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Hi there friends and Merry Christmas. A little less merry this year, 2021, and not just because of a never-ending global pandemic.
The reason it’s not as merry is because we lost our beloved Dottie last month. She suffered from renal failure and passed peacefully in her sleep, with no pain. She was 95 years old.
I apologize for the delay in letting you know. Every time I’ve sat down to write about her, I’ve just cried instead. It’s still hard now. You already know how wonderful she was, how loved, how she dedicated her entire adult life to making the world a better place, how charming she was, and how kind and compassionate. Those of you who have followed this blog for awhile know that she was an expert in life, and that we cherished her as a National Treasure.
For now, because the tears are welling up again, I’ll let these photos speak as a reminder of a life well lived.
We miss you so much, Dottie!
“Why would you want to live in the desert? It’s so brown!”
“There’s no color in the desert.”
“Nothing blooms in the summer in Phoenix – it’s too hot!”
Yeah, yeah, yeah, what a bunch of baloney! The Sonoran Desert is alive with color all summer long, despite temps that can reach above 115 degrees. All sorts of trees, shrubs and cactus have showy flowers throughout June, July and August.
That’s true of any summer in Phoenix. But this summer, the summer of 2021, we’ve had the healthiest monsoon season in years. Awesome amounts of rain all through July and so far through August as well. Shrubs that have been sparse in their flowering (for example, ones that are not on irrigation), have exploded with fresh color.
I thought those of you in other parts of the country (and world) would get a kick out of seeing what a desert city in bloom looks like, so I’ve been snapping pics for the past few weeks. Some of the cactus bloomed right before the rains first started, but the rest of the plants had the benefits of the monsoons. You’ll see flowering cactus, annuals, perennials, and shrubs in the photos below. If you have specific questions about what a certain plant is, just let me know and I’ll ID it for ya.
I hope you enjoy this photo journey of rain-happy flowers in Phoenix.
Here we are at the “look at that purple shrub!” section of the post. These fall under the umbrella of the generic term “sage,” but they’re not Salvias – these are Leucophyllums. And they have been spectacular!
The sages loooove monsoon rains. For a few weeks, everywhere you looked around the city there were pops of purple, or rows of royalty, haha! Definitely a nice addition to any landscape.
The monsoons cleared out temporarily as of last night. It’ll be interesting to see what happens when we have a few days of sunshine again. I’ll be keeping an eye out for what’s blooming and take pics whenever I can.
On an unrelated note, there is a certain one of our very own Experts, a lady of charm and distinction, with superior intelligence and unmatched compassion, known far and wide as a National Treasure, aka Dottie Correll, who is turning a whopping 95 years old on Saturday. 95! She’s doing great. If you’d like to wish her a happy birthday, please do so in the comments and I’ll happily pass them along for you.
Heyyyyyy, look who it is!
This is Dottie and me on her 93rd birthday last August. She looks amazing, doesn’t she?
Today, she’s doing ok but not great. She’s been in and out of the hospital the last few months. She’s struggling to keep her body in shape – it’s hard to make it cooperate at her age. Her mind is still sharp as a chef’s knife, and her sense of humor is unrivaled. But dang, that old body of hers is giving her fits.
I thought now would be a great opportunity for you to send her well wishes and hellos. Leave a comment for her, and I’ll pass it along. I’m sure she would appreciate knowing what she’s meant to you.
Let’s review a few key aspects: She volunteered for the Red Cross Disaster Services for 50 years. 50 years! They don’t even have a pin for that, because no one has ever served that long. She grew victory gardens during WW2, and learned to weld to make up for the shortage of available men during that time. She worked her whole adult life. She gave birth to six children. She’s proudly Irish and unmistakably charismatic. She makes people laugh so hard that they almost pee their pants. She’s smart, and has been taking classes her whole life to be even smarter. And she’s kind. She told me that everyone deserves respect, and she’s absolutely correct about that. She also served as one of our favorite Experts in my “Ask the Experts” column on this blog every Friday for years.
