Blessings Friday: Balcony Retreat

I’m in the midst of giving final exams; the spring semester ends for college faculty on May 5 after we submit our students’ final grades. I am very much looking forward to free time sans essay grading.

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Our master suite has a small balcony overlooking the backyard and pool. I’ve installed swivel rocking chairs and a small table. The pottery lamp was a Christmas gift from my mother-in-law and is fueled by a can of sterno—the wee fire is lovely at night.

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At the other end of the balcony, I placed a small potted rose.

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It’s a beautiful rose, isn’t it?

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Five coconut-lined planters were found at Lowe’s and installed on the balcony railings. Since I’m not too sure what plants will work, I simply bought some on sale. We’ll see how they do.

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I’ve no idea as to the names of any of the plants other than marigolds, ivy, and rose. This green-and-white plant in my photo is a mystery.

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You can see the mounting brackets in this photo along with part of our neighbor’s yard. I’ve decided not to worry about how the brackets appear. My balcony retreat is prepared—I’m ready for the peaceful, lazy days of summer!

The North Carolina Azalea Festival: a Southern Tradition

My family is from the coastal Wilmington, NC area. Each year since 1948, the city hosts the North Carolina Azalea Festival to celebrate spring and the abundant beauty of azaleas blooming all over the state. This event is so important to North Carolina, the United States Congress honored the festival’s long and important tradition during one of its sessions in 2008.

Source: Wilmington Downtown

As part of festival events, an annual pageant is held in which twenty-one young ladies compete for the title of the N.C. Azalea Festival Princess. The 2011 N.C. Azalea Festival Princess Scholarship Pageant is takes place this Saturday night.

Source: StarNews Online

My niece Rachel is one of this year’s contestants. If crowned Princess, Rachel will receive the Beverly Anne Jurgensen Scholarship Award. If chosen as a member of the four-person court, she will still receive a college scholarship. As she will be attending one of our state universities this fall, scholarship money is foremost in Rachel’s mind.

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Part of the selection process involves an interview both before and during the pageant. Here is Rachel trying on her interview outfit.

© Carolyn Needham, All Rights Reserved

This photo depicts her pageant dress.

© Carolyn Needham, All Rights Reserved

During the festival, the Cape Fear Garden Club organizes a tour of the beautiful gardens to be found in Wilmington. Azalea Belles are chosen to act as hostesses in featured gardens and serve as ambassadors for the City of Wilmington during the festival. Each Belle wears a hoop-skirted antebellum dress to represent southern hospitality and reflect the beauty of the azalea plants being honored. Rachel was an Azalea Belle last year.

Although I cannot be in Wilmington to participate in the Azalea Festival events or witness tomorrow night’s pageant, I can hardly wait for my sister’s call to let us know how Rachel fares. No matter the outcome, we love Rachel dearly.

Blessings Friday: Cupcake Surprise

Surprises are lovely things. Yesterday I baked cupcakes and took them to the students in one of my classes.
 

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The cupcakes were easily transported in my Cupcake Courier (holds 36). I sat the carrier on a table by the door and said absolutely nothing about it.
  

©June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved.

Part of the class agenda was taking a quiz near the end of our meeting time. As each student turned in his or her finished quiz, I offered a cupcake. Despite the worry over their quiz scores, every student left my classroom with a smile. It’s nice to surprise people now and then, I think.

Blessings Friday: Gifts of Friendship

A lot is going on in my life right now making me especially mindful of my friends here in Tucson. Each one is an amazing person and I’m honored by their friendship with me.

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On my birthday in May, I received a beautiful set of hand-turned pens from my friend Dee and her husband Larry.

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Because my planner/organizer is red, Dee and Larry made sure I had one to match it. The second pen’s watery-blue and aqua colors was made to acknowledge my inner-mermaid self.

Although I’m grateful for gifts received such as this gorgeous pen set, it’s the intrinsic value of friendship that is my true gift.

Blessings Friday: Picture Rocks Boy Scout Troop Scarves

This year celebrates 100 years of scouting by the Boy Scouts of America; their theme this year is A Shining Light Across America. My friend Paula and I worked yesterday on a project that hopefully helps with one troop’s celebrations.

