Discoveries

It's been a weekend of discoveries just outside the door. These precious little pink blooms appeared on the top of a lemon-scented geranium that I planted in a pot out on the patio. The flowers are truly secondary, I bought the plant as a natural mosquito repellent, it's grown quite large (from now on I'll realize that it needs its own pot as it has taken over and crowded out the Million Bells and Bacopa planted alongside.) I do love these pretty little blooms, though, they're delicate and the plant is doing its job, I've yet to see, or hear, a mosquito! 

The second discovery came from my mother, she asked me the other day, on the phone, if I'd ever seen the purple variety of Stella D'Oro daylily. "No", I responded, "but I want to!" I called around after that, to a few local nurseries, and was able to locate a few. We're planting them, en masse along with the customary yellow-hued ones, out near our mailbox this morning.  I love this shade!

Each time I step out on the side porch these days I'm discovering dirt from my flowerpots all over the steps, porch surface and the pot rims. I knew we had rogue chipmunks who've been luxuriating in dirt-baths at my potted plants' expense. Yesterday I caught one in the act, he jumped straight from this pot (above)

...into this hole, it was a good three foot leap; he disappeared into this little burrow just below the step.

I'm going to replace the missing potting soil around the tops of the pots today, not sure what I can do about Alvin and his brothers though. I'm sure they'll be ecstatic about some fresh soil. 

I replaced some Hosta this spring along this same side porch where the pot above is located and in the same patch where chipmunk colony has been established. Yesterday this spot of red caught my eye-- I have no idea where this Caladium came from; but here it comes, right alongside the newly-planted Hosta! I do mix up my own potting blend and I may have mixed in some composted material that contained bulbs from previous pottings- apparently; or, maybe Alvin brought it. 😲 Who knows? 

Adapting in an upside-down 🙃 world: My daughter told me about 'scan and go' from an app that she's put on her phone for grocery shopping at Wegman's in the Capital City. She scans an item when she places it in her cart and needs not remove that item again until she puts it directly into her car, she scans the phone at the checkout and pays without touching what's in the cart! I love this!! One more thing resulting from out shut-down and contact-free initiatives now that are worth retaining into the future (like curbside pickup). A not-so-pleasant occurrence that I am encountering everywhere is judgmental, polarizing and divisive remarks that are being dispensed liberally on television, social media and face to face. Everyone has a point of view and feels compelled to share it whether you want to listen or not. I am discouraged by this behavior and the need to make each and every little thing a politically charged BIG thing. We're all tired, we're all doing the best that we can based on the information that we have and we all have our own comfort, not to mention tolerance, levels. Yesterday, after I took off my jewelry to wash up the dinner dishes, I discovered the antidote to all of this staring me right in the face from the windowsill above the sink where I was up to my elbows in hot, soapy suds. Yes, I do have faith, and it's stronger than ever; that's everything and all that I need, I'm tuning out the rest!

What have you discovered today?

Life is Good!