R E F L E C T I O N S

Each year I plant a small four foot by four foot vegetable garden.  This year I'm squeezing 4 tomato plants (hopefully 4 different varieties) and about 6 cucumber plants into this small area. I know it's less room than recommended but I always do it. In the past the deer used it for a "salad bar". I tried a mini electrified fence which worked but the orange extension cord  looked out of place. The chance that it would be run over by a lawn mower if I did not disconnect it in time was not worth the risk. I tried metal chicken wire strung out into a 4x4x4 cube. The cube turned into a dented box. It looked terrible. Now I'm trying a four sided design. Two sides are fixed and two sides are removable. If needed I'll put a soft plastic net over the top at night when the plants grow high. Here is the layout. I've weeded three out of the four quarters. The pile of weeds is to the right bottom of the photo.  While weeding the last quarter I notic...

These images were edited from photos I took earlier this week. Now I'm looking forward to Spring weather. 

I'm having a good time playing with my camera and various editing programs.

I just found a website with great gardening advice. It also includes houseplants. It's called: The link is on my sidebar: Gardening Tips and Advice- Weekend Gardener Web Magazine As an example here is the list of contents for growing tomatoes: Tomato Link: Growing Tomatoes, Tomato Growing Tips

My daughter Laurissa sent me the link to an interesting article about the health benefits of houseplants.. From the article: " In recent years, scientists at NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) have discovered that there are various houseplants that keep our household air clean and pure and balance indoor humidity. Not only do these plants absorb pollutants, they also scrub harmful gases out of the air and help fight pollution." Read more at:   http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/air-quality/news-10-fabulous-houseplants-absorbs-indoor-pollution?image=0#wwk15KEeLEVyxRUL.99  

"Show me a sane man  and I'll cure him for you". -Carl G Jung "Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end." - Scott Adams "Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains,  at the huge waves of the sea,  at the long courses of the rivers,  at the vast compass of the ocean,  at the circular motions of the stars,  and they pass by themselves without wondering." - Saint Augustine

I found this view with spiderweb-like wires going in a two directional perspective. The pole at the far left seems to be supported by the wires instead of supporting them. Here is a full color image which appears almost all black and white. The truck stop sign and red traffic light stand out. Here is another color image, mostly black and white with the yellow traffic lights glowing.  This would make a great scene for a mystery, thriller or horror story: The Olde Stone Truck Stop

Turn up the volume and enlarge to full screen!

Above is an illustration of how a trigger finger becomes "stuck". The finger can still move but not easily.  It feels like I'm pulling the trigger of a gun. As it gets worse the movement becomes painful. Sometimes I need help from my other hand to let it move. Cortisone injections only last a few months then the symptoms return. Here is an illustration. The video is of the surgical procedure. Let me warn you. If you are squeamish don't watch it! I'm scheduled to have the operation this coming Monday  I had to insist to the surgical center that I do not want anesthesia.  I just want a local anesthetic.  With anesthesia I would need an EKG, blood work, an IV and the anesthetic.  I'd also get charged for the services of a nurse anesthetist.  I'm more worried about the anesthesia than the operation. With a local anesthetic I just walk in and walk out.  There is no pain.  The pressure of a  tourniquet is mostly wha...

This cartoon is from an excellent blog. Here's the link: http://pjeco.blogspot.com/

I've noticed that when I'm feeling a little discouraged, I get busy trying to organize small unimportant areas of my life. This gives me the delusion of improving my situation. It distracts me from my worries but wastes a lot of time and effort. The Serenity Prayer helps me stop this futile compulsion.  It lets me step back for a moment to see what I can control and what I just have to live with.   Yesterday I needed this prayer.  I say it each morning when I wake up but after a while it becomes a thoughtless routine.  When this happens I make an effort to really pay attention to its meaning. Here are some notes I found on wikipedia: I have no idea who he was but from the 8th-century Indian Buddhist scholar Shantideva of Nalanda University:  If there’s a remedy when trouble strikes, What reason is there for dejection? And if there is no help for it, What use is there in being glum? Again, I'm not sure who this was. Th...

OUR ONLY HOME From: http://mnhopkins.blogspot.com/

Before:     It was too spread out and floppy. After:   It's balanced. <>  <>  <>  <>  <> HUNGRY BLUE JAY  It was an enjoyable peaceful day.

I found this picture in the pile of old photos I have in my basement. Here Angela has her arms around me. My mother is on the right and my aunt is to the left. My brother looks bored.  I can't tell if the men in the background are our fathers. I'm not sure who took the photo. I like the style of the old cars. The location is Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York. Our outfits remind me of the old TV show The Little Rascals. It looks like I'm wearing a Brooklyn Dodgers T-shirt!     A post from the blog:  Stonehouse Cottage Potpourri~  encouraged me to post this photo. It was sometime in the 50's. Angela's family lived in another state so we didn't get together much. But when we did we had a good time. I had a boyhood crush on her. I even gave her my doll. I know boys are not supposed to play with dolls. I'm not sure where I got it but I really liked that doll. The link to the post:  1952...Cousins and Best Friends

The adventure of life is like sailing in a small ship.  We can adjust the sails and rudder but the wind and waves are mostly in control.  Reaching our goals, changing them when the situation proves they are unobtainable, recovering from unexpected hardships, succeeding when it seems all is lost; in the end we have much less control than we believe.  This makes life scary but it also makes it exciting and enjoyable. I wrote this quote, inspired by a post from the Aphorism of the Day blog. The link: http://mydailyaphorism.blogspot.com/2011/04/sailing-wouldnt-be-much-fun-if-we.html?showComment=1303423745399#c2686770346005764239

Yesterday I attended a six hour lecture about the aging brain. "Advances in Preventing Cognitive Decline: Getting Old, Thinking Young" The lecturer is a research professor at Johns Hopkins. The hippocampus was one of the main topics discussed. Definition: The hippocampu s is a complex neural structure (shaped like a sea horse) consisting of grey matter and located on the floor of each lateral ventricle; intimately involved in motivation and emotion as part of the limbic system and has a central role in the formation of memories.    It was very interesting but I'm sure I won't remember the complex medical details; which are too much for the average person like myself. I made an outline of some of the information that I believe I can use: ~SLEEP (usually 7 to 8 hours) (6 to 9 hours as needed) Don't set alarm? ~STRESS- AVOID! (Affects the health of hippocampus as does depression and anxiety. The nerve structure physically changes into a less healthy ...

The small top of this plant fell off one day. See my older posts about this. Here is the original Zebra plant. The tip: It was hard not to shake while taking these photos especially for these closeups.  I was not in the mood to set up a tripod so they're not as sharp as I'd like. Here's the progress of the tip so far: Notice the bottom zebra striped leaf.   I hope it will continue to grow.