Source: Boy Scouts of America

Our friend Scott is a troop leader for Picture Rocks Boy Scout Troop 218. None of the parents sew and the boys need troop scarves. This is where Paula and I found an opportunity to be helpful.

Source: Park Vision, Saguaro National Park

Picture Rocks is a community so named because of ancient petroglyphs found in what is now part of Saguaro National Park.

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Scott found a bolt of fabric depicting petroglyphs which was perfect for making the boys’ scarves. Paula and I established an assembly line process and got busy making the scarves.

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A troop patch was sewn on each finished scarf.

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Here is one of the finished scarves, ironed and folded nicely. My husband is delivering the scarves to Scott today.

Paula and I hope our small efforts contribute to the boys’ pride in their troop and the general festivities surrounding the blessing of 100^th year of service by the Boy Scouts of America organization.

Blessings Friday: Friendship

All of my friends are creative. Some say they aren’t, but it isn’t true as they come up with wonderfully clever ideas on a regular basis. My friend Cindy’s birthday gift to me this year is a prime example.

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Cindy put together a huge gaily-colored gift containing every single ingredient needed to make a Baileys Banana Split.

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Along with a copy of the recipe, I found carefully tucked inside a perfect piece of crystal stemware from Cindy’s personal collection in which to create the concoction. Talk about style! Enjoying the dessert in such a beautiful way makes the experience extraordinary.

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Here’s the story behind her crystal she shared with me (and gave me permission to share with you):

My uncle (my mother's brother) was very proud of his Czech heritage. When I became engaged he sent me a set of china and crystal glasses all made in Czechoslovakia. This meant a lot to me and is something I have kept close to my heart. I will always remember him every time I use the china and glasses. I hope this glass will bring to mind all the fun we had together and a friendship that will never end.

Any present given from the heart is a creative treasure. As such, it has immeasurable value—and so does the exquisite gift of friendship.

Then and Now

Today’s Then and Now theme is a result of some online (and offline) conversations a few of my friends have been having. We were discussing the changes in ourselves over the years. Kristie organized a day where we’d post a picture from the past (the parameter being 18 to 22) and then one now (within the last 6 months). Today is the day.

© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved (scanned from my college freshman yearbook)

So here I am at age 18. During high school, I was terribly shy. If a teacher called on me in class, I’d panic and literally start choking. Determined to overcome my shyness, I tried out and became a cheerleader during my senior year. It was so much fun I also joined the cheerleading squad in college. This picture was taken my freshman year of college in 1970 (I’m in the middle on the bottom).

© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved (taken by my friend Dee using my camera)

I avoid the camera religiously as I hate to have my picture taken. So this Christmas photo will have to work for the “Now” portion of the challenge. I attended a holiday luncheon where everyone brought a copy of the One Yard Wonders book and insisted I autograph the section in which my projects were featured. They had me pose individually with each person; in this case, it’s with my friend Paula.

I’m now 58 and the changes over the years have never been more evident than those I’m experiencing lately. I cannot do my cheerleading jumps anymore, my tiny little self has now morphed into more “generous” proportions, and my hair is short and gray. But what I’m noticing are only the physical differences.

Inside I’m still me—wacky, impetuous, and willing to try most anything (except bungee cord jumping), my heart continues to love easily, sharing is still part of my nature, and I continue to thrive by living a creative life.

It’s the essence of me I hope serves as my legacy when my end-time comes, not how I look.

Blessings Friday: Never Argue with a Woman

This little tidbit has been wandering through the email system for some time now. It cracks me up every time someone sends it to me, so I thought I’d share it with you in case you’ve not seen it (I’ve added pictures to break up the text a bit).

One morning, the husband returns the boat to their lakeside cottage after several hours of fishing and decides to take a nap. Although not familiar with the lake, the wife decides to take the boat out.

Source: Vintage Signs

She motors out a short distance, anchors, puts her feet up, and begins to read her book. The peace and solitude are magnificent.

Along comes a Fish and Game Warden in his boat. He pulls up alongside the woman and says, Good morning, Ma'am. What are you doing?

Reading a book, she replies (thinking, Isn't that obvious?)

Source: ProShield Safety Signs

You're in a restricted fishing area, he informs her.

I'm sorry, officer, but I'm not fishing. I'm reading.

