When an Orchid Blooms....

When one of my three Orchids blooms, I feel like the world is O.K. and I have a clue from the inner circle. I get almost giddy. It takes me a whole year of remembering to water, to water correctly and to feed and when to feed. And then, (a little drum roll) the sun comes up and I get to see something truly spectacular.

Love Affair

For as long as I have known this bush, every spring it becomes covered with luscious pink blossoms. The fragrance is heady. The color takes my breath away and I feel transported to another universe. The whole bush is covered by pink blossoms. Front, back, top and both sides. The bees come all day long to pay homage to its beauty and vitality. I cannot walk by without smiling.
It is overwhelming how Spring walks into my garden.

Going to the New World

This is my first post on this new computer. It is a Mac and a big change for me. I have used PCs for all the years that I have been on computers. I am still holding my breath.

This is a cutting board that a friend made for me. I have yet to use it. Knowing how knives make cuts on wood, I hesitate maiming the bear.

This is the promise of Spring after our rains. How beautiful is Spring? Too beautiful to really put into words. It is my favorite season. It is like I can see the world vibrate with new life. Ah!!!!!
And here is the house Princess in all of her glory, sleeping on fabric and controlling my life.

Well, this has only taken two days to do. I hope to post some artistic work in my next post. I need to show that I was busy with other things than playing with cats!

My Saturday Morning

I usually walk Frida early in the morning. She likes to walk as soon as I am willing to take her. Her muscles are building up. When Simon was still with us, I would split the walk in half, giving each their fair share. But since I now walk just Frida, she needed to stretch her muscles more. And I did too. One never knows how the break in between the both, to take leaches off and put them back on again, acted as a rest. We now have added to our walk. Frida so looks forward to it and I have found that I do too.
When I walked out the door this morning, this is what greeted me. This is a Canas and is a plant best suited to warmer climates like Los Angeles. I received this plant as a gift and this is the second flowering. I really enjoy the color and the brightness it offers.
On our walk, we go through homes, businesses and a mix of both on the same street. But this place seems to combine both in one place. I enjoy seeing how people personalize their buildings. I would say that these people must use the fenced-in area as a outdoor living space. It looks quite nice from the street. the color combination and angles.
Frida and I enjoyed our walk. Both of us are adapting to the absence of our sweet Simon.

A Matter of Taste

One goes through life assuming that taste or ideas of beauty are more or less universal. There is a Bell Curve on beauty. But from my discussion yesterday, my thoughts have changed.
I found this dried remnant of Grape Ivy in my yard. The plant is on a fence and it grows, and grows, and grows. But this one piece was not cleared up from the last pruning. I picked it up and looked at it, really looked at it. The beauty was amazing. Here was something that was once alive and now had died. But the beauty was still there.
I enthusiastically showed it to this another person. This other person looked and they looked hard like I did. But they just couldn't see the beauty. That is bewildering as well as wonderful. It makes this world larger bigger, large enough to encompass many more things than my mind will ever encounter. Now if I can incorporate that idea into my everyday life, my life will be bigger and more wonderful.

The Orchid Blooms Again

I am always so pleased when one of my orchids blooms. I have four plants and I tell myself that at least I have kept them alive. My first orchid almost died. I took some one's advice about the caring for an orchid and it almost died. Then I met a man who had the most beautiful orchids and they were so healthy looking. He told me that the very best place for orchids was a bathroom that was eastward facing. In that atmosphere, the orchid receives the temperate climate and the moisture that it needs. He also said I should water it once a week when not in bloom, and twice a week when it is in bloom. Also, feed it once a week when in bloom and once every two weeks, when not. Oh, and don't let it sit in water.

Armed with these simple instructions (I am lucky to have a eastward facing bathroom with a ledge that faces the window), I have kept not just one, but four plants alive. I don't have blooms every year but I do have at least one plant a year with blooms.

The orchid above is the one that almost died. As you can see, it lives.

And if you think about it, those instructions he gave me could apply to living as well.

Clara and The Devils

Clara now has TWO blossoms. The blossoms are a beautiful, bright Garnet color. I brought the plant in to photograph - to vindicate my over enthusiastic kittens. And to show that I was to prompt in saying that they had killed the plant.

Yet, here I am photographing my darlings investigating this wonderful plant. They are saying hello to Clara. Clara, of course, is begging to go outside again with her friends.

It's A Fairy Ring

My darling neice told me that the rings in nature are Fairy Rings. That fairies congregate around them. So, when I saw this cactus that I have had since it was a very little fellow, I said "A Fairy Ring, I must make a wish".

I made a wish, but I can't tell. Otherwise it won't come true.

Isn't it charming?

Demon Kittens or How to Kill a Plant

In my kitchen I have a spot where I have kept plants for about 15 years. I have one plant that must be close to that age. I have a "Grow Lamp" above the plants and most of the plants have thrived. The thriving stop in the beginning of the year.

The lamp did not break, I did not stop watering or feeding. What I did do is get two adorable, sweet, defenceless kittens. These kittens started eating real food, instead of dried food. Their first "real" food turned out to be my leftover Christmas turkey. They obtained it easily. All they did was climb up my pant leg and threatened me with more damage. I gave in easily. The scars will heal and fade eventually.

Their little bodies metabolized this "real" food and they have grown. They are 4 1/2 months old now and they know their way around my kitchen.

First they jumped up to counter where food was prepared. They insisted on supervising. Chester would be placed on the floor and he would jump right back. I do testify that he is a bully! They then jumped onto the counter where the plants where enjoying a peaceful life. I used to have beautiful plants, untrammeled by small claws and teeth.

At Christmas time I received a red Amaryllis bulb in this terrific planter. It started to grow. Every day I would look at the plant and think about the people that gave it to me.
Then "they" took over the kitchen. Two nights ago, the bully kittens knocked over the planter.

The long, beautiful leaves were damaged. The bud seems to be fine, but the plant demanded that it be removed from the kitchen.

The plant has taken refuge with its other friends that have been driven from the house.

Experts say that life will resume its quiet serenity, but not for a little while.

But for now the DEMON KITTENS are in charge!