Thursday, March 22, 2007

To Kate, and all other Texas Expatriates.

Once you see them, you understand.
Bluebonnets.
The State Flower of Texas.

Each spring they blanket the landscape, stealing breath away when they reappear, peeking out shyly like an tender memory, or an unforgettable fragrance.


Texas is a hard land. No mountains, little water, extreme heat, cold winters. Each year in the summer I think:
I must make my plan.
I must leave this place.

Six, seven months of heat and humidity, and air conditioning chilling the back of my neck. Then a brief blaze of color, autumn, riots through and in a week's time is gone.

Winter is even more elusive. Cold, frost, freeze, perhaps a blink of a snowflake is placed to mark that season' s fast passage.

And then...bluebonnets.

The heat, the cold, the hardships.

All is forgiven through the innocent bonnet's blue kiss, sweet blue upon the pupils of my eyes.




Love you Kate.
Miss you.
Jill
PS: There a slide show of bluebonnets and other blooms here.

10 comments:

Becky said...

Jill, we call those flowers lupins. They grow wild and in gardens around here too, in colours of pinks, purples, and blue. They are lovely.

Demara said...

Hi Jill,
Wow those are one of my favourite flowers!!! I just always thought they were called "Cinderalla Lavenders"?

I was wondering, if I can, may I try adding one of those photos to my blog as a background image? I think the blue of the bluebonnets would go wonderfully with the blue font of my headings...so ya please let me know if I may *try* using them??? Thanks!

Oh and thank-you for the faithful comment over there at Yokoso~I can't believe it when people spend so much money on the cure of their pets...

Merci-Notes said...

Hi Jill,
I had too put the food out LAST so that our TWO cats Catapult, a beautiful green eyed tabby/abbisinian and Hobbes a big loving orange tabby) would not start the tea party ahead of the guests! A friend 2 houses down makes delicious tea with cream and giger added! SHe is from India and it is there tradition to have tea every afternoon!
Love your millinery work! I will be back.
With Kindness,
Mary

Thoughts on Life and Millinery. said...

Becky, I thought they were lupins too, as we had lupins in California. (Big 2 ft high plants.)

The blue bonnet is actually a very tiny variation of the lupine of the Western US and Canada. It is a variation known as Lupinus subcarnosus ("generally known as buffalo clover or bluebonnet"), and the Texans have had a "polite" war over naming it verses Lupinus texensis, a bigger version.

Then it only got crazier. There are actually five variations of bluebonnets,and any lupine that is brave enough to bloom in this state is also called a bluebonnet and is also our state flower.

You'd think they would just say "Lupin" and be done with it!

The ones in the picture are different than the ones that bloom in such abundance as I will post at a later time.
I'm just glad you have lupins in your garden up North. Just be sure you don't accidently call them bluebonnets. The Texans will plum throw a hissy fit if you do!

Lovella ♥ said...

I've seem the little lupins growing up in the mountains, just when you don't expect to see them. Your blue bonnets are just beautiful. Texas is a beautiful state.

http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/wilderness/wildflowers/lupine.htm

Becky said...

Thanks for the warning! I can only imagine a Texas hissy fit would be bigger than anything I've known!

By the way, I love the new spring collection in your side-bar. If only there were more opportunities to wear hats.

Thoughts on Life and Millinery. said...

Becky~
The opportunity to wear a hat is easy to find:

If you are breathing, it is a perfect occasion to wear a hat.

Rule One: Wear a hat at all times.

Exception to the rule, (which of course PROVES the rule): You are not to wear a hat inside your own home. IF you are just walking in or walking out it is OK to be in your house with a hat on.

Lovella ♥ said...

I wanted to let you know that I have been admiring your new spring sidebar pictures. You look fabulous in hats, I wish you were modeling them all.
I'm wondering did you make all of them?
I have become a believer. One trip to a hat store and I am sold.
Perhaps you would like to begin selling hats on your site. smile.
I just can't decide which one I like the best. I love the love with the wide purple ribbon.

Thoughts on Life and Millinery. said...

Yes, all of the hats on the side bar are my creations, with the exception of the one that I am wearing. I bought that one during my visit to the Butchart Gardens five years ago.
I'm seriously thinking of selling the lavender one that looks like bonnet. It was the "sneak preview" that got tweaked again into that bonnet shape.

Kate said...

Thanks, Jill! I love those lupines too. It will be awhile yet before the hills are blooming here. Perhaps when you come? It's snowing again this morning. I haven't done a high mountain hike yet (on my list!) but I love it when the apple tress are blooming all over Switzerland.

I Love you too, Gal! And I LOVE your hatful sidebar. And, as I've always said, EVERY day is a hat day. When did ladies get so afraid?
Just stop it! Yes?

Kisses,
Kate Q:-)