per·i·pa·tet·ic
ˌperēpəˈtedik/
adjective
  1. 1.
    traveling from place to place, especially working or based in various places for relatively short periods.
    "the peripatetic nature of military life"
    synonyms:nomadic, itinerant, traveling, wandering, roving, roaming, migrant,migratory, unsettled
    "I could never get used to her peripatetic lifestyle"
  2. 2.
    Aristotelian.
noun
  1. 1.
    a person who travels from place to place.
  2. 2.
    an Aristotelian philosopher.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Ethel Gloves in Training


A very nice gift arrived via the UPS man yesterday afternoon. It had been awaited with much anticipation. Mr. Brown Thumb surprised me a couple of weeks ago with an announcement in one of his posts. He let me know in my comment section that he had something special waiting for me on his blog. A link to one of the Spring Fling sponsors, Ethel Gloves, provided a hint. Wow. I hadn't even entered a contest. The last time I won something was about 20 years ago at a school carnival fundraiser. It was a cake in a cake walk, and I had to buy a ticket to participate. Mr. Brown Thumb's prize sure has that other one beat. And it didn't cost me a thing. He said he wanted to share his bounty of gloves from the sponsor with me and some other bloggers because we had encouraged him in some way. Mr. Brown Thumb had no way of knowing what was going on in my life, but his gift came just in the nick of time. My other gloves had worn out, dry-rotted, and my state of mind recently has been a bit shakier than usual. Maybe it's starting to dry-rot too.


It's funny how things have worked out for me since I started the blog a little over a year ago. Some of the things I had planned for my life did not happen the way they were supposed to. Wah! Okay, enough of that nonsense. Some things did happen that were unexpected but wonderfully so, like the gift from MBT and another one from a special lady in Tennessee. Tina from In the Garden gave me one of her handmade garden markers when we met in New Harmony, Indiana, last autumn. We shared a special afternoon together with our husbands and her son. I'm not sure which gifts I treasure more--the items you see here or the encouragement, friendship, and support they signify.
Since I want these gloves to feel right at home, I took them for a little excursion around the garden. I thought I would ease them in by letting them get a feel for the kind of work they'll be doing soon enough.



These gloves do look like they're capable of withstanding some tough tasks, but the length might not suffice when rose trimming time comes. Most of my roses are the shrub variety, like Knockouts, and here in Florida they require a good haircut at least twice a year. I gave them all a crew-cut back in December when we were home for what we thought was going to be just a visit. June will probably be time for the next round of haircuts by W2W, the local rose barber. And there will surely be bloodletting, only the blood will be this barber's instead of the clients'. Marnie of Lilacs and Roses has a funny post about rose trimming time. She is all too familiar with the havoc those thorns can cause.

The gloves will have plenty of quality time pulling weeds in the flower bed on the east side. They'll also be deadheading these Gerbera daisies every few days. I'm collecting the seeds and hoping to spread them about in various beds when the weather cools off in the fall.


Our baby grapefruit trees probably won't require much glove time. I just thought I'd show off the blossoms which will be finished in a few more days.

Now it's time to get serious with the gloves. It will soon be time to add a new layer of pine straw to the berry patch, and I really hate getting that sticky resin all over my hands. Gloves, I hope you're up to the task.


I love tomatoes, but for some reason I do not like that green plant juice that gets all over my hands when I'm picking the fruit. It stinks and makes my skin itch. These pretty gloves will not stay this clean for much longer. The tag says they're machine washable. I hope so because after a few weeks in the garden they will need it.

There is nothing better than freshly cut broccoli; unless, of course, you don't care for cruciferous vegetables. I seem to remember a recent President had a problem with broccoli, among other things.

The gloves didn't seem to mind taking a tour of the garden and getting oriented to the kinds of tasks they'll soon be assuming. They look so nice right now, I almost don't want to get them dirty. But they look like they're made of sturdy stuff.

"Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education."

