The In's and Out's at Country Roads

A day off! Although, those of you that are self employed KNOW there really are never "days off" as you are always working on something! I wanted to take just a second to thank all of you that came in to see us this week-end. I really enjoyed talking with you and sincerely appreciate your business. Thought I'd share some of the in's and out's at Country Roads this morning. Loretta, Full Bloom Cottage, has been working really hard on the inside of Country Roads. And, I'm not just saying this. Loretta is committed to what she is doing, and it pays off for her. The pictures below will actually tell you much more about her hard work on the inside of Country Roads.


And now for the "outside" of Country Roads. We've got a new garden guy, who has been patiently waiting for a little piece of paradise to bring his treasures to. Mike Parsons, is and always will be, one of my most favorite dealers at Country Roads. I can't even put into words what a kind and sweet person he is. And not only that, he only carries the "best of the best" when it comes to antiques! The pictures below don't really show what Mike's stuff is going to look like, but I thought I would give you a sneak preview of things to come!

As I said above, when you are self employed, there really are not too many days off. But when you LOVE what you do, and work with people that you care about and they care about you, that makes ALL the difference in the world!

"Happy Mother's Day" Mom!

I think there is a special bond between moms and their daughters. I know I'm very close to both of my girls. My mom and I weren't that close as I grew up. Her life was pretty tough for her growing up in Texas. She lost both of her parents at an early age and I really don't think she ever got over it. My mom never shared much about herself and those days in Texas. I knew some of the songs she loved, and she would tell us stories here and there but never talked about the pain she experienced losing her parents. My dad was a knucklehead up until the day he died, which was only months after my mom had passed away. He died on Valentine's morning, think he left to be with the love of his life. My mom died about four days after Riley was born, and I have to tell you, I was really pissed when it happened. I remember when I got the call at 6:16 am that morning. I KNEW without being told "why" I needed to get to the hospital right away. So, sadly one of Riley's first outings was to my mom's funeral. We had to write something for her funeral, and my mom always had a great since of humor, and below is what I wrote for the "occassion". . .

THINGS I NEVER TOLD YOU I WAS SORRY FOR!
September 1, 2006
Well Mom. . . I guess it is a little too late to tell you a bunch of stuff I’m really sorry about. So, as much as you would hate this, I’m going to have this guy named Ty, who is called a Celebrant (I don’t know what that means either), read you my list of my apologies. I know you already hate us all standing here over your coffin, so why not finish the morning off with apologies, right? Here goes:

*I’M SORRY FOR WHEN I WAS A LITTLE KID AND DREW A HOUSE ON MY BEDROOM WINDOW SCREEN AND BLAMED TERI, AND THEN INCRIMINATED MYSELF BY SAYING, “TERI CAN’T DRAW A HOUSE THAT GOOD”. I CAN STILL DRAW A BETTER HOUSE THAN TERI

*I’M SORRY FOR WHEN I WAS IN KINDERGARDEN AND PROJECTILE VOMITED PEAS ALL OVER THE DINNER TABLE. I TOLD YOU PEAS WERE GOING TO MAKE ME THROW UP

*I’M SORRY I GOT KICKED OUT OF BLUE BIRDS IN THE FIRST GRADE. I DON’T EXACTLY REMEMBER WHAT I DID, BUT I TOLD YOU I THOUGHT THOSE HATS WE HAD TO WEAR WERE STUPID

*I’M SORRY WHEN I WAS IN SECOND GRADE AND I BROKE YOUR FOOT. I TOLD YOU NOT TO CHASE ME WITH THE BELT BECAUSE I COULD RUN FASTER THAN YOU. I COULD RUN FASTER UNTIL I DECIDED TO STOP AND KICK YOU

*I’M SORRY FOR PRETENDING I HAD BAD CHEST PAINS IN THE THIRD GRADE AND MISSING SO MUCH SCHOOL. I NEVER HAD CHEST PAINS I JUST HATED YOU MAKING ME PLAY THE ACCORDIAN, THE TEACHER WAS GROSS AND HER BREATH SMELLED LIKE PEANUT BUTTER. I ALSO HATED MY THIRD GRADE TEACHER, MRS. GREGORY AS WELL. SHE WAS MEAN

*I’M SORRY ABOUT WHEN I WAS IN FOURTH GRADE AND YOU WERE SHOPPING WITH IRENE AND HAD TO COME GET ME AT THE NURSES OFFICE AT SCHOOL. I LIED WHEN I SAID SOME OTHER KID THREW UP IN THE CAFETERIA LINE, IT REALLY WAS ME. I ALSO THREW UP ON MY CAFETERIA TRAY. I TOLD YOU I HATED EATING IN THE “CAF”

