OK, back to our regularly scheduled programming (whatever that is) and away from political flights of fancy. Thanks for indulging my musings yesterday, and let me just say by way of celebration: TODAY WE GET A NEW PRESIDENT!!!! Wooo hooo!!!! (yes, I am shouting)
It's a shame school's not in session, because normally we'd put the inauguration up on the big TV in the library for everyone to watch. I remember when Trump was sworn in we did it, even though we were holding our noses. It would have been nice to have the same opportunity now.
I saw this woman (above) in her fetching pink outfit in Hampstead when I was walking Olga on Sunday. She's kind of striking a pose, isn't she? Very "Vogue" in her fuchsia trainers. At least she was wearing a mask.
Yesterday I worked in the garden. I cleared out the wildflower bed, cutting down whatever dry, dead stalks remained from last year, and removing the blackberries that seem to infest every corner. They're incredibly persistent -- I cut them down and they come right back up. We allow them in a few areas, so we can pick blackberries in season, and I trimmed out the dead stalks in those places too. (And got scratched up in the process.)
I also removed a lot of ivy from our side fence. It was quite bushy and although pretty, it was just getting out of hand. I felt bad because I know the birds like it -- I even found an old nest -- so I left some behind for the critters and did not denude the fence entirely.
Between this and the rose-pruning Dave did on Sunday, we have six bags of yard waste for collection on Friday.
And then I worked on some indoor plants. We have these two cacti -- the one on the left was a recent rescue from the library, where it had been abandoned. See that ridiculous ring of false flowers around its middle? Poor thing! I bought some cactus potting mix and now they look like this:
Much more dignified.
I also rescued a couple more orchids from school, where they'd been left on a common windowsill and were slowly perishing from neglect. We now have 14 orchids, which is a little ridiculous. Many of them are in the process of sending up flower stalks, so we should have lots of blossoms in a few weeks.
Today we're supposed to have some dramatic weather, with a 90 percent chance of rain and wind. Apparently this is related to Storm Christoph, though we're not getting the brunt of it here in London -- most of it is striking to the north. (Why does this storm have a French name? Haven't we Brexited?)
I'm working from home today (which basically means reading Newbery books) so I'll be staying inside.
It just started raining here and we're supposed to have a day of it. I'm counting down the hours until Trump is OUT and Biden is IN. I don't envy Biden and Harris what they've inherited but I'm so grateful they're taking it on. Could you really have too many orchids? The cacti look so much more respectable.
ReplyDeleteIt's a huge relief to finally have someone sane in the White House!
DeleteThe vision in pink somewhere between how fashion models pose (look at her left foot pointing outward) and a hooker (left arm on hip) waiting for business to pick up. The hair most intriguing as incongruent. Wonder who is hiding behind her stylish facade. See, Steve, that's what I love - cross fertilization. You took the photo, I've already woven a whole story around her.
ReplyDeleteChristoph/Christopher is actually Christophe (with an 'e') in French. The irritating part of names like that they tend to be abbreviated. Spare a thought for my nephew Christopher who morphed into Chrissie. He is a grown man now.
I can't stop chuckling at your first photo of the cacti. What a pair of eccentrics. Be careful the one you defrocked won't prick you (in a most un"dignified" way). Anyway, hail to Steve Hood, the saviour (and tamer) of plants and greenery.
U
Who's Steve Hood? LOL
DeleteI've never seen Christoph as an English name, but I did wonder about the absence of the E. And yeah, I'm always attracted to people on the street who seem to spark some imagination.
Robin Hood's little brother.
DeleteU
Ha! :)
DeleteI am not a fan of pink for myself, but love those trainers!
ReplyDeleteGood for you for having a garden tidy. Everything is just sodden here.
Time to stay warm with the seed catalogues.
It's sodden here too, believe me!
DeleteBeing noticed is the motto of pink woman. Inauguration is at 5am here. I won't be watching or listening but good luck Joe and congratulations.
ReplyDeleteYou can catch up with it later! (You probably already have.)
DeleteIt is still snowing here. Supposed to get very cold over the next 24 hours. I have been babying along quite a few plants this year. I enjoy my african violets, and I see I have a new bud on my hibiscus tree. There is something quite wonderful about flowers in winter! The lady in pink? More power to her, I say. She is, boldly and unapolagetically herself.
ReplyDeleteI agree about flowers in winter. Where would I be without my potted plants?! We haven't had much luck with hibiscus -- we had one for a while but it didn't make it.
DeleteWhen you say "rescued" from the school do you really mean you stole those orchids? The subtleties of the English language!
ReplyDeleteI see that Trump has pardoned Steve Bannon but thankfully has not yet attempted to pardon himself. What a ridiculous and unjust feature of American democracy is this presidential pardoning facility. Madness.
