Le Sigh....

I really, really should stay away from the The Antique Rose Emporium website, because every time I do, I see roses that I want.

Y'all probably didn't know this, but Auntie is a major rose geek. If I could have rescued all the rose bushes I left behind in Houston (and I had to leave at least three of them behind, one of them over 50 years old and I still cry about that one), this house would have been surrounded!

As it is, I have major plans for an antique at my mom's house that is in danger of dying from neglect. First of all, I'm going to very, very carefully dig it up with a ridiculously large root ball and bring it here. Then once I nurse it back to health, get it stabilized and acclimated, I'm going to take cuttings to root and grow for my sisters. Not that they deserve it, but I'm nice that way.

See, that's what I love about roses. Every cutting grows up to be a whole and complete plant on its own and continues the species on. And if you're lucky, they'll have a family story behind them.

So far, I've been looking at the Cecile Brunner roses, which are known 'round hereabouts as a "Sweetheart" rose. Small, pale pink and fragrant. Some neighbors next to my parent's house used to have one that grew to immense proportions and covered the entire side wall of their garage (must have been the climbing version or something) and must have been a good three feet deep. I remember it always being full of little pale pink roses, and how it would make my parents' bedroom smell so wonderful, because we didn't have air conditioning at that time and always had our windows open. Cecile Brunner has good memories for me.

I tend to lean toward the older, more fragrant roses. For one thing, they're hardier, they smell better, and for another...well, I just like them!

*goes to browse through the online catalogue and drool some more*

Auntie, the Human Ice Block!!

You should all feel very, very sorry for the Husbandly One. Very sorry. Why?

Because Auntie is very, very cold!! Tonight was the opening of "Dickens on the Square" in our little town, and it was COLD!! And even though I bundled up, well, I get cold very easily. My hands were frozen despite my nice, warm gloves, and my feet!! Oy, my feet were so cold that every time I took a step it HURT!!

Did I mention this Dickens on the Square thing was outdoors?

There was a lighted parade that I intended to take pictures of but... well, I looked at THO and said, "Look at little me, and look at how packed the people standing along the parade route are. Do you really think I stand a chance of shoving through while hanging on to both kids AND my camera?"

He said, "Actually, I think you're more than capable of it, but... maybe you should just stay here."

We were there as members of the soccer board, selling little soccer oojahs, like key chains, magnets, rings, soccer ball yo-yo's, soccer cows and duckies, you know, little thingums to pop in stockings and so on, all while handing out information about spring registration and giving out registration forms.

And it was cold, did I mention it was cold?

You should feel sorry for THO, because I am STILL cold, even though we got home two hours ago, and I am still shivering, even though I'm in my warm 'jammies, with my hoodie on, and socks and booties on...

When I get into the nice warm bed and snuggle up to my nice, warm, cuddly husband, well, let's just say I think even shocolate will be able to hear his scream. You know, "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH, YOUR FEET ARE LIKE BLOCKS OF ICE, YOUR LEGS.... NO, NO, NO, DON'T PUT YOUR HANDS THERE!!!"

Followed promptly by him inhaling his tongue.

That's it, I am going to learn to knit if it KILLS me! I need warmer socks!!