Some flowers, sculptures and a birthday

 

Last January's orchids!

While many artists paint beautiful flowers, perhaps my favorites are Georgia O'Keeffe's poppies. 

But wait, today is also a birthday of the lovely lady to my left, Cinnamon Heym, the mother of William, standing with  the O'Keeffe painting, and a lovely granddaughter who lives in another town.  We were enjoying the Museum of Fine Art in St. Petersburg, FL a few years ago.

OK, you also wanted to see the O'Keeffe, so here it is!

I last saw Cinnamon in June of this year...and here's my post about that visit (rather than making you click on another link).

 A visit from a long time friend...kind of relative. 

On Tuesday last week we had the fun of trying to find a place to eat dinner. Well, apparently two restaurants I recommended were closed, one on vacation, and I just saw the empty parking lot at the other. (Note, most of our restaurants are usually closed on Mondays, so this was so Not Like Them!) 

Next choice at 6 pm was my favorite Mexican restaurant. And there was NO available parking. They had all the people from the other two restaurants there.

So the 4th choice, I knew we would have to wait, but we did find good parking, and put our names on the waiting list at The Trailhead. A 30 minute wait was doable since we could stand near the bar and have refreshing drinks while we waited (Coke for me.) 

So who is this lovely redhead? She's the mother of two of my grandchildren. I've always enjoyed her company since I met her way back when! She was up in Asheville visiting a good friend from FL, and had set aside this evening to visit with me. Cinnamon may be divorced from my oldest son, but she still has a good relationship with him, after all they share their adult children's lives still.

The photo above shows in the background a person eating at a table against the wall. It ended up being where we finally had dinner as well. Then taking left-overs home for another meal, we went over to my apartment.

This may sound strange, but I'm trying to give my friends and relatives my pottery...things they choose when visiting. That way when the time comes that I've died (does happen to us all!) and someone has to clean out my apartment, the various pottery and sculptures in clay won't have to be tossed aside, or given to folks that really didn't want them. This started with my carrying a tub of pottery with me to various family visits whenever I drove to see them. And last fall I had some Texas and South Carolina cousins visit also, who also chose their wishes. Unfortunately I still haven't mailed the Texas pots to my dear patient cousins.

Cinnamon was driving her own car from Tampa FL, thus could carry a box of pottery with her. So she went home with Themis (daughter of Gaia, who gives judgements based on the laws of nature), and a dragon, and a teapot. She also chose a tiny dragon to take to her daughter. I'm so thrilled. But then I thought, do I have photos of Themis? Of course I must, somewhere or another. No need to go looking through all those old folders actually. **see below, I found it!

And perhaps I will now be moved to create more dragons. Mmm, yes, rather than more things to sell but now more things to give away. Things to sell are still in the trunk of my car waiting to display next Saturday at the Tailgate Market. And as Cinn reminded me, I can look for what gives me joy in the making... (NOTE: only did this until August)

** Themis sculpture found. I don't know which teapot I gave Cinnamon though!

Sharing with Sepia Saturday...celebrations! and Floral Friday Fotos

Today's quote:

We don’t have to pretend to be fine when we are not. We don’t need to push through and be strong. Gratitude is a soft landing place that requires us to be honest, open, and willing to look at everything we’re facing and not turn away.

ALEX ELLE

And in Open Yesterday's Pages, I blogged about this historic occasion and another birthday, Walt Disney

Late bloomers

 Are these the last roses from 2024? They have been through several frosts already, but they bravely give color to welcome patients to my pulmonologist's office.

While nearby Hydrangeas are in their dormant and still interesting stage!

And some industrious landscape-wise person has looked ahead to the months of cold, grey skies and frosts to plant these hardy little ones.

Art for todoay:

By Norman Rockwell

Today's quote:

Finding joy and reason in mundane tasks can shift the flow, and make it not so bad after all.

A trip to the big(ger)city

 No I didn't even go near the Asheville Mall. Lowes has set up a distribution point in the parking lot since its building was flooded at the southern end of the street.

This is the street which usually has lots of cars all wanting to go shopping.

Blockades stop cars from going further on Tunnel Rd. at the southern, down hill end.

Remember the flood came over many of the buildings at the bottom of the hill, as well as wiped out the bridge going to more major shopping centers.

