Grandma's Roses

My grandmother was an avid gardener.  She could take the most unruly soil and turn it into the most lush, beautiful garden.  Green thumbs must be a recessive gene because I can't keep anything alive.  I've even been known to kill a cactus.  As a result, the Knock Out Rose has become one of my absolute favorite plants.  They are virtually impossible to kill and require little to no care.  When my grandmother was in the hospital dying last summer, I went to her house and saw that stuck to her refrigerator door was an article that she had clipped from the newspaper.  It was a short snippet about the Knock Out Rose.  I have one in my front yard and now every time I see it, I can't help but think of her.  I am not normally a huge fan of roses, but these hold a very special place in my heart.

These roses bloom almost all year.  There were only about two months during the winter when it did not bloom, which gave me the opportunity the cut it back.  It is currently in full bloom.  I couldn't resist photographing it this morning!

These are the Lamb's Ear that I have planted around the roses.....

They are called Lamb's Ear because the leaves are super soft and fuzzy, much like the ear of a lamb.  I thought that the softness of the Lamb's Ear would be an interesting contrast to the thrones on the roses.  They are also amazingly durable plants

Another lazy, rainy day

This dreary weather that we've been having all week is starting to take a toll on the entire Levanger household.  Stella and the cats have been even more lazy than usual.  Sure, I'm running around the house packing for our move next week, calling utility companies and running out to pay bills.  That doesn't seem to make them feel at all guilty about laying around all day while watching me run around like a maniac.  This is what Stella has done all day....

Is this not the most pitiful face you have ever seen?!?

About the only thing on a farm that has an easy time is the dog.
--Edgar Watson Houe 1853-1937 American Journalist

Harry Potter's Chocolate Frogs

If you haven't been to The Wizarding World of  Harry Potter at Universal Studio's Islands of Adventure in Orlando, FL, you really need to go!  Being a huge Harry Potter nerd, I was so excited when they announced this project several years ago.  I followed the progress from start to finish.  Last September, I finally got to visit it!  I went with my husband, sister, brother-in-law and one of my best friends, Liz.  The weather was pretty terrible.  It was rainy, and humid and yucky most of the day, but that didn't matter because as soon as we saw Hogwarts Castle towering in the distance, Liz and I began to squeal like little girls at a Justin Bieber concert.  

The creators of The Wizarding World of  Harry Potter truly brought to life so many wonderful details of the Harry Potter stories.  One in particular, was Honeydukes candy store, which was filled with so many of the delicious treats that Harry and his friends enjoyed in the stories.  My good friend, Ginni Galuk recently took a trip to Universal with her family.  Even though she is a grandmother, she too is a lover of all things Harry Potter.  She brought back to me a gift of a Chocolate Frog......

If you have read the books or seen the movies, you know that every Chocolate Frog includes a card featuring a famous witch or wizard, much like a muggle baseball card.

My Chocolate Frog contained a card for Godric Gryffindor.  On the back of the card is a little bio of the famous Wizard who was one of the founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 

These Chocolate Frogs are HUGE!  It is about the size of the palm of my hand, and I have big hands!

Isn't he cute?  You almost don't want to eat him, but I have a chocolate problem, so trust me, he will be eaten.