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A French-Inspired Garden and Home by Judith Stringham
Showing posts with label pear tree. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pear tree. Show all posts

Hello Spring Pear Tree

Thursday, March 15, 2018


G O O D B Y E  W I N T E R  

H e l l o,  S p r i n g 


H e l l o,  P e a r  T r e e 

All over town there are white blooming trees scattered among the other trees that are still stark bare.  



Hello Spring with white blooming pear and plum trees
The Bradford pear trees, fruitless native plum trees, and fruiting plum bushes are in full bloom. Like beacons guiding winter weary travelers along the route, you see another one in the woods, in a pasture, in a garden, or lined up along the roadside before the last one fades from sight. 

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Rabbit Basket Centerpiece

Sunday, March 30, 2014

As children, 
my mother always had a beautiful 
Easter Basket 
for each of us, 
four of us, two girls and two boys, 
filled with bright green fake grass, 
loaded with special Easter candy, 
and all wrapped up with  
colorful translucent plastic wrap. 
The one big special Easter candy 
was a LARGE chocolate-coated candy egg 
from which she allowed us to slice off pieces, 
but not too many in the same day. 

Shhhh...don't tell her... 
I didn't like the taste of those candy eggs, 
but I loved my Easter baskets. 



I still love Easter baskets, 
especially this twiggy one with a concrete fluffy rabbit  
hiding under fresh mint.  



Nestled next to the mint, 
the rabbit is right at home on my pine dining table 
that was refinished last year. 



Sitting under pear tree branches...  



With their delicate blooms, 



The rabbit wiggles into the soft green moss lining the basket
that has been home to others before him. 
Last fall, the twiggy basket nestled an unusual colored pumpkin.   



The pear tree branches provide a shady spot for 
the rabbit to rest. 



Occasionally he peeks out, 
looking around the dining table, 



but quickly settles back into his twiggy basket home. 



He cheerfully greets everyone from the table, 



And, with plenty of mint to nibble, 



He plans to stay right up to Easter,  
April 20, 2014,
when the rabbit becomes an Easter bunny. 
❦
~~~~~~~~~~
A series of posts 
about building my dream house, 
a post and beam house, 
is located in the Page titled 
Post & Beam Dream House. 
Click on it in the Menus listed 
at the top of the blog.  

~~~~~~~~~~
Please join me at these inspiring sites...
SUNDAY
Share It One More Time @ One More Time Events

MONDAY
Amaze Me Mondays @ Dwellings, the Heart of Your Home

TUESDAY
Be Inspired Friday @ Common Ground
Anything Blue Friday @ The Dedicated House

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Pear Tree Reminders 2014

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Nothing profound, 
nothing new, 
in what I have to say.

Just reminders of what we 
already know, but sometimes forget. 

The winter of 2013-2014 
has been harsh 
all across the United States. 
And, for many, winter still roars 
with deep freezes, gray skies, gloomy darkness 
filled with chilling winds, ice, and snow. 
Even in usually mild locations 
such as Houston, there is still 
the possibility of winter's bitterness. 

All my memories of Houston are filled 
with muggy days even in winter from the very first time 
I visited my in-laws as a new bride in 1972. 
The city was so warm in December around 
Christmas time that my new family had 
their air conditioner turned on. 
I was surprised. 
It was strange to walk around outside in shirtsleeves
and to carry a sweater, not a coat, and not to wear the sweater.  
Just carry it, in case the temperature dipped a little. 

Not so this winter. 
Even Houston experienced wintry mixes of ice, sleet, and snow.

But, 

O Wind,
If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?
"Ode to the West Wind" 
by Percy Bysshe Shelley



Just last week, 
north Texas had record low temperatures in the teens, 
but the peach trees survived and bloomed this week! 
Perhaps there will be peaches after all. 



See that clear blue sky through the OPEN windows? 
The temperatures were in the 80s today. 
No, thankfully, these temperatures will not last, 
or else our summer would truly S.I.Z.Z.L.E. 

Then, looking out the sunspace window through 
the peach tree branches on the breakfast table I saw... 


The pear tree in full, glorious bloom!