Yes, but I see you have all the equipment. For all I know you could start at any moment. I'll have to take you in and write you up.

Source: Clean Joke.com

If you do that, I'll have to charge you with sexual assault, says the woman.

But I haven't even touched you, says the Game Warden.

That's true, but you have all the equipment. For all I know you could start at any moment.

Have a nice day ma'am, and he left.

MORAL: Never argue with a woman who reads. It's likely she can also think.

Blessings Friday: Life

Thoughtfulness

Source: Make Your Own Invitations

My sister Connie is recovering nicely. She has 14 stitches and is moving a tad gingerly, but she’s doing well. We appreciate the good wishes left on my post about her skin cancer surgery: Thank you so much for your thoughtful kindness—we’re positive it helped.

Mermaid Float Day

Source: The Graphics Fairy blog

Tomorrow is my 58^th birthday. Each year on the Saturday closest to May 22 (which works perfectly this year), I spend the day doing absolutely nothing other than floating about in my pool. Naturally I’m slathered with abundant amounts of sunscreen as I lounge about pretending to be a mermaid. It’s my favorite way to celebrate the beginning of a new year in my life.

Today Is the Best Day of My Life

Blessings Friday: No Regrets

Remember Susan Boyle? Her amazing British performance was wonderfully inspirational. Now Britain’s Got Talent 2010 has 80-year-old Janey Cutler.

Janey Cutler - Britain's Got Talent 2010 - Auditions Week 4 @ Yahoo! Video

Mrs. Cutler’s audition moved me to tears. I love the ending when Simon asks her how many years she’s waited to do this. Her gracious response, “I’m just thankful I am here tonight.”

Dreams can come true. May this weekend bring you the opportunity to make one of your own dreams a reality. Live happily and have no regrets.

Blessings Friday: Joys in my Mailbox

Some fun packages have arrived in my mailbox, consolation prizes for all the junk mail also stuffed inside. Do people actually read their junk mail? I don’t.

Happy Ring

A cute ring from Jimena’s Etsy shop. Getting mail from Argentina was much more interesting than boring advertising fliers.

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Jimena makes a Customized Ego Award Ring you can have personalized with whatever word you choose. I chose “Happy”.

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The ring has a little elastic strap to fit any size finger and an extra little strap is included in your order.

Personalized Note Cards

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Personalized note cards from Naomi Lynn’s Etsy shop.

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Along with my name, each card has a different seashell image. I love the beachy theme.

Claire Murray Book

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Claire Murray’s Nantucket Inspirations: Designs, Charts & Folklore book is so perfect for my personal interests. Inside are 14 rug, needlepoint, and counted cross stitch designs for recreating some of Claire’s wonderful designs along with bits of poetry and little stories about the coast.

Rug hooking is not something I’ve tried yet, so I’m considering using this design to learn this technique by making a small rug. I’ve put the supplies for making this rug on my Christmas wish list and given my husband a heads-up on it.

Salt of the Earth

To escape from doctors and 3-days-a-week physical therapy sessions, my husband whisked me off for four days in Las Vegas last weekend. My daughter and her husband drove up to meet us from Vail, CO.

© Dub Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

We stayed at the Ritz-Carlton on Lake Las Vegas, a hotel sadly slated for closure on May 2. The staff treated us like royalty and the pampering was a welcome relief.

© Dub Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

We spent time in various casinos on the Las Vegas strip. I love the brightly-colored parasols hanging in the Bellagio. This is what I’d call the plastic fantastic part of our trip; although superficial in many ways, it’s still a lot of fun.

© Dub Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

To counter the glitz of the Strip, we spent a day touring almost the entire Death Valley area straddling California and Nevada. Mid-day had us at Furnace Creek, CA enjoying lunch.

© Dub Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

After viewing the amazing sand dunes and mountainous formations, we ventured to Badwater Basin to see Death Valley’s salt pan.

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Sodium Chloride, better known as table salt, makes up most of the salt basin here. Other evaporative minerals here include calcite, gypsum, and borax.

You’ve heard of 20 Mule Team Borax, a key ingredient used in laundry products. Death Valley was the origin of the name when the famous mule teams pulled massive wagons hauling borax for 10 grueling days from the Harmony Borax Works near Furnace Creek to the railhead near Mojave.