Thursday, March 22, 2012

Welcome SPRING!!

The Life of flowers (Жизнь цветов) from VOROBYOFF PRODUCTION on Vimeo

I thought you might enjoy watching this short video that was filmed over several days in the life of different flowers. I found it fascinating to see how they appear to be waking up, stretching out their arms & yawning as they awaken from their long winter's nap.
Be sure to turn your sound up!


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My flowers, both inside & outside the house are awake, too!

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It is very early for such blooms here in Ohio,

but the recent very warm temperatures...

(record breaking 8o's last week)

have everything off schedule,

including me!

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I like to cut a few stems of my hyacinths

to enjoy indoors, as their heady

fragrance can perfume an entire room.

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We've have other signs of spring too,

like the daffodils & the crocus.


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But the hyacinths are my favorites

at the moment.


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I've got some displayed in my antique

French Haviland et Cie Limoges tea or coffee pot,

which I THOUGHT was a

chocolate pot at first.

Due to its diminutive size, though,

& the curve of the spout as well

as the little filtering holes inside,

the antique dealer from whom I bought it,

felt that it was truly a

tea or coffee pot instead.

Around the end of the XVIII century(1780 - 1800) ,

Europeans started preparing chocolate

with milk and sugar to create what we know

today as Hot Chocolate.

In fact the drink became so popular many of the leading

European porcelain manufactures such as Limoges in France began

making specialized pots and cups just to serve chocolate.


It can be difficult to tell the difference between

a coffee pot and a chocolate pot.

The two features to look at are the spout on the exterior of the pot

and the inside of the spout.

Coffee pot spouts are typically long &

sometimes arched.

A chocolate pot has a fairly short spout.

The inside of a coffee pot just before the spout

typically has a filter

(a small partition with holes)

that keeps grounds from getting into the cup.

A chocolate pot would not have the filter.

(mine has the holes)


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I don't care...I fell in love with its delicate little

curvy handle & the pretty pink &

purple floral decorations on it.


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Chocolate pots can be quite expensive.

Just do a google search on the subject &

you will be stunned at the prices

some of them are going for.

My paternal Grandmother owned one &

since it had the family's initial,

hand-painted in gold leaf on the front,

it was given to my brother.

SOMEWHERE on this computer

I have a photo of it, but I'll be darned

if I can find it right now.

I will edit this post when I do,

so you can see how pretty it is!


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In the meantime, I guess you'll

just have to enjoy this one.


Thanks for visiting The Gazebo House today.

I'd gladly make you a cup of hot chocolate

or coffee or tea if you could stop by for real.


I'm joining Marty's party at

A Stroll Thru Life

for Table Top Tuesday

&

The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sunday.


11 comments:

  1. I know I'd enjoy sitting in your gazebo for a cup of hot chocolate and a look at your flowers, Rett!
    My Christmas Cactus, which didn't bloom at Christmas is blooming today - how odd!

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  2. Beautiful flowers...I wish my cactus would blossom. It looks healthy enough, but has blossomed in 2 years. Should I feed it or just leave it alone?

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    Replies
    1. Marigene, I'm no expert thats for sure & I've never fertilized this one but it does get TONS of sunlight & I bet that is part of why it does so well. We keep it out on the porch all summer long & it sits in a south facing window all winter. I bet it wouldn't hurt to give it a dose of fertilizer though. I do know they like to be pot-bound so if you've recently put it in a bigger pot, it may take awhile for it to bloom.

      I went hunting for some more information for you & found this site especially helpful:

      xmasccts.htm

      Good Luck & let me know what if you have any luck after a good dose of something like Peter's or Miracle Grow.

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  3. Your flowers are beautiful Rett! Crazy warm in Philly last week too, seems like early spring has returned today though. Happy Sunday:@)

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  4. Hi Rett, I think the spring blooms look fabulous in the pot. It has also been very warm here not in the 80's but only the 70's. Tomorrow is going to be 32 F. Brrrr, spring will come to a halt, which I think is good, things were flowering too quickly. Have a great week, Jen.

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  5. Your flowers are beautiful Rett. I especially like your hyacinths since they (especially the pale pink ones) are my favorite flower.


    Like you, the blooms came early in my area too. Pretty to see, but also weird. Not to mention, everyone is afraid that their plants will die once we get frost. The worst we've gotten so far is a hailstorm a few nights ago, so hopefully this unusually warm weather won't cause too much damage.

    Have a great week and enjoy the warm days and sunshine.

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  6. You have got to blog about the auction story! Honestly, I ended up buying a handbag, which is lovely but I know I paid much more that I should have on it, though I can't complain about a gift for such a great cause. It's easy to get in trouble at these auctions and now they are all electronic! You enter your bids on a hand-held device so you can't see what the other bids are....trouble!

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  7. Hello Rettabug,
    So nice to meet you here in blogland, and thank you so much for stopping by and for your very kind comments.

    Love all your pics, they are exquisite, and I like you am a flower lover.............never met a flower I didn't
    like. All of these are just so gorgeous, as well as that lovely coffee pot, so pretty! and it was indeed the perfect container for your flowers.

    In case you want to know more about the breathing for your sister, at first I just set a timer for every 10 minutes, and you just take 3 slow breaths in and out, and do that every 10 mins. all day long till you go to bed. My Dr. told
    me about where I could get a gadget like a pager that you set for whatever time you want, and you wear it,
    and it will vibrate and then reset itself, I have liked it much better because I don't have to reset it or hear all that beeping every 10 mins. Anyway, tomorrow will be a week and I am simply amazed at the improvement. A few times I have awakened with a lil bit of a backache but as soon as I start the breathing it goes away pretty quickly, and my lower back no longer feels all tight and tense. If she tries it and it works for her too and she wants to know where to get the gadget, just let me know. It cost me $35.00 because my Dr. evidently gets a break, so don't know what they normally cost............but they are worth every penny as far as I am concerned, and the breathing is getting easier for me every day because it is becoming
    more normal. I am a shallow breather............and a lot of people are and don't even realize it.

    Anyway, thanks again for coming by and I so enjoyed my visit here, it was so pretty and lifted my spirits.

    Blessings hon,
    Nellie

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  8. Your photos are always so gorgeous, Rett. Whether it be of a tablescape, food or flowers, your blog is always a feast for the eye!

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  9. Rett.. a truly exquisite coffee pot. Omg,, Love the flower video too and the lovely pictures of your flowers.. They certainly are popping out early this year. Mine are not only early,, but abundant too.. Thanks for dropping by.. have a super week.. xo marlis

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  10. Such beautiful lines.

    So great to have you be a part of Seasonal Sundays. Hope you'll join me this week too.

    - The Tablescaper

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Thank you so much for leaving a comment. I read them all & each one is so very special to me & I try really hard to return the visit!

fondly,
~Rett~