Hello.. come on in for a visit! I have been swimming here at LA Fitness for many years. I go for a solid hour of swimming on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I was visiting Gracie a while back and was heading to the pool and I asked her if she'd like to go along and she said yes. She joined that day and we've been meeting there to swim ever since. I had taken my iPhone in with me intentionally to take this photo. See Gracie? :-) She's the one in the right lane waving at us.
We are enjoying a run of sunny warm weather, it's very nice for someone who doesn't really enjoy winter. :-)
In fact, the Daphne Odora shrub is budding out!!
I noticed that some bulbs were coming up quite nicely in our big pot that holds our red banana plant. I'm not sure it survived the winter. I think these are tulips and one is a hyacinth from last year!
I planted this bamboo at the back end of our rock terraced area and I've been so happy with it. Here it is in January and it's still green and lovely. I wish I knew exactly the "breed" of this bamboo - it's not a runner type, it's a clumping type and it's stayed very nicely in it's space, but it has long arching canes so it's pretty "big".. but I love it. I have 5 different varieties of clumping bamboo and all 5 have behaved very nicely and stayed in their spots. I have a black, this one, a blue fountain, golden and a dwarf variegated.
I just had to show you the results of my DIL Kristi's organizing efforts. Yesterday she said.. this cabinet needs organized. We go.. great! Today she did another cabinet over the stove. And now.. now.. she is upstairs working on a bedroom! The one that we have been storing things in.. :-) Yay for Kristi!
I am going to be making dinner for us all. I am making a very unique meatloaf that has a mixture of applesauce, brown sugar, cinnamon and sumac on top! I will take a photo and let you know how it turns out. I had it at my friend Judy's house in Los Angeles many years ago and deemed it the most flavorful meatloaf I'd ever had. I'm doing roasted or fried potatoes to go with it and mixed veg. Wish me luck! How is your weekend going? ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
That pool looks very inviting I must say.
ReplyDeleteYay indeed for your DIL - when she has finished doing the organising for you please may I borrow her for a while?
Hope you enjoy your meal, I am now sitting catching up with some blog reading and doing a bit of crochet - had quite a productive morning on the research analysis, but have had quite enough of it for one day!
Helenxx
Weekend going very well. Off to enjoy friday, sat, and sunday. Weekends off are still at hill for me.
ReplyDeleteKnitting, blogging, reading …trying to stay warm. Pretty snow is falling outside. I would love to go swimming..
that will wait until Feb when we go to Florida.
Hi Teresa I too could do with borrowing Kristi. The meatloaf sounds delish saw you mention on previous post I think. Pool looks very inviting - waving hello to Gracie. We've had wonderful weekend !!! Anne xxx
ReplyDeleteI think I need a Kristi. :) I love to see your bulbs coming up! Wow, it seems so early. The only ones I've seen emerging outdoors so far as the muscari in front of my son's school, which even have a couple in bloom. But they are planted on the south side of the building and between the sun and the heat coming off the building as the sun beats on it, it must be about 80 degrees in the afternoons in that immediate area. It's nice to see your pool! I love to swim. Hi to Gracie too. :)
ReplyDeleteI have loved swimming all of my life. However, at this point, I am so unconditioned that I'd have to walk instead of swim and feel unsure about that. (I'm no bathing beauty at my age!) I've wondered if you swim or walk in the water when you for exercise? What advice might you have for me? Thanks.
ReplyDelete:)
Nice pool. I think I'll go up and visit you since it's all foggy again today. I just read a report it's gonna be this way for another 10 days! Sigh! This weekend....gone 4 hours....spent time at church today for Pastor Jerry's memorial service then lunch there. Phil and I did a bit of grocery shopping then home. Now I need to get laundry started and think about making soup for dinner. Your pantry is nice. I don't have one. But I try to keep what I have organized. A little stuff here on shelves then there's shelves in the laundry room and Phil has to hunt once in awhile to find what he needs when I ask him to cook dinner, which he usually does on week days, since I cook. I will need to trip my lilac bush when it gets warmer. Some of it is black due to the freezing weather we had in Dec. Take care!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see all that green around here! I love the bamboo. It looks so nice and bright! Bulbs? Ours will be sleeping for awhile yet! lol. It looks like Kristi has been very busy at your house! That meatloaf sounds good. I just love that arbor! Have a great week. Hugs, Teresa
ReplyDeleteHi Gracie, I see you waving just like Teresa said! You girls always sound like you're having so much fun. :-). Sunny Portland. That has a strange ring to it, don't you think? We've had three straight days of fog so thick all day and night that I can't see across the street. The hoarfrost is so thick that it looks as if it has snowed. Bleh. Your sunny springlike weather looks much more appealing. I see Kristi has been busy again. What a gift she is for you.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Betsy
The pool does look quite inviting in the sun, although I'm not a big fan of cold water either. The bamboo is lovely, so green and leafy, and really good that it's not invasive. Kristi sounds wonderful, can I borrow her when she's finished at your house?! We're having a weekend of rain here in the southwest of England. Football pitches are waterlogged, which is a big deal in this house. Nontheless I shall be out there watching balls being kicked about later today.
