Something happened this morning at pickleball that was really something. Who types a sentence like that? Apparently, I do!
As you know, since about the second week of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I have been wearing a dove pin, a reminder of the symbol for peace. A young woman, who just began playing with our group, named MJ, noticed it and told me a sweet story. Turns out her grandmother wore a dove pin for years and she borrowed it for her wedding, as in the "something borrowed" tradition, pining it inside the bodice of her gown. Of course it delighted me to no end that she had a fond memory upon seeing the pin.
Unfortunately, it seems as if I won't quit wearing it anytime soon.
I'm reminded of how when the pandemic was new and strange, I wrote down the number of deaths from the Coronavirus each and every day on my kitchen calendar during 2020. At that time I had no idea that it would still be infecting people in early 2023, including folks we know, and too, that over one million people in the United States would lose their lives to the virus. Speaking of losing lives, it sickened me today to read that in the latest natural disaster, the mammoth earthquake in Syria and Turkey, that a newborn baby was found amongst the rubble with the umbilical cord still attached. Her deceased mother lay nearby. There are exactly no words to describe that kind of horror.
Thinking of words, to be a writer one must be a reader first; I have come to the conclusion that I have not been reading enough. As such, I am in the process of rectifying that shortcoming.
One print that sold consistently during my selling days is this one, titled, "This Too Shall Pass." It is somewhat of a mantra that has never failed to comfort me when I think of the horrors that occur all over the world and sometimes right here at home. (think broken wrists and pneumonia) The lovely tulips were from a gathering of our LPV women for the December/January birthdays, one of which was mine. That said, it was so long ago that I sort of felt like an imposter accepting any gifts at the dinner at nearby Delaney's.
So far this week we have enjoyed glorious weather with cool starts to the morning, followed by temperatures in the mid 70's. A lovely breeze is flowing through our condo as I type. The sky remains bright blue, the days are lengthening, and the sunsets remain dramatic.
As you know, we play pickleball Monday through Thursday and on Friday Bruce has been working on a project at the church. Not only has our pickleball obsession interfered with my reading, my photography is suffering as well. Last Friday I went to Mead Gardens to see if I could take a half-way decent picture. Camellias are a great subject that do not move, so I was hoping for the best.
If I had to guess, it is a very good year in Central Florida for this beautiful flower. According to one of the volunteers I met in the greenhouse, which by the way, I have never before been inside, there are close to 400 bushes in the gardens, all of which were bursting with blooms.
Seems as if at the start of each new day, one of the volunteers dresses the statues with blooms.
I cannot decide whether the statues are new or I've just been unobservant on my previous visits. At any rate they are just wonderful.
What I'd gone looking for were owls. My search was fruitless. In fact I saw very few birds aside from this Northern Cardinal from the backside!
There were so many, many flowers, mostly in shades of pink or red with white ones every now and again. This little fatty intrigued me. Jam-packed it is.
There were a few fallen trees, evidence of our most recent hurricane and something else that I was not expecting as I was walking along the dirt path and that was this:
A whole bunch of mirrors is what you are looking at, something to do with an event that just began a few days ago.
I wish, and this might be an unpopular opinion, that Orlando had better gardens. Ours just aren't kept up all that well. Or that is what I think anyway. Take it with a grain of salt as I will admit to being particular. :)
With our fine weather I have been reading on the new patio after lunch. Bruce added lots more mulch and grass seed which is coming in nicely.
He has also made a sign to keep the lawn folks from using so much Round Up!
Sitting outside for hours at a time I am noticing how much is always going on either in the lake or beside it. The trees are filled with the sound of various birds, the water has diving Anhingas and floating ducks,
a Brown Pelican has been way too fast for my camera,
and much to my surprise, the other afternoon I noticed a fair amount of water movement. Yup, the otter is back. A horrible shot, as it was in the shade and moving like nobodies business, but for documentary purposes here she is with a fish in her mouth. You will have to trust me on this one!
The funny thing about the otter is that I thought I saw something running along the shoreline but decided it must have been a squirrel. I was wrong! Now, if only my owls would return!!!
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this is an exceptional time of the year here in Florida for all of the above stated reasons. Here's another one.
I almost feel guilty being this pleased with life while others are suffering such hardships. I learned from Jackie that our friend Dale's dear friend of 45 years died in Vancouver this past week. Michelle lost a beloved aunt two days ago, and of course the horrible situations across the world from us. Seeing the photographs sends shivers down my spine.
Some days it's hard to know just what to feel, isn't it?
your friend,
Gail
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