Horticulture de-light

I grow these bad-boys (geraniums) all winter. I fertilize them within an inch of their lives because I always like a little bloom going on. This winter I got white-flies and it was a bugger to get rid of them (I'm not sure I did all the way the little pests)

So. . . . . this in an orchid. I've had several over the years. The best I've been able to do is one more bloom after the original bloom, it takes about 6 months for the 2nd bloom then the entire thing dries up and dies. Well, this baby is on it 4th or 5th bloom, and there are more buds. Ive had a bloom on this since about August!!! It's been fantastic.

This is just another view. I love her.

This is my pièces de ré·sis·tance (I had to look this up for the proper spelling) This is a gardenia. I've had several over the years. I name all my gardenias "Betty" because Boyd's mom name was Betty and it was her favorite flower. They all die, (I prefer to think of it as suicide since I do all in my power to keep them alive.) Well, enough of that!!! So, I ordered this baby last spring from QVC (I know, I know, shopping over the TV is crazy, but when you can't sleep at night it makes the dark more tolerable) Any-hoo, this is a topiary gardenia, I planted it in a large pot. It bloomed for about 5 minutes last summer (I missed the blooms when I was in OKC with a new baby, but Boyd told me all about it) So. . . . . I brought her in for the winter, she had a real bad case of the white-fly-sticky-stuff and I thought I might have killed her with the alcohol I sprayed on her along with some other "stuff" I got at the store to kill white flies. Well, I noticed a couple of weeks ago there were some buds. . . . . . be still my heart, where there's a bud, there should eventually be a BLOOM!!! I came in today, Thursday (technically the most "tired" day of the week) and there in the corner, all sweet and smelly and GORGEOUS was my little Betty showing off her new bloom. I'm so proud I could almost burst.
I'm not sure you can tell, but there are additional buds that should BLOOM-YIPEE ZIPEE for me!!

side note: A couple of years ago I had a gardenia plant on the table, I had purchased this one at a garden center already covered with blooms. Well, the Taylor tots were in town, I won't mention names, but one of the tots was sitting at the table and pinched off about 5-6 of the flowers, it was so sad (for me)

The 50-year old KID

The big guy is 50 today!!!
When you reach 50, there are
no excuses. You are
who you are!!
Boyd is a Big Kid
at heart.

Here is is with McPhie #1 & #2. This is
a man who loves
his grand kids.
He's very proud of them.

This is a picture of
what Boyd
loves most. . . .
hunching over
a plate of food!!!

He's a big tease, Isaac is
his most-often
abused target!

There's nothing
better that smelling
a sweet head.
Soaking in a new
baby's "life force"
ummmmm.

Boyd is always
smiling when we're
on vacation.

Oh, what am I
saying, he's smiling
most of the time!

Here he is holding
dad on his lap, asking
what he wants
for Christmas.
(sshh, the
kids don't know
it's Grumpy under
the beard.)

Grumpy and Hannah in
the "Happiest Place
on Earth."

Boyd noshing on
a dunkin donut,
deciding if he
wants to top off
the dozen!!!

Grumpy and Alex
Christmas 2008

Grumps and the Taylor tots
in his big old
round red chair!

Grumpy trying to be Mimaw,
it's sort of awful!

Happy Birthday to the half of
my life that I can't
imagine being
without.

He is a great husband
father and Grumpy.
He's just a big
'ole ball of fun.
He's the one that
all the grand kids
prefer, and it bugs
the crap out of me.
He makes me laugh, and
he's very generous.
There has never been
a day that he hasn't
told me he loves me
and he thinks I'm
beautiful. (I can
never get a reliable
opinion from him
because he's always
kind with his praise)
He still thanks me
for any meal I prepare.
(that doesn't mean he
always likes it)
He is a great man and
I'm so glad he's mine.

Happy 50th birthday,
ya big old turd.

Last of the 20's

This is Jason and his mom, from Thanksgiving!!!
Seriously, I need to take more
pics of Mr Galbiso!
Happy Birthday Mr 29 year old,
enjoy the last year
of your 20's.
It's all downhill
from here.
I'm sure you feel
50 years older than
you are from all the work
in "Project Galbiso"

Mom BomB

My mom's the Bomb-diggity!!
That means she AWESOME.
Today is her Birthday
I hope it's fabity-fab-fab-fabulous.

Me and mom last October

Mom doing one of
the things
mom does best. . . .
COOK!!

I love to eat.
Thanks to mom's great cooking.

I love to hum and sing.
Thanks to mom.
I remember her
belting out:
"Summertime
And the livin' is easy,
Fish are jumpin'
And the cotton is high.
Oh yo' daddy's rich
An' yo' ma is good lookin'
So hush, little baby,
Don't you cry."

This is the song that made
me love Janis Joplin,
Janis did a remake of
this Gershwin
song. when I
hear it I think of my
mom and growing up
under the best conditions a
child could
grow up in:
A small town,
a small home, and a large
family.

