FIRST Fragrant Magnolia Grandiflora 'Namnetensis Flore Pleno'

On April 30, the day that my Pieter went to heaven, I came home from the funeral home and spotted this FIRST fully open blossom...

Fragrant Magnolia Grandiflora 'Namnetensis Flore Pleno'

Parked my car inside the garage and captured it as it was also very low on this huge tree and easy to access.

Its planter is no longer with us to admire this tree which he planted in 1993 but no doubt my Pieter is watching over his estate from heaven...

It really IS summer here with 38°C or 100°F

Today it was 39°C or 102°F

Related links:

UPS 2nd Day Air Delivery from Louisiana Nursery + Fight against Tuberous Roots of Greenbrier! | post of arrival of our special trees

{Our Fragrant Magnolia Grandiflora 'Namnetensis Flore Pleno'} | previous post by me

Our Japanese Magnolias in Sunshine Today!

 It was not easy to watch our Japanese Magnolias (scientific name Magnolia x Soulangeana) opening up on such dark and dreary days...

But today it was SUNNY! 

Yay, that warms one's heart...

This was on February 16... no sunshine at all.

This is our 2nd Magnolia tree and I must say that a big tree fell into it when still young.

That's why it is so lanky but it does its very best!

Did spot lots of insects inside those blooms and that means the birds like our resident Eastern Phoebe can gather their protein once again.

This side of the house we use for feeding our birds and we observe them from the bay window area where we enjoy our meals.

Love their color transformation from dark bud to light inside petals...

Once more a picture taken today with blue sky and towards our home.

And from beneath the lanky one towards the home.

We ought to have the rose arbor and everything else pressure washed again...

Now first we live through pollen season!

But spring is arriving! 

PANSIES SMILING

Already on February 10, I took these photos of our SMILING PANSIES

Due to my bronchitis I took a lot of rest...

 

After lots of freezing nights and also rain, the pansies that Pieter planted early at the end of November.

They hardly showed, nor could lift their faces up...

So I waited for better days to capture them—February 10.

The entire length of Fiberglass Window Boxes along the driveway's retainer wall.

Also captured our 'ever flowering' Rosemary.

We started with several new trailing Rosemary plants as they are evergreen and always blooming.

A paradise for bees—year round!

Another view, now the other direction towards the house.

Now walking around and showing you our Fiberglass Window Boxes at the kitchen bay window and veranda.

And on February 10, our Japanese Magnolia started budding.

Hoping there will be no more frost...

Our kitchen bay window, where the middle Fiberglass Window Box is showing the BEST progress yet.

Also you see the blooming orchids...

These orchids were a gift from a friend's daughter and her husband, given to us on June 17.

They bloomed a 2nd time and flowers were so HUGE that one stem is kind of broken... not fully severed though. 

Yes, IF the sun is out, we enjoy our breakfast in the sunshine. 

SMILING PANSIES also on this side of our home!

We opted for this color to match our Golden Mist home.

We also have blooming Rosemary as patio pot plants to keep our bees happy!

Are you also enjoying some spring flowers?

Related link:

Our Golden Mist Home and Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold | Previous post by me

Bruxism and my Nighttime Dental Guard + Japanese Magnolia Blossoms

Strange feelings... had nasty neck pain while driving down to Florida after Christmas.

Thought I'd slept wrong on my pillow but it didn't go away...

Then I felt my FIRST EVER toothache, thought that one of my upper right molars needed maybe a filling.

So I did tough it out as there were way too many things going on and I made an appointment for Tuesday afternoon on February 2.

My dentist checked the x-ray that his assistent had made, but there was no infection or anything wrong with my teeth.

BUT he discovered that my lower molars got loosened already and that I probably needed a Nighttime Dental Guard due to teeth clenching.

So I went to Walmart to get my Oral–B Nighttime Dental Guard...

Paid some $ 20.00 and after supper did start the molding procedure as shown on this video: Oral–B Nighttime Dental Guard – Instructional Video ←click it.

Of course I did not win that battle and went to sleep without wearing my Nighttime Dental Guard!

After two nights trying in vain to remove my molded dental guard from the green impression tray

—even after placing it for 10 minutes inside the freezer (as suggested) I was not able to release it.

Pieter tried the next day to wrestle it out. So finally I was able to wear it on February 2nd.

I must say that I slept like a ROSE so it must help a lot.

My pain also is gone!

Have any of you ever used such a Nighttime Dental Guard?

Never knew that those symptoms of neck pain for instance came from teeth clenching...

Info found under: Mayo Clinic Bruxism (teeth grinding)

Hah, hyperactive... that does ring a bell!

My sleep quality has greatly improved I must say and I sleep a lot deeper now and feel much more rested.

This morning around 10:00 AM with the sun shining brightly...

This is the Japanese magnolia tree that is recovering over time as a big tree fell in it and broke off a main stem.

Tornado weather can be treacherous. 

Our other Japanese magnolia tree is now free since the huge oak tree on its right got cut down.

More light, space and food!

Our vinyl picket fence marks our border. Sturdy placed by Pieter on top of concrete blocks that serve as a water barrier from water running down to our lower area near creek.

Still beautiful even with lots of petals already on the ground from days of rain and wind before these sunny days.

Nature's Poetry...

At 10:00 AM it was 17°C or 62.6°F.

Today it will be 24°C or 75°F and 7°C or 44.6°F at night.

Tomorrow looks great for biking at 26°C or 87.8°F

BUT on Saturday it will go as low as 0°C or 32°F... during the night!