ReplyDeleteWow-that pool is gorgeous, especially with the sunlight coming through those windows! We enjoyed very sunny skies today too at the coast -- love it!
ReplyDeleteYour photo makes me want to race outside and check our daphne and bulbs too. I know our irises are all above ground -- and I know that I am eager for the first blooms of spring!
Blessings,
Aimee
PS: Happiness (or at least one thing that makes me happy) is an organized cabinet and I am planning to work on two of ours this coming week:)
The weather here has been like summer! Only nicer!
ReplyDeleteLove the nice clean cabinet! Way to go Kristi!!
xo Kris
That sounds wonderful Teresa, swimming, nice dinners and how wonderful of yr DIL to organize for you. It's so nice to organize when the year starts ... I just love it... Makes me feel so good to have all clean and fresh. Your cupboards look great!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your winter sunshine Teresa, it makes everything look so inviting over at yours and I agree yay for Kristi! x
ReplyDeleteI love that you and Gracie spend wonderful time together swimming in that beautiful pool. It is chilly here, we have had frost three mornings in a row, now every plant will be damaged and turn brown. I have my little buddy staying for four days, my house is filled with giggles and happy sounds.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Meredith
Can you please send Kristi over here for a few months ? That pool sure does look inviting - we've just had 4 days of extremely hot weather and it really takes it out of you. A nice dip in a pool like that would have been nice. Your garden is looking good - I have a hyacinth coming through from last year. Hope it comes to something. The other one looks as if its got two stump like things coming out of the soil. Both are in small pots. We'll see !!!!! Have a good week. xoxox
ReplyDeleteThe pool looks like a lot of fun. :) Love all your lovely plants. I hope you will share the recipe with us for the meatloaf, it sounds very yummy!
ReplyDeleteWishing you a most lovely day. :)
Maybe Kristi will inspire us all, I know I have a few kitchen cupboards that need a once over. I love your arbor and the bamboo is so pretty. I can't wait to hear more about that meatloaf w/the sumac. What does that do for it? I make a turkey meatloaf with seasonings all the time topped off with ketchup and brown sugar on top and of course mashed potatoes. Such comfort food.
ReplyDeleteKristi sounds like a great DIL!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Teresa :) I was out all day Saturday and half of Sunday and am just now catching up on blog news. I love the sunlight-rippling-through-the-pool photo. And thanks for linking to my blog. It was so nice to swim in the sunshine with you on Friday! Your photo of your outside bulbs sending up leaves is so exciting and springy in the middle of winter. Cheers for Christi! I am planning to swim Monday afternoon :) xx
ReplyDeleteI love meatloaf! Even a meatloaf sandwich sounds good right now. The pool looks inviting, but I am not a swimmer. Funny my oldest has an in ground pool and so does my friend Debbie, so I am never at a loss for water if I so desire to indulge in the drink. I am a hugger of the shallow end and as long as my feet can touch the bottom I am find and dandy. Your DIL must have some pent up energy, but I say that her need to be organized is a good thing and helpful to you. I have to be in the mood to do any of that stuff and I should get busy and do some early spring cleaning, there is no excuse for me not too. She does know that there are professional organizers and people pay for that service? Oh you and that warm weather up there in Oregon. I just can't seem to wrap my mind around your winters being so mild. We are once again to get a blast of arctic air, they claim for about 2 weeks straight. There are times the weather man misses the forecast, and this is one time I am hoping he is wrong.....brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
ReplyDelete(((HUGS))) Susanne :)