What to Write About
I'm still doing my Friday Fiscal Wellness Checks but have been slacking in other blogging. I'm trying to figure out if there's anything to actually blog about without me going down either politically driven frustration path or bits of whininess about widowhood and feeling left behind in life path. So, on those days, which has been most, I've just not been blogging at all.
I thought I'd try and breath a little life into this space and at least maybe share some things we might chat about in the comments or share snippets of outings. I'm also trying to come up with lists of topics I want to research or explore and use the blog to capture. I don't know how well this will go, but if you're of a mind to, feel free to hang out with me.
My wander around a garden center in January was a tiny bit of a morning brightener after the doctor. I thought the inside would be much bigger than it was, but there was still a good assortment of houseplants and little sections of "shopping" if I was in the mood to spend crazy money. Gerten's is a Minnesota nursery, so at least anything spent stays in our states economy, but wow are prices eye watering $20 hand towels and $16.99 hand soap, but gorgeous. There's a Minnesota section that would make some good gifts for out of town guests or hosts, lots of Paul Bunyan lore, lake, river, and camping inspired pieces. They do good stuff in our communities like sponsoring fundraiser sales like for poinsettias and wreaths in late fall and potted plants in the spring. The quality is very good. Here's my wander with bad pictures as I was trying to be discreet and I'm terrible with a camera in general.
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| I was tempted buy the bulb planters and the vibrant colors of whatever those were. I do not know plant names well, just enjoy the beauty. |
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| Now this caught my eye and might be on my gift card list. |
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| If you like beautiful but expensive hand soaps, they have you covered. |
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| If Gnome's are your thing, you'll be in luck! My sister M would be a fan. |
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| Adorable garden knickknacks and pretty planters everywhere. |
I'll come back in the spring when there's blocks and blocks of plants, shrubs, trees, and vegetable starts. I've got a nice balance still on a gift card and will put towards my back yard and gardens.
Garden centers get us to dreaming of warmer days and all the pretty colors of flowers. I am so ready. I went to get feed the other day, and had to walk around and look - just to get out of the winter mode!
ReplyDeleteIt is a break from the dirty snow, though we got a dusting to cover the gross. I really loved seeing the pops of color.
DeleteI love walking around the garden centers looking at plants and such, It's very therapeutic.
ReplyDeleteWe have a conservatory and I think I am long due for a wander. I haven't really been leaving town much.
DeleteI think its really cool to get to hang out on other blogs and meet people. Hearing about daily life for others does not bore me. Its like having coffee with a neighbor. You aren't whining about widowhood to state the facts...just sayin'. Its valuable to me to hear how other widows are going about their lives. And garden centers - I love visiting them. Always reminds me of my mother. Such cute things, too!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Gina. I try for that but just like with friends, I worry I put my burdens on them. The things for gardens like the sloths, just sweet!
DeleteI love garden centers and luckily, we have a quite a few nice one like yours. It is always so relaxing to walk around them.
ReplyDeleteThere's another beautiful one just west of Minneapolis but it's a hike to drive there. Might be worth it.
Delete"There are no uninterested things, only uninterested people." - G. K. Chesterton
ReplyDeleteOf course, interesting things can be made boring by uninteresting people.
DeleteLooking at pretty things, without necessarily buying them, has always been a way of cheering myself up. At university I used to go to a frighteningly expensive china shop to gaze at dinner plates... at £20 each back in the 1970s there was no temptation to buy !
ReplyDeleteI find stores like Anthropologie, William Sonoma, Pottery Barn like that. Pretty to look at how they present the lovely finds, but I don't need $35 water glasses.
DeleteOh dear…my daughter works in a nursery over the summer and I get a discount. Even before she worked there I frequented it far too much. I can wander for hours there, picking, and putting back, then picking up again more flowering perennials. It soothes my soul!
ReplyDeleteAnd your pictures are perfectly fine!
-Meg B.
Im trying to be selective about what perennials I buy, because I'm lazy at weeding. But, if I could have a backyard of hyacinths, hydrangeas, Lilly's, and peonies I would be happy. Fingers crossed the hydrangeas and lilies I bought last summer will make it.
DeleteI do enjoy wandering around a garden centre, not only for the plants but all the other things to attract my attention. Hubby and I also go there for a mid morning coffee and cake.
ReplyDeleteThis one was too small for a cafe. I love the UK garden centers I've seen on YouTube. When I next go and "slow" travel, I'll make garden center wanders a thing.
DeleteI do not consider your telling about the difficulties of widowhood and the huge horrible shift you have had to make in your life path to be whiny. I say it is similar to being divorced bc we are older and alone. Financially, emotionally, physically, mentally, it sucks. It is ok to talk about it. It is not something you “get over” although you adjust bc you have to. Virtual hugs. Cindy in the South
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Cindy in the South wrote. Death, divorce, other life-shattering events: we don't "get over" them, but indeed adjust and move on.
DeleteI fear it's my identity now, no one in real life sees me first, just my loss. I worry I stick out here too. Death is pretty final so moving on is not the same though as moving on from a divorce
DeleteOf course both are loss as no one that gets married sees/plans divorce in their future. I just don't think it becomes the trait others see first on the person.
