Howdy. How the heck are ya on this lovely day? I’m pretty much fine as frog’s hair (does anyone know where or who or why someone would be inspired to first utter the ridiculous words “I’m fine as frog’s hair”??? wth?? sounds like something google could tell me). Me and Gibbs just got back from a short truck ride round the block to drop off the water bill payment and to get four bales of pine straw from my little local nursery. Love my little town, but they really need to move it up to the 21st century…the water bill is the only bill I have to write a check for. And every quarter when I write the check I have to mentally think about how to write out the dollar amount. Seriously. It sucks. Step it up, Lake Helen! Put Pay Pal on your website!!!!
Anyway. I had a blog epiphany today. Yep, sure did. My epiphany (luv that word) is that I’m trying waaaaayyyy too hard to fit into the blogland niche of the perfect-garden-nothing-out-of-place-my-life-is-heaven-on-earth blogs. Yeah right. First off, if someone tells me they’ve got the perfect garden with nothing out of place and their life is heaven on earth all the friggin time…well, I’m gonna tell them they’re a liar, liar pants on fire. Then I’m gonna stick my tongue out at them. That’ll tell em. ha. So this is the deal: I’m gonna start being more me when I write. After all…Roses and Gargoyles is MY blog about MY imperfect garden/house/life and how I deal with all that imperfectness (that might be a Jeanni word…). If you want to follow along for the journey, then I say Hell yeah! But what you’re gonna get on that journey is talk from someone who (as I’ve been told many, MANY times by my friends and family) really has no filters. Things pretty much roll round my pretty little head then just kinda pop out my mouth. Think Pez dispenser… Sometimes I can hear a few brain cells whispering “whoa! let’s think about that before we…oh, too late.” Man, those brain cells need to learn to yell if they want me to listen to them… Do I intentionally say things to hurt people? No. That is oh so not what I’m talking about. What I do, though, is speak my mind. If I think you’re being an idiot, well, sweetness, I’ll find some Southern lady-like way to tell your little pea pickin heart, God bless ya, that you’re an idiot! And I LUV me some swear words. Yeah bubba. So you’re gonna see “wth’ and “wtf” and some other choice words bantered about. You’ll know I’m REALLY pissed about something if I’m spelling those choice words out instead of abbreviating them. Sorta like when Momma calls you by your first, middle, AND last name. You know there’s some deep shiz going on then.
Yeah R and G is about me creating my new garden and renovating my house. You’re gonna see garden pics that have weeds in the beds or shrubs with yellow leaves or a pool with leaves floating in it (thank goodness I got rid of that green water though…it’s back to sparkly blue again! damn algae). And you’ll see house pics with dirt on the floor or a cobweb or two in the ceiling corners. I’m pretty darn sure if you zoom in you might even see a spider in those cobwebs waving at you. I’m also gonna talk about Gibbs, and my horrible day at work (or my good day…good days are known to happen at work sometimes), and my relationship with my Handsome Man, and so on, and so on. But it’s gonna be real talk, not some make-believe oh-blogland-will-like-me-better-if-i’m-perfect fake crap.
My deal is this: Don’t visit R and G if you expect perfection or if what I say offends you. Consider yourself warned.
Phew. Boy do I feel better now that that’s out of my system.
Ok. Raise your hand if you want to see roses!!! Some of these are ones in my garden now and some are from my previous gardens. If the name is in burgundy and underlined that means it’s linked to its description page in “My Roses….” Click the name and, viola!, you’ll see more stuff about it.
Souvenir de la Malmaison
Perfume Delight (previous garden)
La France (previous garden)
K.A. Viktoria (close-up)
Baronne Henriette de Snoy
Kordes Perfecta
Kronprincessin Viktoria 01-10-2011
Madame Isaac Pereire
Antoine Rivoire
Isabella Sprunt
Just Joey
Marchessa Bochella
The Dark Lady
Awwww...he's sucking his thumb.
Reading his book...
Hi-De-Ho, Neighbor! Welcome to Roses and Gargoyles. I'm Jeanni. I'm just hanging with Gibbs, my dog, and trying to enjoy life to its fullest. Pull up a chair, grab a drink, and take a look to see what we've been up to lately. See you around!
July 17th, 2011 at 4:17 pm
Hey Jeanni – Thanks for stoppin’ by my blog! I love how blogging has led me to another user of the Folgers can!! Love this post – (at first I thought we were in for some unfiltered Folgers coffee?) Cheers to keepin’ it real, I love to find genuine shoot from the hip kinda people like yourself! Count me in on checking in now and again to see wth is happening in your world!
Btw: Your roses are next to perfect I’d say!!
July 17th, 2011 at 11:23 pm
Hey there Folgers-can-woman! I swear that just cracked me up when I read it on your blog. I really should graduate to the big-girl countertop composter like you got. Oh well…maybe one day. See you around!
Jeanni
ps: thanks for the rose compliment, Lisa.
