Thursday, February 28, 2013

Marching In

Happy March-- the month of Spring, Easter, St. Patrick's Day, and the Ides of March!  Just knowing that March is here makes me happy.  It makes me frivolous.  I can't be serious during early March.  I've been teaching and knitting and cleaning.  But I can't concentrate on such grown up activities.  There will be time next week to talk about such things.  Here are my Official First Day of March Faves.

It appears that March is coming in like a lamb around here.  That is if coming in like a lamb means really warm sunny weather. In all fairness, it might mean coming in like a lion, taking the weather by force and turning it unseasonably hot.  The forecast tells us that it's going to be a warm weekend.

1.  In celebration of March, I walked through my little garden and photographed flowers.  The osteospermum burst into bloom this week.



2.  It's camellia time!  Willow's Cottage garden has nine camellia bushes.  I didn't plant them.  They came with the cottage.  Camellias remind me of my grandmother who had several camellia bushes in front of the porch at her home in Portland's Multnomah Village. We grandchildren would crouch between the porch and the bushes when we played hide-and-seek.  I still remember dampness of the earth under those bushes and how easy it was to watch the world, unseen by the neighbors, peeking through the stiff dark green leaves.  Seeing the camellias bloom brings back wonderful memories.




3.  I am not sure the name of this flower.  Does anyone know?  The leaves are long skinny spears.  The flowers are not long lasting, but while they are blooming, they're beautiful.


4.  Do you know what these buds are??  They're plum blossoms!  Yes, if all goes well, like there's no rain storm, no killer Santa Ana winds, no other unexpected problems, we'll have plums this summer.


5.  March 2nd is Dr. Seuss's birthday!  Find a Dr. Seuss book and read it this week.  If we were challenged to do it, I think The Professor and I could quote from memory the entire Dr. Seuss's ABC book.  Yes, we read it to our children that many times.  Did you read Dr. Seuss books?  The Professor liked To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.  I can never decide which is my favorite--maybe The Foot Book or One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. Which one was your favorite?

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

"If you never did you should. These things are fun and fun is good." 
― Dr. Seuss

"Today was good.  Today was fun.  Tomorrow is another one."

15 comments:

nikkipolani said...

Lovely lovely flowers in your corner of the world! I miss growing osteos -- they are so cheerful. And those camellias, oh, they are so pretty and frilly. Your pretty but short-lived flowers are commonly called African iris (dietes). They're lovely when all in bloom.

I don't have any Dr. Seuss books, but my two lunch bags are Cat in the Hat and One Fish Two Fish. So I will celebrate with those.

Tracy said...

This floral delight was such a lift today, Willow! Camellias...*swoon*... Plum blooms... *sigh*...Not sure what the flower you're questioning is...hhhmmm... Today was the first real "thaw" day we've had here, if you can call it that, with slightly warmer temps. This time of year is so fickle here, who knows when real spring will arrive--LOL! I've not been out & about much due to health. I'm down with the flu. From today I'm taking time off and digital sabbatical too to recuperate from this bug that doesn't want to budge. Happy Days ((HUGS)

Janet said...

I can recite the entire Dr Suess' ABC too! All the way to the zizzer zazzer zuzz, as you can plainly see! :-)

Beautiful flowers...

Heather said...

Those flowers and pictures are breathtaking!!!! I love flowers! :) Thank you for sharing some of God's creation with us,Willow. Have a blessed weekend!

Jerralea said...

I loved One Fish Two Fish. I miss reading to my babies ... waiting patiently for grands to come along so I can read to them ...

I love the flowers in your cottage garden! I wrote today about my need for color - thank you for sharing your colorful photos.

Susanne said...

Love those gorgeous blooms. I have never seen that flower you're inquiring about but is sure is beautifully delicate looking.

Yummy, a plum tree? Hopefully the weather co-operates and you have delicious plums this summer!

Faith said...

huge fans of Dr Seuss at our home too! i have memorized "There's a wocket in my pocket" because my now 14 yr old girl HAD to have the book every.single.night from age 2-5. i am NOT kidding (and no she isn't autistic :) ) thank the Lord i had it memorized because once when we were camping, we forgot to bring it. whew....LOL. LOVE your flower pics and yay for plums!! one of my fave fruits!! enjoy the weekend

Bethany said...

Thanks for making me smile! Who doesn't love Dr. Seuss! I remember Fox and Sox being one of the first that we owned as a child. And OH your flowers are so beautiful! I seriously am going to fly out to your home and pitch a tent in your garden. There can't be a more beautiful place! Enjoy your warm weather... we have overcast skies and chilly temps. I heard Florida is no better, so it must be the West Coast that's enjoying an early spring!

ellen b. said...

Love your March blooms Willow! I knew Nikkipolani would know what that lovely bloom was!
I'm afraid I got too much Dr. Seuss in my school teaching years to enjoy it now. Have a wonderful weekend.

Laura@OutnumberedMom said...

Your flower pictures are just lovely! You and I share an affinity for Dr. Seuss, too.

Have a great week ahead!

Barbara H. said...

Love your enthusiasm for March! I love being one step closer to spring.

The flowers are pretty. I've wanted to plant a camellia bush.

My boys loved Dr. Seuss when they were young.

Anonymous said...

What a great post on the joys of March! Here it tends to be the last of old winter with grey skies and snow and cold. I am so looking forward to flowers and sunshine again. I taught child no. 3 to read using One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish (so many years ago) so it is a big favorite. Mary P

Anonymous said...

Such a cheery post. Much needed on this "blue" rainy evening.
Seuss' ABC is my favorite. I am convinced that I am the best out loud reader of that book. ;) So fun to say the words in various ways/ different voices.

Brenda said...

My husband went and read at a local school for Dr. Seuss day. Such silly creative books!

Love your flowers!

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

Isn't it great to see flowers blooming, and what a special treat with those plums. I used to know Dr. Seuss's alphabet book by heart from reading it to my son so often . . . alas, it's now in some irretrievable section of my brain all these years later.