*I’M SORRY THAT I ALMOST MADE YOU CRASH YOUR CAR WHEN I WAS IN THE FIFTH GRADE BECAUSE ME AND MY FRIENDS WERE SCREAMING IN THE BACK SEAT ON THE WAY TO PLAIDS & PETTICOATS. I TOLD YOU THAT MY SLIP WAS ITCHY AND I HATED TO SQUARE DANCE

*I’M SORRY WHEN I WAS IN THE SIXTH GRADE AND WHILE WALKING HOME FROM SCHOOL, I THREW SHERRY DALHSTROMS SWEATER IN A TRASH CAN AND IRENE YELLED AT YOU. I TOLD YOU SHERRY WAS A TATTLE-TAIL

*I’M SORRY WHEN I WAS COMING HOME FROM SCHOOL IN SEVENTH GRADE AND SLIPPED AND FELL IN DOG DIAREAHHA AND RUINED MY WHITE SKIRT. THAT WAS GROSS AND I TOLD YOU I NEVER LIKED THAT SKIRT ANYWAY

*I’M SORRY I GOT MY LONG HAIR ON YOUR COUCH IN EIGHTH GRADE AND DAD MADE YOU TAKE ME TO GET MY HAIR CUT SHORT AND GET A WORLD FAMOUS PERMENENT THAT LOOKED STUPID AND I SLAMMED MY BEDROOM DOOR FOR DAYS. I TOLD YOU I DIDN’T WANT A STINKING PERMENENT

*I’M SORRY FOR BREAKING THE IRONING BOARD IN NINTH GRADE. I REALLY WANTED TO LEARN TO SURF AND TOLD YOU I NEEDED A REAL SURFBOARD, NOT AN IRONING BOARD, TO PRACTICE MY PADDLING SKILLS ON

*I’M SORRY ABOUT BEING IN TENTH GRADE AND COLORING “RAGS”, YOUR POODLE’S HAIR WITH MAGIC MARKERS. I ONLY DID THE TOP OF HIS HEAD BECAUSE I TOLD YOU THAT IT MADE THAT OLD DOG LOOK MORE COOL, AND IT DID

*I’M SORRY FOR A LIFE TIME OF JUMPING OUT FROM BEHIND DOORS AND SCARING THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF TERI. I TOLD YOU IT WAS FUNNY WAS WHY I KEPT DOING IT. I STILL DON’T KNOW WHY TERI DIDN’T THINK IT WAS FUNNY

*I’M SORRY I BROKE THE CUTE LITTLE RENAULT CAR YOU AND DAD BOUGHT ME. I JUST WANTED TO GO FOR A DRIVE BY THE BEACH WITH MY FRIENDS. DAD TOLD ME THAT THERE SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN SO MANY FAT GIRLS IN THE CAR

*I’M SORRY FOR RUINING TERI’S PRAYER GROUP BY PLAYING BOB DYLAN’S “I AIN’T GONNA WORK ON MAGGIES FARM” OVER, AND OVER AGAIN. I KNEW YOU HATED THAT SONG, AND I KNEW IT WOULD MAKE TERI MAD, THAT IS WHY I PLAYED IT SO MUCH

*I’M SORRY TERI SLID OFF THE ROAD AT O’NEIL PARK WHILE DRIVING HER BLUE FALCON AND HIT A TREE. I REALLY DID TELL HER TO SLOW DOWN AND I TOLD YOU SHE WAS A BAD DRIVER. OOPS, I DON’T THINK YOU KNEW ABOUT THAT ONE

*I’M SORRY ABOUT THE TIME YOU HAD A FEW TOO MANY BEERS AT DINNER AND WHEN YOU TOOK A BITE OF YOUR TACO YOU MISSED YOUR MOUTH AND I LAUGHED AT YOU AND SAID “HAVE ANOTHER BEER” AND YOU TACKLED ME ON THE DINING ROOM FLOOR AND DAD HAD TO PULL YOU OFF OF ME AND I JUST KEPT LAUGHING. IT WAS REALLY FUNNY.

*I’M SORRY ABOUT ALL THE THANKSGIVING DINNERS I LAUGHED AT YOUR TURKEYS AND CALLED THEM “TURKEY DUST”. I TOLD
YOU ALL THOSE TURKEYS WERE A LITTLE DRY. I THINK THAT IS WHY I BECAME A VEGETARIAN

*I’M SORRY MY KIDS RAN AND YELLED THROUGH YOUR HOUSE LIKE MANIACS WHEN THEY WERE LITTLE. I TOLD YOU SODA AND ICE TEA AND COOKIES WAS PROBABLY TOO MUCH CAFFINE AND WOULD MAKE THEM CRAZY

*I’M SORRY MY KIDS ALWAYS SPILLED THEIR MILK ON YOUR TABLE. BUT KATIE SAYS YOU ALWAYS TOLD THEM, “SPILLED MILK AIN’T NOTHIN’ TO CRY OVER”. ALTHOUGH I GUESS IT DIDN’T HELP THE TIME YOU SLIPPED IN THE MILK

*I’M SORRY ABOUT THAT CHRISTMAS I TOLD YOU “DAVE WON’T BE JOINING US FOR DINNER”. HE REALLY HAD LEFT THE MONTH BEFORE AND WE WERE GETTING A DIVORCE. I TOLD YOU HE WAS NEVER MUCH FUN

*AND THE THING I’M THE MOST SORRY ABOUT NOW IS THAT YOU WILL NEVER GET TO HEAR BABY RILEY SAY, “I LOVE YOU GREAT GRANDMA”. BUT, I KNOW YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT.

