Author: Flower Roberts

Daddy and the Mi$tletoe

| Flower Roberts

While I was out in the cold searching for something green in January,

I spied clumps of mistletoe high up in several trees.

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I have always found this hemiparasite fascinating.

The American type is named Phoradendron which means tree thief.

That’s because it steals nutrients and water from its host tree.

It uses these supplies to carry out photosynthesis.

How did the mistletoe get way up there?

A bird ate the berries and pooped the seeds onto a branch.

The name mistletoe means dung on a twig.

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Seeing it hanging up there reminded me of one of daddy’s stories.

Daddy was a young entrepreneur. He tried many clever ways to make a buck back then.

He and a buddy found a tree full of balls of mistletoe. They got the idea of selling it.

The two went around town taking orders for bundles of mistletoe to hang in doorways for the Christmas holidays.

An old custom is to kiss under the mistletoe for luck, love, fertility…

So the boys got enough orders to make their effort worthwhile

so they chopped down the old tree, laden with mistletoe.

Gravity played a mean trick on our boys ,the crash down knocked all the berries off.

When the boys delivered their bundles of mistletoe, no one wanted mistletoe with no berries.

No berries, no money.

I feel sorry for poor little daddy and his buddy,

but my real sympathy goes to the poor tree.

FLOW

P.S. The European form of mistletoe (Viscum album) is used to treat epilepsy and colon cancer. Oh the irony!

Daddy is in rehab getting stronger every day.  Now may be a good time to collect more “Daddy Stories.”

Stay warm folks.

 

Name this Angel

| Flower Roberts

It’s been a tough winter so far.  I have not gotten to spend much time outside.

I walked around my yard today.  I took my camera, just in case.

I could not believe my eyes when I spotted this beauty.

What is it?  When did I plant it?

My records have turned up nothing. Could it be a Ziva in January?

Maybe it is an angel.

My angel would be a plant.

If you know its name, please let me know.

I will treasure it forever.

It brightened this day in a special way.

Flower

Moon Scene

| Flower Roberts

My other Amaryllis has put up two stalks at once.

It’s small blooms have lovely details.

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‘Moon Scene’ is only 13 inches tall.

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I must remember this when placing it in the garden.

It needs to be close to a walkway so folks can bend down to admire its stripes.

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Another wonderful Amaryllis just when it is needed.

FLOW

Bits of Joy

| Flower Roberts

When the days are dark, I search for bits of joy.

They are easy to find if you look.

Today my little squirrel friend came back again to take shelter from the rain under the bench. He knows me. I wave to him and smile. We are friends.

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My ‘Pink Surprise’ Amaryllis is sending up another stalk while holding up its four blooms.

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Rain and clouds make some folks sad, but I like to watch the mist sneak across the water.

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These are my bits of joy this morning.

Today is mama’s 88th birthday. We will celebrate in my daddy’s new room.

We are happy to have each other.

Hoping for better days, but appreciating every day.

Sharing our bits of joy.

Flower Roberts

 

 

A Part or Apart

| Flower Roberts

To be  a part of a team, you must be a part of a team.

Membership cannot be bought.  A part must be earned. A group working together for common goals has connections and rhythms and synergy.

To be part of a team, you must be part of a team.

Every member shares responsibilities and sacrifices. They back each other up. They help each other up. They act as one unit. No one is set apart.

To be part of a team, you must be part of a team.

A team takes time. There must be trust. The wins and losses are shared by all. There is no I in team. You are a united unit, parts of a whole.

To be part of a team, you must be part of a team.

This means discussions and revisions. New game plans must be developed as needed. Changes are considered by all and agreed upon by all.

Apart is not a part of a team. Apart buys what it wants. Apart bullies to get its way.

Apart does not consider other options or compromises. Apart does not listen to different opinions. Apart is selfish. Apart is self-centered.

Apart takes and never gives. Apart demands loyalty but never gives it in return.

Apart is alone.

To be part of a team, you must be part of a team.

FLOW

P.S. I wish I could send all this lovely rain to Australia like a good team member would.

Daddy is moving to rehab on day 26. Daddy has a team, because he has always been part of a team.

Flower Roberts

 

 

 

 

Rest or Wrest

| Flower Roberts

I was weary. I had been trying to move mountains and build bridges.

There was rage just under my skin.

I was a snake coiled and ready to strike with a smile on my face.

I went to hide in my garden.

I was hardened and hollow.

I wrote out the rage.  Angst and anger bled out in ink.

I was resting. I was hiding. I was healing.

But the mountains did not get moved. The bridges did not get built.

The Earth quaked, fires raged, smoke rose and blocked the sun.

Nature is angry.  Her balance has been disrupted.

How can I rest while I watch this?  I cannot.

My sword is my pen. I will battle smarter not harder this time.

I am sending messages to other warriors. I suggest you do likewise.

It’s time to wrest in writing.

I am not just a mother of children, I am a mother of nature.

IF NATURE LOSES, EVERYTHING LOSES.

FLOW

 

 

Appreciating the Amaryllis

| Flower Roberts

Everyone needs a flower in their future.

I try two new varieties of Amaryllis/Hippeastrum every winter.

These bulbs get put in the garden every spring to produce many more blooms for years to come.

But for now, I need a flower when it’s cold and my garden in brown.

‘Pink Surprise’ Amaryllis

I need a flower when the gray skies make me blue.

I need a flower in January.

No other bloom will do.

I appreciate the giant, gorgeous blooms of the Amaryllis.

Glowing in the window like my own little sun.

Reminding me that winter will end and spring will come.

Flow

My 20/20 Vision

| Flower Roberts

There has been some clarification and recalibration this year.

I intend on making some changes.

I have spent time studying science, religion and civics.

I have written more and read more.

There have been omissions that must be attended to. I am too fat and too sassy!

I have kept moving forward, but I have wasted time and energy.

I will be more intentional in 2020.

I will be tracking my progress in relation to my goals.

I will also allow myself to follow my curiosity. That is my joy.

Our culture has too many distractions.

I must use my time wisely.

I will be quieter and more thoughtful. (two eyes, two ears and one mouth)

I still have a lot to learn.

I need to see clearly and focus on what is important to me.

I need 20/20 vision going forward.

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Cheers for 2020!

Flow

I will be sharing my struggles in a series. Just because my garden is dormant, doesn’t mean I am.

Get ready for posts such as “Wrest or Rest” and ” A Part or Apart”

as I figure out who I really want to be at age 58.

Get ready for some serious FLOW.

 

Flower Fireworks

| Flower Roberts

The Schlumbergera buds keep emerging in my cool workshop.

I bring them up when they bloom, so I can enjoy them in my office.

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I really love the bright colors on a dreary, cold day.

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Hundreds of buds are waiting to burst open.

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It’s like flower fireworks for New Year’s Eve.

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Happy New Year

Flower