This lady is one of a kind. Let’s let her know how much we love her. She’ll say thanks back, so I’ll say it now for her: Thank you!
I love you, Dottie!
91. Wow. You’re 91 years old.
I could not be more delighted to call you my friend. You’re smart, you’re funny, you’re kind and compassionate, you’ve got style. You’ve raised wonderful kids. You gave years and years of your life to volunteering and helping others.
It’s like the moon conspired with the sun today to give you a total eclipse as your own special birthday gift.
You’re amazing! I love you.
Thanks for being you!
After the recent U.S. Presidential election, I vented about my sadness (which still hasn’t faded to this day) and promised to share more advice from our beloved Expert Dottie Correll. Because she’s awesome. And she’s 90 – she’s lived through a lot of shit.
I started this blog in 2009, so it was already after Barack Obama won his historic first-term. It was before I started the “Ask the Experts” column every Friday, so I don’t have written evidence of any of their opinions.
But I did ask them what they thought after the 2012 re-election of President Obama. I enjoyed Dottie’s answer quite a bit – it reflects her passion for this country.
(For the full Experts panel, with each of their unique takes on the question, you can access the the original post here.)
Here’s how it went down with Dottie.
I asked:
Q. Everyone’s minds are on the Presidential election next week. Would you please share with us what you’d like to see in America’s future?
Dottie’s response:
A. In my 87 years of traveling around this fascinating globe of ours, I’ve witnessed ups and downs, recessions and repressions and I’ve never found another country finer, more able to meet and cope with the challenges or ultimately more agreeable than the good old USA. In spite of all the “ugly warts” and “hogknobs”, the USA always comes through! When asked about the future of our country, what you see here is an eternal optimist and positive thinker. An example I heard today: Governor Christie and President Obama together discussed and put into action the help appropriate for the state of New Jersey to commence a speedy recovery from the devastation of “Hurricane Sandy”! That’s a big beginning of the kind of cooperation we need to get this country back on the right track.
I saw it in action, when I have been a part of the recovery of many disasters the past 40+ years as a volunteer disaster casework supervisor with the American Red Cross—most especially in NEW YORK at “9/11”.
I spent a large part of my childhood growing up in the worst depression the country has ever known.
When the chips are down, and push comes to shove, Americans pull together and get the job done! Check the history – We may make many goofs along the way, but we hang in there until we get it right!
I see a tough road ahead, but one the USA can travel with grit and determination and succeed.
That’s America! The American way! God Bless the USA!
Thanks Dottie! I needed that.
Hey, guess who posted a health update on facebook yesterday? That’s right, our very own much beloved Expert Dottie. With her permission, here’s what she said:
I HAVE GREAT NEWS! FIRST I WANT TO THANK ALL MY DEAR
FAMILY AND DEAR FRIENDS FOR THEIR CONSTANT SUPPORT, PRAYERS, AND GOOD WISHES. WITHOUT YOUR LOVE AND CARING I WOULD NOT HAVE MADE IT THROUGH
THE PAST HEALTH EVENTS AND MONTHS!!! I WISH I COULD PERSONALLY HUG AND THANK EACH OF YOU!! THE PAST FEW MONTHS HAVE BEEN ROUGH!—-MISSED SENDING MY BEST TO EACH OF YOU AT THE HOLIDAYS AND PROBABLY BIRTHDAYS—BEING EITHER IN MAYO HOSPITAL OR REHAB IN PHOENIX. FOR ALL THIS I APOLOGIZE BUT KNOW YOU UNDERSTAND. NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!
