Penny for the guy?

"THEY didn't take the children down to Starlings much in the winter, until the Christmas holidays. When the days were short a week-end was scarcely worth while. They made an exception, however, for Guy Fawkes' Day, that kindly and prescient spirit having planned his crime to coincide -- or as nearly as makes no difference -- with the autumn half-term."

Flower Hunt

I have been trying to find out how to grow Chrysanthemums, not the scrubby bushy mums that are available at every plant seller each fall but the gorgeous kind that photographers take photos of and come in your bouquet of flowers. I can't imagine Mrs Miniver arranging the bushy kind of flowers can you?

Not These,
but these,
and these,
You would think it would be fairly straight forward but I am having a very hard time. I can't find anyone on-line or in real life or in print who can tell me where to get and how to grow the pretty kinds. The Portland Chrysanthemum Society is playing hard to get but I am going to be persistent.

I just named my house Starlings and chrysanthemums will grow at Starlings.

Last week I packed up my books, my lucky baking powder can and painted over the deep purple of my bedroom with beige. Preparing to sell your home has got to be one of the hardest things to do. How can we sell our home for money to strangers? How can someone else sleep in the room where my babies were born? How can some one walk up the stairs never knowing how may times my children have slid down them? I am painting over the art work and the smudges hiding all of the work and love that has gone into every surface of this house.
It is just a house however, it isn't really our home, our home is our family and our memories in our hearts.
It is just as though I am throwing away the really cool packaging that ought to be saved.