So I parked at Whole Foods and availed myself of their sales on various produce (actually a dollar lower than my local grocery). I was disappointed to hear they aren't making their traditional delicious Thanksgiving "Scarlet Pies" which had apples, pears and cranberries and I think pecans as well. I've missed them for the last few Thanksgivings. Perhaps this year is a flood related decision. The clerk in the bakery seemed surprised I wanted one, and tried to convince me to get something else. I did enjoy my chicken salad wrap from the deli case, but the salad and hot bar were really sparse.

Part of the reason I like to go to that store is the wonderful Christmas Trees outside.

Nothing on that tag told me a price.

I don't do a tree in my tiny apartment.

There sure were oodles of them!

And my indulgence wasn't a tree, nor a pruned rosemary into a tree shape...but some posies for my own enjoyment...they last better than a piece of pie!

I had only spotted two roses when I purchased the bunch, but found I had 6 when I started cutting the stems back! A real deal! But of course these roses has already expired, and didn't open for me so I sadly trashed them after they bent their little heads down.

Those dark mums are the darkest red I've ever seen.

Today's quote:

Hatred cannot help but be transformed in the presence of love.

A study in Yellow and ...

 

The first maple leaves to turn outside my window

More yellow - Art nouveau pitcher ~ eggshell porcelain ~ Samuel Shellink..Dutch pottery.

And for the Ukranians

Today's quote:

When change comes, you gotta slow down and take note of it. In the midst of that change is all the possibility in the world.

BERTICE BERRY

The porch plants (again) plus gazebo update!

 A new bouquet on my front porch. Sharing with Floral Friday Fotos 

A bit late of course.  

and Garden Blogger's Bloom Day.

The giant leaved coleus has continued to grow, and I've snipped as many blooms as I could find before it went to seed. I tried rooting one branch, and so far it's just looking happy to live in the water, but not a root in sight. Anyway, this was taken before the rain which was expected from Hurricane Francine came through. I hope it soaks everything well, and has no strong winds left over, since the storm remains headed waaay west of us.

I'm happy to see the African Violet is doing so well outside, where no wind, rain or sun come near it.

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Friday noon, the gazebo at Lake Tomahawk is  almost finished. 

Today's quote:

Integrity, an important part of self-mastery, is not easy. Integrity involves the sacrifice of the short term for the long term. 

From Heron Dance Art Journal newsletter

My simple life

Cool night last night, and the high is supposed to only be mid 70's today! Wheeeee! Fall weather finally. 

You'd better believe my windows are open! 

Today's plan is to do a bit of the exercise program, eat lunch at the Lakeview Center, and maybe tackle the laundry which I didn't feel like doing last week. That's the plan anyway!  Scratch that already. I have an 8 o'clock appointment with my PA about my tear ducts...there's a white fluid in them. I have dry eyes and use different kinds of drops to help. Maybe infection? Maybe what? Will let you know! 

Oh it's also my youngest son's birthday. I'm not as close physically/geographically as I'd like...he lives out west in Colorado, and here I am in North Carolina. But we are definitely close psychologically. We can talk to each other and just pick up wherever we were weeks ago, and he still calls with some of his problems. Not for me to solve, but just to listen, which is a richness I didn't expect to receive.

This little volunteer is the only flower blooming in the area by the stairs at the Lakeview Center. I am not a fan of the various green textures that the beautification committee put into the tiered gardens nearby. More on that later.

I finally drove by these houses on Connoly St., several of which had been in the garden tour this summer. So they might be past their prime. But I still enjoy that they have such well defined flower beds.

Turning onto Dougherty St. I saw this stately home. This is what I imagine nineteenth century southern homes to look like.

Continuing down the  street, there's this interesting more modern home which is being renovated. The center portion used to have a patio open to the air, and it looks like that's being enclosed now.  It will be interesting to see how it progresses (you know me by now, watching construction crews!)

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Tallahassee Memorial Hospital where my son was born in 1979. Maybe they'll put up a plaque!

Today's quote:

There are always moments when one feels empty, estranged and afraid.
You are detaching, the old is over and the new has not yet come. The soul has cast its moorings and is sailing for distant places.
Remember the instruction: whatever you come across
- go beyond.

—Nisargadatta Maharaj

Porch flowers

 Just a few seem happy with the frequent rains and high afternoon temperatures (with brutal sun before the rains.)

This monster leaf coleus has continued to send out more huge leaves...very colorful little tree! I just cut off a few beginning flowers, so it will keep on making more leaves.

