I’m behind on answering comments, sorry. It’s been a cold overcast, rainy, damp busy week. I limit my time (mostly) to check email, read, comment, research, write, answer comments, to the mornings between the time I get up, which varies, and the time I fix breakfast about 10. Monday was the TEE, Tuesday was brain fog from anesthesia, I think I did something but I can’t remember what. Wednesday researching and writing, Thursday SHARE, Friday and Saturday cutting back freeze damaged vegetation and hauling it to the already big burn pile.
Other stuff happened. My second great grandchild was born on Tuesday. Harrison Ford Russell. 8 lbs 1 oz. My grandson’s second child who was definitely not pleased about being brought so rudely into the light.
They came home Thursday. Paisleigh is less than impressed. She thought she was getting a brother but he can’t talk to her or play with her. Audra’s mother and step-father were here and now her aunt is here for the next week. I plan to visit today.
Friday cleared up, warmed up and I got out there and cleared all the dead stuff from one of the flower beds, the one with my own monster rose bush which I pruned back to about 16” (after picture of course since it never occurs to me to take a before).
I might have waited another week or two but it was impeding my progress especially since I didn’t prune it back last year and it exploded with growth after the hurricane. This area has the indigofera, white Philippine violet, invasive wild mexican petunia, and orange cosmos besides the heritage rose bush. It’s an impossible area to tame, believe me, I’ve tried. Everything in there reseeds and spreads readily so the plan now is to remove the remaining iris, amaryllis, and day lilies and just let it do what it wants to do and cut it all to the ground every winter.
I found more of the maroon Japanese iris that had been hidden by all the dense growth. I moved most of them last fall to a better spot.
Saturday was a gorgeous warm blue sky day, low humidity. I worked on the long flower bed on the east side with the tall orange cosmos, rock rose (not a rose but part of the mallow family), and Mexican bird of paradise, among other things. Didn’t finish as you can see on the left. Two of the plumerias will go in there later.
Also on Saturday my great niece and her husband and their year and a half old baby, my great great nephew, came and got the last of Pam’s things that Vickie wanted. Since they live outside San Antonio this was probably the last time I will ever see them. We’ll stay in contact I hope but part of losing my sister is also losing a more immediate connection to her descendants, my nieces and their kids since they all live far and wide.
Speaking of my sister, I had another dream about her a while back. I don’t remember the specifics now though I did for a day or two after. What I remember now is a feeling of irritation from her. You may remember in my previous dreams she was basically ignoring me, had moved on to a happier life. This last one, she made me angry, angry that she had so totally dismissed me. Fine, I told her, I release you, I release you. That’s what I woke up thinking, I release you. Haven’t dreamed about her since.
I’ve made no progress on the rest of the painting or made any progress in the book I’m reading except for Monday when I took it with me and read during the recovery time and waiting to be discharged.
So much destructive stuff is happening still re the new regime and it hasn’t even been two weeks yet but I need a small respite that is not about that so today is going to be about positive happy things…seeing the new baby, working in the yard, listening to the woodpecker rapping away for a mate, watching the birds…the male goldfinches are starting to get yellow…, loving on the outdoor cats.
Plenty of time for doom later.
How great to have new life to celebrate! And babies too...plants too. I like the phrase, "I release you." Will try it with some difficult relations. Yes, doom can just wait a while!
ReplyDeleteNothing better than a newborn but I fear for what this planet and this country will be like as he grows up.
DeleteHarrison! I had to laugh at Paisleigh's reaction. She's exactly right - he's not much of a brother yet.
ReplyDeleteShe's starting to show a little jealousy, doesn't like her great aunt, who is staying with them this week, holding him. But that's totally normal.
DeleteSeeing that new baby did lift my spirits, Ellen. Oh, my hope is that the world will be peaceful for him!
ReplyDeleteYou and me both. And for all babies being born while we continue to destroy this planet.
DeleteEllen, I'm going to try and borrow your method for letting go of departed beloveds. I have one friend, especially, whom I dream about and I am always so shocked to see her. I knew she had died. I saw her when she was dead. I would really love to be able to release and dismiss her. It's a very uncomfortable dream.
ReplyDeleteThe weather here has been just about perfect. So very nice.
And congratulations on that fine, sturdy new boy!
