May 26, 2024 ~ Sunday night (lilies, lilies, so many lilies)
In the blink of an eye, two months have evaporated. It was late March when I last posted and just like that … it’s the end of May. How time flies when you’re doing …
What have I been doing? Someone asked me that today and it made me pause and think a moment before I awkwardly answered … I have NO idea.
It was two months ago when I was complaining to a friend that I felt like we would never “green up”. That summer was light years away. That winter would never end. And just like that … here we are.
Those months are a blur to me. I have no idea what I did … other than wish away that season of in-between and too many cold/snowy weekends. And all of a sudden, those 80 degree days, that I was sure would never come … are in the forecast. And we’ve already had a few. Finally. Fine-al-ly. It wasn’t a horrible winter. I am just not a winter gal and any winter (aside from a week before and after Christmas) is too much winter. I don’t like snow or cold or ice. A snow-bunny I am not.
And so we are here … June will be here in less than a week and we are in that season where I change clothes at least three times a day. I have my early morning outfit when there is still a chill in the air. And then it warms up and I’m too hot, so I change to something lighter or a tank top … and then the sun goes down or it gets cloudy and I find myself putting on something warmer, once again. I’ll take it. If all I have to wear is a sweater, I’m happy it’s not a parka.
I planted early – yay! It looks like my gardens have been growing for months – and well, they have. Early for here as usual planting is normally after Mother’s Day. I just couldn’t wait any longer so I planted in April. Unheard of. I didn’t care. I just couldn’t stand one.more.day. of empty garden beds. The lilacs bloomed early – and lingered late. Some of my favs. I have five large, old bushes here. They are lovely and were heavy with blossoms this year (timely pruning). My daughter’s lily of the valley were fat and fragrant. Also favs. My tulips didn’t come up (no/thanks to the squirrels, I’m sure) but my perennials are full and happy. I seem to have a lot of purple this year … crocus, allium, petunias, stock, salvia, lavender. I lost a rose bush – dead as a door nail – but my other one, almost in bloom is healthy and full of tight buds. I don’t remember which bush this is – guess I’ll find out. I have a feeling it’s the red and white striped one that only gave me a few blooms a year – but so pretty and omg – so sweet! How I miss my orange long-stemmed roses from the island, though. They were gorgeous!
In late April, while my son was off rafting the Colorado River somewhere along miles and miles of wilderness in the Grand Canyon, my daughter and I flew over him as we ran off to San Diego for flowers, food, fun … and a kiss from a walrus! I hated the commercialism of Sea World … but how many people do you know can say they have fed and been kissed by a 1200 lb walrus? It was fabulous and if a walrus can be darling – she was! Bucket list – check! We stayed at a resort (Humphrey’s Half Moon Inn) that was lovely with its torches and tall palms and more tropical than our places in Hawaii. We saw acres of ranunculus (flower fields), walked 15k steps a day oohing and ahhing over gardens and old buildings, we stood watching 300 sea lions (and hoping one would bite some idiot woman who was taunting it – sadly, it did not) and enjoyed the mesmerizing wildness of the crashing blue ocean. We ate our weight in shrimp and seafood (oh, the macadamia nut crusted mahi … so good)! California does food well! Colorado and Washington should take some lessons from them.
A week ago my son had a corneal transplant. He and it are doing well. Scary shit. I am still trying to wrap my head and heart around the bittersweetness of it all. He gets the opportunity for better vision (he is losing his) … but at what price for some other family? The weekend before the surgery I knew that someone (probably younger/probably healthy) was living their life, not knowing that sometime on Monday, they’d be dead. The tissue came from a 19 year old. That’s all we know. So, while I am (we are) oh-so-very grateful for this gift … it’s hard not to think about that person and their family. We are thrilled that the graft has done so well (so far, so good) … but someone’s family is broken and grieving and some young person is no longer. It’s all very bittersweet.
In a week I will also have surgery. Another throat surgery for me … I am ready/but not looking forward to it. The doctor said the surgery will be a breeze. The recovery will be a bitch. Oh yay. I have a vocal cord cyst that needs removal … that has been the cause of my 7-month-long sore throat. I’ll be glad when it’s all behind me. But – there is absolutely NO talking for a full week after surgery and then I am allowed to increase that by 10%. So said the doctor, until I pointed out that 10% of NO talking is still NO TALKING! So, he said 4 sentences an hour. Oh yay. So, I figure I’m in trouble cuz I talk to myself, the dogs, the radio, the tv, and my computer 10x that every hour! I’m going to have to tape my mouth shut and am thinking that blue painter’s tape will be my new best friend! We shall see! I should have full voice usage by September but another six months or so of hoarseness and huskiness. Time to do some sexy voice-overs.
I had a very nice day of celebrating another full trip around the sun. Starbucks, retail therapy, visits, chats, texts, emails, cards, flowers, gifts – you name it. And, my kids came that night and that was the best gift for me (and what they brought)! Along with a portable ice maker (I’m so excited!) … and other goodies … my daughter brought me 20 long stems of oriental lilies … the huge, extremely fragrant ones … in peach, yellow, and white. All week it’s looked like a funeral home here … or that I stole an enormous bouquet from some very posh hotel lobby! And because I’m so sensitive to these flowers, I’ve been eating pain relievers (for the fragrance-induced headaches) like candy. I’m surprised I haven’t fallen into an allergy coma by now. But, all is good. I’ve never had 57 lilies in my house before! And, oddly, the fragrance is reminiscent of Pledge furniture polish that my (oh-so-savvy) neighbor used to “let” her daughter and I spray on their furniture and wipe off (we were probably six!). We thought it was great FUN … little did we know we were DUSTING for her! Ha ha. In any case, the bouquet had to be divided into three vases … it was amazing and utterly stunning … but too many blooms in one vase! So, now, every room in my house has lilies in it! And for a lily-lover … this is fabulous! My body will feel better after they all die off … but I can handle a week of absolute indulgent lily-scented air … and when I can’t … I go outside for a bit! 830 square feet isn’t a lot of room to have any unfragranced air with 57 flowers in bloom! I’m glad she took home five of the stems … I’d probably be dead by now with another 25 blooms here!
And that’s what’s been going on. Winter turned to a weird and early spring which is now turning into summer … just like that.