--from Puddn'head Wilson's Calendar in Mark Twain's Puddn'head Wilson, 1894--

22 comments:

  1. Your blog posts are always unique. I'm glad that you were gifted with a pair of gloves. Someone I met via blogging out of the blue asked for my address so she could send me something that had made her think of me when she saw it. Wow..somebody thought of me..It was so nice. I like you don't know what is better, the gift or the being thought of part. Both are pretty special aren't they....Michelle...

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  2. That is so wonderful of MBT! Perfect timing too. I think it great blogging can lift us all up in some small way-on good and bad days. Your garden is looking mighty good and I so enjoyed the walk around with the new gloves. Very nice!!! P.S. We are still saving that bottle of wine for when you and SAM make it back up this way. Don't know how much longer it can last-Mr. Fix-it will be home for good soon and I see more relaxing on the deck with a glass of wine:) You have a great day and each time I see that marker stone I think all of I went thru to make it-urgh! Glad it is intact still!

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  3. Unexpected gifts are the best, that they promise hand protection is even better. Ethel is appropriately colored for gardening, her complexion will hardly show any smudging at the end of the day. Give her a nice hook to air out and she'll be just fine.

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  4. I love the gloves and the garden marker from Tina. Very nice! This is why I love blogging. If I am having a bad day, I go and browse blogs. It is my virtual get a way! Great post!

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  5. It's true, Michelle, you never know what you might find here. Part of what makes blogging so much fun for me is the creative aspect. It's a safe place to develop ideas and brainstorm for writing projects. The connection with other bloggers is so vital, and I feel very fortunate to have found wonderful people who enjoy that connection.

    Tina, MBT is a mighty busy guy these days, but he still manages to extend a hand of friendship and offer advice and encouragement. Speaking of which, thanks again for being such a faithful visitor. And please drink the wine. I would hate for it to turn to vinegar. Relaxing on the deck? Are you sure you don't have a list of projects ready to be tackled? :) That marker is a testament to your selflessness and determination. I'll treasure it forever.

    PJ, these gloves will be getting star treatment and won't be allowed to rot like the other pair. I do like the color. It's well-suited for digging in the dirt. Maybe my fingernails will look decent for a change.

    Thanks, Dirt Princess. Blogging is one aspect of life that never fails to please and enrich me. I've met so many nice people and learned all kinds of new things about gardening, nature, history....

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  6. Very nice. You expressed my sentiment about all this exactly. I was given a gift by Lisa of Hasty Brook. It was a book on birding. It meant a lot to me.

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  7. Congratulations on your gift of these great gloves! I've entered a couple give-aways for them, but it looks like I may have to break down and buy some for myself. I won't complain, though, because I did win a pair of garden clogs last summer.

    I enjoyed the tour of your garden; those gloves are so pretty, I would hate to get them dirty, too. But it would be nice to have something other than the flimsy ones I have when dealing with rose thorns.

    I agree that blogging has given me some unexpected pleasures, friendships made here being at the top of the list. If you're ever back in Illinois, let me know! I think the Tennessee bloggers should consider hosting a Spring Fling next year (hint, hint, Tina); that would be a good central location for a lot of people.

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  8. I got it Rose and keep hearing this but hosting a Spring Fling is a major major job I don't think we are up to. We all live far apart and I don't see it happening anytime soon for us here. My fellow Tennesseans may disagree but I don't think so. Plus, how could we ever live up to all the Chicago bloggers have put together for you guys? OMG! It sounds really really big. Scares me just thinking of attending let alone setting one up. But, anytime you wish to come visit, let me know! We can do a mini fling anytime as we are all fairly flexible I think. It was quite a pleasure meeting W2W and SAM so that is an anytime deal-on a small scale for me:)

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  9. So nice of Mr Brown Thumb. What an awesome gift. Good luck with it, W2W. I liked the tour around your garden. Love the Gerberas especially. I'm just those gloves are waiting to get dirty and scratchy.

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  10. What a lovely, lovely post! Congrats on winning this sturdy pair of gloves from Mr. Brown Thumb. I totally agree with ramblingwoods.com that your posts are unique. Loved the garden tour, just goes to show how integral those gloves would be to your garden. Beautiful!