July 18th, 2011 at 3:35 pm
Ahhhh, what a breath of fresh air!! I too am so sick of hearing how precious someones child ALWAYS is or how wonderful their Hubs is. We all live in the same world…I’ve lived it and know that kids pick their noses and worse, and the Hubs (just like me) makes mistakes.
Let her go girl!! And if they can’t put their big girl panties on and deal with it, oh well.
Thank you for the breath of fresh air PLUS providing beautiful roses for us to smell. I’m not a ‘rose person’, but I love looking at other’s. They are beautiful – but I just can’t deal with the thorns and the ones that have to be babied over our wicked Winters.
July 18th, 2011 at 6:15 pm
Yep, it’s pretty much all about taking off the rose-colored glasses and puttin on the big-girl panties! Although I do like my rose-colored glasses when I’m looking at my roses. ha! I don’t have kids so don’t know too much about the nose-pickin but I do know Gibbs, my dog, licks his butt an awful lot. He seems to like it so who am I to tell him “no”! lol. Gracious no…I wouldn’t grow roses either if I lived where you do. Most of mine are Old Garden Roses that don’t need too much babying. See you around, Judy!
Jeanni
July 19th, 2011 at 12:29 am
Hi Jeanni! LMAO…well said!! I agree some of the more sugar-coated blogs out there are a leeetle of the top
I’ve included images of some of the uglier aspects of our renovation on my blog and they just don’t seem to be received very well at all *shrugs*
I lurrve your roses and your gargoyle is very cute too. Thanks dropping by my blog earlier, hope to see you again sometime
Cas
July 19th, 2011 at 6:32 pm
And that’s what I don’t understand…yeah, looking at the finished project is cool but I want to see the process of getting to the finished project. A lot of times others do things different than I do and I’m always picking up new ideas on how to sand this, or paint that, or whatever. Thanks, Cas…I’ll def see you around!
Jeanni
July 19th, 2011 at 7:58 pm
Hi Jeanni,
Fantastic post! I have never seen a real garden without a weed! and all those roses are perfect, perfect perfect! great collection too!
Thanks for the tour:-)
Bella
July 21st, 2011 at 6:49 pm
Thank you for the compliment, Bella!
Jeanni
July 19th, 2011 at 10:28 pm
You put the “R” in “Real” as in keeping it real and that’s a compliment! Your post made me laugh. I do wonder sometimes if I should talk about the inevitable bumps in the road or just keep everything light.
July 21st, 2011 at 6:56 pm
I think that depends solely on yours feelings about talking about things like that. Are you comforable with sharing with total strangers? Does it make you feel good or bad? That’s some of what we have to think about before putting comments out there for the whole world to see. Very much has to be a personal preference…not something you feel you HAVE to do. Love your blog btw…
Jeanni
July 19th, 2011 at 10:57 pm
Such lovely roses! Antoine Rivoire is my fave hands down. Thank you for stopping by my blog and for your sweet comments.
Cheers!
July 21st, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Ahhhh Antoine. You know for a fact that if roses could talk he’d have the most fab French accent! Those pics don’t do justice to how porcelien pink his petals are. Oh and his fragrance! yum yum.
Jeanni
July 20th, 2011 at 1:13 am
Your roses are beautiful, Jeanni. Such a lovely variety of color and form. I can almost smell them! I look forward to your “unfiltered” garden posts! BTW, I looked up at the ceiling light this evening and saw a spider web strung across it. We’re all in the same boat, if we’d only admit it!
~~Rhonda
July 21st, 2011 at 7:01 pm
haha! Oh my gracious, Rhonda! Thanks for the laugh!
Jeanni
July 20th, 2011 at 6:55 am
Hi Jeanni, thanks for stopping by my blog for Bloomin’ Tuesday. You have some gorgeous Roses in your garden, so jealous. I’m not good with those beautiful plants, they require too much one on one attention for me.
July 21st, 2011 at 7:03 pm
Thanks to you too for stopping by, Racquel! I’m sure I’ll pop into your place again cause I kinda liked it…
Jeanni
July 20th, 2011 at 11:48 am
Gorgeous roses.
July 21st, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Hey there, Becca! Love your blog…don’t know if you follow college football but if you do be warned that I’m a FLORIDA GATOR fan! Go Gators!
Jeanni
July 20th, 2011 at 1:15 pm
Jeanni, I’m thinking you’ve come to the right place! You are just what we are looking for for Bloomin’ Tuesday! There is nothing perfect about my home, life or garden! Your roses, tho, do look perfect, and beautiful! Thanks! Jean
July 21st, 2011 at 7:09 pm
Well thank you, Jean! I sure do like being part of Bloomin’ Tuesday. Thanks for taking the time to host it.
Jeanni
btw…your LB Wilder quote is awesome.
July 20th, 2011 at 6:39 pm
Jenni, you just gave me a good belly laugh. Lets be real any old day. Your roses take my breath away. the only other roses I have seen like yours in Beverly’s on Pink Sat. You know your wy around a camera.
Thanks for coming over to see me today. You rock!!! I want to see weeds, I have them too. HA!
