This is close relative to the hollyhock, a French mallow. Actually, we planted this plant the first spring we were in our house. It bloomed profusely and then went to seed. We thought nothing of it until the next year when mallow plants were absolutely everywhere! We’ve been trying to get rid of them ever since. But this hardy plant came from a seed two years old and we decided to let it grow. Probably a mistake, but for now you must admit it’s lovely.
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If you know me, you know that hollyhocks are amongst my most favorite flowers, and this double ruffled pink one is, well, just look at it will you?!
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OK – I must confess. This lily belongs to my neighbor and is right next to where I park my car in the drive. But, I ask you, how could I not include this stunning creation in my collection?
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This day lily filled me with joy when I saw it at Kelly & Kelly last year. I had to have it. You see why. It’s the most feminine seashell pink. Oh, it does take one’s breath away.
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This is a fancy hybrid, I think, of the rudbeckia family. Harald picked it up at one of our many nursery stops this year and it just went in the ground – and it is blooming spectacularly already.
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This is another favorite lily. I don’t know the name, but I bought it because of the way it looks and this year is the first year it has done really well.
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These globe thistles are a constant joy this time of year, their round orbs blooming in a beautiful purplish-blue.
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It is a gray and rainy day here in Minneapolis this morning. What better to lift the mood on such a day that something sunny and cheerful. These are Citronella lillies (another Asiatic) that are ever so sprightly.
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It seems as though we are bombarded almost daily with scenes of ugliness, barbarism or brutality – at least if we watch TV at all. The nightly news has almost become too much for me to bear. I’ve been wondering why I am so much happier when I spend time on the north shore. I’m convinced one of the reasons is because I don’t watch any TV when I am there, so my sensitivities get a rest from the otherwise daily onslaught. And I’ve been watching far less TV since I got back from Lutsen the last time. And it has helped tremendously. So, I’ve decided to start a new feature on my blog, at least for a little while, to showcase some of the beauty I am seeing around me each day. I have a ton of pictures from my garden, which has given me enormous pleasure this year. Every day when I turn into our driveway, I smile inside. I’ve decided to share that with the world. So here goes …
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One of the beautiful Asiatic lillies we have have in our front garden bed. It just opened, finally, yesterday, and I must say, she’s gorgeous, wouldn’t you agree????
Well, today is the second full day on WW. How am I doing? Well, I’m already over my “points” for the week because if you are on the Core plan, your food choices are pretty limited. Now that I see how easy the on-line planner is to use in order to log your food consumption, I might switch to the Flex plan instead. Although the Core plan makes life easier in some ways because you don’t have to count anything *as long as* you only eat the core foods, I’m never going to eat only Core foods – I just know that about myself. But you know what? I’m not the least bit bummed out or discouraged in any way about my progress so far. In fact, I’m very proud of myself for these first three days.
I think a good start for me is just learning to make better decisions, day by day, about what and how much I eat. Mom got here last night for a visit and I asked her if there was anything she really wanted to eat. She said smelling that BBQ in Memphis and not having enough time to get a sandwich had gotten to her and she’d love to go get a BBQ sandwich some place. So I decided this was a good opportunity to face the challenge of going out to restaurants with people. I ended up ordering the leanest things they had (a combo with catfish and brisket). I didn’t eat the bread the brisket was on. I ate about 1/4th of the muffin. I used less than a tablespoon of BBQ sauce. I ate all my green beans and corn on the cob, but only two forkfuls of potato salad. I allowed myself the luxury of one glass of sweet ice tea, but only one. After that, I switched to unsweetened tea. It’s not earth-shattering, but it is different, because before I would have ordered the half-slab of St. Louis ribs, and eaten every bit of every side and my muffin – and I probably wouldn’t have ordered green beans. So that is what I think will ultimately make the difference for me, making small, but important, changes that add up over time. In other words, making better and healthier choices consistently, and doing so in a very deliberate and conscious way. And yes, I felt much better when we left the place last night than I normally do when I walk out of there.
Today for lunch I had a 1/2 order of the steamed veggies and chicken. When was the last time I ordered a half order of anything, much less something light and healthy? That is definitely a better decision that the General Tso’s chicken – a delictable fried and sauced concoction familiar to Chinese-food lovers in the US. And I had a small bowl of hot and sour soup, instead of the cream cheese wantons I’ve taken to allowing myself.
So that is how I’m doing on day 2. I think I’m off to a good start, even if I am not yet following the food plan to the letter. I didn’t get fat overnight and I’m not going to lose all this weight that quickly either. Rome wasn’t built in a day you know. I will consider myself a wild success if I take off 20 pounds or more over the next year. That will be enough to prove to me that I have changed courses and am now moving in a better direction.
P.S. I did make the change to the Flex plan online, but that wiped out my food diary for the past 3 days, so I have to go back in and re-enter everything. I might be better off than I realize and not over my points yet.
