Flowers as a metaphor

Last week was a week of highs and lows.   Most weeks are, but last week was especially high and especially los.  I had more free time than normal, so I was able to finish the Lily of the Valley block.  But, it has problems so I'm not going to share it yet.  I need to reposition some pieces and even though I thoroughly wet it before ironing to get the water soluble ink out, there's one place where it came back and the iron made it permanent.  There will be an unplanned flower there.  I got careless, and will be more cautious next time. But, there's plenty more happening in the garden right now.

More violets.  These are in a pot with a shrub fig.  I'm hoping for fruit one year.  That would be nice.  I grow violets in my large pots with whatever else is there.  They tell me when the pot is dry.  If they start to wilt, then it's time to water.  This is more of a clump than I'd usually let develop in a pot, and I'll divide them later, but they look so pretty there right now.  

And, yellow Columbine.  I did put that section of fence back up yesterday, so I'll just need you to disregard it this one more time.  This is from seeds that a friend shared.  I've tried and tried to grow another from the seeds, but have not been able yet.  I'm going to try a different approach this year and see if I can be more successful.  

The lemons and oranges that weren't damaged by the big freeze have started to bloom.  They're both thick with white flowers and with bees and butterflies.  Unfortunately, the monarch butterflies and the bees don't sit still long enough to get a picture, but this black moth (at least I think it's a moth.  it has a furry body) was ready to have his picture taken and struck a pose on an unopened flower and sat there patiently while I pulled out my phone and focused, then flew over the fence into the neighbors yard.  

I'm pretty lucky that these trees are in pots or they would likely have suffered the same fate as all the others in the neighborhood that were planted in the ground.  I walk through the yard looking at them and hoping that there will be some growth, but nothing so far.   I'm watching all the neighbors' yards to see what was hardy enough to come back and will use that knowledge as I select plants going forward.  

The first rose of the year was this little yellow one.  I lost most of the growth on a different rose, but it's coming back along the base and should be fine.  This yellow one is in a pot because I haven't found it's happy spot yet.  Too much sun and it looks terrible.  Not enough sun and it looks terrible.  I'm looking for that sweet spot in the middle and am having trouble finding it.  

Changing subjects, guess who scored a shot last week.  It's a Moderna, so I'll need a second shot in a month before it's fully effective, but I'm feeling pretty darn good about finding the appointment and I even managed to help a friend that was getting really frustrated about not finding one.  We scheduled the same night and got our shots on the same day, albeit several hours apart.  The event was well organized.  As she was about to poke me, the nurse said 'your tail should start to show in a couple weeks'.  I said okay, but then it hit me and I was so surprised that I hardly felt the shot, I was too busy looking at her with my mouth hanging open and my eyes bugged out in surprised.  

And, on a sad note, we had to put my old cat down last Friday.  Every so often, we'd lose control of her diabetes and she'd get really sick.  We'd nurse her through it but it was very hard on her and she never fully recovered after each bout.  We decided when she got sick last year that it was the last time we'd put her through that, so when she got sick this time, we had a plan and knew what we were going to do.  

The vet's office was great.  It was like a funeral home, everyone was quiet while I was there.  The vet gave her a once over and then called me in the car and let me know that we were not making a mistake by letting her go this time.  They let me come in and I was able to be there when she passed.  It was all over quickly and cleanly and she's not sick anymore.  

She was a good cat and I loved her very much.  Every morning first thing and every evening, last thing, she'd head butt my right knee until I would pick her up and turn her upside down in my lap so I could rub her belly and ears and we could have our moment.  I'm not going to get all maudlin.  We've all lost a beloved pet, so everyone knows how I feel.  We get our pets for a few years and we try to make those good years and we end up making an animal part of our family and there's always a hole left when you lose part of the family.  

Flowers are a metaphor for living.  After a brief glorious moment, everything starts to fade and die.  

Life moves on.

I'm going to leave it there y'all.  Everybody have a great week.  Hug somebody and give your pet family a treat from Nirti (the Hindu goddess of destruction...a well deserved name.  She never met a plastic bag she wouldn't try to eat).

Lane