I remember planting this tree many years ago 
and watching for its blooms every spring. 
Many years the blooms were sparse, 
even when other trees around us were filled with blooms. 
When did it get to be so tall? 

Last week the hard freeze caused the first
pear tree blossoms on the tree's lower branches
to shrivel and to turn brown.

I thought that the blooms were done for this year,
one of those years with not only sparse blooms,
but dead ones.

but, no....


In the clear sunlight, the blooms were fully open and shimmering in the light.
So many days have been overcast, gray, dreary days that
I missed the new blooms opening until today.



Spring is coming.



What at first appeared to be dead blooms, are instead, 
alive! 

How do I express those feelings inside? 
The ones that have been reawakened and been reminded 
on many levels 
there is life after the darkness. 

That after seasonal climatic winters and emotional personal winters, 
spring will return. 



O Wind,
If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?

"Ode to the West Wind" 
by Percy Bysshe Shelley
❦
~~~~~~~~~~
Do you have a dream house in your head? 
I did, for eight years. 
Now I have been living in my dream house 
for twenty-six years. 
Stay tuned.
Coming soon... 
A series of posts 
about building my dream house, 
a post and beam house. 


~~~~~~~~~~
Please join me at these inspiring sites...
SUNDAY
Share It One More Time @ One More Time Events

MONDAY
Amaze Me Mondays @ Dwellings, the Heart of Your Home

TUESDAY
Be Inspired Friday @ Common Ground
Anything Blue Friday @ The Dedicated House

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Pink Lemonade in the Shade

Sunday, May 12, 2013

What to do on a perfect May day?
A perfect Mother's Day May day?

Have
pink lemonade 
in the shade 
of a pear tree.

A French-inspired day in the garden...

Gather a quilted floral throw and a couple of pillows. 
Head out to the park bench in the backyard.
Walk through the high rye grass left unmown
that creates your own private meadow.

Head out to the shade of the pear tree 
in a light breeze that barely grazes you,
not even enough to lift wisps of your hair.
A perfect May day...

Take the sparkling Pink Citrus Lemonade from the fridge.
Just the label alone is enough to begin your 
mind on its flight of fancy on this perfect day...
PRESTIGE limited edition...

A golden bubbly Tour Eiffel promises 
a refreshing tart taste of a 
premium French soda,
all natural flavor.

Someone has already had a glass...
Ahhh... The bottle is still more than half full...
and another unopened bottle lies ready
for those who are extra thirsty today.

The bottle has a ceramic stopper to 
keep the lemonade bubbly after opening.
The other shoppers in World Market were 
looking at wines, aperitifs, saki,...
for the flavor inside.

Do you look at the bottles..... 
for their labels and for their designs?
Is authentic all natural French soda a plus for you,
but is authentic French bottle design 
what grabs your attention!

Just the thing from which to serve bubbly pink lemonade
under the shade of the pear tree.
When the lemonade is gone, 
homemade lemonade can take its place.

For such a special lemonade, a special glass is required. 
A long-stemmed pink wine glass is the perfect glass
for this perfect day.

A sprig of garden-fresh mint gathered this morning...
just the garnishment for a final touch
in a glass of lemonade...

Take the Jess Lord pottery to hold a 
scone, or chicken salad on croissant, or strawberry tarte...
Hand thrown and painted with a western motif paired 
with unexpected pastel colors...
No two exactly alike...

Each piece hand signed on the back...

Place a single setting on a white wicker tray...

Add your favorite adventuresome cat, Indiana...

And your favorite cuddly cat, Callie...

 For a French-inspired perfect day in May 
with pink lemonade under the shade of the pear tree...

Time to reflect that this day in May is 
a great moment in life...

For each of us, the great moments are different, 
but, for all of us, we can celebrate a 
perfect day in May with the 
things that make our hearts sing...

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray,
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair...
from Trees by Joyce Kilmer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I did not receive anything from anyone for this post.
The French Lorina pink lemonade is from World Market 
and is in a limited edition bottle.
A perfect way to celebrate life 
the way the French do...
Simple things with pizazz...
❧
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please join me at these inspiring sites...
Amaze Me Monday @ Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home
the Scoop @ Cedar Hill Ranch
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