And The Race Is On

Gun shop update.

The Cease and Desist petition now has over 2000 signatures. There is now a Let her Rip petition, or Open Gun Shop petition with numbers that rival ours.

If we had another empty space perhaps an abortion clinic could attempt to open, thus assuring constant strife on the block.

I gave a brief interview to a TV station.

Jane Winter, who works at the flower shop next door to the vacant storefront, said NOVA doesn't fit in to the strip mall that includes a restaurant, hair salon and nail salon.

"People come here for beauty, they come here for peace, they come here for a meal," she said. "If you want to open a gun shop, do it elsewhere."

Trust me when I say I look like hell in the clip, like Martha after a year in jail, so no link will be provided.

Meanwhile construction continues and the gun shop owner gave an interview to The Washington Times, a newspaper that has a different slant on things, to the right , to the right....

But life as we know it continues. Proms, weddings, graduations, births and deaths fill our days with flowers.

Weeds grow in my garden, strawberries are eaten, raspberries ripen, cats go in and out, the trellis is back up and the grapevine is reaching for the sky.

  I am searching online for a no guns tshirt in xsmall.

If I'm gonna walk the walk I'm going to do it in dubious style.

xo J

 

Little Shop Of Horrors

I don't know where to start. Should I write about the freaking flying ant invasion, the ginormous bee invasion, the mind numbing work of painting a trellis or the gun shop?

All horrifying but none as bad as the news that the space next to the flower shop has been leased to a gun shop.

The contractor told us. And then he told us again. I worried, talked to co workers, talked to tenants of other shops. We are located in small non picturesque strip mall with a frame store, a nail salon, a hair salon, a yoga studio and two restaurants. 

The next day I started writing emails, anonymously of course, even though my email address of flwjane led everybody right to the flower shop.

I was happy to be in the fight but trying to keep the shop owners out of it.

Suddenly a rep from Arlington County was in, out local news blog, arlnow.com reporter was in so many times he became a customer,

and as the word got out customers streamed in the door.

Many to say goodbye, they would not frequent a block that housed a gun shop.

As much as I couldn't blame them I saw my income leaving too.

Then the neighborhood list serves got into it and finally we had  a petition.

When I signed it there were 110 names, within 48 hours there were 1400 and it continues to grow.

The Washington Post has reported on this, the local TV news has reported, the landlord says he's cutting the lease but the new tenant has issued a statement saying he doesn't care what the community has to say, he's moving in this summer.

I don't know what I'll return to tomorrow. Hoping it's peace not war.

Guns and Roses will not be our next Valentine's special.

A move might be in our future.

The amazing thing to come out of this has been the community reaction and action.

Soccer and baby showers took a back seat to the future of our city, our street, our school children.

And for that I am grateful.

Peace be with you.

The Week That Was

Notable dates in May thus far:

May 16th: first mosquitoes and first big rain arriving just in time to batten down the peonies and iris.

(Note to all of you, please remind me next March to cage my peonies. This is now on your shoulders).

May 13th: the date my favorite Airbnb guest arrived to stay for 6 nights while looking for permanent housing. Instant connection that will eventually end with him moving into house as full time house mate in November.

In the meantime I have room booked/being booked until July when an intern for Swiss TV will arrive to stay through August. Thus assuring cat care while I take a couple of weeks vacation.

B., the present guest has found a temporary rental around the corner until he goes to Quantico in August for 3 months training. He too will be visiting the cats while I'm (not) sunning on beaches.

He loves the hood and finds everyone so welcoming. I told him it (the hood) picks its people and for better or for worse he is one of the select.

 He's a cat guy, especially gingers, spent 4 years as a vet tech while in college, so hopefully will be able to help me get cats into cages for yearly vet visit ( previously GG's job) and made the mistake of telling me he was handy.

The equivalent of handing the keys to a candy store to a diabetic. I love handy.

May 12th: the day I had my stitches out and was released to garden. With the caveat I wear  a bandaid over site, and a ginormous hat. And no sun for a year. And no eating apples, picture here doctor stretching mouth very wide at least 5 times in succession to show me what not to do. Finally I told him thank god I was gay.

He told me the site looked good tho, like earthworms were at work.

May 11th: the day my friend and hairdresser went into shop on his Monday day off to do emergency surgery on my hair. Resuming life as a bobbed blonde hidden under huge hat.

May 10th: the day I wrote my last post and told you my day would be full of nada. Here to report I kept my promise. Though that led to a very busy Monday.

I will now insert gratuitous flower pic and head off to yoga. Looking forward to hearing about the week that was for you.

xo J

Done And Dusted*

It's over for another year.

