SO THANKFUL FOR MY BLOGGY FRIENDS

If you're not from Texas, you probably would not believe how utterly delicious it felt out when I woke before dawn. We had our windows wide open all day yesterday. In fact, it's almost too hot now -- hovering just below 80, and with us trying to trade out beds and refrigerators,


flipping mattresses, and what have you, I came real close to flipping on the AC! Of course, it will be back down to 15 by Wednesday, so we've learned to make the most of these little windows of opportunity. I grabbed my pruning shears yesterday, and went to town on all the dead stuff that was making my garden look so sad, including all those poor succulents that were so gorgeous just a few weeks ago.

A new blog friend, Sharon Lovejoy, happens to be a well-known garden writer who divides her time between California and Maine (her California garden is on the cover of the latest issue of Country Gardens magazine). She recently posted photos of a gorgeous grouping of all my favorite succulents. When I told her how sad I was about not having the space in my house to winter over my plants, and having to start again from scratch each spring, she encouraged me to take cuttings. She said the succulent cuttings would harden off and go semi-dormant, so I could just keep them in a garage or basement. You don't even need grow-lights, as long as there is a window.

It got me to thinkin'. We have two utility rooms. One is downstairs near the man-cave, and would be a good workshop for John. The other is out next to the garage. Up until this point it's just been a junk room, but now that I finally have my washer and dryer back, it's time to fix it up. It doesn't have heat or air, but there is a ceiling fan. It also has a big utility sink, a pull down ironing board, and of all things, a toilet and shower! Best of all, there is a nice-sized window, in front of which I could overwinter those succulents, and since John is anxious to replace the huge water heater with a tankless one, I may end up with space for a workbench. Can you say "Potting Shed"? I'm also thinkin' that corner of the porch would be just the spot for a comfy adirondak chair, where I can relax with an icy cold glass of tea whenever I need a break. Yep, that's what I'm thinkin'!