Even though I’m not a mother, I kind of experience some mom things. Like…I’m rarely in holiday photos because I’m always taking them. In the photo albums, there are more pictures of the “kids” (in this case, dogs and Tim) than of the “parents” (me and Tom).
I’m the one who willingly cooks, organizes occasions, bakes birthday cakes. And I’m the one who does stuff like this…
…with a complete sense of acceptance that it likely won’t be done for me.
Since my own mother recently moved into “Shady Pines,” my resignation to being the grown-up who won’t get treated to kid things has become more entrenched. So imagine my surprise when I got to her apartment yesterday to find this:
Out at Shady Pines, they hid “play” money in plastic Easter eggs, and when the residents found it, they could bid on Easter baskets that were made in their crafts classes. My Easter basket with the ginormous-eared bunny cost my mother $300 in play money, but it’s worth a zillion dollars to me.
Here are more gifts of spring from The Compound:
I don’t know what the heck this is or where it came from. Maybe Tim knows.
Tim planted this Mexican heather long before he ever moved to Houston, and it continues to thrive.
Oleander is supposed to be a shrub. On the roadways of Texas, like in California, it’s used to hide things. Most people don’t prune it like a tree and cultivate it in a garden spot. Tim and James, my gardening gurus, would love nothing more than for this oleander to “disappear.” But so far, the oleander’s winning.
I absolutely love the grounds at The Compound. You have a gorgeous garden which I take to notice every time I come over.
Happy Easter! It grins me to read about how great it was for you. =)
maybr I am just emotional this week, (if you know what I mean, but that brought tears to my eyes. My mom was always good about doing that. I miss it. I guess, since I am also not a parent, I get to do that for Rutlie. We decided is was his year birthday yesterday, and so he got a basket with bones and treats and steak nuggets. 🙂
My Ma still sends me a basket every year, and $20. She also sends Dash presents as well. I am glad you can still be her little girl.
I forget the name of that plant, but it was in a pot for a while in the backyard. It started dying, most likely because it was outgrowing the pot it was in, so I broke it up and planted it along the fence. I just assumed you bought it, or that it was your mother’s, or something.
I had an aloe plant like that once. It was dying a horrible death in the house. I finally just took it, sat it on the front porch, said something deep and inspirational, like…”Live or die, its up to you.”
And you know what? it thrived outside on its own. lol.
Debbi
I have a friend who just looks at aloe and it grows like crazy. I have a bunch of aloe that she began, and even though we basically ignore it and leave it in the most miserable conditions, like yours does, it thrives. I guess it’s a solitary plant that doesn’t like being fussed over.
That flower kind of looks like a carnation to me. Where’s Todd?! I would think he would have an idea.
I’m glad you got your easter basket. Like I said in my note, I would have sent you something, but was afraid it would melt. My kids didn’t even get baskets this year. I was the bah humbug bunny.
Or maybe it could be dianthus.
you are right on both counts!!!! 🙂
A Dianthus Caryophyllus is a carnation! Woot! See you knoew what you were talking about. There are over 43 different types of carantion and hers is similar to what is called a Kirin, which is also the name used for a rhododendron. Brilliant.
http://www.webindia123.com/garden/flowers/carnation.htm
This site has the info for carnations, but in the book, “Great Plant Guide” by the American Hoticultural Society, it has an actualy picture of her flower.
I love this stuff, by the way.
and I can’t type. 🙂
Woo-Hoo! Thanks! I’m marking it on the calendar: “I was right about something on this date.”
I always love plant photos from the compound.
Dianthus-carnation…I don’t think even the experts can separate the dizzying variety and crosses that now exist in that family.
The unknown plant was your gift on Valentine’s day. Don’t remember exactly what kind of carnation it was. It was full of flowers because the store uses some magic to shock them out, then it looked like crap later until Tim planted it.
Tom