Memories

Yea, from the table of my memory

- Shakespeare

Today I started the dreaded Atkins diet. It's a cruel diet that conjures up memories that haunt me as I ponder my daily list of diet NO-NO'S.

I remember the smell of Grandmother's baking bread, of climbing the date palm eating my fill of dates, over and over again, then sitting under the fig tree and finding the ripest fallen fruit. Or of scooping out honey from the 5-gallon container on the back of the wood stove, then having as much custard as often as I wanted, all in a day's time.

Then I think of eating grapes from the vines surrounding the back porch. Or of picking oranges, grapefruit and tangerines from the orchard, and eating them on the spot, sometimes with the skin, and then filling up on mulberries as they stained our clothes and bodies.

The best part of childhood was never getting FAT! Dieting should not be a part of aging! Maybe I should eat the last two bananas and orange in the house before starting the DIET!

My Hero

Fall Flowers

My camera is dead. I tried to revive it to no avail. I was in the anger stage of the seven steps of mourning it when my sister said, “Just get a new one." It pulled me right out of that hopeless angry feeling. I ordered one today. The only thing I know about it is the price. It should be here soon.

My sister is my hero--not only does she come up with obviously simple one-liners, but she knows almost everything about almost anything. Just yesterday, I asked her if should I put the new bathroom faucet on the right or left side of the sink. She said, "It goes in the back!" Of course! Who else could I ask that stupid question! I know most of my questions are pretty foolish. Sometimes she laughs, sometime she gets mad and tells me my only answer is suicide, but in the end she keeps the fact of my obtuseness in the family. Unfortunately, I just let it out.

Clouds Gathering

Rainbow Promise

The world as I knew it is, quite frankly, gone. Things naturally change over time, and I can accept that, but the changes I see now are not quite right. My belief is based on what is true, or what I believe in my own mind.

Weather changes are probably first on my list, because of the fact that I like to spend my winters on my swing. It has been too warm to enjoy sitting outside, and the air conditioning is still running in the house. Doors remain closed, and I'm DEPRESSED!

The recalls from China are OVERWHELMING! Gas prices, UNWARRANTED! Quantity over quality, FOOLISH! Lies over truth, and evil over good, SHAMEFUL! Open borders, ABSURD!

Even with things filled with uncertainty and everything twisted throughout the earth, there is a rainbow in my life. My concern for the state of the world just shifted to neutral, because I just saw my nearly finished, remodeled bathroom! It's magnificent! I'll worry about the world another day.

Bone Dry

Traverse the desert, and then ye can tell

What treasures exist in the cold deep well,

Sink in despair on the red parch'd earth,

And then ye may reckon what water is worth.

Miss Eliza Coor

Backyard Beauty

O she is all perfection,

All that the blooming earth can send forth fair

All the the gaudy heavens could drop down glorious.

~ Lee

Beauty

My garden is coming to life! The annuals I planted are purple and white snapdragons, and multi-colored petunias, bordered with alyssum. Most all have already bloomed. The sweet peas and nasturtiums are about 2" high. The larkspur has not yet pushed its way through the soil.

I also planted a few freesia bulbs. This is my first time trying bulbs. I scattered more wildflower seeds--I tend to over-plant and can't seem to make myself thin out the over-crowded ones. There is no such thing as too many plants or chocolate! The winter rye grass is quickly filling in. The grass around the lake is just peeping through. Soon it all turns into a lush green carpet. I take great pleasure watching this magic unfolding. And then when I thought it could not get any better, in the background I hear my wind chimes, sounding like the church bells in Switzerland.

Over the next seven months, this blog will consists of three subjects: My Swing, The View, and My Flowers. Come back next May to hear about my other life--Family and Food!

Autumn

The early morning coolness is beckoning me to the outdoors, releasing endorphins, sending waves of euphoria through me and energizing me into action. I have (with help) scalped my small lawn, over seeded it with winter rye grass and covered the area with steer manure. The hardest part, though, was programming the Rain Bird watering station. Having dyslexia and transposing numbers constantly, I spent most of the day setting, resetting, resetting ......! Boredom is fading away along with the summer . With fall approaching I'm shifting towards optimism, imagining my space soon filled with an array of spectacular flowers, and green grass. My tiny vignette of happiness is being on my swing surrounded by flowers,with a mountain-lake view and a hot cup of herb tea. It's taking lessand less to keep me happy at this age. I sorta like it! Boredom? Gone for 8 months!!!!!!!!!!!!

Temperature below 100

I received a message today telling me to plant a few seeds. I decided to plant sweet peas (my favorite flower), Larkspur (my first time) and nasturtium. I'm using the sweet pea and nusturtium seeds I saved from last year. This will be my first time using saved seeds. My sister gathered desert bluebells,mixed poppies,and mixed penstemons seeds from her garden to share with me. I will scatter them soon. I can't wait for the cool-season annuals to show up at the nursey. Funny how a little vitamin D can bring you right out of the blues. Summers are the time when I develop the seasonal affective disorder. During the fall and winter season I stay outside most all day soaking up the rays. Happy days are here if it stays under 100 degrees!

Coming Out

Today I picked up a few flower seeds, garden soil, mulch and a new 50' hose for my garden. I found a clear spot in my garage to store my supplies untill the day I get a message from my subconscious telling me it's time to plant.I might feel a subtle change in the weather,or see the faint change of the shadows over the flower bed, but most likley the message will come from the Sunset magazine garden section titled WHAT TO DO IN YOUR GARDEN . How ever it comes to me I will be ready!I can't wait because for me that means COMING OUT of my summer boredom.

Flowers and Computers

I saw this flower on my recent trip to Maui. I don't know what it is, but it's sure pretty.

My computer is screwing up and I can't figure out what the problem could be. It has copied every photo I have ever looked at on blogs and websites I've visited--and I didn't do a thing to cause it. Now I can't find them. This is very frustrating. I'm afraid that soon my computer will be clogged with unwanted photos. Very peculiar!

Boredom Overtakes Me

I've now joined the millions of folks who either have something to say, those who think they have something to say, those who have nothing to say but think the world wants to read that they have nothing to say, those who just know they have a new viewpoint on a totally irrelevant subject, those who know their viewpoint is right and the world needs to hear all about it, and then, those like me who are bored and would rather write nonsense than look at porn or join on-line dating sites and pretend they are single.



If I write anything, it's profound to me. I don't give a damn what anyone else thinks.