We’ll miss you mom, grandma, and great-grandma!

I knew my mom would have liked what I wrote for her funeral, that was just her. She did "know" about Johnnye Merle's Garden & Nursery before she passed away. Physically she was never able to see it, but she knew none the less. Below is a slideshow I made last year. Orginally it was just to show the pictures of the garden, but I ended up telling my mom's story. Here it is. . .

This picture slideshow created with Smilebox

I miss you Mom and just wanted you to know this post is for you!!

It's a Beautiful Spring Day

We are having such great Spring weather right now! It just makes you want to be outside. Yesterday, was a long day. Yesi and I were still tired and beat up from our horrific "BSC" Sunday. I had a dentist appointment in the middle of the day as well. When I got back to the store, I spent some time out in back of the store. My oldest daughter, Brande, who owns Johnnye Merle Garden and Nursery. My mom loved to garden, that's her pictures above. Being a true Texan at heart, she LOVED her bluebonnets! While she was alive, she was never physically able to visit the garden and nursery that Brande named after her. We were able to share pictures of it with her before she died a few years ago. My mom taught not only me, but my kids as well the love of putting back into the earth. She loved Spring and all it's colors. So, while I was letting one side of my mouth stop hurting from my wisit with the dentist, I decided to escape out back to our little piece of paradise. Here is a few of the things that caught my eye!












I've got to tell you, I don't think I've ever seen our gardens look as beautiful as they do now! Hope you have some time to stop by and see for yourself! Happy Spring!!

Our Gardens Are Lookin' Good!

Usually we don't get a lot of rain in Southern CA, and we have needed it for the past few years. I believe this year we have made up for the lack of it. But I have to say, since we've had so much rain, we're having a beautiful Spring. Everything at Johnnye Merle's Gardens (named after my Mom), is in full bloom. Our flower beds are overflowing with color, so any chance I get, I try to sneak away from the counter and head to the garden. These pictures are of an area in the garden that has just been added. I LOVE all the garden elements out here and I thought I would share a few of them today!





For some reason, I LOVE the cement head that has been knocked off its shoulders and just lies there waiting for better days. I must say, that should be our "poster child" for "BSC" Sundays! That is exactly how you feel. And a special thanks to John for putting together such an awesome looking area in our gardens! It looks fabulous!

And Then the Sun Came Out

We all know by now just how much RAIN we've been having. This week-end the sun was out, and I was outside of the store, in the back in Johnnye Merle's Garden & Nursery. Thought you may like to see what I saw.






The one thing I love about the rain is when it is ALL gone and the skies are blue and the sun is smiling down on us! Although it is still chilly here, it is beautiful out. If you need a "garden fix", stop by and see us!

Sunny SoCal!

Our weather here has been so nice the past few days that it is almost embarrassing. Southern California has seen beautiful blue skys, clear mountains in the distance, and the sparkling ocean. Our temps have been in the upper 70's, I love it, even if it is still cool at night. The other day I had posted a picture from our gardens, Johnnye Merle Gardens & Nursery. The gardens are outside, behind Country Roads and owned by my oldest daughter, Brande. She named the nursery after my mom, her Gramma, Johnnye Merle.This is a picture of my mom at a young age. She was born and raised in Texas, and even though she moved to CA, her Texas roots and "pride" was always near and dear to her heart as was gardening! She always told Brande, Katie, and Bryce that her favorite flowers were the Blue Bonnetts because all you had to do was, "throw 'em in the hard Texas soil, stomp 'em in the ground, throw a little water on them and they would grow! She taught me about gardening, and then my kids as well. It was nice that my mom knew about the gardens before she died. She never got to visit but did get to see pictures. I had a picture of the garden on my blog and Maureen reminded me that not everyone has flowers this time of year. So, here's a few more photos below for Maureen and anyone else that is ready for Spring! They aren't the best photos since I took them really fast while working yesterday and only had time for a few because we were so busy.





For more pictures and information about Johnnye Merle Gardens, go visit Brande's blog or click on the picture of my mom on my side bar for the blog. And me, I'm going to enjoy our California sunshine while it lasts!