This Perfectly Imperfect Life

On this Throwback Thursday, I'm taking you back to late February, 2012, in Charleston, SC, where I fell in love with Camellia's for the first time... To further travel along that path with me, click here . 

This last weekend, I finished reading my first book of 2015, and what a delightful read it was!   Synopsis of A Good Year For The Roses by Gil McNeil , from the 2014 Hyperion/ Hachette Book Group paperback edition: " Life hasn't been a bed of roses for Londoner Molly Taylor lately. Newly divorced and struggling to find a new home and a way to support her three boys, she's astonished when her beloved Aunt Helena dies and leaves her Harrington Hall, a three-hundred-year-old manor house on the Devon coast, where Molly grew up. But does Molly really want to run a bed-and-breakfast in an old house where the only thing which doesn't need urgent attention is Helena's beautiful rose garden? And what about Uncle Bertie, who's been a few sandwiches short of a picnic for years, and fires his cannon from the cliff tops at random moments? Or Betty, his rude parrot who is not averse to biting people who annoy her? Yet, Molly's best friend Lola is all for it.

Last Monday, January 5th, was Twelfth Night, and how only a week has passed since then seems surreal to me because it seems much longer! (But that's another mono-related story for another time). Twelfth Night in Christian tradition refers to the day before Epiphany (which is also Three Kings Day and Little Christmas). Twelfth Night is the day before when the story of the Nativity tells of three wise men visiting baby Jesus. Twelfth Night is also the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas, which begins on Christmas Day. (Some say it begins the day after Christmas, making the twelve days end on Epiphany instead).  On Twelfth Night, I burned the holly branch from our Winter Solstice holly forest walk, which I didn't bring into our home until after Christmas Eve. According to myths and legends, it is bad luck to bring holly into your home before Christmas Eve. (It stayed on our front porch until I brought it in Christmas night). Why did I burn the holly branch, you ask? A

Going back to 5/24/13 when I brought Gertrude Jekyll, a David Austin rose (my first DA) home. A birthday present to myself. I couldn't stop taking photos of her!  She was coming back strong last season (2014), until a very late cold snap, and she never recovered. Debating on replacing her with another this year. I'm not sure it will be in the budget (if there even is a gardening budget this year, that remains to be seen), but I do miss Gertrude so! I think she and Julia Child would get along famously, although I'm afraid Queen Elizabeth is getting a tad put off by being surrounded by other famous women ;-)   Do you have a favorite rose you once grew that you no longer have in your garden?

Struggling with mono on top of my rheumatoid disease (aka RA).  Need to nourish my body as well as my soul.  Yesterday afternoon I defrosted bean soup (made this Autumn) and added diced tomatoes (w/juice), veggie broth, chopped leaks, parsley, chives & curry powder. (The scent of curry powder instantly comforts me!) Reheated today and added the curry powder again along with a dash each of garlic & onion powder and black pepper. Made orzo pasta on the side to add to the bowl of soup. (Keeping the pasta separate keeps it from getting mushy in the soup). Topped with fresh parm cheese.  Nearly crying by the time I sat down to eat, almost no energy to lift the spoon. But I've had almost no appetite with the mono, so it's been difficult to eat well. This afternoon at least, I wanted to eat well and finished the bowl of soup. I have enough made for the week.  What do you do to nourish your body and soul when you're feeling anything but well?