Linda's Bonsai

My brother Phillip who lives in Florida sent this beautiful bonsai, a Gardenia Japonica, to my sister Linda. It is really a gorgeous one, very healthy. It requires sun and constant care. Linda was afraid she would lose it during this delicate time in her life, so she asked me if I could take care of it for awhile. Of course, I could not deny her. I am a lover of the bonsai. I went out for a walk with my mother and found a rock to put under the tree to "landscape" it. It is a large rock. It reminded me of the kind of rock that we would find, climb, and jump off of as children.



It had two buds on it. One dropped off which distressed me. But the second one bloomed. It sits in the west window of my apartment and gets sun all afternoon. Every day I pick it for spent leaves. I dote over it. I let it soak in a sink full of water every three days for an hour. The perfect life!!




I tried to get a close up of the flower, but, as many pictures of it as I took from as many angles, they all came out blurry. This is as good as it got.

The Tremble

It was just before one o"clock. I was sitting at my sewing machine about to get up to go to the iron when it happened. The building began to shake. It was scary for a moment because this just doesn't happen here. Then it continued and I realized we were experiencing and earth quake. The fan and the light was wobbling. It was going on for under a minute. And then the news interrupted the program. It must have been one enormous quake because it's epicenter was in Richmond Virginia. A 5.9 earth quake. Imagine that it traveled so far. I am sure you will all hear about it over your local news stations although they are saying "as far north as Boston."

Well, there you have it. News for today.

New Technology

George and I made plans to go out and run a few errands today. I needed to go to the pet store to get some crushed walnut shells for making pin cushions. I have some kimono fabrics that Suzanne gave me and scraps of other fabrics I can use. And some great ideas. Also, in the storage area which is just down the road a few miles, there is a banana box that does not have a cover. It is spilling over any time we go in there and I believe there are kimono fabrics in that box. A big box. I can do a lot with that.

Also.... I have an account with Netflix. I have had it for several years. I was shipped three movies maybe two or three weeks before moving here to New Hampshire and have held on to them ever since. So, that means I have had them for over two months. Denise finally nudged me into plugging in my DVD player and watching them. So, yesterday I did that. My little television is so old that it only has one plug socket, and that is for the cable. When I emailed her about it being so primitive her reply was that she was truly not surprised.

She knows me well. So while at the storage space I have another television. A bigger one and hopefully, one with more connections. But George was rather doubting that we could find it as he was sure it would be quite buried. And when I opened the door, I had to agree. Disappointing.

So, off we went. We had to go to Target to pick up a prescription for his mother and while there, we checked on ::::::



I know. It's really skinny. So he was taking it out of the box and I was plugging in the plugs and waiting for the box that went to it. I didn't know that this was it. It's just this thin thing!!! It doesn't weigh anything, it doesn't take up any room. It's very light. There it is!!~~~~~



And it was on sale so it cost only $159. George agreed to help me set it up although he admitted he had a difficult time setting up his and his mother's. But this is not a really complicated one and while he was trying to read the instructions, I had figured it out. ME. And I'm not a techie. I set up the picture quality, size, channels, and even hooked up the DVD player. ME!!! Do you hear me Denise?

I can't believe it myself. I am going to register it and when I do, I am going to compliment the "Philips" Company for finally producing a piece of equipment even I can understand.

When I first arrived in NH, George and I were at BJ's which is one of those big lot shopping places and he saw these televisions there and he was going to throw one in the cart for me but I talked him out of it. I told him I was happy with the old one I had. Things change, eh! He is a dear one.

A Day at the Lake

George got me out of the house and into the country by a lake that is very familiar to me. We spent a lot of our childhood at a lake near here, Winnisquam. I have always had a fondness for this part of the state. So many wonderful memories, water stories. My father and his sailboat. Just the smell of the air brings me back.

This is our friend Keith. Just the loveliest graceful man you could ever meet. Can you believe he quite smoking four months ago and he is still skinny? All of the people you will see here are friends and family of his, who are gathering to enjoy his family camp on Lake Winnepesaukee. No one can say anything wrong about him. He is just someone who always shows up.



This is a picture of a minute section of the lake. The fresh air. Clean water. All you can do is smile here. You don't bring your troubles to this piece of heaven on earth.


What I didn't know is that this is Keith's 50th birthday. I would have made a card, of course. The tiny chocolate cupcakes were a favorite of the children's, of course. I got to have a piece of the big cake. Nothing like chocolate cake on a hot sunny afternoon at the lake, the sounds of laughter, the shrill of children playing in the water, motorboats on the lake, loons somewhere in the distance. I was at piece with my cake.



This is Larry, the only person there that I knew besides Keith. I spent most of the time sitting, writing, absorbing the great sense of being. It was a totally peaceful day.



This is Keith's sister. I will enter her name tomorrow. Another wonderful woman. Attentive to everyone.



The man with the striped shirt is Keith's brother, Todd. I got to meet him and even have a conversation with him and Larry and George, that was quite fun.




Lots of babies and children of every age.



Lots of grownups of every age.














George talking to Larry. George spent all of his time talking to everyone. I spent most of my time listening, where as George is not shy. He can find something to talk about with anyone.




A path into the woods that brought back a vision of running after my sister thousands of times as kids, off on another adventure into lala land.


The cakes


The resting place. I just loved this chair. It sat all by itself. There was always someone sitting on it. Young and old. I even sat on it. The joy of an old piece of furniture. At the end of the day it will be brought in the house, it's duty done, everyone content. Another fond memory.

Discovery

I was sewing this evening, having a wonderful time. I have made a pattern from my sister Suzanne's blouse and I was just finishing up, applying the delicate bias binding around the neck when I was struck by the sight of a drop of blood the size of a pea.

I'm looking around, there's some on my nightgown. I didn't hurt myself. I'm just sewing!! Then I see it on my left arm. This iron deficiency is really manifesting itself in odd ways. Two bleeding spots, one large, one small.

I'm rummaging through the house muttering to myself. I have cotton swabs, cotton balls, but no band aids, and nothing to take out stains. Merde!! (French for poop).

Now everyone knows I have false teeth. And there they are on the counter in a beautiful hand made bowl soaking in Efferdent. So I take a cotton ball, dip it in, and apply it to the fabric and within seconds, the stain is gone without removing any color from the fabric and without leaving a ring. Nothing. You would never know anything happened. I rinsed it well with water and it dried and I would defy anyone to find where it happened.

So. everybody - rush to the store and buy a box of Efferdent tablets and keep them on hand. I am going to experiment on other stains. If it takes out blood, it should do just about anything.

Do you think? I'll keep you posted.