I learned to sew because
my mom taught me. She made
95% of all my clothes.

I worry about my
teeth because
mom put the fear
of God in me to
"brush and floss"

I learned to like
myself because my
mom told me how
great I was.

My three favorite words
came from my mom:
Lotion
Lotion
Lotion
She was always slathering
on the good old
"Balm Barr"

She's the only person
that can make the
title of
"you little shit-ass"
a term of
endearment.

~ All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother ~

- Abraham Lincoln

The big boys

Last week I posted pics
of the (2) youngest
grand kids.
Here's the (2) oldest.
McPhie #1 & #2 were in town
to help with "Project Galbiso"
and their move.
Dekota is AWESOME, he's
a great helper, he's like
the energizer bunny,
he keeps going and going and going. His
assistance was appreciated
by Uncle J and Aunt Harm.

Grumpy and the boys

Mims and the boys

Bryson is what we call "Our Jesus Lover"
I say that with
respect and awe.
He and I have identical
Jesus Books.
He loves looking at it. This trip
he and Hannah sat on
Mimaw's lap and looked
at pictures
representing important
times in Christs life.
He leaned over toward the end of
the book, where Christ is
toting his cross and he says:
"Hannah, this is the part
where it gets sad!"
I got tears in my eyes. He was
so sweet and sincere.

Birthday Girl

I had a sad story with a happy ending.

I found out I was pregnant in July
of 1980 on a Tuesday. On Friday of that same week I separated from my husband and moved with Travis into a (1) bedroom apartment. Fast forward (8) months and a move to a (2) bedroom apartment and a new baby girl that come into the world on Easter Sunday and you have the makings of a real love story.

I loved this little girl before she came into the world. It was a sad time for me but I had a reason to keep going and stay happy. . . . I was going to have another baby! She was beautiful,
and I learned early, even though she was young she had an "old soul". I asked myself many many times in the years she lived in my home, just who was raising whom. She has many admirable qualities. When I grow up I want to be like her! She is an awesome mother, and a great wife. She is a devoted daughter and sister. She is patient, kind, generous, thorough (to a point of be obsessive) and witty. She loves her family (even though she admitted that if we weren't related she's not sure she would hang out with us.) She is a great cook with "super sensitive" taste buds, she can ferret out tastes and spices in lots of recipes. She's not afraid to tackle projects that make me tired just hearing about them. She's spiritual, and funny, and honest (don't ask for her opinion if you can't take it - she once told me that "Mom, wearing spandex is a privilege and you are abusing it.")

She is 29 today and the TICK TICK TICK of the clock has started!!

the two pee wee's


Megan and her 3 kids made a quick trip to Utah, they were
in California with Jeff's parents, Jeff flew home and
Megan stopped off with the kids
for a visit. The following are some pictures
of Alex and Viv. Alex, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED
having a baby around . . . . . . Mandi and Travis
need to take a stab at giving Alex and Isaac a sister.

This is cute Viv, chillin' on her mom's lap.

This is her legs stuffed like sausages
into the cutest little striped leggings.
I think she may have
the dreaded
"Paxman thighs"
I'm keeping my fingers
crossed that hers
stay cute and never
take on the proportions
of her Mimaw's.

This is Alex. He and Viv
have the same cheeks.
His jiggle when he runs!

Viv taking a bath in the kitchen sink

Lovin' bath time

Alex showing off his shoes to Viv.

Alex showing Viv he has hands.
"It's what
separates us from the
animal
kingdom.......opposable thumbs!"

Alex hugging Viv, it looks amazingly like a choke-hold.

I do have 7 grand kids, I'll post pictures of
the other 5 later. These just
stole' my heart.
This is not an indication of my
affection, it just seems that the
little one change so quickly that I
want to keep them little a little longer.

where do the minutes-days-weeks-months-years . . . . go (?)

Where does it go? I know we are all given
the same 24 hours in a day.
I think I was more productive
a few years ago.
Or. . . . time is going
faster. It you ask Boyd
we've entered a time/space
continuum that makes time
go faster. . . . huh!

I've had family here this weekend.
I've seen all my grandkids,
from 8-1/2 to 8 months, I CANNOT
believe Dekota is so grown, freckles,
cool sunglasses. Bryson using his
organizational skills to write down every one's
phone numbers and addresses.
Isaac, so happy to have his cousins
over to play with. Loving his little
cousin, baby "Vivvie" to adore.
Hannah, keeping up with lots or rough
and tumble little boys. Milo, just
having a good time playing with Alex,
Alex, loving another 2-year old cousin.
And Viv, what do you say about the
shape "ROUND" it's adorable on an
8 month old face and thighs. So cute.

Where does the time go. I'll post
lots of pics in a few days.
Tomorrow I will spend crying
when the Taylor tots get on a plane
and fly east.

Did I mention that Milo has a darling
mid-west accent thing going. He gets
tacos from Taco Ba-yell, things are
over they-ya, you comb your ha-yah,
come he-yah. So funny!!!