Progression of the Pistachio

Do you remember one of the early spring photos I posted of the budding pistachio?

This may very well be my favorite photo I've taken so far.

Then, I posted another shot two weeks later.


I took these two yesterday.



I have to admit that I had no idea the pistachio even bloomed, much less that those blossoms were actually pretty. I honor the pistachio on Earth Day. I'll keep posting the buds as they turn into leaves.

Here are some other pretty shots from yesterday.

Pretty face vs Inner Beauty

Like many folks, I cried when I listened to Susan Boyle's Britain's Got Talent performance. I didn't think alot of it, other than it struck a resounding chord inside of me. This morning, I read this article:

http://www.examiner.com/x-1390-Chicago-Spirituality-Examiner~y2009m4d18-Susan-Boyle-and-Sarah-Palinan-odd-couple

which also struck a chord. I hope she doesn't get a makeover, either. I hope some lucky fellow sees her as she is, loves her as she is, and doesn't need a pretty package to make her complete as a partner.

It hasn't happened thus far, but ah, the eternal optimist still hopes.

Magical World

Magic appears even on the dusty tops of my shelves.

It's everywhere.

Bursting forth in purple beauty

from all four corners of my yard

Varying hues of purple

Mixed with green

Against the backdrop of a perfect blue sky.

We color coordinate the sky and the flowers in my magical world.

Weeds live in harmony with the flowers, or is it the flowers living in harmony with the weeds?

Regardless, it's beautiful

And magical

continuous beauty to be absorbed and held

to be carried with you to the outside world

to be savored and appreciated every single day.

Such a magical world I live in. So few worries in my life. Do I worry about hunger? safety? my health? No.

I live in a magical world.

Funk

It's Wednesday, April 15th and I'm in a funk. I should be on my way to work, should be cleaning up the cat mess next to the litterbox, mind you, not IN the litter box. I should be celebrating the return of my favorite kitty, after a five day disappearing act. I should be folding my son's laundry so that he can take some clothes to keep at his Dad's place. I should be doing many things, but instead, I'm sitting here, typing on this contraption, in a funk.

I have only one important item on my agenda for today. I must do my personal tax return. I finished the corporate return on Monday, went to a client's yesterday, need to do my own return today and it makes me sick to my stomach. The benefits of a successful year, which one enjoys 364 days prior, which enables on to pay the mortgage timely, put the kid through college, buy braces and bicycles and all of the other billions of benefits, fade on tax day, even for a bleeding heart liberal democrat such as I.

All I want to do today is crawl back into bed, pull the covers over my head, wake up tomorrow with today behind me. It doesnt' work that way, of course. What I don't do today will haunt me tomorrow.

Off to work. Push the pencil. Find the flow. Live in the moment. Enjoy the bounty, let the universe have her way with me.

Garden Walk

These are called buttercups, otherwise known as weeds.

Violets. Also known by their scientific name, weeds.

Remember the sad daffodil? She doesn't look so sad here. She looks downright hopeful.

The sexy red tulip? Look at her now.

She brought along her pretty little sister, too.

And her non-colored cousins.

Ah...the magnolia...

I took lots of shots of the magnolia. The postman tiptoed past me thinking he might scare my subject, embraced as I was in her branches. Flowers aren't fearful, though.

They delight us with their beauty.

When their job is done, they glitter to the ground and feed the ants.

Breathe deeply. Get a whiff of my garden walk.