Hugs, Jeanne
July 21st, 2011 at 7:11 pm
Oh Jeanne…trust me you will see weeds! Well I’m glad I made you laugh and took your breath away! I hadn’t found Beverly’s on Pink Saturday yet…thanks for mentioning it…I’ll pop on over there.
The Other Jeanni
July 20th, 2011 at 8:56 pm
Lovely roses! You have one of the nicest collections I’ve seen. Nothing wrong with same ol’, same ol’ but it’s nice to see something different!
July 21st, 2011 at 7:14 pm
Cool blog, girl! Trust me…I use “love” way too much too. But if that’s they way we feel about something, what’s the problem? And Karma’s the best…
Jeanni
July 20th, 2011 at 10:12 pm
What a lot of different roses you have! i love roses but only recently planted 10 knockouts….5 red and 5 pink. My favorite color of rose is yellow. Yours are all beautiful.
July 21st, 2011 at 7:17 pm
Hi, Deb! Loved your post about your Mom and P. Allen Smith and the Knockouts! So sweet! Yellow roses are divine looking, aren’t they. Thanks so much for stopping by.
Jeanni
July 21st, 2011 at 11:03 pm
Well your roses look perfect, even if nothing else in your life is!HA! I don’t know anyone with a perfect life, though SOMEpeople would have you believe…I’m just saying.
July 28th, 2011 at 9:02 pm
Hi Vickie! Thank you very much for complimenting my roses!
Jeanni
July 21st, 2011 at 11:35 pm
Thanks for dropping by the Weathered Pane, Jeannie! Love love love all your roses. Here in Alaska, we have best luck with Rugosa roses. And for most of your other flowers…. I have no idea what they are! Okay, Day Lillies. I don’t know warm weather plants at all. I couldn’t agree with you more about all those perfect blogs. You look at their pictures and wonder where the clutter is and the dirt and pile of toys. So keep it real! And come visit me again! Nancy
July 28th, 2011 at 9:03 pm
Oh my goodness…Alaska. I’ve got a cousin who lives in Fairbanks. One day I’m gonna get up there to visit her and finally see Alaska. I’ll definetly be back to see you! Thanks, Nancy.
Jeanni
July 21st, 2011 at 11:36 pm
Your roses are gorgeous, Jeanni!
We should all write our blogs the way we want to and for the reasons we desire, so I say go ahead and do what makes you happy!
July 28th, 2011 at 9:04 pm
Well said, Pat!
Jeanni
July 22nd, 2011 at 5:01 am
Beautiful Roses and cool gargoyles. Thanks for stopping by.
Cher Sunray Gardens
July 28th, 2011 at 9:04 pm
Oh I’m so glad you like my gargoyles!
Jeanni
July 22nd, 2011 at 9:10 pm
The photo of ‘Antoine Rivoire’ is absolutely stunning! Every one of your roses are gorgeous! I am so excited to have you link up to Cottage Flora Thursday’s Garden Party over here at Fishtail Cottage. Hope to see you again next week! xoxo, tracie
July 28th, 2011 at 9:06 pm
The pics don’t even do AR justice. He’s just that perfect.
Jeanni
July 23rd, 2011 at 5:35 am
Great post
and your roses are lovely. Thanks for stopping by Beach Cottage Good Life Wednesdays and sharing.
July 28th, 2011 at 9:06 pm
Thanks, Sarah!
Jeanni
July 23rd, 2011 at 8:23 am
Hello Jeanni! New to your blog. Popped over from Jean’s BT. A big WOW!!! to all your roses. Gorgeous. Roses scare me. I have two bushes of one type – Knockout. How much easier can ya get?
Also, high-five to you and your recent epiphany. As much as we all look to be inspired by “perfection”, sometimes good doses of reality is what keeps us grounded. I look forward to stopping back regularly for some unfiltered reality! ;o)
Thanks for sharing your beautiful blooms.
Carla
July 28th, 2011 at 9:08 pm
Don’t be scared of roses, Carla! They might scratch you with their thorns but they won’t bite…
KOs are beautiful and great way to grow roses without all the work. Thanks for popping over!
Jeanni
July 23rd, 2011 at 11:29 am
Hi, Jeanni. Thanks for stopping by my blog. You can count me in the it-sure-isn’t-perfect-but-you-can-put-your-feet-on-the-furniture type of person. I laughed when I read your post; you have a great way with words! -Karen
July 28th, 2011 at 9:08 pm
Hi, Karen. Glad I made you laugh! Thanks so much for stopping by.
Jeanni
July 25th, 2011 at 6:55 pm
Your roses are lovely; what a great variety you have. Just Joey is a gorgeous colour. I’m hoping to have more blooms when it cools down in my corner of the world!
July 28th, 2011 at 9:10 pm
Just Joey is absolutely beautiful. You don’t see him grown much and I’m not sure why. Yeah, mine haven’t been the blooming machines they usually are cause of our heat and no rain. But Fall will be here soon…
Jeanni