Mystery Solved

Just an add-on to the post below, because enquiring minds want to know; the mystery has been solved! It’s just as we thought, a harbinger of spring with a mind of its own!

 Joe finally went to the scary, dangerous basement, to beard the little thing in its den; he took the flashlight (you need a flashlight in the corners down there, eeeek), and traced the little plant, aka Audrey, aka Jack’s Beanstalk, back to the source.  He was down there for awhile; I didn’t hear any screaming.  Then he started back up the basement stairs. I could hear him coming out of the deep dark blackness; he seemed to be moving very slowly; he was on the first step, he was on the second step; I stood breathless, my heart in my throat, waiting; what was taking so long? Was he all right; did he find it?

 Nothing.  He wanted the camera.  And around the side of the house he went.  When he came back to the kitchen, he had the answer:  there was ivy growing around the foundation — it had crept up under the clapboards and into the house under the sill, it traveled 2 1/2 feet in the dark before it found the tiniest crack between the wall and the floor of our dining room to slip in and make itself known.

We’re keeping it for a little while.  I’d love to let it grow up, get fluffy, and frame the doorway of the dining room! Joe says it won’t hurt anything for a while, but if we leave it, it could cause damage, so after a while he will cut it at the root, and that will be all of the story of the brave little ivy who came in from the cold.

T H E  E N D

Love you girlfriends!  ♥ XOXO 

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345 Responses to Mystery Solved

  1. Dorothy Ann says:

    Hi once again from Dorothy Ann on Cougar Mountain, nestled between Issaquah and Bellevue, Washington…

    I was soooooo involved with your “Susan and Joe’s” excellent adventure tale that I could hardly wait until Joe solved the mystery. And that he did, brave hero that he is…So, it was “the little ivy plant that could”! Amazing!

    Well, Spring has certainly come early for you both and that little plant made it’s way, not only into your hearts and home, but also into all of us girlfriends too!
    Have a happy weekend, Susan.
    Happy weekend Girlfriends…east to west…and north to south!
    Dorothy Ann

  2. Penny says:

    What a beautiful story. Loving and to be loved is the best! I’ve known my husband since I was in 5th grade and him in 8th. We’ve been together almost 50 years (so hard to realize that much time has gone by).
    Thank u for sharing your thoughts and photos.
    By the way, the weather on the central coast here in CA reached 80 degrees today. It was glorious!
    Penny
    Paso Robles

  3. Gail in Manchester, N.H. says:

    I’m in a panic, I think my husband by accident deleted my new Willard. Boo hoo! Is there anyway to have it sent again??

  4. Jana says:

    Your blog gives a warm and cozy feeling. Talking to girlfriends is always makes each day brighter. Just like a mouse, your ivy found the tinest of holes to get through. Have you thought of taking and cutting and passing her on to someone?

    Jana
    West Des Moines, Iowa

  5. Carol Maurer says:

    Good morning, Susan.
    I’ve been looking all this past week for the comments that I’ve made and haven’t seen any to date. I remember you saying that it can take a couple days, but a week? I was hoping to be a part of the winning the cups and saucers.

    Be careful of that ivy growing. We had a bunch of it on the backyard fence when we moved here. Took a long time before it was all gone. Very invasive!!
    Have a great weekend!
    Carol M

    • sbranch says:

      No it would never take a week . . . I can’t be sure what happened, but here you are! Hope this one goes through!

  6. Sue says:

    Awwww……..that would be pretty if you could leave it and let it grow inside, but I’m sure Joe is right.
    I have a 99 cent ivy planted under my carport that if I didn’t move the car everyday I think it would cover the car.

  7. How very cool! The little ivy that could, indeed! Had to *giggle* at your last post about basements. Our house was built in 1892, and the basement only has a partial cement floor. In the almost fifteen years we’ve lived here, I’ve never once been down there. Basements are one of those things husbands are for. 😉

    ♥ Carolee

  8. Peggy Cooper says:

    Nature really is so powerful. That little ivy has such a strong life force. Makes me hopeful that our beautiful planet will survive in spite of what man tries to do to destroy it. Love to you all. Peggy from Pueblo

  9. Gail says:

    It’s always so amazing to happen upon a plant that has popped up out of a paved surface like a sidewalk or road, but I have never ever seen one pop up in a house. I have heard that plants enjoy music, so maybe that is why your little ivy shoot found its way in 🙂 I live in Hingham, Massachusetts, not very far from you up the coast about halfway to Boston. Hingham is very old with lots of history. The Puritans settled here in the 1630’s. They built a church which is still in use today. Eleanor Roosevelt once visited our historic town and she said that it has the most beautiful colonial main street in America!

    • sbranch says:

      I heard that Eleanor Roosevelt had said that; I had to go see it . . . she was right, such a beautiful little town!

  10. jan shafer says:

    I love a mystery story!

  11. Margie from Lavender Cottage says:

    Love, love, love Ivy. My entire side yard is ivy and I am going to convert the front yard this Spring. It is so cool that it doesn’t die out in the winter….just turns darker green. Seems to love both shade and sun. Glad you solved the mystery. Have a great evening. I’m hitting the couch – weird weather has brought on a bad migraine and I’m going to pamper myself!! Talk to you soon!!

  12. Debbie ferguson says:

    From sleepless in Sanfernando Valley… Hubby laying in one spot and loudly snoring got 3hrs now!!! We have to get up early to church… By 9:15 to deliver snacks for all including special speaker!

    Well Susan my main reason to write tonight is to ask “”””””when will you tell us what you have
    Bought for us from the “New York Toy Store????? Please, please give us a sneak preview!