JUST OUT OF MY LAST REHAB–MY HIP IS HEALING FANTASTICALLY. MY THERAPIST WAS HERE TODAY,AND HAD ME WALKING OUTSIDE WITH MY WALKER. WE WALKED AND LONG WAY AND I DID WELL. HE EXPECTS TO WEAN ME FROM THE WALKER SOON. THE VERY BEST NEWS IS THAT I AM OFF OXYGEN TOTALLY. MY NEW ARORTIC VALVE IS MAGIC! I AM GOOD IN SEDONA AND ALSO JUST DISCOVERED TODAY, I DO NOT NEED OXYGEN IN FLAGSTAFFWHICH IS 7000′ FT. + IN ELEVATION. MY DOCTORS ARE AMAZED. GREAT KUDOS ESPECIALLY TO MY DAUGHTER, CINDY, WHO STOOD THE BRUNT OF ALL MY HEALTH PROBLEMS AND DAILY PHONE CALLS FROM MY OTHER CHILDREN MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN MY RECOVERY. I SHALL BE ETERNALLY GRATEFUL TO THE DOCTORS AT MAYO CLINIC WHO LITERALLY SAVED MY LIFE!
MORE TO COME. “YOU CAN’T KEEP AND OLD IRISH BROAD
DOWN FOR LONG” WITH ALL THIS SUPPORT AND LOVE.
BLESSING TO ALL OF YOU! Dottie Correll
Hello everyone, and happy day!
Welcome back to the Good To Grow site, and thanks for being here.
I’m sorry it’s taken me a few days to finally roll out this Panel of Experts post. It’s been a busy past few days! I appreciate your patience.
Let’s get our festivities started right away. Hi Experts!
“Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Liza!”
You’re so cute! From left to right, that’s Andy Williams, Tim Thackaberry, EZ Ed Johnson, Dottie Correll and Lewis Casey. If you’d like to know more about them, please click here.
Here’s this week’s question:
Q. Tell us about the best pet you ever had.
Expert Andy Williams, you’re up first:
A. I’m a dog guy and I’ve been lucky enough to have two awesome dogs over the years. Suzy was my first dog, a black mutt that wandered onto my porch when I was 5. She made it until my freshman year of college. She was attached to my hip all the time and very protective. Then came Rambo, a salt & pepper mini schnauzer. He was a character and smart as a whip. He knew many words like “walk”. When you’d say that he’d start hopping around and actually go into the hutch it was stored in and retrieve it to go for a walk. He’d spend most of his days sitting on the couch and looking out the front window watching the squirrels hop up and down the large maple tree in our front yard.
As an aside, the Sleepy Dog Brewing Co. in Tempe, AZ has a slogan that states “You never forget your first dog.” And they put it on a T-shirt which I secured at the Flagstaff Beerfest a few years ago. Every time I wear that shirt I remember Suzy. So, they’re right.
A. I had a great cat a little more than 10 years ago, the first cat I really ever had. He was a mean little bastard, hated everyone except for me, for reasons I never really understood. I had never been a cat person before that, but that little guy was loyal. He hissed and scratched at everyone else, but was perfectly calm and nice to me. He was kind of a like a dog in that he followed me around, always looking for attention. He would even fetch little balls of paper I would throw to him. I’d wake up with him laying in the crook of my elbow or even sometimes on my neck. Could have done without the neck part.
Great cat. I haven’t had a pet of any kind since he passed.
A. Frankie was a little terrier, mostly black with splashes of white. He liked to follow me when I pushed my gold Stingray bicycle over rough dirt roads and hard red clay. He got into his share of mischief — with a skunk, with a porcupine, even a rough go with a rattler. There is no need in this space to bring up how he died. Just know he was a good dog, with a friendly disposition and a boy could never have had better company.
A.
Without a doubt, “Himalaya Harry” was the most delightful and interesting pet we ever possessed. We saw an ad in the paper that one of the airlines had flown in a plane load of baby Minah birds from the Himalaya Mountains to be sold at a large department store in downtown Cleveland. We had a family meeting and all agreed that we needed to add this to our animal world and what fun it would be to raise this fledgling and teach him to talk! Minahs are known to be the best mimicers of the spoken word!
