{Our Clematis Armandii - Fragrant Blooms on Evergreen Vine}

• We used to have two beautiful Clematis Armandii vines but we lost the biggest one... Will show you later a photo of it. Too bad that those things do happen as this is a very hard to cultivate vine, Clematis Armandii: Wayside Gardens also has Clematis 'Apple Blossom'. Ours came from the Durio Nursery years ago and Pieter has managed to have some cuttings; hope they will survive! It is a spectacular evergreen vine with fragrant blooms in early spring!

• This photo is taken on March 10.

• This beauty we lost... Photo is from April 2, 2010... There is some chocolate vine 'Akebia quinata' growing into it.

• This one is younger, grown from our own cuttings too and it is on the fence between our neighbors and us.

• Still lots of buds to open up.

• Again, we can enjoy these blooms from our bay window view.

• Only one day later but now with full sun and blue sky.

• Photo taken from our neighbor's property towards our home and around noon.

• Above you can see the blossoms of the Red bud tree 'Cercis Canadensis' that is blooming now.

For those in the area; Book an Event for a Garden Tour.

{Our 2 Inseparable Feline Siblings SACHA & BANDIDO}

These photos I just have to share with you. Brother and sister Bandido (Dido) and Sacha are so crazy about each other that they embrace one other while sleeping! Humans could learn a lot from them. They kiss and cuddle each other like they're going to eat one another alive...

Bandido (r) has the softest 'silky' fur we ever felt on any feline. His 'Mamita' was like that too. You can read her story: {Telling YOU the Tale of our 4 Feline Girls}. Those two are really inseparable since birth.

They sleep always with a big smile on their faces...

A bundle of bliss...

Related link:

{R.I.P. SACHA GIRL} | later post by me about Sacha's tragic death...

My 5th Blog Award from my 150th follower

I've missed reading your blogs and could not produce any writing as planned, due to a severe bladder infection. But the antibiotics are kicking in and I'm starting to feel better. The pain is gone and I can concentrate again on my work. On my BlackBerry I did receive a very surprising comment from my 150th follower and she wrote that she'd passed on an Award for me. That was very pleasant medication for me to take today! THANKS A MILLION MARIAN from SCHUNSLAND Blog.

Virtual Friendships...

Marian, van Schunsland nogmaals hartelijk dank!

That makes it is my 5th Blog Award... Love the heart in it and I will try to pass it on to others, using my heart as best as I can. The request was that I do select those that don't have that many followers yet... in order to help them get acquainted in the blogger's world. The number of followers might not reveal everything, but I'd like to add my own version of judgement for passing it on to those that I do admire. For a reason of bringing personal content to their readers. Not just copied from some place else on the Internet. No, for using their own personal view on life or on how they share their way of making a home more cozy and like a real nest. Not trying to copy the majority, but by being themselves and creating a safe haven for their family; children and pets. Friends included of course. We cannot all be artists or creative photographers let alone designers of posh homes and interiors, that only a few can afford right in the middle of an economic crisis world wide. No -- common sense, and that shared with others, is far more reaching than some pretentious bloggers that only look down from their imaginary pedestals. Sorry, but I'm kind of allergic to anything fake.

1. There is Marcia from BlessedMom's Simple Home whom I admire. Check her labels out -- she writes refreshing about True Life's blessings! Nothing pretentious and she does this by being a mother to SIX! Guess we all can learn from her. She ought to have millions of followers as she is a LEADER!
2. Go with me on a journey and travel to Italy, just south of Rome where Rosetta has her beautiful blog The Romantic Rose with some PURE postings about her lovely way of building a nest and giving love to those dear to her. That is INSPIRATION! 
3. Lets go to England too where the very smart and creative Bea is posting very worthwhile blogs about how she is enhancing her home and garden in Modern Country Lady. Most of us can learn a lot from her. She's also a leader in common sense aproach.
4. There is Victoria from the West Coast of Canada who has a lovely, meaningful blog called appropriately for these difficult times: The Beauty of Balance. She has some good and much needed soul food to share! Nothing to impress or brag about but from the depth of her heart.
5. Or going to France for Janny's incredible Rozen van Papier (Roses made of Paper!) that will sooth you mind and de-stress in a way that you never have experienced before. Don't let borders keep you from visiting, they do have a Google Translate bar and photos of their own unique material do speak volumes... She even has a French language blog Roses pour Toujours (Roses forever) that you can follow from the button at the top of her page.
6. California is another trip I want to take you on, for visiting the multi-talented Olga from Olga's Home and Garden. She is the kind of centipede lady that can create a wide variety of things with her gifted hands. She does so in a very pleasant, way without being pretentious.
7. Okay, I'm going with the biblical number 7... There is one other blogger from Canada whom I admire tremendously: Celia from Celia M. High Heeled Life & Resilientista We all could learn from her!

Guess this will do as it gives lots to read, lots to visit and share and above all: to ponder about. Hope you enjoyed this little journey with me. For sure I could add several more but let's keep that for next time. Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for your visit(s) to Mariette's Back to Basics as that's truly my life's motto.