About Me

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I am a retired English teacher and department head, the mother of three grand mother of four, and have been married to the same man for 52 years. I subscribe to Dr. PM Forni's concept of Civility. I was born in South Philadelphia and grew up in the 'burbs. I love soft pretzels and cheesesteaks, the Phillies, the Eagles, and San Diego. I love being Mom, Aunt Kathy, Nona Kathy, and Teacher. I spend a lot of time in my gardens in the spring and summer, and in the winter I plan what I'm going to plant. I also am an avid reader and photographer.

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Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Meet Rocco

After our last cat got very sick and had to be euthanized, we swore we'd never get another pet.  Meet Rocco, who with his litter mates, was left without a mother at too young an age.



He's bounced his way into our baskets, our hearts, and onto our furniture, and mesmerizes us for hours at a time.

This past week Cheryl, a sister-blogger and friend, and I visited the National Arboratum in DC hoping to get a glance at the azaleas, rhododendrons, and lilacs.  Luckily, we're easy to please as these were really past their glory.  We did have a great walk through the beautiful woodland paths of the gardens.  We hiked through hill and dale and I realized that before my knee replacements, I would not have been able to do this.

What the NA DID have, however, are the most exquisite bonsai I've ever seen. Several date back to the 1600s.  This one is at late-comer, having begun in 1725!



The garden also featured beautiful sculpture.



I did not know that we had a National Herb Garden....


Unfortunately, the fact that their funding has been substantially cut was all too obvious.  I wanted to dive in and start weeding, particularly in the rose garden.  I wonder if they take volunteer groups?  It's still worth a visit.

I'm hoping to get to Brookside Gardens in Montgomery County during the first 'flush' of the roses.  These gardens are superbly maintained and beautiful.

11 comments:

Linda Reeder said...

Rocco is adorable! Kittens are so much fun.
Those bonsai are priceless works of art.

Gilly said...

Rocco is absolutely lovely! No wonder he bounced into your hearts!

That Herb Garden looks as though it might be really interesting, and full of flowers for the bees. We once went to somewhere that had the national collection of thyme, and the scent was almost over powering! But the bees and other insects loved it!

Forsythia said...

So happy you and Rocco found each other. Sorry to hear that things are not so great at the Arboretum. I've seen those bonsai and marveled at them. It takes a special person to start training a tree that will be still be around 200-plus years later.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Ah---congrats on the new family member... He's adorable....

Glad you got to visit the gardens... We always seem to get to places like that either before or after prime time.... Oh Well--there are always many more things to see.

Your header is awesome. What did you do about your roses this year? Ours are okay. We lost some --but not too many.

I am feeling fine now... Hopefully, that little experience is OVER for good.

Hugs,
Betsy

Mage said...

I bet they do. Ask Tabor or email them.

George said...

Those bonsai are incredible. I'm sorry to hear about the effect of funding cuts on the NA, but I'm glad you enjoyed your visit anyway. Rocco is a cutie.

Suz said...

wonderful
a precious one who filled your open heart......

Kay said...

Rocco is adorable! Lucky you to have found each other.

I have to show these bonsai to my husband who is just learning how to take care of them. Since one is dying right now I think there's a lot to learn. Those bonsai are from the 1600 to 1700??? Holey Moley! That's impressive!

Sally Wessely said...

Rocco is adorable. Your cute kitten almost, almost, caused me to want a little kitten. I'm not a cat person, but I was one during my childhood when I got a cute little kitten like Rocco. I know you will have so much fun with your new family member.

What a fun day at the gardens you must have had. Bonsai plants fascinate me. I would be like you at the garden if I saw the weeds.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Just me again stopping by to say HI. It's been so busy this summer and I didn't want to miss any of your posts... Looks like you haven't been blogging much either. At least I can keep up with you on FB.

We have had a milder than normal July which I love --but who knows what August will bring us... ha

Have a great summer..
Hugs,
Betsy

cri said...

I'm in love with rocco!!!!