If a plant has been left on a hallway windowsill and has had no care -- as is evident from its condition -- then yeah, I consider it abandoned and therefore ripe for adoption. If anyone says, "Hey, where's my orchid?" I'll gladly give it back in better shape.
DeletePardons are supposed to be a last-chance loophole for people who have been wrongly or unfairly sentenced by the criminal justice system. They're not supposed to be "outs" for people who make lots of political donations or pay off the right lawyers.
I keep "rescuing" orchids from the local super market, once the blooms fade there the store marks them way down and I can't resist. I now have almost 40 of them and 9 are now in bloom, so nice in the winter!
ReplyDeleteCheers Peter
Holy cow! Now I don't feel so bad for having 14! I'd be the same way, though -- I always want to rescue plants that have potential but will just be discarded if I don't intervene.
DeleteYou gotta give that woman major style points!
ReplyDeleteShe's definitely an eye-catcher!
DeletePretty In Pink, That Takes Me Back
ReplyDeleteCheers
Right?! I loved that movie at the time!
DeleteIncredibly beautiful day here. Will you be watching the inauguration?
ReplyDeleteOH YES!
DeleteSteve, I would love to know how you take care of your orchids. We have one orchid plant that was a gift to us more than a decade ago. It's not a happy plant. I baby it and tend to it, but it still languishes. How often do you water yours? What kind of "soil" do you have it in? How much sun does it get? HELP!!! (LOL!)
ReplyDeleteLove that Pretty in Pink photo.
Here's the secret to orchids: They don't really like a lot of water, and they definitely don't like standing water. Keep them in a well-drained pot, with loose orchid compost or bark. Water them roughly once a week. (That's how we water ours.) Hold the pot and let the water stream through, and when it's done draining put it back in its saucer. Whatever you do, don't let the roots sit in water. Hope this helps!
DeleteAlso, we wash down each plant every few months by briefly putting it in the shower on a tepid (cool but not cold) temperature. That keeps dust and pests away.
DeleteThank you for this, Steve. I water the plant this way, but have never washed it in a tepid shower. Good idea.
DeleteSeeing that woman in pink - she definitely has style! I have three sweatsuits that I rotate wearing these days - light gray, dark gray, navy blue! No style for me! :)
ReplyDeleteHappy inauguration day! Peace!
Ha! I'm not wearing sweatsuits but I may as well be. Definitely no style here either.
DeleteVery therapeutic to do so much yard work. It sounds like a lot of progress. I want that outfit. :)
ReplyDeleteIt felt good, and there's still more to do!
DeleteI took the day off from work so I could devote my time to watching the inauguration. It's been pretty amazing to watch and fills me with pride. And, it gives me hope for the future. And, did you hear Amanda Gorman's poem? Such a brilliant young woman. Another reason to have hope for the future. Can you tell I'm a bit puffed up right now?
ReplyDeleteYes! We watched it, as you'll see in my next post!
DeleteI always say trouble don't last forever. We saw all colors, religion, male, female and everyone enjoying each other. What a blessing. We are beginning to look like America again. The trump era is behind us and people should see now how they were used up by this entire trump family. Melania is not the best person either. How could she be if she adhere to that family. They didn't have common sense and the courtesy of welcoming The Bidens to the white house. So be it because their asses are gone.
ReplyDeleteExactly -- it IS looking like America again. It's like recognizing an old loved one who's been absent for years.
DeleteI've never had a cactus. I guess I should look around the dumsters to see if someone has thrown one out.
ReplyDeleteHa! You never know!
DeleteI think I need those shoes :)
ReplyDeleteThey're definitely eye-catching. I wonder who much they cost?
DeleteThey're definitely eye-catching. I wonder how much they cost?
Deletewhat a relief today was.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about getting an orchid. I've never had one, thought they took too much special care but apparently not. I did more clearing out in my yard yesterday but not today. spent all afternoon at the dentist.
and yeah, why do they put those ridiculous fake flowers on cacti?
DeleteI don't know, but they're awful. That cactus looks so much better in its natural state. Maybe it will give us a REAL flower.
DeleteYeah, try an orchid! They're really not hard, especially for you -- you have a green thumb anyway. All they need is water once a week and free-draining soil that doesn't leave their roots too wet.
Pink is my favorite color, but I've never been "in the pink" to the extent of your model. I hope you got to see the inauguration. I want to be a member of the Biden family, be Kamala's aunt, and be Amanda Gorman's grandma.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Yes! It's like they're all family -- people we know and recognize. I'm so relieved!
DeleteYour cactus plants are charming. They look alien. Fritz has a yard full of them that he has to bring in during winter. Be careful where you sit!
ReplyDeleteI got pricked quite a bit when I was taking off those fake flowers. That cactus fought back pretty hard, but it clearly doesn't know what's good for it. :)
Delete