Die, Daisies, DIE!

~~  Live free or DIE! ~~

That's the New Hampshire state motto, and when we took a trip to New Hampshire with this birthday girl, (Happy Birthday, Steph!) we got great pleasure in repeating, often and for silly effect, "Live free or DIE!" every time we saw it on an automobile license plate.  Or anytime at all, really.  Live free or DIE!    Livefree..... orDIE!  Livefreeor............DIE!

The word DIE must be spoken as if one were a psychopathic homicidal maniac.  (Maybe you had to be there.)

Practice it with me now, everybody:   "Live free or DIE!" 

(well done!)

But now I say to the daisies:  DIE! like, you know, a HOMICIDAL MANIAC.

An errant-knave daisy looks over the contents of a lovely package I received late yesterday from Chelsea: 

That daisy is now history, just for the record.   DIE!

My girl Chelsea sent me a cool new oversized t-shirt for sleeping or gardening or hiking or biking (or to wear while saying DIE! like a homicidal maniac), some sweet pink stitch markers that my delusional daughter thinks she is going to steal to make into a lovely necklace for herself, a nice note from Chelsea that says I was made an honorary member of Team Whole Foods for the run/walk for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation....

...and....and ....look closely. 

If you're just catching up, please read my post from yesterday.

(Fucking daisies. Fucking universe that seeks balance. Harumph. DIE!)

Thanks, Chelsea!    (Laugh, friends, LAUGH!)

I'll crawl back into my hole now. 

Comments

[Sharon]

Norma sweetie, I am seriously concerned that the Office of Homeland Security is going to glom onto your site and take you away to a dark place and turn you into a Stepford blogger.

[sandy]

Oh, That Chelsea! She makes me laugh!
:)

[Laura J]

Re: not yet dead daisies -- could you mail me some? I am short of sturdy perennials. Assuming I ever get cool enough to venture out. The mosquitoes have really been enjoying the weather.

[Kathleen]

Sorry to read about your daisies. My mom had a similar problem. I can never look at pesky flowers--like dandelions even--since the year I volunteered in Alaska. Sister Judy likened the dandelions to the disadvantaged. And I thought of daisies too.

I don't garden much. I've got some huge weeds growing in the front beds...they had buds and I needed to know what they were...they were finally open this morning...a variation of daisies.

[margene]

That sun really got to you!

[Jean E.]

Norma, you crack me up!! Are you a fan of "re-gifting" I am remembering a recent post about an attorney acquaintance of yours. Perhaps he would like to receive some daisy seeds. I suppose an alternate plan would be to drive out into the countryside and let them go; while telling them to live free or die. (or go forth and multiply)

[Laurie]

I think I'll just quietly tiptoe out...

[Michelene]

Norma, have you been watching those Dukes of Hazaard reruns again?

[claudia]

Norma, PUT DOWN THE HATCHET. The nice men in the white coats are here to help you, darlin'.

[Gayle]

Oh, Norma, I can identify with this - I'm having the same problem with yarrow... My MIL was giving me starts of Bee Balm & Monk's Hood, and casually asked if I'd like some yarrow, as well. In my innocence & naivety, I said, "oh, yes, thank you."
Two years later I'm cursing the stuff as it's crowding out everything else in my flowerbed, ripping it out of the ground & stomping on the remains.
Wanna trade daisies for some nice yarrow? *Ahem....

[stephanie]

It's the DIE that worries me. Not live free or try harder? Not live free or learn? (Not keep even one of the pretty, pretty daisies?)

[Jayme]

But the daisies in the package look like they are pretty pink ones not wild boring white ones. I say plant them next to the painted daisies you showed yesterday.

[Em]

OK, when I was a little girl taking tap dancing classes, my first recital was to a song called "Let's All Dance Like a Daisy" and TO THIS DAY I cannot stop it from entering my head--but just that line, over and over and over again. Please stop talking about daisies. I will come up there and help you destroy all of them just so I can get that song out of my head!

[Dawn]

I think the daisies are out to get you.

[Another Laura J]

Glad that someone else gets a kick out of that slogan! Since NH doesn't have a motorcycle helmet law we wonder why the slogan isn't "Live Free AND Die" instead...

[hornblower]

Girl, you've got to plant the damned seeds. Otherwise it would be bad karma to the cure walk. And surely cancer cure people wouldn't pick an invasive, growing rampantly out of control plant? Maybe these are tame, stay in their place varieties. Or maybe they take over the garden in the way this damned disease takes over people's body & the point is to remind you every time you look out in the garden how lucky you are that it's daisies and not tumors you're fighting. Either way, I say plant 'em.

[Michelene]

That's funny Gayle, it'm my monk's hood that crowding out my astibille(sp?) and lung's wort. My daisies need divided too.

[Eilene]

I think I got it...DIE!!!!!

[Stalker Angie]

Norma Dear, I just need to come up for a visit. If I walk within 10 feet of daisies they simply wilt and turn to dust. I have tried to grow daisies and have always failed miserably. I don't even have to think DIE....they just do it.

On the other hand you don't want me near marigolds or allysum. I grew marigolds once and they were ugly things that stood 4 feet tall and fell over from the weight of the flowers. Not pretty.

[Kathy]

Why don't you tell us how you really feel?

I did the Komen run/walk last year (even ran most of it!) and it was such an incredible experience. Hats off to all who are helping with the cause.

[Katy]

Yeah, I grew up in NH. And I still never got that Live Free or DIE thing.
And I think you might need a wee bit of a vacation.

[Melanie]

See, I prefer the unofficial NH state motto: Brake for Moose, It Could Save Your Life . Actually, I'll come clean. I prefer the unofficial, more life-affirming state motto UNLESS I am surrounded by people who are pissing me off, at which point I embrace the Live Free or Die one, possibly with an accompanying evil glint in the eye. It depends on my day, really.

(I can't garden. I love gardens but I have too much local wildlife who'd eat anything I'd plant.)

[liz]

The corollary to DIE! is FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!

Sorry, I'm having a Beavis and Butthead flashback over here.

[alison]

They're coming to take you away, mwah-ha, they're coming to take you away! Diet-cola withdrawal?? Is that your excuse?

[maryse]

there's something about that motto. everytime i drive into new hampshire i can't help but think "live free or DIE" with an emphasis on the DIE." and i want to yell that to anyone i see driving around on a motorcycle without a helmet.

YEAH DIE!!!

[Judy]

It always amazes me how two places, NH and VT, that are right next to each other can be so different.
I also have a lot of errant daisies.

[Lara]

awww poor lit-tle daisies!! but they're so cute and pretty!

I WANT DAISIES!

Apparently, the daisies cannot live free, so they must DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Silvia]

That slogan on their license plates is my favorite part of that whole state!

[Cari]

Just THINK of the hits your blog is going to get with the potential Googling from this entry....

Happy (???) gardening...
Cari

[Kim]

I'm thinkin you need to visit your resident home-Ee-Oh, girlfriend. ;)

Hope all is going well, you sugardoodle. Keep an eye on your mailbox. xxoo

[Stephanie VW]

Can you come here and either kill or EAT all the freaking dandelions in my yard? My town is herbicide and pesticide free (thankfully), but I can't keep up with them... Do you think we could just sprinkle a little balsamic vinaigrette on my lawn and invite some dandelion green fans over for a party?

[rebecca]

so, am i reading right - you'd like the daisies to die, right?

;P

[Kerstin]

But daisies are *supposed* to grow crazy. They are the flower wild child of every well-rounded garden. :)