Thirty Days of Mr. Rogers ... Day Eighteen

Mr. Rogers said, "Learning and loving go hand in hand.  My grandfather was one of those people who loved to live and loved to teach.  Every time I was with him, he'd show me something about the world or something about myself that I hadn't even thought of yet.  He'd help me find something wonderful in the smallest of things, and ever so carefully, he helped me understand the enormous worth of every human being.  My grandfather was not a professional teacher, but the way he treated me (the way he 'loved' me) and the things he did with me, served me as well as any teacher I've ever known."

Remember the cuttings I took at Tufton Farm last month?  (I showed them to you in THIS post.)

They have spent the last month in my basement workshop, safely tucked on shelves with fluorescent lights.

About half of the containers are starting to show roots!

Click the link below to go to my tutorial, if you want to learn how to root roses like this.

How to Root Rose from Cuttings

Me:  Today's Mr. Rogers quote reminds me so much of how I think of myself.  When I was in school, I wanted to be a teacher.  After high school, I spent two years in college working toward that goal.  It was then that I realized that I didn't really want to be a traditional teacher in a classroom (dealing with difficult students, administration, and parents).  I really wanted to be a stay at home mom, raising my children.

Along the way, I did get to be a teacher ... it's what moms truly ARE, you know.  We teach our children every day, from the moment they are born.  We help them learn lessons about life, love, people, play, relationships, and so on.  I got to teach other people's children, too, as a Girl Scout Leader and a volunteer reading tutor.  More recently, I give programs to groups and lead tours of my garden, teaching everyone who will listen about the history and culture of roses.  From time to time, I act as a guide for Christmas or Garden Week tours, telling stories and teaching visitors about a particular house/garden.  This blog is another example ... it's filled with all sorts of lessons!

I have no regrets about not continuing with college to become a traditional teacher.  I did it my way and I ended up as my own kind of teacher.

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During the month of November, I plan to share wisdom from Mr. Rogers with you each day (from the book "The World According to Mr. Rogers") ... Mr. Rogers's words accompanied by everyday images from life here at Hartwood Manor ... this place that I am blessed to call HOME.