A Sunday Bouquet, "Curtains", and Cross Creek,

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Mary Ann Rath Kelly brought it to me last Sunday after this lovely basket bouquet had graced the altar at McIntosh Christian Church. All the amaryllis blossoms came from a sunken, walled garden that Mary Ann's maternal grandfather, Mr.William Dedman, created probably sometime in the 1920s or 30s and started with 25 amaryllis bulbs. Most people called him either Uncle Will or Uncle Bill. Chris,Mary Ann's mother, took over the task of caring for the garden in 1952 when Mr. Dedman passed away. Mary Ann began the tradition of adding different varieties and other friends and relatives followed suit.

Chris and the garden were featured in the 1988 John Deere Calendar as Miss March. The garden is beautiful right now and Mary Ann has graciously offered for anyone wanting a peak to just drive by. I recently took my friend from West Virginia up to see it. It really is a wonderful local attraction with such an interesting, rich history. Chris grew up in the wonderful old farmhouse as well as her children, Mary Ann and Bill. Mary Ann came here to live with her mother shortly before Chris passed away in 2008 and has stayed on to care for the house and garden until Bill and his wife come to restore the house. Rarely does a home and garden have such continuity to nurture and sustain it!

A group of us went to the P.K. Yonge production of "Curtains", a Broadway production, I believe. Broadway couldn't have made a more professional presentation. I understand some of the crude material was left out(an improvement, I'm sure). Curtains is a musical from a book by Rupert Holmes, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander, with additional lyrics by Kander and Holmes.

Based on the original book and concept by Peter Stone, the musical is a send-up of backstage murder mystery plots, set in 1959 Boston and follows the fallout when the supremely untalented star of Robbin' Hood of the Old West is murdered during her opening night curtain call. Can a police detective/musical theater fan save the show, solve the case, and maybe even find love before the show reopens, without getting killed himself?

Our grandson, Cary, played the part of Chris, the director of "Robbin' Hood of the Old West" and had all the hysterically humorous one liners. We were very proud. There were twelve of us there which included his maternal great grandmother (90 years young), his paternal and maternal grandmothers,his namesake grandfather, a great aunt and uncle, 2 aunts and 2 cousins. On the way home Ana, Papa and I decided our favorite character was...Chris, the director!

Kitty Dunn and I spent Friday visiting the artist working during the plein air paint out at Evinston, then drove over to Cross Creek. I remembered my camera was home while visiting the artists, so we dropped back by the house for it before heading to Cross Creek and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings home. The farmstead took me back to my childhood, cracker houses, chickens in the yard and a small kitchen garden. Ms Rawlings furnishings were fancier than our plain stuff, but the house didn't look a bit more comfortable. My personal favorites of the four photos are the barn and the rooster resting under the shade of an antique Louis Phillip rose bush. His hens were sitting further back.





The rain today has been such a joy! We had our lawns sprayed for weeds last week and the rain should help the spray do its work. Of course, there were so many weeds we may have a brown lawn soon!

Tomorrow is Infusion #6 and the very last one! Hallelujah! I thank the dear Lord for seeing me through with you good friends to cheer me, side effects I could live with, and my dear sweet hubby who has been right there with me. I know prayers have lifted me up and I'm thankful for those who pray and the power of prayer.

Love to all,
Linda