I have a giant bird of paradise right outside the bedroom. It’s become huge the last 20 years. It was planted to give me privacy but now it’s just blocking the view.  It would be a big job to dig it out of the ground.  This morning I took my pruning shears and cut away as much of the growth above ground as I could, and I’ll need a saw for the rest.  The root ball is likely 24″ deep and maybe 60″ around. I may try to break up the crown to transplant into different areas, but at this point I want to do what’s easiest.  I immediately opened up the view from the bedroom and main suite patio into the east garden.  Before, all we could see was the bird of paradise plant. Now we can watch the squirrels frisk around in the east garden as we sit on the patio outside drinking morning tea.

I love how fast I can do math in my head when I need to.  I love how the Universe responds to my need the moment I have one. I ran out of the house without my debit card this morning and was in the Walmart parking lot when I realized it. I seldom carry cash, so I grabbed the parking meter quarters and kept my purchases to a minimum.  I ended up in line behind a young mom, one toddler in the cart and one on her hip.  She was buying boxes of baby supplies and a handful of food items.  Halfway thru she asked the cashier for the running total. I saw the cash in her hand as she counted it. She barely had enough for the diapers and supplies.  She needed less than $20 for the food items.  I immediately recalled I had a $20 bill stuffed in my makeup bag. Since I didn’t remember it for me, I knew it was for her.  It’s true, I don’t realize how much I have until I begin giving it away.  Then it seems endless.

I get blessed by an angel at WalMart

Oh, NOW you remember you’ve got a child at home who needs your attention, now that he’s in trouble?  Being a mother is a 24 /7 job, not just when you’re in between boyfriends. You can do it, just a few years to go.  http://www.daughtersofnarcissisticmothers.com/ignoring-mother.html

The next no texting while driving law goes into effect tomorrow.  These are the quick texts I’ve set on my cell phone to answer quickly whatever comes in. In an android phone, go to “Compose a new message” and the drop down menu will show your “Quick Texts” and you can “Edit” them to say what you’d like. Mine say:
1. Whatcha doing?
2. Can’t pick up, text me please.
3. Driving, will text you in a few minutes
4. I’m heading back, will text ya when I arrive.
5. Going to Publix, need anything?
6. Going to WalMart, need anything?
7. Driving now, info is on the website http://horizonsmagazine.com
8. I adore you
9. You are gonna get it when I get home

I woke up early Saturday morning with a goal: swap out a loquat tree I’d given a friend with another one. It was the perfect time in the lunar cycle, it rains every day and both trees have a good, tight root ball.  I tossed shovels in the car, tarp, trees, it took me 10 minutes exactly.

“He came out into the entrance court and contemplated his bonsai. Early sun gold-frosted the horizontal upper foliage of the old tree and brought its gnarled limbs into sharp relief, tough brown-gray and crevices of velvet. Only the companion of a bonsai (there are owners of bonsai, but they are a lesser breed) fully understands the relationship, There is an exclusive and individual treeness to the tree because it is a living thing, and living things change, and there are definite ways in which the tree desires to change. A man sees the tree and in his mind makes certain extensions and extrapolations of what he sees, and sets about making them happen. The tree in turn will do only what a tree can do, will resist to the death any attempt to do what it cannot do, or to do it in less time than it needs. The shaping of a bonsai is therefore always a compromise and always a cooperation.  Continue reading →

I think we just had an argument but there was so much laughter and rough housing throughout I cannot really be sure… How can you be sure? I am such a tomboy I think the only way to work it out is to wrestle it out. It worked at 16 and it works at 61.

So what do you with a boyfriend who is always freshly showered, smelling like soap and toothpaste? Doesn’t it make ya want to get him all sweaty and feed him onions?

A cornucopia of fresh veggies to choose from for roasting later in the new convection oven: Japanese eggplant, peppers: red, orange, yellow and green; yellow squash, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, a fat onion and… wait for it… brussels sprouts!  I cut everything about the same size and drizzle it well with a good olive oil.  I add dried basil, mustard seed and tarragon with fresh springs of thyme and rosemary, and a lemon cut into 6-8 wedges.With rice in the rice cooker and hummus already made, dinner will be a breeze.  And a feast!

A killer roasted veggies and vegetarian wine mushroom gravy recipe here