This is the path where it forks by the Tasha Tudor Hollyhocks. Go right to the shade garden and the statue garden. Go left past the red Don Juan rose and daylily garden around the clothesline post, and into the back yard and the weeping willow Daylilies along the garden path across from the Hollyhocks and in front of Apocalypse Now and Peaches and Dreams HH. In the is bed are Lady Elsie May roses, a Mr. Lincoln, Stars and Stripes (miniature red and white), Echinacea Primadonna (white), Echinacea Magnus, Catnip, Red French Marigolds, 4 Other Daylilies, Blue Bedder Salvia, White Perennial Stocks, Maroon & Burgundy Chrysanthemums, Freesia (summer flowering bulbs), Phlox David, Phlox Nicky, Phlox Fannick, Lamb's Ears, Pink Flowering Almond, Climbing Don Juan, Province Lavender, white Feverfew, Asiatic Lilies, Swamp Spurge, Red Single Hollyhocks, Lavender Rose of Sharon, Redbud tree, Red Australian Canna and Lemon Canna (some escaped my digging them out), Liatris spicata, Penstemon, Damask Rose and Irises with Doublemint in the back. There are still big spaces in the center between the roses that need filling. If there are no bare spaces between plants, then there are little if any weeds to hoe out. Looking from the back of this bed to the path where it forks by the TT Hollhocks and the Buddleia bush My old closeline T-post now supports Don Juan. I'd like to get a pretty white fan trellis for it Every week this bed take on a different look as more plants begin to bloom Looking back toward the house You can see the path leading down to the patio garden (back left) and the rose garden (back right). To the far right (front) is the greenhouse entrance. The Jane Magnolia tree (center) shades it in the summer but is deciduous, so allows plenty of full sun in the greenhouse in winter and early spring when needed for starting my veggies and other plants. The Hollyhock (bottom left) is the Peaches and Dreams before it was blooming. Here it is a few days later in bloom - same view Looking towards the statue garden, you can see the path. Those pale pink flowers are Penstemon. Beyond this spot is the new rose bed I built last year. This is the rose bed I built last year. The Heritage Rose I posted first at the top is in here. far left in front under the Hollyhock. Betty Prior is the medium pink rose blooming at the back. It is the tallest rose in this bed. Fannick Phlox is in there with Blue Bachelor Buttons, Yellow Cosmos and a White Primadonna Echinacea to the right of the Betty Prior. Next to the statue is a tree Holly. It will be large and pyramidal in form. Here is another Mystery Rose in that same bed that I got from Kathy (She identified the one at the top as the David Austin rose "Heritage" or AUS Blush - thank you Ma'am!. It is the one center front next to the Dianthus. This little rose has a strong perfume. I sniff the blooms until I am sure there is no fragrance left in them. That is Rosa, Belinda's Dream behind her and Rosa, Mirandy is back behind the blue Bachelor Buttons. She needs to be moved to the front She produces huge Burgundy blooms with a strong spicy myrrh fragrance. Behind these roses is the large shrub rose mentioned above, Betty Prior. Dianthus and Cosmos All for now. ~Annie

>Heavy black was worn for so many months, followed by 'half-mourning' for another length of time. Letters and envelopes and hankies had black borders round them, widows wore special 'mob-caps' and 'widows weeds'. Young people couldn't attend parties, weddings were held-over. I've heard many stories about these rules, and always thought they were hard hearted. People all grieve differently at different times. Setting up a set of rules and keeping people from enjoying life for a year just seems cruel. Tho perhaps the routine of the rules helped, much in the same way that people in mourning often return to work sooner than later, for it gives them some structure and reason to get up for the day. That being said, We follow rules of mourning in Judaism, and I am so used to them that I almost dont think of them as rules. You sit shiva for 7 days - you don't leave the house, you don't work, you let others serve you and feed you, take care of the kids, deal with relatives and such. Then each Friday for a year, you attend service to say Kaddish (mourners prayer). There is also a service at the end of the first month (and I can't for the life of me remember the reason for it...)At the end of a year you have a service at the graveside. I like the pattern of knowing what comes next, what to expect, and the slow way that you are encouraged to re-enter the world. Doesn't mean grieving is over in a year of course. Just a way of structuring the mourning a little. > He never understood how people could talk casually and even laugh at them I was 19 when dad died. After the funeral, we all were at our home to sit shiva. I remember running to my room in tears, because all of the family and friends were standing around talking and laughing. I couldn't stand it. It took me awhile to realize that such talk is what is done to share memories and bring comfort. But I don't think I left my room till most people left. I cry at movies and books, but otherwise am pretty unsentimental in real life. So I was sure I would be fine at my wedding. Everything was going fine, no major stress, I was happy and excited, and then my sis put a kleenex in with my bouquet. Told her, I don't need it. She only smiled. Well, as soon as I kissed my mom (who walked me down the aisle) and took my grooms hand, that was all she wrote. I was sniffling most of the service....