I'm thrilled that the petunias are still blooming.

The geranium has been too wet, so I've pruned out some leaves and stems in hopes a bit more air going through the plant will kill of the beginning of a fungus. we shall see.

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Healthwise, another hiccough...Tuesday had one of my intermittent fevers that have no rhyme nor reason...just sudden chills and fever, which responds to Tylenol. I stayed in bed pretty much the rest of the day (except getting up to see Olympics). Feeling just low energy today (Wed.) and am posting my lunch, what I eat when sick (since I don't have the energy to fix a cheese sandwich.)

Sharing with Floral Friday Fotos

and Thankful Thursday

Today's quote:

Attention is the doorway to gratitude, the doorway to wonder, the doorway to reciprocity.

ROBIN WALL KIMMERER

Adding pollinator friendly flowers

 Some thoughts for the butterflies and flowers:

"Planting a pollinator-friendly lawn supports biodiversity, but it also helps the climate too. Healthy ecosystems are more resilient to climate change, and greening urban areas cools them by reducing the local heat island effect.

 
If you have a grass lawn, consider a “Slow Mow Summer.” A recent study that found that even just letting your grass grow longer attracts anywhere between 18 to 93 percent more butterflies to your yard. “To make an impact on the biodiversity crisis we need to be creating places where butterflies and other wildlife can breed. [Letting grass grow] is simple, doesn’t cost anything and saves you time and effort,” said Dr Richard Fox, the head of science at Butterfly Conservation and a co-author of the study. It doesn’t even have to be the whole lawn – a patch will help!
 
What if you only have a balcony? Priyanka Singh lives on the 13^th floor of a high-rise apartment building in Mumbai. There’s not a lot of nature around: or so you’d think, until she planted a butterfly garden on her balcony. As this article describes, she cultivates lantana, curry leaves, Jamaican spike, ixora, meswak, and patharchatta, all on her balcony. These provide food for butterflies, places to lay eggs, and habitat for caterpillars to grow.
 
Priyanka has raised around 55 different species of butterflies from caterpillars, and estimates that more than 5,000 butterflies have been nurtured by her balcony garden over the past ten years, earning her the title “Butterfly Mom.” You can follow Priyanka on Instagram here or visit her on Facebook here - she often shares tips that can help you in your own quest to bring butterflies to your garden. 
 
These are all climate and biodiversity solutions people can see, right in front of them, in the places where they live. So if anyone asks you what’s going on with your lawn or your balcony, don’t miss the chance to start a conversation about what a difference these steps can make!"

from Katharine Hayhoe's newsletter TalkingClimateNewsletter May 6,2024

I'm interested in what Priyanka Singh is doing! Going to look for pollinator friendly flowers for my porch this year!

And a note for November!

I'm not sure where I'm going with this blog now. Not too interested in sharing links to my three passionate social actions at this time. The news has blotted out my energy for now.

Personally I'm dealing with the dental issues. First I went to second dentist to get plan for a bridge, then he said he could put a crown on it. Then he changed his mind after looking seriously at the Xray, and wants to do a bridge. I said fine. Then I started waiting for them to call to schedule it. Not very patiently.

I called a day later (Tues) and asked when I could schedule doing it...was tired of trying to smile without scaring people, even though it was Halloween. They said they were waiting on insurance. I said, please do it and I'll pay what I have to. I can use the insurance on the rest of my poor mouth!

For now, here's the geranium which I couldn't bear to let freeze Tuesday night.

So now I'm scheduled on Thursday to have the bum tooth pulled, and prep work done for the pillars that will support the bridge. So for a few weeks I'll look even worse when smiling. After that heals then they do the imprint to make the bridge. Yay. I can try to wear a mask when around people! 

At the same time I finally got to see a gastroenterologist on Tuesday about my bowel problems (and I know you don't really want to know.) So she's doing tests and has a different level of one of the drugs I'm already taking to try. So that means driving back and forth to Asheville. It's not too bad if it's not rush hour. Or when tourists from out of state are driving like maniacs. They appear every so often without announcement. And oh those 85 mph drivers scare the daylights out of me, going the speed limit of 60! And veering around between lanes. 

I don't know if I'll have anything to say here. 

Today's quote:

Our lives can sometimes become status quo and that is ok as long as we aren't keeping it that way on purpose.