This is typical Georgia—going up and down and spring starts about 7 times... 😏

Spring in our Garden

 This was a lovely week with sunshine!

Spring is unfolding beautifully!

February 9, I walked over onto the neighbor's property to capture our blooming Japanese magnolia from there.

Just showing the bay window area from our home and the blind wall where the dining room is, no windows on that side.

Now from our side towards our home...

LOVE those perfect flower buds and there were already some petals on the ground.

Wanted to capture them because it would rain in the later afternoon and night.

A pine warbler is enjoying lunch on the tray from our previous Sharp microwave, set on the oak stump.

Happy daffodils near the Japanese Magnolia as you can see by its petals on the ground...

Our Fiberglass Window Boxes are filled with yellow pansies.

Tiggy–Tiger girl is head butting one of the planters...

That's the one where that poor friend cat often lies in for looking at us.

Our Renewal by Andersen bay windows look nice from outside!

A closer look at the yellow pansies.

Also the Vintage Woodworks parts on veranda door and under gable.

Pieter bought the pansies early at our local Home Depot just to make sure we had enough for all window boxes.

On the veranda side they got planted mid January but the bay windows after the Andersen windows were place on January 17.

I've hung the crocheted curtains back after Pieter drilled tiny holes into the fibrex of the new windows.

That worked perfect and after laundering the curtains and then stretching them out while still wet, we hung them on their 925 sterling rings (thin ones!). See post below this one...

Yesterday's photo—dark due to a dreary and rainy day...

The hand crocheted curtains hang perfectly on the new windows.

Detail of screws that Pieter pre–drilled into the fibrex material from Renewal by Andersen windows.

And my 925 silver rings.

Our 2nd Japanese Magnolia is near the flowering Camellia Sinensis Tea Plant.

Now I'm standing on the wood trail for capturing some flowers from our 2nd Japanese Magnolia.

They look perfect against our veranda.

Tiggy Tiger girl came to smell our Narcissus...

She's a tiny but cute kitty!

Senior—just like her Mami...

On Tuesday it was 21°C or 69.8°F...

So we both rolled our bikes...

On Tuesday it was 24°C or 75.2°F

Followed by rain again...

Related link:

Kitchen Bay Window New Crocheted ROSE Curtains & IKEA Roller Blind | previous post with the 925 sterling rings

Our Kitchen Bay Window Before and After Renewal by Andersen | previous post by me

AMAZING recovery of Japanese Magnolia—after getting LIGHT and FOOD! | previous post by me

And Another Birthday with Pearls

 On Monday, January 9, I would make my rounds to Atlanta and to Marietta also for having my Rado watch's battery replaced.

BUT on Sunday evening when brushing my hair and removing the Chanel barrette I noticed that its spring got half broken away...

So, we made another stop at Neiman Marcus at their Chanel Boutique for having it repaired.

Will be so happy when it will be ready with a new spring.

It was right there at the store on the counter, that I noticed some earrings, longer model and with a pearl...

SO... Pieter bought those for me as an early Birthday gift—and I did NOT object 😉

They got nicely gift wrapped with the famous white Chanel Camélia...

Our white hyacinths from Trader Joe's were blooming nicely in our bay window area.

Lovely white Camélia and ribbon...

A card with embossed white camélia and gift box...

Inside the gift box...

Tada...! 

Nice Strass Crystals and the CC logo with pearls.

Photo taken outside in bright sunlight on Sunday, February 5.

Metal & Strass

Gold, Pink & Iridescent Crystals and Pearl

I'm very happy with those earrings as a gift from my Pieter—even though they're not of gold...

Chanel manages to make very elegant costume jewelry as well!

Wearing my Escada silk and cashmere twinset and when looking back, this is what I wore to Mom & Dad's 55th Wedding Anniversary 19 years ago...

Now you also can see my Escada jeans and our Japanese magnolias that are almost open.

Pieter's shade as the sun was really strong with a temperature of 19°C or 66°F.

Both of us are grateful that the –2°C or 28°F last week did not make them turn brown!

Usually these would bloom on Mom's Birthday—February 12, but now she's in heaven, they seem to bloom earlier on my Birthday. 

You can see the white vinyl picket fence in the background...

And the green tree on the left is the Southern Magnolia.

Here I wear the very same Escada twinset on February 15, 2004 when I am happy to see and greet my 2nd brother Piet at the restaurant where we all met for Mom & Dad's 55th Wedding Anniversary.

Wearing also the same Escada jeans...

Piet's kids and wife in the background.

Of course having phone calls on my Birthday and then late breakfast while observing our birds from our bay window.

Here the Eastern Phoebe on the bird bath.

Pieter just added meal worms inside the feeder for them and the Carolina wrens to snack on...

Temperature in the SUN!

40°C or 104°F...

We got this 6" Conant Custom Brass Thermometer from Monticello but now Amazon still has it.

You can see our vinyl picket fence in the back with the blooming magnolias.

Nothing more enjoyable than having breakfast in the sun!

We selected our lot for having our kitchen facing east—for that purpose.

Ending this post with some REAL white camellias that Pieter brought me for breakfast...

Using one of my creamware cachepot, as a vase for them.

Related links:

Meaning of my name — Pearl and Desired Child | previous post by me

Eastern Phoebe Reside in Front Porch with Babies | previous post by me

Those who feel Happy with the HAPPINESS of OTHERS | previous post by me showing creamware cachepot