PLAYING IN THE DIRT



Tiny rose

by Mauverneen Blevins

When my grandmother died I remember thinking if she left me something, I hoped it was her green thumb. She could grow anything. Her windowsills were full of blooming African Violets, the only houseplants she ever had I think. She could take a cutting from a rose bush, stick it in the ground, overturn a glass jar on it for an instant mini-mini-greenhouse, and before long there would be another rose bush growing under there.





Lilacs

Both my grandparents had green thumbs actually, growing the most awesome garden year after year. I grew up eating fresh veggies on a daily basis and fruit, like cherries and peaches, from the trees in the yard. I even helped can everything at summer's end - my job was to wash the cucumbers. And flowers? From spring tulips to fall mums, their yard was full of variety and color – Geraniums, Dahlias, Coral Bells, Irises, etc. etc. To this day mums are my favorite – I think because they remind me of my grandparents - and my childhood. And whenever I smell lilacs, I just close my eyes and breath deep to be transported back to the alley behind the house on Draper Avenue, where towering lilac bushes bordered both sides and a path was worn between my house and my friend Rita’s.

IT'S POSITIVELY RAINING

My neighbor's yard in the rain

IT'S POSITIVELY RAINING
by Mauverneen Blevins 

Rain Rain Go Away, come again another day. 

That's not something we’ve heard much of in the Midwest this summer. 
It’s been more like Rain Rain come and play, please don’t stay away.


I don’t think either mantra works. We always seem to get either too much or too little.  It was nice to have a rainy day yesterday. My garden loves it and so do I - it means I don’t have to drag out the hose! The robins love it too. They hop around out there in the wet grass (and in my garden) digging up their favorite dish – worms.

VAROOOOM!

by Mauverneen Blevins

Pull on your bobby sox, step into your saddle shoes, roll up those jeans and dig out those poodle skirts! It's time for Hot August Nights in Reno, Nevada.

Every year, Reno hosts one of the biggest and best car shows in the country. A 10 day extravaganza of cars, cruising and rock and roll!  Stand on any street corner in Reno or Sparks during those 10 days in August and it seems that just about every third car on the road is a classic, as participants and car enthusiasts roll through town from all over the country. You might call it the Mardi Gras of wheels.