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  11. Oh how sweet that Mr Brown Thumb is- lucky girl you are!
    I loved the post- it was creative, engaging and just plain fun! I'm trying to catch up on blogs after working way too hard all week!

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  12. Troutbirder, thanks. You know, every comment is a treasured gift too. I enjoy them all. Well, except the spam.

    Rose, the gloves are amazing. I haven't put them to the rose thorn test yet, but they're great for pulling weeds, planting, hoeing, you name it. They're very comfortable, and my hands don't sweat in them, which is one reason I don't care for most gloves. I agree, there should be some kind of mini-Fling in TN, and you're right about the perfect choice for organizer (Tina). She could pull it off with aplomb!

    Tina, you underestimate your abilities. For the record, you've got what it takes to make it (a "Fling") happen. You're the only one who doesn't realize it yet. Look at what you've accomplished so far, girl!

    Chandramouli, MBT is pretty special. When SAM e-mailed him with some questions, he was so kind to reply right away with detailed answers and encouraging advice. The gloves are getting a good workout already.

    Thanks, Kanak! I think every blogger I've visited has something unique and interesting to offer. Wish I had the time to visit, comment on, and blogroll hundreds more sites. The gloves are going to help me finally keep my nails intact and maybe prevent any more of those brown spots from appearing on my skin (sun damage).

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  13. Dee, this post was a lot of fun to write; thanks. I am lucky indeed. Rose (Prairie Rose) conducted an interesting study regarding the recent blogging slowdown and reported on it in her latest post. Hope you get a chance to read it.

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  14. Who was "Ethel?" A famous wearer of those gloves? I have never gotten used to wearing gloves. Only for the most hazardous of chores will you see my hands covered. And yes, perhaps I'm a glutton for punishment because I usually don't even wear them when trimming roses, but I am very careful.

    I suppose it's time I find a spot for my handmade garden marker, yes, made and given to me by the same very special Tennessee lady we both have come to love over such a short period of time.

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  15. Awwww TC! You guys are too kind.

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  16. congrats on the new gloves. I envy the citrus blooms. We love broccoli here, a favored simple meal is just 5 ingredients add to it olive oil, garlic, pasta, and Parmesan cheese.

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  17. Bloggers it seems are overly ambitious. I too have a bunch of half baked plans or ideas, and I'm not so much disappointed that they didn't happen, but am inspired anyway in other ways. Some days there is never enough time. Can we add a 25th hour?

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  18. TC, according to the literature that came with the gloves: "Ethel is the embodiment of women who embrace life and are empowered to seek fun, relaxation, and fulfillment in their own way." Quite a gal, apparently. The name means "noble," for whatever that information is worth. They're the prettiest, fanciest gloves I've ever owned. Quite the nice gift for a lady gardener, and you know Mother's Day isn't far away. Yes, you need to feature Tina's gift in a prominent place in your garden and post about it. Then we will lift our virtual glasses in unison and offer a toast to her. And she will lift her real glass and drink the wine, if it hasn't turned to vinegar yet. And I need to stop being so bossy....

    Wayne, thanks for the recipe. I love it raw with a little bit of ranch dressing or lightly steamed with a bit of melted butter. Now I've got another alternative: pasta con broccoli a la Stratz.

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  19. Mr. S, your comment appeared just as I was submitting mine! Thanks. I don't know about adding any hours. Just wish they would s-t-r-e-t-c-h a little. A great day like today could last forever, as far as I'm concerned. I never see any disappointment in your blog but always plenty of inspiration.

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  20. W2W, I shared your link with the people at Ethel Gloves and they made a post on their blog about your post. I've made it a TinyURL so it fits in your comments.

    http://tinyurl.com/cnqaso

    Hope you're enjoying the gloves.

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  21. Women always have pretty stuff to wear, men have to look all masculine and what not. I like pretty gloves too.

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  22. Thank you, MBT! I will check out the link. The gloves are great. They're very "handy" for all the spring gardening chores.

    TC, you sensitive guy. Maybe Ethel Gloves needs to consider starting a line of attractive gloves for men. There's no rule saying women should have all the fun.

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