Off the 6 children and I went to find this new family member. Mature Minah birds are a vision of beauty to behold. We were not prepared to find the fledglings looking like rejected sparrows. At any rate, the children made their choice and we made sure to find him a fine cage that would become his very own quarters, found a book that described his feeding, care and training and purchased the proper food.
In the ensuing weeks, while the children were in school, I would spend the recommended 15 minutes of “Talk Training” each day. At the end of 6 weeks, I thought we had been scammed and given a bird that couldn’t talk. All he would do is look at me and express: “AWWWWWWK” – A week passed and by then he had acquired his adult plumage and was a beautiful to look at but no talk. Suddenly, one evening when we had company over, he heard all this laughter and joined in and then began to talk. He repeated everything I had taught him, plus everything he selected to remember that the children said. He even imitated the voices of each of us, sang the songs we had taught him. He ended up with a vocabulary of over 200 words plus many songs and sayings and copied my daughter Karen’s laugh exactly. He also delighted in vexing me with calling –Mom, Mom!—sounding just like one of the children—-I would retort with—“Don’t yell – if you want something come here and ask me” Then foolishly I would realize that it was Harry because the children were all in school.
The funniest episode occurred when our neighbor across the street, relayed a story about another neighbor that we all thought of as that “Dirty Old Man”. Our neighbor was lovely to look at and delighted in gardening in her short shorts. One day as she was working in her flowers she heard this wolf whistle and a man’s voice saying, “What a doll—What a doll!” She was incensed and called her husband and told him that nasty neighbor was annoying her again and whistling at her and making unseemly remarks. Her husband immediately went across the street and read the man out for his behavior toward his wife. The neighbor just stared open mouthed and said nothing as her husband marched defiantly back across the street. As she relayed this story several weeks later, I recalled that on that particular afternoon, I had placed Harry in his cage outside on our stone table to get some sun. I recognized that was one of Harry’s favorite sayings that the boys had taught him. He would Make the wolf whistle and then repeat “What a doll” over and over again and then laugh uproarishly! Needless to say we had a lot of explaining to do to many! However, Harry brought us years of Joy and many memorable moments.
——————
Liza here. Expert Lewis is unavailable this week. Let’s admire his adorableness:
And wrap up the Experts Panel.
Yaaaaaaay – Dottie’s back! Loved, loved, loved that story, Dottie. I can’t even imagine a Cleveland department store selling birds, but it was a different time then. Thanks so much for sharing your story!
Fellas, I enjoyed your stories as well. They each made me smile. Thank you for sharing your pet memories with us.
That’ll do it for this week’s Panel of Experts. The Experts will be back soon!
Up next, the answer to the current puzzler:
???Real or Fake???
Last week, I asked if these flowers were real or fake:
Let’s see how you answered:
Joseph Brenner of Texas wrote, “I vote real. And, barring another round of storms, I think we’re in the clear. The levees have been going down, finally.”
mr_subjunctive of Plants Are the Strangest People wrote, “Fake?”
Claude from Random Rants and Prickly Plants wrote, “A very real and completely georgous claret cup cactus.”
jangogh61 wrote, “Real beautiful cactus!”
Carmen wrote, “Real. Cacti have the some of the most beautiful flowers I’ve ever seen….which is why I find it sad that stores sell them with fake straw flowers a lot of the times….they can’t compare to the beauty of the real things!!”
Jason from Garden in a City wrote, “Wow! As a person who really likes red and orange flowers, I’d say that is one spectacular plant! As for your quiz, I say real.”
Nancy Popp Mumptom of Phoenix wrote, “I know it is real because I have one like it in my front garden!”
That’s five votes real, one vote fake.
What’s the correct answer?
Maybe a wider view will help:
REAL! But personally, I think they look fake because they are almost too perfect. Up close, it’s hard to believe that something so delicate could possibly grow from something so harsh. They sure are spectacular, aren’t they? They’re blooming all over Albuquerque right now. This one belongs to a client of mine and it took my breath away.
Good job, everyone! It’s awesome that you played my puzzler!
