We're not the most wonderful rose growers. Neighbors around us seem to do better, I think with all of our trees in the back and the limited light in the front, and the preference for vegetables in the best light locations, we don't try hard enough. Still, we have a few rose bushes that produce. This one, a salmon colored rose, is the most fragrant one we have (surprisingly, the Mr. Lincoln's used to be wonderful, but have suddenly stopped their doft). Anyway, we started a tradition back a few years ago when Ayla was a baby of giving her a rose when her parents take her home. The first year we did it she was so insistent that we went in the late fall from giving her dried blossoms to little dried leaves all through the winter. When she suddenly announced one year that she was too old for flowers (she always took them home and lovingly placed them in water), I about cried. She repented of that and now both her and Tavian get their regular flower on the way out of the driveway. Tavian, who tears them up, sweetly smells the rose first. Ayla is more careful with hers. These are the reasons for the roses we grow. Our barely producing bushes hardly ever have more than one or two sweet smelling blossoms. But, it's enough for our babies when we say goodbye. It would be a sad yard I think, filled with roses, with no little hands to place them in.

I've been experimenting with Ping.fm, and had incorrectly told it to send status updates to LJ. I think that's not what I want to do... Anyone that wants to see my status updates can simply go to see my on twitter or facebook or even Brightkite. Oh, if you are interested in Brightkite (especially if you have an iphone, since they are coming out with a cool iphone app) I can give you a link. I like status updates and micro-blogging. I don't really differentiate between them and update often during the day. So, no more of those here!

I dislike the ads, but I do like the presentation possibility on the front page. I wish it was a little more easy to arrange and edit.