Tag Archives

Joan Ambu

Hectic Weather

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read522 views

The weather is fresh and we have experienced cooler temperatures all weekend long, which is precisely what we need here in the High Desert. We had such a wonderful time outdoors earlier in the day.

We secured all the openings around the wooden fence to prevent the ground Squirrels from using them as entry and exit points to and from the front yard. We had a Twister in the backyard. Although it lasted just a few seconds, it brought so much debris from the empty lot at the back of our property into our yard.

My Longiflorum-Asiatic Lily ‘Birgi’ all in bloom. Such a delicate beauty.

Longiflorum-Asiatic Lily 'Birgi.'
Longiflorum-Asiatic Lily ‘Birgi.’

I am sure tomorrow will be a better day.

I Remembered

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read553 views

“Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” ― A.A. Milne

We had a beautiful weather this weekend in the High Desert. It was mostly cloudy with some cool breeze and a few rain drops starting Saturday afternoon and a little more around 2:00 AM Sunday morning. Just lovely and perfect to spend the entire day outdoors relaxing and finishing up projects.

Today, I was blessed to reconnect with yet another awesome Friend; a Sister at heart and my voice of reason back when the pain was too much to bear.  She always made me promise to remember how great Life once was; promise to smile after the tears dried; promise to shake things off; Promise you will not do something stupid. “Promise me, Joan, promise me.” Those uplifting words still echo in my mind. At the time I was so deep into my grief that I couldn’t see the Support Team I was given and the circle I found myself into prior to that bitter day.

Image Credit: Willow Tree.com
Image Credit: Willow Tree.com

I quietly listened to everything she said to me and I remembered. After a good thirty minutes of updates and expressing our gratitude to one another, we laughed a lot. An hour well spent reconnecting. A definite throwback for both of us. Until next time, I am holding on to good memories.

To you, Evelyne, from the bottom of my heart: Thank You.

DIY: Grass Pet {Making Shoes}

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read606 views

A week and a half ago we decorated my Son’s Grass Head Pet.

After watering it and placing it on the kitchen window sill for some warm Sun light, it grew its first hair six days later. Today we spotted two more tiny hairs underneath and above its nose. We gave it some feet/shoes.

Grass Pet Face with one hair.
Grass Pet Face with one hair.

Materials/Tools Needed:

  • Scissors
  • Craft glue, Hot glue gun
  • Toilet Paper roll, Craft Paper, Card Board (for the shoe)
  • Pencil, Permanent Marker (to draw and decorate the shoes)
  • Small Ice Cream/Yogurt container or Toilet Paper Roll (for the body)

How to proceed:

  • Squeeze the toilet paper roll to make it flat. If you are using craft paper, fold the paper in two
  • Using a Pencil, draw a foot or shoe on one side of the toilet paper roll or the craft paper
  • Use your scissors to cut around your drawing (you will end up with a set of foot or shoe)
  • Use your Hot glue gun to glue the shoes/feet to the bottom of your body.
DIY: Grass Pet Shoes.
DIY: Grass Pet Shoes.
Grass Pet with Shoes.
Grass Pet with Shoes.

On my next update I will show you how to make an outfit for the Grass Pet.

Still Pictures: Gladiolus ‘Peter Pears’

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read735 views

I didn’t think I would step outside today until I stood next to one of my bedroom windows (facing the backyard) and saw this gorgeous plant in bloom with magnificent orange flowers and its tall stalks. I love Gladiolas and ‘Peter Pears’ is one of my favorites.

Gladiolus Peter Pears.
Gladiolus ‘Peter Pears’.
Gladiolus Peter Pears.
Gladiolus ‘Peter Pears’.

Interested in the Fairy and Deer Friend Shadow Garden Stake? Get yours from Collections Etc.

Weekend Updates

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read395 views

Lovely weekend here in the High Desert and I am so thankful for the cooler temperatures we’re having late in the afternoon.

I haven’t gardened in a very long time as the plants seem to do just fine when left alone.
The ground squirrels seem to be on their best behavior; they must have realized that we are unto them and we are not backing down. Besides, all the plants now have chicken wire around their base as well as the plant itself. Some neighbors are starting to destroy their burrows, which hopefully will drive them away from this side of the neighborhood. How great would it be if everyone was working hard to eradicate this problem!

Seven months after being planted, my son’s tiny Pumpkin from his field trip has emerged and is fast growing. My son, of course, is thrilled. I almost dug it out by mistake, until I saw the familiar large leaves. Not many plants have their leaves larger than the plant themselves. Everything has been going really well until last Saturday. As we went to the Beach for the day, little did we know that we would return home to find our young pumpkin plant half eaten. We’ve enclosed the raised bed with chicken wire to prevent the squirrels from causing further damages to the young plant. I can’t tell if we’ll be getting any good sized pumpkin out of it.

Pumpkin Sprout.
Pumpkin Sprout.

On Friday night we took a trip to Lowe’s and purchased more Privacy Fence Slats which we put in on Saturday morning. I like and respect my neighbors and I really don’t need to know what’s going on in their side of the fence. Some are neat, others not so much. Without fence privacy a neighbor’s pile of trash can make your yard look unpleasant as well. Our yard is huge, spacious and we enjoy spending time outdoors. Therefore for us, adding some privacy gives us some peace of mind and helps us maintain a peaceful and healthy relation with our neighbors. Like the saying goes, “good fences make good neighbors”.

Happy Gardening!