Regina Lundeen

One of Delaware's best features is the variety of plants and flowers that can grow here. We are really fortunate to have four distinct seasons without it really getting way too hot or way too cold.

Lately, homeowners have become more environmentally aware of their impact on nature. They are starting to pay attention to the plants in their yards as well. The native plants of Delaware are as varied and beautiful as anyone could want. My all time favorite, honeysuckle grew along the country roads outside of Newark, Delaware where I was raised. I will always remember bumping along in the big yellow school bus on those June mornings, smelling them and thinking about the last days of school.

I am in favor of this new trend because Delaware has a lot of wetlands and marshes that are already fragile. Some plants have the capability of throwing things out of balance. I recently found an excellent ebook from the University of Delaware that lists "problem plants" and their corresponding "better plant: choices.

Ebook Link

Also, there's an upcoming plant sale.

The Delaware Native Plant Society, an organization dedicated to promoting and preserving the native plants of Delmarva, will be having it 8th Annual Native Plant Sale on November 1, 2008 from 10Am-3PM at the Delaware Native Plant Society's Nursery at 818 Kitts Hummock Road at the St. Jones Research Reserve in Dover. Hundreds of trees, shrubs, herbaceous species, ferns, vines and grasses will be available at reasonable prices. Come early, because there are limited supplies of most of the plants and trees and lines start forming early. Call 302-735-8918 or email ezuelke@juno.com. Good food and beverages, free of charge, will also be available. [Reprinted by permission from Debbie Reed's Blog]

Visit Delaware Native Plant Society

Hope to see you there.

Meeting with buyers and sellers is what real estate agents do. Meetings at the settlement table is really important. It is critical for the agent to maintain the professional and confidence that their clients want to see.

However, in a few days I will be in what I consider my most important meeting. It will be with a bunch of 5 year old girls on their first night in Girl Scouts...and their parents.

It all started several weeks ago when we went to a open house. My little girl, Ruby, went off with the older scouts to the kitchen in the church hall while the troop leader talked to the moms about this and that. I could hear the girls giggling and chatting as they worked on "something" together. And after the troop leader finished, the girls came out with little treats they had iced and planted candy on. They looked like little goopy bugs, with their M&M eyes and licorice whips stuck here and there. Of course, they were for the moms, of course the little girls ate them.

Ruby was very pleased with her creation and the look of achievement in her eyes was all it took for me to know that I would be stepping up to the plate to be a troop leader.

The last weeks I have gone to training meetings and the like. I have received binders of info books about Safety and since the Girls Scouts are changing - 2 books on what Daisies should be getting out of the program.

My co-leader has been very busy doing this and that, mainly keeping me on track. I am the people person and she is the detail person. She is very concerned about how the meeting will go and she is preparing very diligiently. I love this woman. I will be talking to the parents and handling the meetings.

I could estimate how many leads I might get and justify that this is time well spent for my career. And to some degree I have, though, there is no guarantee. I just know that Thursday night, I get to put that spark of achievement into seven sets of eyes.

Wish me luck.

My husband who reads newspapers and watches news sometimes until 2:00 am told me this morning that Obama has probably picked Delaware Senator Joe Biden to be his running mate for November's elections. Biden is from Delaware and I am from Delaware so for a Delaware kind of thing, I am happy.

Biden has tried to get the Democratic nomination for President at least twice so this is probably a nice runner up kind of prize.

Personally, I vote for issues not for people and I still can't figure out who stands for what with all the flopping around but I do congratulate Obama for a smart pick - Biden has a lot of experience in DC which Obama does not have.

Jeff, my husband, told me Biden boarded a plane last night presumably to meet Senator Obama later on today.