    • sbranch says:

      Toy store? I think I forgot what that was, can you remind me? I don’t think we went into a toy store!

      • Debbie ferguson says:

        Didn’t you go to the New York Toy show? Oh ….was it the Gift Show? I can be so ditsy sometimes!!

        • sbranch says:

          Oh yes, it was the gift show, I did show a few of the things we found on the page with all the fashion on Madison Avenue.

  13. Barbara T, Wolverine Lake MI says:

    How funny to hear all the comments about basements! I am just amazed. I have always had one, it has never creeped me out. A friend overseas told me once that it is one thing no one understands about Americans – that we like to live underground! (what? I thought) Our home has a walk-out basement with the entire floor exposed on the west, and it has a staircase on either side. windows across the entire way and a door and I’ve always liked it down there. We have a guest room “underground” with a full bathroom. I have never considered that people might have a problem going down there! (Our 2 boys used it as their bedroom). Funny how you get a different perspective from hearing all of the comments!

  14. Linda Bleeke says:

    Hi again, this is Linda from Waretown, NJ; and my first thought was… that’s the beginning of a child’s story. I can see it in front of me all printed up. You should write it. The Ivy that came in from the Cold. I too have a scary yankee cellar. I don’t go down there very often but when I do I wear a hat. My yearly termite man tells me that the spider crickets down there are on steroids! I have signs of spring as well. Many things are in the garden all popped through and the plants in the pond are growing new shoots and I haven’t done the spring cleaning yet. Happy Leap Year Day this week. Linda

    • sbranch says:

      A hat! How smart! I can just hear my California friends . . . wear a HAT, to go into the BASEMENT, so SPIDERS don’t get on you????? 🙂

  15. Lesley says:

    I love your idea of keeping a diary of your special parties. I wish I had done the same with all the past “girl friend birthday parties” that I have given. We always have such fun. I do have some pictures so nows the time to start. Thank you Susan for all your sharing.

  16. Kristin Rhodes says:

    Susan, Thank You. Long time follower and I had to postpone reading Willard until as God would see it, this morning. I’m in the midst of being overwhelmed in my non-crafty responsibilities and reading Willard, then your blog, took me out of my funk. I’m in the process of making this transition to a sliver of the life you are blessed to lead and the peace and “ah” I’m feeling after reading and seeing your blog as well, just helped with the attitude adjustment I needed. Love you 🙂

  17. Pollyanna Leggett says:

    Ha Ha, Audrey!!!! FEED ME Seymor!! Be very careful around that plant, things could get ugly!
    Pollyanna from Montana ( Bozeman)

  18. Karen Saunders says:

    dear susan, it was such a good idea to have everyone say where they are from. in reading back i came upon pat addisons comment that she lived near Grants Pass, in Cave Junction….and that’s so funny because one of the lookouts (Waldo) was just outside of it. sadly they tore it down though. some lookouts that they are not using anymore you can rent. but be ready to wake up at 4:00 in the am and go to bed at 10:00. that’s what happens when you are the highest place around and the sun is the first and last to hit you!! btw pat….john wayne had a beautiful little ranch tucked away in a wee valley up the illinois river. i had the good fortune to visit it. ……and the first night on my lookout when my warden said they had seen footprints of bigfoot…i wrapped the dogchain up and down the stairs and put a chair at the top….and slept with my rifle all night. HAAAA!!! like THAT was going to keep him out. (i was 17 go figure) I think my warden was pulling my leg.

    • sbranch says:

      What were you doing on a lookout, with a warden and a gun and a dog chain when you were 17?? What were you looking out for?

      • Karen Saunders says:

        i was a fire lookout…watching for fires….remember, i was the one that had a fire IN my lookout the first night i was there. my garbage sack caught on fire. not a very good ‘first night’ i must say.

  19. Christie Ray says:

    I was so excited to see the winner of the tea cups and her story of the Betsy Tacy houses…my husband and I had watched the special on tv of the renovation (most likely on hgtv) I even took notes and thought it would be so neat to visit them one day. We were wanting a little Victorian cottage so badly, and we drooled the entire episode, over the high ceilings, wood floors and cookstove in the old kfashioned kitchen. Well here we are, living in a storybook cottage, finally! And even now, my husband is out in our detached screened porch/outdoor kitchen, playing with our restored old wood cookstove. Just acquired wood for it today. Well, I just still can’t believe how serendipitous that she would win the very rose chintz pattern! That is just simply magical, Susan! Isn’t that just the glory of girlfriend love?? Doesn’t get much better:))
    Hugs and blessings to your sweet self and our adorable Frenchman;)
    Christie

  20. Sandra says:

    Is it in a space where it could be dug up and transplanted? Second chances and all that, you know…

    • sbranch says:

      The root is on the outside of the house; then the plant came up in a crack in the floor, such a small crack that I can’t even see it! There is almost 3 feet between the shoot and the root, all of which is inside the walls of the house. But since it’s a maniac of a plant around here, considered invasive, there should be no problem with second chances!!

  21. jane zamudio says:

    hi Susan! Your ivy story took me back a few years! Once i had a philodendron in my living room on the floor by a big window. Well! I guess you know,a root grew from the pot down through the carpet and came up as a start of a new plant! It was weird and creepy all at the same time, but most of all..we wondered how long it had sat there without being moved! I started to question my housekeeping skills!! I later learned that plants like that are very aggressive and my mind was put at ease…but i still wonder sometimes!

  22. maybaby says:

    Looking at the ice and snow bending the branches of our birch tree this morning here in St. Paul, I love seeing your brave ivy plant! Winter finally really arrived in Minnesota yesterday, and everything looks fresh and clean as if it has been spread with cream cheese frosting.

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