My daughter had my second grandbaby girl on April 29th. I left to go help her and got there on May 2nd. to be there after she got home from the hospital. I stayed there for two weeks, and I tried to think ahead and get as much done to put all my gardens in a "holding pattern" until I got back........yeah, right!!!! :~) My son was here to water everything if it didn't rain, and he planted some daylilies that came in and made sure my perennial companion plant order that arrived was taken care of while I was gone, so at least I had that much help and wasn't worried about plants dying while I was gone.

I drove up and just sat in the car for a short while looking at everything and almost started hyperventilating trying to figure out where to start and what to do first. It was almost overwhelming, as that is the longest I have ever been gone in the late spring/early summer when things are starting to grow, bloom and go crazy. I had really fertilized everything well with organic fertilizer before I left, and I was totally amazed at how much everything had grown and changed in just two short weeks time!!! Only one daylily had bloomed it's first bloom while I was gone. Michael told me that they were waiting for me to get home, as there are scapes everywhere. My Lady in Red Hydrangeas are absolutely monstrous and full of blooms, along with all my Mopheads when I got home, and so beautiful! Now, I am trying to play catch-up and get everything done as fast as I can and am so thankful that my knees have healed so well after having both of them replaced in early March so I can do what I need to do for the rest of the summer. The last 6 daylilies that I had ordered this winter came in and are soaking and will be planted tomorrow, along with the rest of the companion plants that I ordered to go with them. Slowly, but surely everything is starting to come around. My poor roses needed deadheading so badly, as they were in full flush when I left, and Michael seemed to forget how to deadhead...imagine that, huh?? LOL

I had almost forgotten what it was like to cook, wash dishes, clean house, and wash clothes for a family! My oldest granddaughter is 21 months old, so she kept me hopping all the time, unless she was taking her afternoon nap. We had lots of fun at the park in the late afternoons/early evenings and I wouldn't trade a well manicured garden anytime for the fun times that we shared, not just with her, but with my new little Sophia, also!!!

I'm really glad I got home just in time to have the nice 3 day weekend/holiday. Now I can catch up and hopefully have everything going on an even keel and be ready to enjoy the Region 6 meetings and garden tours coming up next weekend in Ft. Worth. I had backed out of going, as my salary was cut 12.5% at work to help our company ride the slowdown until the oilfield starts to come back. I am one of the lucky ones, as I still have my great job, all the great benefits, and I get to work from home and do garden work in between all my "real work" that brings in the paycheck!!! When I opened my Mother's Day card, there was a check for the Region 6 meeting and the entry forms to fill out and send in to get registered. My daughter and son-in-law told me that I had been looking forward to going for far to long to back out, so they made sure I went and met all the people and saw the gardens and had a great time! I don't think I have ever received a gift that meant more to me, as that is such a personal and loving gift, and it was highly appreciated, that's for sure!! My daughter and her husband love to garden, so they may not totally understand my "daylily crazies" but they love them and are getting more and more interested in them as I show them pictures and they see them blooming in my gardens. I plan to have a great time, as this is my first daylily meeting of any kind that I have attended, and I can't wait to see the gardens that are on the tour!! All in all, I still have my job, my daylilies came in that were already paid for this winter, and I get to go to the Region 6 meeting and meet people........I am one very, very lucky individual, with a loving, close family and wonderful grandkids to play with and keep me going!! And, my daylilies are just getting ready to be in full bloom........can life be any grander??? Jan G.