Friday...Right?

I'm beginning to think that the quarantine is stifling my brain.  Honestly, I can't come up with much to write about these days, let alone focus on a particular train of thought.  Is it because I'm not getting out and about, or don't have much input to fuel my imagination, or the days are running together too fast and my mind can't keep up?!  I don't know, maybe all the above...

However, with the help of visual aids, I'm going to post about a few things that came my way recently, using some photos I took along the way...

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My neighbor is a son of Italy from a long line of la famiglia still living in the ancestral village about 30 miles outside Rome, including his twin brother.  I've spent my Italian time in the south: Naples, Sorrento, Ravello, so we often chat about all things Italian and compare notes about food, wine and coffee when we see each other.  He's also a very good cook.  A few weeks ago he brought over a pizza and left it on our doorstep. The best pizza delivery ever, and the crust was exactly what I remember of true Italian pizza dough.

When next I saw him, my first question was what flour he'd used.  When I was living in Scotland, I could get Italian "00" flour easily, but can't find it anywhere since I've been back in the States.  That led to a long conversation on different flours, techniques, pizza stone vs pizza oven, etc.

Last week he and his wife had to make an run to LA due to a family emergency.  His wife is a nurse, so it was totally gloves, masks and social distancing all the way as LA is one of the hotspots right now.  They got back on Sunday and he sent me a text on Monday that he had something for me...


I took care of their garden and houseplants whilst they were gone.  This was a most excellent thank you and so thoughtful.  People are so harsh right now, a kindness feels like a wonderful gift--especially if it's a gift of Italian flour!!

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July is my birthday month.  Nick might forget the exact day, but he never forgets that July is the month.  He's also terrible at waiting.  I never have gifts to open on Christmas Day or my birthday because he can't wait.  It's pretty funny really.  One year I got my Christmas present just after Thanksgiving because he just couldn't keep still about it.  When the FedEx truck rolled into the driveway the other day I could tell my birthday present had arrived.  I tried very hard to convince him to hide it, to not give it to me, but no, he just can't wait...


My birthday Buddha.  He looks so cool in the garden, surrounded by Sweet Woodruff and Coleus.  And that happy, joyful smile is perfect.  Still three weeks till my actual day, but what the heck, I get to enjoy my Buddha sooner.

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I'm very much into bonsai trees.  My brother-in-law has a Maple tree that my sister gave him years ago, like years ago.  It looks like something from Lord of the Rings and is truly beautiful.  I had a wonderful bonsai in Scotland that I couldn't bring back with me, but I left Bob in good hands with my neighbor who was also into bonsai trees and had several of his own.

Shortly after settling in the Northwest, I got Bob 2.  Bonsai isn't easy to come by where I live and not of any great quality if you do find some; poor Bob 2 bit the dust within a couple of years. Then Nick got me a small one awhile back which is doing okay, but not really a favorite, so Wednesday we decided to try our hand at making one ourselves. Wandering around the yard we looked for wee trees that were sprouting on their own and discovered two little pines, and numerous white oak saplings.  We chose the best of the oak and carefully dug him up.

Here's Charlie--named after Charles Darwin for obvious reasons--found growing in a quiet corner of the front yard from an acorn that fell to the ground last year. He has a lovely little trunk with a gentle bend, a feature that I love in a bonsai.  I hope he does well...



Too cute...and somehow reminds me of Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy.

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We have some very vigorous--and prolific--Sweet Peas growing in the back yard that are trailing and climbing everywhere.  One of the plants is the most unique blend of colors that I can ever remember seeing and I've grown Sweet Peas for ages.  It reminds me of an old-fashioned flower, like something a grandma would have planted way back in the day...and the colors?  Wow...


I love peeking inside a flower.  It's like a secret world in there that only the bees are privy to.  That middle flower was just calling for me to see those petals up close...


Look at those curves, the tiny, delicate purple veins, the absolute beauty in a single, little Sweet Pea.

I've posted this before but it's worth saying again:

"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly,
   our whole world would change"
                                                                      ~~ Buddha

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