Monday, June 27, 2016

Que Sera Sera


There's all kinds of crazy talk over here regarding Brexit -- maybe we'll hold another referendum, or maybe the Scots will save us from ourselves and somehow block our exit from the EU. I just don't know what to think. I walked around stewing about it for a while yesterday, and then realized I can do nothing. So I've decided to simply let events unfold.

I'm along for the ride. Or, as my brother said when I hauled him around Morocco one memorably arduous vacation, "I am luggage."

I'm taking inspiration from one of Western society's greatest living philosophers, Doris Day.

Here's my far more important burning question for the day -- what kind of flower is this? It's now blooming in our garden. We bought it last year from a garden shop where it was unlabeled and no one knew its name.


On our walk Saturday morning, Olga and I came across this inspiring (and colorful) bit of cardboard on a sidewalk bench. I thought maybe they were song lyrics, but Googling only turned up a few references -- one an Instagram photo from Camden and one a Facebook post by a German fitness instructor. Who, coincidentally, appears to have recently traveled in London.

So, in a nutshell, authorship is uncertain.


I'm going to take more life lessons from my carefree dog, who yesterday wore herself out running and rolling in the high summer grass on Hampstead Heath. Faced with Brexit, I choose joie de vivre!

9 comments:

e said...

I'm with Olga on this one...Sorry my dog story isn't as wonderful as yours...

Yorkshire Pudding said...

As one of Yorkshire's leading botanists, I should say that the puzzling flower is lychnis chalcedonica... sometimes known as The Maltese Cross flower. Glad to have been of service.

Red said...

the average person has only one vote but it counts. I'm sure there's more brexit discussion now than before the referendum. I don't think they'll go through wit this. Is the referendum binding?

jenny_o said...

With a fair bit of trepidation I typed YP's lychnis chalcedonica into Google, unsure of what might turn up. Surprise! He isn't pulling our collective leg! And here's an interesting tidbit from Wikipedia: "L. chalcedonica was voted the county flower of Bristol in a 2002 following a poll by the wild flora conservation charity." It's funny that none of the garden shop people knew what it was.

Choosing joie de vivre is very often the best choice, I think. Everyone seems rattled by the vote, and it was stunningly close, which means a hard road ahead, I think. There will need to be joy from a lot of people to get past the division.

Sharon said...

I have been hearing all the same crazy things about Brexit that you have been hearing. This morning I heard someone talking about a way to get another referendum vote. I'm with you. There is nothing I can do so I'll just sit back at watch.
On a more cheery subject, that poem is very interesting. The fact that you found those two references makes it even more interesting. I do love little mysteries like that.

John Going Gently said...

Adored that sign x

Jennifer said...

I think that's a wonderful photo of Olga. We could all learn from her good example of carefree summer enjoyment!

Elizabeth said...

That red flower is amazing! Just wow!

Steve Reed said...

E: Olga always knows the proper response to any given situation. Usually it's sleeping or running.

YP: YOU ROCK!!!

Red: It's technically not binding but I think there's a desire by the government, even the remainers, to try to honor the outcome. They may dither around long enough that it becomes moot.

Jenny-O: I know -- you never know with YP. But he was actually being serious this time around! :)

Sharon: I love mysteries too! My guess is some artist leaves this message around town.

John: It was a fun find!

Jennifer: Honestly, it's hard to take a bad picture of Olga.

Elizabeth: It's one of my favorites in our garden at the moment!