Well, Lady Luck visited me again on the Saturday before Mother's Day. Libby and I were on our way home from doing a little Mother's Day shopping when we pulled into Annie's Garden & Gift Store in North Amherst. I was hoping to pick up a red hot pepper plant (for the red hot Mama in our house)! The peppers weren't ready yet. But Jaz Tupelo from WRSI was broadcasting live from Annies as part of a Mother's Day prize give-away.
I said "Hi" to Jaz and filled out an entry card for the contest. I gave it the gentle crease that my Dad said makes them more likely to be picked.
That afternoon while making dinner and listening to WRSI, I thought I heard then to announce the winner of the contest as "Lenny Daniele of Sunderland". Now, I was only listening with half an ear. So I thought, "Maybe it wasn't me. Well, they'll call if I won."
One week went by. Two weeks went by. Vickie and I were at Annie's to buy more stuff for our vegetable. I asked "So who won that contest a few weeks ago?". The girl at the counter said somebody named "Larry Daniele from Sunderland." To which, I replied, "That's me!".
Vickie and I were like kids at Christmas. We got to pick out a garden bench, bird feeder, pot and plants valued at $500!
In the pot, we planted Coleus, Purple Knight (Alternanthera), Silver Falls (Dichondria), Curly Wurly (Juncus effusus), Carex (Sedge), Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum s. 'Rubrum'):
The stone bench and bird feeder are pleasingly Zen-like under our Japanese maple in the front yard:
Thanks Annie's! Thanks WRSI!