DeleteI hope it works for you. I haven't dreamed about my parents since the dream when I shouted at them 'you're dead' over and over. You might try that too. It's weird bout my sister though. The veil was very thin for her, she saw ghosts and her husband appeared to her several times until she told him to stop. I had thought that maybe she would, I don't know, not appear because apparently I don't have the ability to see ghosts, but come to me somehow and say goodbye but that's not what I got but I'm happy for her if she's happy because she really wasn't in this life and if looking back is not something she wants to do sobeit.
DeleteThat new born looks like he might be able to drive! What a substantial little dude! Robust and shiny ! Lovely! Your yard looks like fun- possibilities abound, I reckon.
ReplyDeleteHe's really not as big as he looked in the picture, just a normal small newborn. With most that one pecan tree gone I'll get a lot more sun in that area.
DeleteCodex: Congrats.
ReplyDeleteOh. The joy of nature. Like the woodpecker in one of my neighborhoods that kept drumming it's beak onto a metal pole. He seemed to enjoy it, we did not.
They like metal. Apparently the louder their drumming the more suitable they are as a mate.
DeleteI'm always interested in your suggestions and instructions re my watercolor efforts.
Congrats on your second great grand! A strong sturdy boy! Interesting dream about your sister. You’ll dream of her again perhaps, and it will be peaceful.
ReplyDeleteI got to spend time with him on Sunday. Nothing better than a newborn. I don't know if I'll dream of my sister again. She seemed none to pleased to be called back the three times I have dreamed about her. I've released her, released my desire for one last loving contact.
DeleteThat is one good looking baby!
ReplyDeleteI got to hold him and feed him Sunday. And he was awake most the time looking at me.
DeleteThat is a grand baby. He'll make a fine brother, with some sisterly training.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm sure Paisleigh will be bossing him around.
DeleteCongratulations on the newest Great Grandson, he sure looks like a big healthy Boy. As for the new Regime, I have no Words.
ReplyDeleteHe's not as big as he looks in that picture, just a normal sized newborn, but healthy and sweet as newborns are.
Delete"The people", I.e. the public can write to District court. He can be sued and impeached.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorely disappointed by the lack of outrage and resistance from the democrats.
DeleteCodex: As am I. I think that part of the problem is that we simply don't have the strategic political geniuses of your generation.
DeleteCongratulations on your great grandson. With an older sister to keep him in line he no doubt has a great future ahead of him.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Paisleigh will be bossing him around like a Boss.
DeleteWelcome to Harrison Ford, may he live a long and happy life.
ReplyDeleteThat was definitely a most powerful dream about your sister. I imagine you'll carry that one around with you for a while now.
Yes, I don't expect to dream about her again. This was not the goodbye I wanted and I'm done with the rejection. What I wanted was it's all good on this side and I miss you. I didn't get that.
DeleteCongrats on the new great grandson! Re: gardening. When I first moved to Florida over 10 years ago, we had some invasive wild mexican petunia in our front garden. Although I was an accomplished perennial gardener up north, I knew nothing about mexican petunia. I loved it that first year, it was so exciting. Yes, I actually pulled out and planted pieces in other areas. Fast forward to 10 growing seasons later and I'm still pulling out that beautiful but obnoxious weed. It never wants to give up.
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh at your experience with the mexican petunias. I had some at my city house in the corner where the driveway met the street around the ditch and culvert so I knew what to expect. Silly me thought I could keep a handle on them here by digging up the roots. Except every tiny little piece of root left grows.
DeleteWe are each of us an expanding universe, redshifted into loneliness. But not lonely.
ReplyDeleteLosing connection with extended family but no, not lonely.
DeleteSo far no problems. But he does not like having his diaper changed.
ReplyDeleteI think that's a good approach -- accentuate the positive, as the old song says.
ReplyDeleteI've been doing things here and there in our garden but nothing's really growing yet. I think by the end of February we'll be up and running.
Oh, and congratulations on your new great-grandson!
DeleteAh! There he is. I wondered when I commented on your most recent post if I was losing my mind -- I couldn't figure out how I missed knowing about the new baby. I laughed at the thought of his sister being perplexed about not being able to talk to him or play with him. She's going to have such fun watching him grow.
ReplyDelete