Pinestone

Ah, Pinestone. This vase came from the dining room of a home on a ranch that Jon's family owned; Pinestone Ranch. It was located just up the pass from Manitou Springs, a small town we lived in many years ago in Colorado. When Jon's mother passed away we had the opportunity to buy it. For many reasons it wasn't a good fit for us then. A road not taken. Though it wasn't for us, it was too bad it couldn't be kept in the family. But what else is life about but change?  So here's a homage to a beloved family home in the true west bedecked with the most luscious of local roses, amongst other little beauties. What filled this vase before my time with it?

Camilias are in

The most boring flower-not

I didn't expect to be writing about roses in winter. But it is California and there local roses available now that are wonderful. Got to confess;  I think the ubiquitous red commercial rose, that tight red bud plunked on top of a ruler straight stem is boring. I was speculating something along the line of the poor roses being held hostage by corporate floral industry interests. Then just before sitting down to write this, we decided to watch a movie made in the 1930's. In the opening scene the leading actress was blocked by a vase of those rose buds. So there's a tradition to this, eh? Could it be that somewhere along the line someone- men or women, wanted roses to stay that in that puritanically tight form? Maybe a fully open rose was just too..... suggestive. 

Or maybe I spend entirely too much time contemplating such matters.

These red ones have such heavy iconic associations they are rather challenging to use in fresh ways. This kind of challenge makes this work both hair pulling and really,really interesting.