I didn’t think I would step outside today until I stood next to one of my bedroom windows (facing the backyard) and saw this gorgeous plant in bloom with magnificent orange flowers and its tall stalks. I love Gladiolas and ‘Peter Pears’ is one of my favorites.
Gladiolus ‘Peter Pears’.Gladiolus ‘Peter Pears’.
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Lovely weekend here in the High Desert and I am so thankful for the cooler temperatures we’re having late in the afternoon.
I haven’t gardened in a very long time as the plants seem to do just fine when left alone.
The ground squirrels seem to be on their best behavior; they must have realized that we are unto them and we are not backing down. Besides, all the plants now have chicken wire around their base as well as the plant itself. Some neighbors are starting to destroy their burrows, which hopefully will drive them away from this side of the neighborhood. How great would it be if everyone was working hard to eradicate this problem!
Seven months after being planted, my son’s tiny Pumpkin from his field trip has emerged and is fast growing. My son, of course, is thrilled. I almost dug it out by mistake, until I saw the familiar large leaves. Not many plants have their leaves larger than the plant themselves. Everything has been going really well until last Saturday. As we went to the Beach for the day, little did we know that we would return home to find our young pumpkin plant half eaten. We’ve enclosed the raised bed with chicken wire to prevent the squirrels from causing further damages to the young plant. I can’t tell if we’ll be getting any good sized pumpkin out of it.
Pumpkin Sprout.
On Friday night we took a trip to Lowe’s and purchased more Privacy Fence Slats which we put in on Saturday morning. I like and respect my neighbors and I really don’t need to know what’s going on in their side of the fence. Some are neat, others not so much. Without fence privacy a neighbor’s pile of trash can make your yard look unpleasant as well. Our yard is huge, spacious and we enjoy spending time outdoors. Therefore for us, adding some privacy gives us some peace of mind and helps us maintain a peaceful and healthy relation with our neighbors. Like the saying goes, “good fences make good neighbors”.
Gorgeous and lovely weather today in the High Desert. What a pleasant surprise to see one of the two Agapanthus ‘Storm Clouds’ in my front yard in bloom. Such an attractive evergreen perennial.
Last Fall, my Son went on his first field trip to the Pumpkin Patch. When I picked him up later from school, he proudly showed me a small pumpkin he received as a souvenir from the trip. After a couple of weeks, the tiny pumpkin started deteriorating and he allowed me to plant it (I just dug a hole and shoved the whole thing in it). Winter went by and so did Spring. Up until last week I believed it was a lost cause until I saw the first sprout.
The Harvest of Life process reminded me of the Harvest of crops.
I once shared bulbs from the same bag with a friend; hers germinated and bloomed long before mine. For a while I wondered what I did wrong and wondered what I could do to have better results in the future. After trials and errors, I realized that while some seeds will germinate in warm soil, others will not and vice versa. Some crops will be ready to harvest in no time; others take a very long time. There’s a time and season for everything. How slow or quickly it takes a seed to grow is not up to us. The good news is that we can control the quantity of our crops by following the necessary steps (watering, fertilizing, getting rid of weeds and using pest control) to encourage a healthy growth. Regardless of the methods/techniques used for planting, harvest season always comes.
Image Credit: Willow Tree.com
Just as with plants, some things are in our control and others, not so much.
The cycle of life is to be born, to grow up, to grow old and to die. But it never happens in that exact order regardless of Technology, Advancement in Science as well as other natural remedies (healthy diet, healthy lifestyle, exercise) to help us live longer. The choices we make in life will determine the outcome of our fate.
“Whichever season you’re in, rejoice and celebrate your life as you might not experience it twice.” – Joan Ambu
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die.
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.
A time to kill, and a time to heal.
A time to break down, and a time to build up.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh.
A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together.
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.
A time to get, and a time to lose.
A time to keep, and a time to cast away.
A time to rend, and a time to sew.
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak.
A time to love, and a time to hate.
A time of war, and a time of peace.” ― Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (KJV)
The days of the week have gone by slowly, allowing me to start and finish some little projects.
Yesterday was a joyful and heartfelt day for me. After talking to my Dad, I happened upon an old friend’s number. Had seven years really gone by since I last spoke to this awesome being? I asked myself. Sure, we kept in touch through emails. How could seven years go by without verbal exchanges? I had no time for my mind to wonder. I was thrilled to talk to one of the amazing individuals who stood tough with me during my times of need.
Kindness, Love and Compassion.
I met Blanche in High School and she instantly became my best friend. She was always in my face and my business. She was my eyes when I couldn’t see clearly, my voice when I couldn’t speak and she had my back. We celebrated our birthdays together as hers is a day prior to mine. We had so much love, admiration and respect for one another and I thank God every single day for placing her on my path through life because she helped me remember how sweet Life was and how joyful I was prior to loosing my sister. She stood by me and walked me through the other side of grief. We were birds of a feather, and naturally, we flocked together.
As I dialed her number and patiently waited for the connection to be established, my heart leapt with joy when I heard a familiar voice on the other end. As soon as she heard my voice she said: Please tell me it’s you Joan, I’ve prayed for this moment.Yes, it is I, I jokingly replied. We laughed and picked up right where we’d left off as if time and space never existed. We spent over an hour catching up on each other’s life and in the end, we made the promise to talk to each other at least once a month.
“True friends are the ones who never leave your heart, even if they leave your life for a while. Even after years apart, you pick up with them right where you left off, and even if they die, they’re never dead in your heart.” ― Unknown
I haven’t forgotten those who comforted me and genuinely cheered my successes and happiness.
By JM Perez