To show you my appreciation for playing, I’d like you each to have the following prizes: The downward slide of June, one premier status, three cowboy hats, imminent summer, five gold stars, a lemon tree, one roadtrip to winningville, blue eye shadow, four avocado wontons, 13 1/2 bonus points, one dance contest, Mount Taylor, an ice cream maker, six bees knees, a trophy made of salami, one white picket fence, two skylines, William, four kiwi fruits, organic windchimes, the title of “plantiest” for the week, five sugar cookies, two gift cards, one game night, three parakeets, garlic salt, two compliments on your hairdo, plaid, a new propane grill, 7th Street, four diagonal lines, a peach sunset, and one water fountain.
Congratulations, and thanks for playing!
Up next, a new puzzler:
???Real or Fake???
Are these flowers real or fake?
Think you know the answer, smartyplants? Leave your best guess in the comments section. You have until midnight MST (that’s 2a.m. EST) Thursday, June 25th, to cast your vote. I’ll reveal the answer and the winners after next week’s panel of Experts. The prizes may be imaginary but the link to your site and the glory of winning are oh-so-real.
Hello Ju-Junebes, and happy Friday!
Welcome back to the Good To Grow site, and thanks for being here.
As the world begins to shut down another week, on this site, we’re gearing up for Friday Festivities. I’ve got an all-new Ask the Experts Panel for you, as well as plenty of plant puzzler action.
Let’s start by saying hi to the Experts. Hi everyone!
“Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Liza!”
You’re so cute! From left to right, that’s Andy Williams, Tim Thackaberry, EZ Ed Johnson, Dottie Correll and Lewis Casey. If you’d like to know more about them, please click here.
This week, I decided to give the Experts a chance to toot their own horn. Here’s the question:
Q. What do you think is your best personality trait?
Expert Andy Williams, you’re up first as usual:
A.
I think that my best personality trait is being a nice guy. I continue to listen to people describe me this way, particularly after my harsh divorce. Prior to this, perhaps I heard it but it didn’t sink in because of the turmoil of my personal life. Divorce is a horrible thing. But it was also a time of deep personal reflection for me. It allowed me to find myself and determine who I am. That process is still ongoing. I learn more about me every day. And one specific thing has stuck out throughout the timeline.
Approximately 2 years ago, I was meeting with a gentleman in Indiana. His brother was getting married, and he asked me if I had known of his brother’s wife, whom he mentioned by name. It turns out, I dated her for a long time during and a bit after college. He told me that she had referred to me as “the nicest guy she’d ever dated”.
Then, just last week at a formal dinner event, I had the pleasure of sitting next to a wonderful woman whom I’ve known for several years. As I was telling her about my “new life” and expressing how happy I am, she told me the following; “I am so happy for you to have found someone who realizes what a special and nice guy you are.”
Certainly, there are a lot of other things I could’ve been called. But I will certainly take “nice” and run with it.
A.
I really don’t enjoy tooting my own horn, it makes me uncomfortable; in fact, I don’t enjoy anyone tooting my horn. My attitude toward this is along the lines of the old Groucho Marx quote: “I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.” I immediately look with a jaundiced eye at anyone who gives me a compliment, myself included.
Gun to my head: I’m smart and I have a pretty good sense of humor. Those are my major redeeming qualities.
A. Best personality trait? I’m funny. No really. Well maybe not funny funny. Just, well, kinda funny. Not laugh out loud funny. Just, hmm, that’s funny.
—————-
Expert Dottie is unavailable this week. Let’s admire her adorableness:
And move on to Expert Lewis Casey. Lewis, what say you, fine sir?
A. I care.
Lewis, look at you being all brief this week! That’s new for you, haha! But really, that short phrase is incredibly accurate at describing yourself.
EZ, I think you’re hilarious! And your answers always make me smile. Thank you for this week’s contribution. Thack, I know you hate tooting your own horn, but you’re correct – you are smart and you have a wicked sense of humor. Well played! Andy, yeah, you’ve got that Midwestern niceness about you! I think it’s cool that you have lots of examples where you know what people think about you.
