Saturday, August 24, 2013

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Tonight's picture was taken in June of 2006. I received this azalea for Mother's Day and that weekend we finally got around to planting it. As you can see Mattie was right along side it showcasing the finished product. Though Mattie is no longer with us, there are many symbols around our deck that we have on display in his honor. Some of the special items include: butterflies (comprised of all materials), wind chimes of the sun and the moon, seashells we collected together, two fountains that he built with Peter's help for my birthday, pinecones Mattie collected, and several bird houses!


Quote of the day: You will have to make up for the smallness of your size by your courage and selfless devotion to duty, for it is not life that matters, but the courage, fortitude and determination you bring to it. ~ Muhammad Ali Jinnah


It seems to me that tonight's quote could have been written with Mattie in mind. Though Mattie did not live a long life like we expected or hoped, it was his "courage, fortitude, and determination" that made Mattie who he was and why he was so incredibly unforgettable.

Typically weekends are a nightmare for Peter and me. Still after almost four years! They are long, usually isolated in some way, and at times I feel like we are stuck in an alternative universe. However, this weekend, friends invited us out to dinner today and tomorrow. Ironically we do not even think about going out with others, it is just our mind set. But for me knowing we are going out and will be interacting with others is very therapeutic for me.

I spent a good portion of the day in our garden. I snapped a photo of my "Window with a View." This is our view from our living room, which I love during the summer months. The trees are in bloom and our balcony is filled with all sorts of plants. Many of which migrate inside for the winter, which makes our inside quite GREEN!

I entitle this photo, "Tall Plants!" Check out the two plants on the left hand side of this photo. Actually they look more like trees don't they?! One is a dracaena and the other is a rubber fig plant. They were both given to me by friends right after Mattie died. They knew I loved plants and they wanted to show they cared. When I received these plants they perhaps at best were a foot tall, from the bottom of their flower pots to the top. Now look at them, they are taller than me. Which means they are over 5 feet, 3 inches!

Keeping everything in our garden and balcony green and healthy takes work! I am constantly at these gardens during the week and the weekend. As you know, Peter and I went on various trips this summer, and if it weren't for our friend, Maria, things would have died. Though we are at the end of the summer season, everything on our deck still looks happy and colorful. When my neighbor on the sixth floor tells me how much she likes looking into our garden, I try to imagine what her aerial view looks like! I have to tell you our garden is a stop over for many birds, butterflies, and though I missed it, my neighbor tells me a hummingbird came by last week! This may not sound like a big deal for you, but we live in the heart of the city, where the typical bird is the pigeon.

Our deck is green everywhere. We have plants on the walls, outside our deck door, and in planters. In addition to plants, we are growing tomatoes, basil, and a host of other herbs. I honestly think that my cooking is better in the spring and summer because I am inspired to walk out onto the deck and pick fresh herbs to cook with. It transforms any dish for the better!