Love to all the mothers and a round of Advil for all the florists.

I was walking through the kitchen this morning and when I glanced at the clock I thought, oh my god, it's 9:00am and I haven't done anything.

And then I remembered by that time yesterday I had been hard at work for 2 hours.

And remained so till after 6:00, surrounded by buckets of peonies, hot pink roses, pale pink sweetpeas, fragrant lilac, friends and coworkers, bottles of water and empty Starbucks containers.

There may have been too much laughter for my sutures, but they do say it's the best medicine....

And when I dragged home carrying a handful of pink peonies, I found yards full of neighbors, an empty chair waiting for me and eager ears to relive my day with.

 As ever we trailed from house to house, yard to yard, inspecting this one's garden, this one's home project.

Finally at 10:15 I hauled myself up and staggered across the street to bed. I don't know when any of us ate any dinner. But my appetite was for sleep.

Even the cats were ready to come in.

Before I continue my busy day of doing nada, I want to send Happy Mother's Day wishes to all my friends in the clouds.

 And I'm handing out red charm peonies from the garden to each and every mother in da hood.

Come on by!

xo J

* Thank you Lucille for this phrase, new to me but already in heavy rotation.

Post Op

As you can imagine,4am came early on Monday.

But despite the alarm, the lights and my shower, the cats slept on, curled up on my bed in their usual spots, oblivious to all the angst and action.

Thanks guys.

And who knew that a normal ride from my house in Arlington to Georgetown Hospital would shrink from 30 minutes to 10, leaving me standing outside the doors waiting for them to open at 5am?

And who knew that Tini, Mr. B's mother would make it there at 6:50am to keep me company till the witching hour of 7:30. And appear shortly after I regained consciousness with an iced latte in hand?

I was on my home, slightly Frankenstein in appearance, by 10:30, exhilarated as ever by the cocktail of drugs whirling through my body.

Anesthesia peps me up.

The incision looks to be in good shape 2 days later, and I know this because I ask every stray nurse or pharmacist I run into.

The hardest part is eating, talking and laughing. And these are three of my favorite things.

And not weeding of course.

A customer told me today I looked like a cat had gotten at me. A big cat he said.

Really? Looking forward to doing his mothers day flowers.

Another customer said "oh, that must have hurt".

I said " well, I was sedated". I must look like I was in a knife fight. With a big cat.

But I'm delighted it's over, the Doctor said all looks good, and the stitches come out next Tuesday.

Life goes on. I'm primping for tonight's' previously scheduled Airbnb guest and praying for more rain so I won't feel guilty about not watering.  But how nice is it to be able to walk out the door and cut a few stems of flowers! Glass overflowing. And I say this without benefit of drugs.

Thank you all for your comments, emails and text.

And the flowers in the house, both on your blogs and on Instagram.

You truly do give me courage when I start to falter.

And I am always grateful.

xo J

It's A Party Now: FITH May 21015

 Hello my lovelies.
 I am le tired.
 In an attempt to distract myself from tomorrow's 4am wake up, I have been keeping busy.

Yoga, farmers market, gardening, visiting with neighbors, more gardening, freaking out, vacuuming, stressing out and a bit more gardening.

Now it's dark, only the cats and the very full moon are out.

 Outside it's summer, 78degrees at 8:40pm, inside it's spring.

The garden has offered up pink lily of the valley, a fragrant yellow iris and a stoneware cup of violas.

 California flew in peonies. I flushed them out with a few stems of homegrown weigela and lambs ear .

 The stoneware is from yesterdays flea market and the pitcher from a friend's visit to France.

What more can a woman want when she is surrounded by friends and flowers, stoneware and pottery?

Well, besides wanting the cats to come in?

A visit to and from you would make it just right.

Here's fingers crossed Mr. linky still works!

See you Monday?

xo J

Post Op Update: all went well, I'm home now, but I'm talking too much and incision keeps opening. Tine for a nap. When I come over only let me mutter out of the left side of my mouth!

xo

You Are Invited....

To join us in May Flowers In The House, Monday the 4th.

If you've been here before you know the drill.

If you're a newbie, just take a picture or two of some flowers in your house.

 They could be spring, they could be fall. This is clearly summer.

All continents welcome.

Then you scoot over here, link up your blog with the magic Mr. Linky and leave a comment if you're so inspired.

Then prepare to entertain people you might have never met before or your old and true blog buddies.

If you want to serve a little something delicious not a soul would refuse.

I'm going to put up a link to an old FITH so you can see how it's done.

And those of us who participated can stroll down memory lane.

I won't be by to visit as early as usual but once I'm home I'll be right over.

My doors open at midnight EST.

xo J