Mixed Container Gardening

This past weekend I planted a large terracotta glazed pot container garden that I hope will fill out nicely in the weeks to come.

Featured Plants:
Bacopa, white
Marguerite Sweet Potato Vine
Spikes, Cordyline
Ace of Spades, Sweet Potato Vine
Sedum Angelina

Sadie Off to Dreamland

Sadie - of course - not having Spencer's sense of maturity would not allow a post of him to go up without a bit about her. She enjoys sunbathing in the comfort of the living room in her own bed on weekend mornings. The bed by Yap Dog came from the Dog Spa where she also has her nails ground once a month. The Dog Spa is wonderful considering she hates having her nails done. They also do a procedure for Sadie that is un-ladylike to discus in this public forum. I'm glad they do this necessary procedure! The bed features a removable insert that can be taken out and washed separately. Also, the bottom of the bed has a waterproof lining in case there is an accident.

Spencer Turns 16

My dear old bachelor cat, Spencer, just turned 16 this spring. He is in great health with the exception of having failing kidneys. Weighing in at about six pounds, he has always kept his youthful adolescent figure. For the last two years, he has made many futile attempts to ignore the fact that there is a dog in the house. Lately....I would say within the last month he has become more tolerant of Sadie. He will sleep next to her and be in the same room as her. Spewing and hissing are still common but it's all for show. One maneuver of Sadie's he will not tolerate is bum sniffing. He likes to keep his privates out of the public arena.

Best Year's of Our Lives Relationship Advice

Myrna Loy captures the work put into a long term relationships in this compelling scene. She was an actress that under played scenes even when theatrical acting styles were popular. Her daughter (Teresa Wright) in the scene views her parents as a perfect post WWII couple. Director William Wyler was a master at composing shots featuring multiple characters.

I've often seen characters lunge across the bed in a fit of tears. In all my years of ups and downs, I have not fallen victim to such an outburst. Tears I have certainly have shed. I don't own a acceptable substitute like a chaise lounge either.

Bea Arthur's Favorite Golden Moment

Here is one more tribute for the late Bea Arthur, who passed away on Saturday. She often referred to this episode as one of her favorites. She enters a mother, daughter beauty contest with Sofia. For the talent portion, they choose a Sunny and Cher classic. "Babe...I got you babe."

March Hare by R. John Wright

I have to admit I have a few collections. One of my favorite designers of fine bears and dolls is R. John Wright of Vermont. He does extremely detailed work with natural fibers such as wool felt, mohair, alpaca and silk. The Toy Shoppe carries a wide selection of his pieces and works well even with the most discerning collector's taste. The March Hare was released in March 2009 after a lengthy wait. Due to the complexity of production and design, Mr. Wright will often take anywhere between a year or two to release an announced edition. They have started a blog showing behind the scenes photos of their production process.

Grey Gardens

The new HBO film Grey Gardens staring Jessica Lane (Big Eddie) and Drew Barrymore (Little Eddie) looks worth taking a chance on. I will have to wait till the film is released on DVD since I gave up HBO after the completion of my favorite series, Six Feet Under. The original documentary is available on DVD so I decided to revisit the original. Their mental illness, daily "costumes", and dysfunction sucked me in once again. The house and the gardens of Grey Gardens have been restored by a new owner rather than torn down. I had no idea that Little Eddie inspired so many fashion designers.

"Thank You for Being a Friend." Bea Arthur 1923 - 2009

Bea Arthur died today. I cannot count the evenings I watched re-runs of The Golden Girls on Lifetime. She was a class act in every medium and knew how to deliver a line that would stop traffic. Actually, it was the stare and the lengthy pauses that she would give either before or after the line that would deliver the biggest punch. Movie stars exist out there but a television favorite such as Arthur is a friend you invite into your home. They touch you with laughter and delight you on even the most mundane of days. I liked knowing she was out in sunny California somewhere enjoying her retirement. Sad to see her go less than a year after Estelle Getty. Seasons two through five are my favorites. I love Maude too but The Golden Girls will leave the biggest mark in TV re-run land. Again, Bea thanks for touching us all with your talent, husky voice and for giving us Dorthy Zbornak.

Golden Girls Lebanese? Lesbian?
by AllisonSNLKid

Domestic Bliss? Harriet Craig Should Add Calming Lavender.

Crazed,perfectionist housewife Harriet Craig may have been less abrasive had she had green cleaning products. My Earth Day tribute is a day or two late. Harriet could have added calm to her life by using environmentally friendly lavender dryer sheets. I prefer two brands at this time.

Both the wet Method French Lavender and Mrs. Myers Lavender scents are easy on the nose. The Method brand is a stronger scent while Mrs. Myers is more subtle. Though I can only imagine the effect, these staples of the Whole Foods home keeping aisle may have had on our Harriet. I think she may had had more time for pillow talk and relaxing baths thanks to fluffy lavender scented linens and towels.

TCM Education Continues

As part of funny lady week, TCM aired the comedy, Ruggles of Red Gap, staring Charles Laughton as an English butler taken to the western frontier. I've never seen a comedy with Laughton in it before and hope I can find others he did as well. Mary Boland (The Women), a social climbing oil heiress, is his main foil and has numerous costume changes, which hug her every curve and draw attention to her bouncing gold curls. Zasu Pitts is a local bird-like woman who falls for stuffy Laughton initially because of mistaken identity but latter due to their love of cooking. TCM's Robert Osborne states the film was remade in 1950 as Fancy Pants staring Bob Hope and Lucille Ball. Mr. Osborne is always a gem when dispensing...well, gems of classic film knowledge.

A documentary TCM featured also caught my eye last night. Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Power of Women in Hollywood. Get the title? She was beautiful and came up through the ranks of Hollywood during silent films solely on girl power. Never being seduced on the casting couch, she didn't sleep with her athletic, actor husband (Fred Thomson) - he was a divinity student - until her wedding night. She was one of the most prolific and most successful early screenwriters. She was highly paid, highly respected and highly sought after by her contemporaries. Marion was the first person to win two Oscars for her screen plays (The Big House, The Champ). Garbo talked because of her and she revived many actors (Zasu Pitts, Marie Dressler) careers with rich and personality driven stories like Dinner at Eight.

Sadie My Dachshund, First Blog

Sadie @ Liberty Hotel, Boston

Well, I had to get this blog started somehow. The best subject was an easy one. My stubborn, beautiful dachshund, Sadie, made the cut - of course. As the official and only dog-ter of the house, she is in obedient control of the house. She's no Ms. Danvers around the house but is a bit of a Green Princess who enjoys the Earth friendly toys from Planet Dog. Her favorite is the Orbee-Tuff Artichoke. Fill it and she is in doggie chew heaven.