It’s probably good that Dottie sat this one out – she’s got too many wonderful qualities to narrow it down to one. She’s compassionate, kind, loving, brilliantly funny, intelligent, genuine, talented…the list goes on and on. I hope she feels better soon!
Let’s call that a wrap for this week’s Panel of Experts. The Experts will return in a week. They hope to see you back here.
Up next, the current puzzler:
???Real or Fake???
Last week, I asked if this plant was real or fake:
Let’s see how you answered:
mr_subjunctive from Plants Are the Strangest People wrote, “Partly real. Real leaves, fake flowers.”
Joseph Brenner from Texas wrote, “Real plant, fake flowers and butterfly.)B>{D}
Can you put a rush on that life raft? They’re closing highways out of Texarkana like crazy!”
Carmen wrote, “I agree, real plant (peace lily maybe?) And very fake flowers. I don’t like them together, it looks like a toodler stuck the fake flowers in there…at least I hope so, any adult who thinks it looks good has very bad taste!! Lol”
Claude from Random Rants and Prickly Plants wrote, “That is a real plant south fake flowers. And I’m really indifferent.”
That’s four votes for real plant, fake flowers. Zero votes for anything else besides a life raft (hope you’re staying safe, Joseph!)
What’s the correct answer?
Let’s take a closer look:
Oh yes, the plant is real. The flowers and butterfly very fake. I saw this at my bank and it made me groan. Why ruin the look of a perfectly good plant with fake flowers? I have no idea who thought that would look attractive.
But way to go, everyone. You totally weren’t tricked in the slightest! Well done!
I’d like to show my appreciation for you playing by awarding you the following prizes: The first weekend of June, one chrome trophy, cheese enchiladas, four gold medals, 16 bonus points, your own personal mascot, three treasures, two postage stamps, a gazebo, the title of “grooviest, awesomest, bestest, coolest, winningest plant person ever” for the weekend, Shelby County, one limousine ride, three hummingbird feeders, a hillside, two spare jazz hands, 15 minutes on a Ferris Wheel, six more rewards, two baby ducks, four cherry empanadas, Karen, a coupon for unlimited dog kisses, Rio Grande Boulevard, one new garbage disposal, a radio dedication in your honor, three folded napkins, five surprises, two petroglyphs, time and a half, one ankle bracelet, 12 extra golden years, two grilled cheese sandwiches, and one coin flip.
Congratulations, and thanks for playing!
Up next, a new puzzler for you.
???Real or Fake???
I’ve used a similar plant to this in the past, but not this exact one. Do you think these flowers and the plant are real or fake:
Think you know the answer, smartyplants? Leave your best guess in the comments section. You have until midnight MST (that’s 2a.m. EST) next Thursday, June 11th, to cast your vote. I’ll reveal the answer and the winners after next week’s panel of Experts. The prizes may be imaginary but the link to your site and the glory of winning are oh-so-real.
You still have time to guess the current puzzler, in which I asked if this plant was real or fake:
Hint: THIS MAY BE A TRICK QUESTION. Use your eagle eyes. I have confidence in you.
Leave your best guess in the comments section. There will be imaginary prizes for all who play. I’ll reveal the answers and the winners after an all-new Ask the Experts Panel tomorrow. Good luck, and I hope to see you back here!
Good To Grow 
Happy Birthday Dottie!
August 21, 2016 in Good To Grow, [Friday - Ask the Experts!] | Tags: 90 years old, Ask the Experts, Dottie Correll, Happy birthday!, leave your well wishes in the comment section and I'll forward them along, National Treasure, nonagenarian, young at heart | 2 comments
Please say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our beloved Expert Dottie, who officially became a nonagenarian today.
90 years old is an impressive feat. To do it with style and grace is extraordinary. Happy birthday Dottie! We love you!
(photos courtesy of Cindy Correll)