I'm not here. As of April 8, 2011, I'm blogging here. But I'll still be reading and commenting on my LJ friends' posts.

Current Photo Friday theme: Ride

The Good Life

(Click here to view larger version on black background.)

Earlier today while I was preparing my breakfast, I suddenly remembered that in every house of my childhood--and there were many, thank you United States Army--we always chose the inside of one cabinet door to put all our Chiquita Banana stickers. I don't know who started that, although it was as likely to be my mother as my brother, even though she was the one who'd eventually have to scrape all of them off when it was time to move again.

Do other people do that?

For those playing along, I gave Scarlett her extra "t" by using "est," if you'd rather use those words.

I believe that inhaling paint fumes and shedding tears for a couple of hours each day over Sally Field has befogged my brain. The trellis next to my porch is climbed by both Confederate and Carolina jasmine. The Carolina--yellow--blooms a couple of times annually and has done well in spite of recent years' winter and summer droughts and our few hard freezes. However, the Confederate jasmine hasn't bloomed for two or more years, and I was beginning to think the Carolina vines had overtaken it as surely as Sherman overtook Georgia.

Today as I was wandering around the yard--in my nightgown, of course, a sure way to draw traffic down our street because heaven forfend I not make a fool of myself--I wouldn't have even noticed the trellis had it not been for that heavenly scent. The South has risen again.

Vines heavy with Confederate jasmine.


A closer look. Wish you could smell it.

Also thanks to the aroma, I noticed my mother's amaryllis tucked into the corner of that bed. I don't believe it's bloomed since the year she died, but it looks like nature has helped it bounce back. I'm not catching it at its prettiest, but I'll watch it in case better photo ops come my way.



Nora Walker's got nothing on me.

Socks for Japan is a cool concept for extending a bit of kindness to those affected by recent catastrophic events in Japan. I share these photos not because I want anyone to think I did some great thing. In fact, it's a very small thing. The great thing is the concept: Sending new--NOT worn--pairs of socks to a direct-aid group who will get these comfort items to the men, women, boys, girls, and babies who have lost everything. No big overhead, no paid staff--just a bunch of people who can leverage their location and time into helping with relief efforts.

To find out more about how you can participate, see photos of the process from Japan, and even get your personal notes to the recipients translated into Japanese--here's the link again: Socks for Japan. Because in my own life, it's often been the smallest gestures that helped me cope with the biggest challenges.

Thanks to Houston artist Jennifer Mathis for indirectly guiding me to the Socks for Japan web site.