Have a wonderful day!
Our early May snowstorm has us many days behind your flowers – so pretty! Today is when it’s traditionally safe to put out plants, but who knows with our crazy weather. My nasturtium seedlings are practically crawling out to the garden by themselves, so tomorrow it’s their turn. That’s how my mother pronounced peony, too. I looked up other ways of pronouncing it, and I can’t even make my tongue say the other way – lol. I don’t remember Parker getting in trouble for digging before, did Atticus teach him? My neighbor’s very large puppy is trying to dig to China and is making her crazy. Enjoyed the video, Laura!
Thank you and Happy Mother’s Day to you as Well! Spending it with my daughter and grand children. Such a beautiful day here in Illinois!
Happy Mother’s Day Nora! Your flowers are looking so beautiful! Naughty doggies! Stay out of the garden, if you know what is good for you! Loved the photo shoot video- so fun to be behind the scenes. Can’t wait for Year One and Come Sundown- already preordered and ready to read on day one. Thanks for sharing your life with us! Blessed Be all the Moms!
Is there a way to locate older blog posts? I don’t believe it was too long ago. I’m looking for one where Nora posted some photos of her garden and one had a nice clear view of the fairy statue. Thanks.
There’s a search feature on the blog. I plugged in Faerie Garden and got about five posts. I think this is the one you want:
http://fallintothestory.wpcomstaging.com/rain-rain-enough-already/
Laura
Yes, Thank you so much!
Have had an odd mixture of sun and hail! First time I ever got to see birds running to get under the shrubs!
I see a glint of sun and am taking the dog for a walk before this starts again!
Soups sounds fabulous!!!
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!
Happy Mother’s Day Nora!
I so enjoy these posts. Thank you for letting us in on this aspect of your life.
Still say you should compile a cookbook. Please!
Bless you.
Sharon Boegel
The Inn BoonsBoro Cookbook, available exclusively from Turn The Page, (on sale now), designed by our amazing Kat, contains several of my recipes–such as they are.
Your garden is beautiful! I’m a Floridian now but former New Yorker (Yonkers) and remember gardens like yours. Also I love reading about NYC in the “In Death ” series since I worked there and know some of the places you write about. Absolutely love every one and your trilogies. Keep up the great work!
Happy Mother’s Day! Your garden is magnificent. My mother and grandmother got the gardening gene. I got the kill gene. But I can look as long as I don’t approach too closely. I am so looking forward to Day One. It sounds different from your usual excellent work and I am a fan of Urban Fantasy. Thanks again for sharing your garden.
I’ll have to order that. I just finished rereading the Inn Boonsboro trilogy and am about to start rereading the Three Sisters Island trilogy. Pretty much the only good thing about having to keep my legs up for several hours a day.
Happy Mother’s Day, Nora.
Happy Mothers Day !!! Glad you found time to smell the flowers, there’s something about the fragrance that lifts the spirit, may your week go much more smoothly. ☕️
Happy Mothers Day Nora. Beautiful gardens!
I got the Inn Boonsboro cookbook last week, its beautiful and as I love to read cookbooks, I might just try a few recipes. Thanks for thinking of such a cool idea. And, as always your gardens are spectacular.
Happy Mother’s Day Nora. Enjoyed this blog so much. Your garden looks beautiful.
Awww Nora your gardens are just lovely. I fell totally in love with one of your plants. I don’t know the name of it but I had one about ten years ago and the lady that gave it to me called it a Shamrock plant. It is the purple three leaf clover one with the white flowers. I have looked for another one for years now since I had to move and gave mine away. No room for it in the move.
I’m sorry to hear that the fur babies are digging into your beds and pots and of course the water line. I have no suggestions on stopping them.
I’m glad that you had a wonderful Mothers Day. The soup looked wonderful and delicious. I need to make soup with some yeast rolls. It’s been winter since I have made any. If I don’t bake bread for the soup I make dumplings to go into the soup.
Have a wonderful week agead. I am reading Whiskey Beach and have been absorbed into the story so ny Mothers Day has been pretty awesome. Take care.
Love your nasturtiums, Nora! Do you include the blooms in salads? (which makes me think of the garden restaurant where Eve, Peabody & Nadine had lunch while Nadine made her show announcement)
I used to work with a gal from Alabama; one of the most gentle folks I’ve ever met, and her six sisters were the same; very sweet, all of them: They all pronounced peony as piney or pineys. I grew up pronouncing it pay-uh-nee. Cleo & I used to laugh about all the different pronunciations for that one single flower.
Nora and Laura – LOVE the vid, I do hope you make this a regular thing. And I’m glad to hear that the Queen Mother of my “fall into the book, author of my backyard vacation” had such a great day!! I spent my day re-reading Calculated in Death ?.
Thank you for, again, sharing your life with us. I loved the pictures of the flowers. You have a fabulous garden. Soup looked pretty tasty, too.
I have all of the “Dallas” books and tend to start with book one and and read to the last published one before a new one comes out. I wait always for the next one. I have many other Roberts books and reread them all. But my favorite ones are the J.D. Robb ones. when I have to go to the doctors I can grab any one of them and read while I wait. Someone ALWAYS says “Oh those are my favorite books”. It is so funny. I lent one out and never got it back so I have it now on Kindle. That way I can take the Kindle to the hospital when I have to stay instead of my kids running back and forth to replenish my collection of your books.
Your gardens are really beautiful. I have looked for the girl reading a book for several years as my daughter is a college professor and both granddaughters always are reading. She saw one but we have never found one to buy.
Thank you for all the years and all hours I have enjoyed your books.
Happy memorial day.
I had never seen a full length photo of you, you are so beautiful! But as I watch the Facebook live I realized that you are exactly how I pictured Eve in your JD books. Just put on a long coat and your Eve. Love all your books and love reading these Fall into the story posts!!! ???????