Last week, we took a tour of a greenhouse that included gardenias, mmmmmmmm. Their scent, mmmmmmmm. The tour guide said that gardenias are coming back into popularity. I was surprised the flower ever went out of favor.

"Ladies, only two weeks more!" Winnie the Wallaby said, waltzing dreamily around the room in her wedding dress. Edwina the Egret , her best lady, sang, "Waltzing Mathilda..." Two of Winnie's better ladies joined in the song. As they sang, Judge Jennifer the Jack Rabbit hopped and pirouetted while Undine the Uakari twirled and swayed around the soon-to-be bride. "Glorious!" Winnie said out of breath. The four creatures clapped and hooted. "Too bad the other better ladies couldn't stay." "These dresses are gorgeous," cooed Edwina looking at herself in the mirror. "I feel so pretty." "That's because you are pretty, Edwina, dear," said Undine. "The dress has nothing to do with it." Edwina kissed the cheek of her favorite uakari. "Oooh, what do you think Iago will say when he sees her?" Winnie teased. Edwina blushed. "Enough of me," she huffed, pretending to inspect her right

Back in March I thought this volunteer plant in the front yard was a celery plant. As it grew and developed, it no longer seemed to be celery. The one stalk remained solo. When the flowers bloomed, dill came to mind, but there was no dill aroma. Hmmm. The Husband thought it was hemlock. I thought hemlocks were trees. Was I curious to look it up? Of course not. Last week, friends came over and concurred with the Husband. Hemlock.  Yup, that's the stuff Socrates drank as punishment for being found guilty by 280 out of 500 peers of not believing in the government's gods and for teaching his students to question authority. Interesting. It got me wondering if people could be put on trial for doing something similar today. For a poisonous plant, hemlock certainly is pretty. I suppose I ought to pull it out soon. Update: Thanks to Colleen of Loose Leaf Notes commenting that the plant reminds her of Queen Anne's Lace, I did more research. The plant does look like it,

As some of you dear readers know, I underwent a full hysterectomy last year. For those of you who are learning for the first time, yes, I did. Snip, snip, snip, snip went the oncologist/gynecologist with the da Vinci robotic arms and pop! shusssssh! went my Fallopian tubes, ovaries, uterus, and cervix, along with cancerous cells, which nobody was really sure if they truly were there. Yes, it overwhelms me when I think about it. My mind does really well about not thinking. My body is another story. Before telling you more, know that the doctor assured me that my reproductive system fits the size of my fist, maybe even smaller, and that within time my guts will drop and fill the space. So, here I am just over 13 months later continually clenching my tailbone because I'm afraid my intestines will fall out. Seriously. This got me to wonder: Has anyone given birth to her guts? Do you think I ought to ask the doctor? Giggle

That's the foot of our new acquaintance Steve, a storyteller of a guy, who we met at yesterday's two-buck senior citizen buffet hosted by the local hospital's volunteer group. Steve was wearing python-skin cowboy boots, and was kind enough to let me take a photo of them.  Both the Husband and I wondered if he called his boots Monty, but neither of us asked him. We just thought it. Ever heard a python snake? Me, either. Good old friend Google coughed up a video sound bite of a python. Its hiss brought to mind of a flushing toilet. The Husband remarked that would be an awful quiet toilet. He thought the python's hiss is more like the sound of spraying water on leaves. Maybe. My second thought was that the python's hiss almost, almost, sounds like ocean waves. Click here if you want to hear a python's hiss. What does it sound like to you? It's time for All Seasons , a weekly meme hosted by Jesh at Artworks from Jesh St.G . Click here to check

I started taking the free tai chi class at the local senior center last month. Having learned some tai chi movements back in the 1980s, I knew tai chi would be good for my health. The teacher was encouraging when I told her about my knees (no cartilage in them according to the specialist). She let me know that it was okay to not attempt more than my body can handle at any moment. In other words, do not over do and screw up your body. Just from the first class, I realized these things about me: I breathe shallowly. I need to be mindful about breathing deeply. I hold a lot of tension in my body, particularly in my hips, legs, and knees. I need to relax my body, particularly the muscles around my tailbone. When I do, the pain decreases and I can chip away at the stiffness. I'm not confident that my knees can support me so I walk with my body bent forward. The movements reinforce the concept of empty and full steps. In short, I can trust my legs. That when I put weight on one

We've been hanging around downtown a lot lately because Eliza the Car has been needing repair work.  Last week she got a tune up, this week, a new brake master cylinder. Next week, she'll have her timing belt and accompanying parts replaced. She's worth it. For being 25 years old and way over the 100K milestone, Eliza continues to be a sturdy, steady, and reliable gal. She may not be as fuel efficient as the electric and hybrid cars, but she still gets better mileage than some SUVs, minivans, and pickups. When Eliza's in the shop, we treat ourselves to breakfast, after which we walk around town, entertaining ourselves with the little things such as the business signs that we see. The Husband and I got a kick out of the above sign. Who doesn't want positive vibes?