May 18, 2010
Sanctuary is a study in landscape beauty with color, calm skies and a smattering of cottonwood seeds floating past. The vivid purple Dame’s Rockets are blooming in all those spaces where the plant determined to stop and spend the season. Since this behavior is so out of the control of human intentions, there are mutterings about naming it a “noxious species”. Fortunately, there are other, more pressing matters for those in charge of such things, so I am optimistic that these wonderful “look at me!” wild flowers are safe for several more springtimes.
Charles is spending several hours each day re-potting his huge collection of orchid plants. He shakes off the old potting bark, snips parts of the roots that have gone astray, rinses and washes the rest, then places it into a mix of fresh bark, sphagnum moss and perlite. The formula is devised to keep moisture and air beautifully balanced around the roots so they in turn will grow and make plans for next fall and winter’s outstanding displays. I have become accustomed to living in a house where flowers are in every room and in this, my spaces rival the finest palaces anywhere.
The last days have been hard, with foods morphing right under my nose from remembered spring delicacies to harsh and inedible things. The last awful part is that one has to eat something or become increasingly weak; so I grimly consume foods no matter what the taste or lack of it, knowing that in a few hours, my digestive system will reward me with stomach cramps and bloating. I feel trapped and sick; We have visited with the medical community and researched on the Internet for ways to deal with lack of appetite, taste changes, etc., and so far, we have not found a satisfactory answer. This is hardest on the spirit since there will not be a lovely change for the better in how life continues in earth time. I will be able to get some more red blood transfusions and it is likely that I will pursue that venue soon for an energy boost, but meanwhile, my prayers have become a mantra of simple words – “Please God, help me”. There was a time in the past when I felt compelled to add instructions, but in these days, I have come to realize that less is more.