Blue Bottles Writing Studio

Life goes on regardless of how we feel, even when you want to bury your head in the sand. The last few days, I have felt the desire to stay in bed and forget everything else. Instead, I am motivated this morning to get out of bed and keep going by the enthusiasm of my dogs, the necessity of laundry and cleaning, and my writing commitments. I managed to write my piece for my Blue Bottles writing group and my Tuesday group. Finally, I will publish my blog, which has been on my mind for a week. As I sit at my table, the sun is shining through the trees, and I am grateful for small moments of joy to keep me going.

Today, I am working on the letter H from the Alphabet. It is a good letter because it signifies many things in my life: Henry, History, Home, Happy, and Harmonious Garden Artistry, my dog, my home, and my garden, my Happy place.

HENRY is my quiet, loving schnauzer, who has been with me for ten years. I got him a month after I lost Eugene. I hadn’t planned on getting another dog because it usually takes me a long time to get over the loss of a pet. However, a landscape client insisted that I visit the Humane Society, where I would find my new dog waiting for me. Henry was the spitting image of Eugene. After tears, a short walk, and paperwork, I took Henry home. Like Eugene, Henry goes everywhere with me. But he preferred to stay in the car, in his comfy bed, than wander around in the gardens I worked in. When I am at home and the sun is warm, Henry loves to be outside in my garden. He is hopeful of finding a squirrel to chase. But he never has, and of seeing his dog-friend, Mickie, from a few dogs away.

Henry loves to go to the park, run with other dogs, and wander along the beach when I go to collect stones for my garden. He loves people, especially at the beach. He will run up to most people and present his rear end for a good scratch. He rewards this service with a back leg dance, which amuses everyone. He is friendly enough to sit on the chest of someone lying on the ground if they are prepared to pet him.

My home has a long HISTORY. It is over a hundred years old. Edward Eldridge and his wife Teresa, originally from Scotland, came to Bellingham in 1853. He was one of the founding fathers of this town. Their son, Hugh Eldridge, was the first white child born in a log cabin on the shores of Puget Sound.

1879 & 1927

Where my home stands was once part of their 320-acre land claim that was most of north Bellingham. I believe my home was one of the out-building on the land, a garden house. The Eldridge family built their first home on the bluff overlooking the sea, which burnt down in 1879. The family lost two more homes to fires before the current structure was built in 1927 in a design known as French Chateauesque. During the last fire, Hugh Eldridge and his wife were in residence in what is now my home; it was a simple two-bedroomed house with a central fireplace at the time. Many changes and renovations have been done since then. It is the first home I have lived in for over five years. I am HAPPY to say that I have been here for over thirty years and love my HOME.

HARMONIOUS GARDEN ARTISTRY was the name of my landscaping business.Before I worked for myself, I spent four years at a local nursery, a three-minute drive from my house. I spent so much time at the nursery getting soil for my garden that it was suggested that I consider working for them. It was a wonderful but exhausting time. I learned so much about different soils, mulch, and plants for all seasons, but retail selling was hard. Eventually, I decided that I would prefer working for myself.

I woke early and went to bed late, creating private gardens and working on my garden for over twenty-five years. During my time as a landscape gardener, I created waterfalls and ponds. Built engineered walls for a garden on a steep slope, moved hundreds of yards of new soil, used heavy machinery, and put in irrigation systems to keep the plants I installed alive. My three children, occasionally their girlfriends and boyfriends, and two of my grandchildren worked alongside me at different points in their lives. It was a good life.

FAVORITE PLANTS FOR MARCH

Hellebores, Dwarf bearded Iris and Miranda tulips

Thank you for reading. Always love to hear back from my readers. EJP