Pride and daylillies

 This week was busy.  We had the first hurricane in the gulf on the first day of hurricane season.  Thankfully, it was a big nothing, but I hope it's not a sign of the year to come.  Work has been very busy due to a LOT of requests for assistance by people all over the company.  I joked with my boss about how hard it is to be one of the popular kids, but in truth, I love it.  I love having my memory tested and can proudly say that I am still firing on all eight.  I enjoyed spending time with Syd this week.  We've settled into our own daily routine and generally stay out of one another's way.  We're getting lots of rain, which is doing the garden good, but it meant I only got to spend a little time out there and the rest has been spent inside, sorting through what I own to decide what I should continue to own and what I need to send away.  And, I learned how to make coffee in a French press...who knew I'd been grinding my beans to finely for all these years.  It's been a good week.  

I've had a variety of daylilies bloom.  This one is 'green'.  I put that in parentheses because there seems to always be someone with no imagination that reminds me that they're really yellow.  And, they are, but they're close enough to the green side of the spectrum that they come off as green in the right light.  

These are the same way.  I love growing green flowers and one day, aspire to a green rose.  Flowers aren't supposed to be green, that's what foliage is for, so when I can find a green flower, I generally try to grow it.  

This bold red one showed up.  I don't know where it came from and the flower is small, but it has a LOT of impact.  

This is the new one I bought on the half price rack at the garden center a couple weeks ago.  I think they marked it down too soon because it still had a scape and unopened flowers.  But, I didn't mind getting it for half price and look at that flower!

I know we aren't supposed to like the common orange ones anymore, but look at this double orange!  

Okay, one last plant.  These are Echinacea.  I have a ton of pink ones, both the easily recognizable dark and a light shade of pink.  But, I also have these two, a red and a gold.  They've gotten off to a little slower start because I was afraid my garden didn't have the right sun and I erred on the side of too much shade, but they've been moved and are thriving now.

Subject change:  When Linda passed away a few years ago, I inherited a couple of random sugar bowls and creamers.  I use them for appetizers at the holidays and fill them with olives or pickles or a dip.  I rounded the corner in Goodwill on Saturday and saw a creamer and it looked very familiar and I thought I had the other piece.  And, for $3.50, I was willing to find out.  They matched!  Does it matter?  Did I need another sugar bowl and creamer?  No, I did not, but it was a fun adventure and I couldn't wait to get home and see if I was right.  Adventures come where I'm willing to find them, I guess.  

The adventure of living with Syd continues.  There was much weeping and moaning when she realized we were serious about charging her rent and utilities.  (don't judge me, that money is what we're going to use as deposits when she gets her own apartment).  She got caught short on her first check because she started spending money like we were joking and when I asked her to pay up, she wasn't left with much in her account.  Oops!  First lesson learned.  And, that's exactly why we're going through this exercise.  She needs to understand exactly how much she has to spend when she's out on her own and while she's living with us is the perfect time to figure that out.  There was some attitude and I left Rob to handle that part, because I don't react well to angry sarcasm and she was throwing shade like it was baseballs.  By the time they were done, we all sat down and had a nice dinner together.  I think she figured out really quick that anger was not going to get her money back.  

June is Gay Pride month, otherwise known as homophobe discomfort month.  And, if you're wondering why that's so important, here's a reminder.  

I will not go quietly into the night.  I will not hide because it makes this wanker uncomfortable.  I will stand up and fly my pride flag and wear my pride bracelet and my pride shirts and I will proudly show as many people as I can (and in my 60 years, that's been a lot of people) that gay people aren't perverts.  We're not after children (we're leaving that to the clergy and politicians).  And, we're not going to hide and go back into the closet without a fight.  Marsh P Johnson threw a brick at Stonewall.  I think I'm brave enough to throw another if I have to.  

It doesn't matter whether a person is actively homophobic.  Anyone supporting homophobes and their causes is a homophobe and cannot be my friend.  As my Mom used to say, guilty by association.  

Everybody have a great week!  Even if you're not participating in Pride month, encourage those that are!

Lane