Recycled flowers and the scent of dirt

Today the girls and I went to the garden store to get some marigolds to put along our tomato bed.  I also decided we could use some other annuals to make a cutting garden.  I chose several 6-packs of dahlias.  Between the store and home, a few of the blossoms fell off.  Once home, we pulled an overgrown bed of radish plants (that were not making any radish "balls") to make space for our new flower garden.  Many of the radishes were blooming.  Alex cannot let a blossom go to waste:

When I finally cleaned up for dinner I found this beautiful bowl on the kitchen table.  :-)

I spent the weekend in Portland with some fabulous, fun friends.  On Saturday after brunch, Monique and I strolled around a little neighborhood with cute little shops.  We stumbled into one that sold soy candles and goat milk soaps and felt hats and sweet little girl dresses made from recycled fabrics.  I found an adorable dress that would be perfect for Alex to wear to her 3 R's day tomorrow but at $36 for a size 6 recycled dress,  I passed.  But I could not pass on the soaps.  There were all sorts of scents.  The traditional ones from lavender to tangerine to patchouli.  Wonderful sages and evergreens and roses.  At 3 for $10 or $5/piece I decided to go with 3.  My first choice was plumeria.  I had decided the soaps would be a Father's Day gift for Gregg and he loves that scent.  Then I found Campground.  It's deep, piney earthy-ness quickly convinced me.  Then there was Campfire Smoke.  Um, no.  We don't need that -- any of our clothes that haven't been aired out since the wintertime fires in our  bedroom fireplace already carry that aroma!  But then -- Dirt.  Dirt.  Yes, a soap called Dirt.  I smelled it.  I was hooked.  It was perfect.  I could only imagine how in the wet heat of a shower it would transport the 4'X4' world of our bathroom into a perfect post rain garden!

Now the soap, along with some chocolate covered coffee beans and some chocolate covered cacao beans and an out of print limited edition tome on the history of beer in the US that I found at Powell's, was supposed to be a Father's Day gift. But I'm not good at that waiting sort of stuff.  So, I gave it all to Gregg on Monday.  And today, for whatever reason, he put Dirt in the shower, but didn't use it.  So, tonight I showered.  And there it was.  Deep and rich and calling me.  And while it wasn't mine to use FIRST, I did buy it...  So, use it it did.  And it was every bit as wonderful as I'd imagined.  Like bringing a Spring rainshower into your tub.  I feel clean and fresh, because of Dirt...

I'm not sure how Sonya Lee feels but she looks happy enough.