Frieda, re your question about school assemblies and Jerusalem in particular. It used to be the law that every school began each day with a form of religious 'observance'. As far as I know this is still the case, although the large 'secondary' schools get round it by claiming lack of space/time etc. But junior schools, even the non-denominational ones, will have a couple of prayers and a hymn plus 'announcements'. And C of E and RC kids will probably attend weekly/occasional services in their local church. Of course these days, as your friend says we have become a far more 'secular' country plus we have had a huge influx of people bringing in a wide range of faiths, all of which are meant to be catered for within the 'Religious Education' systems of each school area. RE is still taught as a 'lesson' up to exam standard. That is certainly how I learnt the words and tunes of so many hymns. As far as Jerusalem goes. I feel the words don't mean much on their own but with that wonderfully confidant Victorian music, it would be difficult not to be moved by hearing it sung en masse . . . have you ever been/or heard the 'Last Night of the Proms' from the Royal Albert Hall and large parks around the UK when Jerusalem and Land of Hope and Glory etc are sung by the thousands in the audience? It may be considered very 'jingoistic' by the nay-sayers but it is a truly rousing sound. Below is an extract from the Last Night of the Proms. I hope it doesn't make your fillings tingle . . .luckily I, unlike millions of my countrymen have never needed any 'work' on my teeth so my head is quite amalgam-free. ;-) Here is a link that might be useful: Last Night of the Proms

Thank you.. Not too nosy, since I mention it plenty of times, here and there.. I was born in Kiev, Ukraine, the former Soviet Union.. as much as I felt I've moved on-we left when I was 18..this Maidan revolution in 2014 and everything that's followed was hard on me..you see, my childhood home overlooked Maidan( that was of course called differently, and I must say looked much much nicer then..it's like these urban planners compete how to make it uglier, really)..anyway when you see the place you were born, saw from your window, walked every day.. place that was your home..burning..you suddenly understand that you didn't move too far.. and no, you can't predict, until something like this happens. I really thought it's part of me, of my past, integral part, but not a home anymore. Israel is my home. we moved to Israel.. I spent there many years..then my ex got transferred here..I was hysterical and didn't want to go yet I went..very young kids, family..you know.. then they transferred us back I was so happy still wasn't a walk in the rose garden..as much as my previous employers loved me-they didn't hold space for me..:) so looking for new job and all that..you do start again, even if you left for some time and went back you still adjust. even when everything around you spells home. And Israel has this thing about it..you change, it changes, yet it's the only place on Earth that gives meaning to me being there, besides just being with the people I love anywhere else I won't say it's a Garden of Eden, yes? it can be downright scary..the bombings and all-I wasn't there(actually came to take care of my Mom, also in 2014- but they didn't get to Haifa then..was too far for their missiles..)..but I lived in Jerusalem through two intifadas..you understand that every day is a dying day(c)..yet you know..you continue..because -where else? and you have to stay human. there are two sorts of death, right? This is a very strange, magical place. People go crazy there. We even have "The Jerusalem Syndrome"..:) that some tourists get..need to be send to a hospital for some time, take meds you know..they start thinking they are Messiahs.. It's too old and seen it all. Jerusalem I mean. It doesn't care about you. And the sky is amazingly high there. But you can't stop caring about it. When I'm in Israel and it so happens I didn't go to Jerusalem-I feel I didn't fully go.. so.. sorry about the big lyrical off top..when my ex's bosses decided to send us here again I was very sad but less panicky..I thought "ok they're going to send us back again, as they did the first time" and then everything unfolded differently so..as they say in Russian fairy tales "for longer for shorter"..for now I'm here, and listen, I love it too. It's been many years already..I lived on two coasts..I think 7 years(altogether) on the East, and probably 7 on the West? goodness..time really flies I love West Coast much more first, it reminds me of Israel. The sky is high here too..:) and other things second, I'm plainly happier. on some important accounts but I will always want to go back If somebody translated Joseph Brodsky's poem(no.. he never been to Israel and never wanted to, and didn't feel any connection as per his interviews.. but since he was a genius poet he just knew certain things I guess...that's a poem about a desert)..in short if I find a good translation-I'll post it..the link I mean ok..that was really long..:)