Pretty Good! (But Not Great.)

That, my friends, is my favorite quote from a very favorite movie: Julie and Julia.  The ever-fabulous Meryl Streep, as Julia Childs, assesses herself and her sister in a mirror before going to a party, and that's what she has to say about herself.  It made me laugh, and I quote it often.  Pretty good!  But not great.

This phrase comes to mind pretty much every time I approach my front door.  See, I love the quaint little picture of potted flowers sitting on a front porch. Every year I try to create just such a scene.  I have some great old pots, my favorite being a vintage ice cream freezer, and I fill them with dirt and pansies or petunias.  They look great all during May and sometimes June.  Then in about July things get a little rough. The pots sit in the afternoon sun and soak up the heat and pretty much roast the plants until they're just shriveled little stalks sadly poking up from the dirt.  It would help things a lot if I didn't forget that whole watering thing. 

This year I pledged myself to those pots.  Come what may, I will water my flowers this year!  And guess what.  It's almost September, and I still have greenery out front. Yes, it's somewhat shriveled, yes, I lost a plant or two, but hey!  Something lived through the summer!  They're just straggly enough to match my porch, which, let's face it, is pretty straggly itself.  I'm very proud.