We avoid the tourists on holiday weekends. Mr. Flower, my sister and I hiked one of our favorite trails before the clouds blew in today. We saw no other hikers, just horseback riders the whole time.
Mr. Flower and my sis are used to hiking with my slowpoke self. They know to keep walking while I dawdle and take photos. They even act as spotters and stand beside anything they think might be of interest to me. Then they take off again as I examine the new discovery.
Mr. Flower and Slow-poke Flower
The same trails change every week. Fungi emerge, flowers bloom and seed pods form. My eye is trained for the changes. I cannot hurry past all these wonderful things.
Monarch on White Snakeroot/Ageratina altissmaJack-the-pulpit seeds/Arisaema triphyllumDried up lungwort lichen/Lobaria pulmonariaVarious mushrooms
In the spirit similar to tokonoma, I set the tone for my home with a display in our foyer. These displays always contain some plants and fairies. All displayed objects have some significance to us.
The foyer arrangement has been updated with holiday flowers and gifts. I am excited to share two, tiny, artistic arrangements given to me by my sister-in-law and nieces. They purchased these from a fellow-crafter at one of their shows.
They know I love fairies, moss, mushrooms and bunnies. It seems these pieces were custom-made for me. The mushrooms light up in different colors. I hope my sis passes along my appreciation to the artist.
The delicate red spots of this Amaryllis, Elvas, remind me of some of my favorites from past years. Hippeastrum coloration is especially interesting when viewed under a microscope. If you want to see that and my collection, type amaryllis into the search bar.
There must always be a poinsettia at Christmas. I do keep these for years. My favorite was mowed down when my daughter, Rose, fell down the carport steps this summer. She was more worried about the plants than her body. Both of us falling off steps was the catalyst for the new railings from Crown Fence in former posts.
I find that a foyer display serves as a cheery greeting for our guests and distracts from the dirty floors. I would much rather arrange flowers than sweep. Wouldn’t you?
We are in the down days between Christmas and New Years. I may stay in my pajamas reading my newly gifted books. Those will be the subject of my next post. I am also reading about writing and publishing in preparation for my next book. This reading has been boring. I won’t share those books.
My next book is about paternalism and its long-term effects on the women in three generations of my family. You will know about that in time. I feel like a time-traveler!
floweralley 