I don’t know with widow hood because I have not experienced it. Married women always treated me in the conservative rural communities I had lived as “after” their husbands since I was divorced. Nothing could have been further from the truth. I was too exhausted from being a single parent trying to pay bills. I wonder if that is the same experience for widows? Cindy in the South
DeleteI've been told by others to expect that women might treat me with question about their husbands, but I've never experienced that. Maybe because it's pretty much been family men that have given me help, though neighbors ( both spouses) that first 1/2 year readily jumped in where they could be of help. I'm such a pathetic mess I doubt anyone would be cautious of me. I didn't mean to undercut experience from divorce. I just meant moving on is so different because not only do I profoundly feel my loneliness and pain, I see all he's never going to experience and that hurts so much. Any future joy will always be marked with extreme sadness.
DeleteI do see your point. He won’t get to experience your joys in life, especially with the kids, and that has to be very painful. Hugs. Cindy in the South
DeleteYou've got your own hands and mind full. Different experiences but we all do the best we can with hard situations.
DeleteWhen I was little ( quite a few decades ago ) the garden centre sold only plants , seeds and gardening tools - they have transformed over intervening years . One of my local ones has gifts , a pottery painting shop and a children's party room . And coffee and cake in the restaurant of course
ReplyDeleteThe colours look lovely - it can be relaxing thinking of planting your garden whilst waiting for Spring
Siobhan x
Ours are still mostly the seed and plant variety but a few of the nurseries that added garden centers went bigger and bigger with other wares. I only know of one that has a cafe though. If anyone in Minnesota knows of others besides Bachman's, let me know.
DeleteFor me, blogging feels like a community (most of the time), where I post about whatever is top of mind, and try to create some organization for myself (workout tracking, menus, goals, etc), & I love hearing from you, in whatever format you post.
ReplyDeleteI also adore that bird feeder shaped like a porch swing! - HP
Thank you for the kind words. It was a sweet little piece to feed and then be able to watch birds. If I remember it was at least $19.99, ouch. Squirrels iny yard would be leaping from it and it'd be kindling in a week.
DeleteI would get such as thrill walking through a garden center, at all the possibilities.
ReplyDeleteI bet in AZ, you have some delightful ones, of course quite differently currated for heat.
DeleteThe garden center pictures are lovely! You have mentioned that you're in at least one book club. Maybe you could write a post about some of the books that you've read recently. Thanks for considering.
ReplyDeleteMaybe. I'm not the best at describing books without spoilers. It would need to be high level. I really seem to only get to 2 a month. I don't know why I am not reading more.
DeleteWe have lots of garden centres here of course but my favourite is called Botanique. Every time I go there I want to empty my entire house and redecorate from there but it would cost me an arm and a leg (and probably a kidney too) so I have to restrain myself. They are sooooo expensive! When my mom was still alive the home took a group of them to a local garden centre for a wander (ie pushed in their wheelchairs) and lunch in the cafeteria. My sister and BIL always went on these trips to help out and my sister said it was probably the trip they all enjoyed the most!
ReplyDeleteEven the name Boutanique is luring me in! I've seen outings at the conservatory in St Paul with elderly, ( probably our ages now, lol) and could see the green and color lifted moods.
Deletemerci pour la photo des fleurs elle m'a fait chaud au coeur le printemps approche ,bon courage a tous
ReplyDeleteJe comprende! Mon Francsise est horrible maintenance, mais J'essaye en Francais pour la pratique. Bon jour et bienvenue!
DeleteI enjoy visiting blogs, and reading how other people in all parts of the world are living their lives. It is like visiting a friend for a chat over coffee.
ReplyDeleteYour pictures of your trip to the garden center looks fun! All the colorful plants and pretty things. I like a bit of whimsy in my garden; it just makes me smile. :)
It really was just a brief stop but we'll enjoyed. I like to think we have a community in blog world.
DeleteIt is hard sometimes to be joyful in January when widowed and alone but I've found that looking for things to blog about always helps.
ReplyDeleteI'll keep trying to find topics. I really appreciate the feedback from everyone.
DeleteWe will read whatever you write! The pictures are beautiful. I am not a plant gal, but so many in my family are. It's a lovely way to look forward to warmer weather and things blossoming!
ReplyDeleteMy plants in house are from my dad's funeral and husband's. I try keeping them healthy, but too am not naturally good at it. I'm certainly not a good gardener.
DeleteMy favourite 'posh' garden centre has been sold to a large chain. It was evident when I took my mum in December. There were still some lovely things, but the quality had slipped for much of it.
ReplyDeleteI font think you've ever come across as whiny, just truthful about the shock and pain of your husband's death anx how others have treated you since then, which hasn't always been with the kindness you deserve.
So far the two I know are locally owned, but they are big. One gas several smaller retail offshoots around the metro. Thank you for the kind words on my blogging. It's still hard every day to live this life.
DeleteGreat photos! It looks like a lovely fun place to visit especially in these duller winter days.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty small in comparison to others I've seen in video, but when it was -5, but sunny, it felt like an oasis.
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