Post Box and Telephone Box

I am excited to be able to finally post a picture of this mysterious orchid, which has not bloomed in the several years we've owned it -- until now. It's a plant I rescued from someone's trash on the street, and I knew the flowers would be white because it had a wilted flower stalk attached at the time. I brought it home and repotted it, and we kept it in the living room, but it refused to bloom.

Finally, last year, I moved it to the dining room, which seems to have optimal conditions for orchids, because all the other ones bloom like crazy in there. And that did the trick.

Here's the whole lineup, with all seven of them in flower. This truly is the magic orchid windowsill. I think they like it because it's east-facing and gets morning sun, but it's also partly shaded by shrubbery and it never gets too hot.

We have four more orchids in the living room, and none of them are blooming. I really need to just make space in the dining room for all of them, but then I don't know what I'd do with all the rest of the junk treasures on that windowsill.

Speaking of treasures, here are my finds of the day for yesterday -- two coin banks, set out for the taking on a wall along Finchley Road. Don't you love those?! They're made of wood. I'm thinking I might give them to my nieces. 

I found them while walking Olga, who was eager for an outing in the morning. But later in the day, when we went to the cemetery, she plodded along like she was dying. Moody, that girl.

"Would you STOP TAKING PICTURES!!!"

I also finished Doctor Dolittle yesterday. Although it's a hefty book, it reads quickly and it's pretty entertaining. Definitely one of the better Newbery medalists from the 1920s, a decade of otherwise mediocre winners. I could see modern kids reading this book -- in fact, I have seen them check it out -- while I can't imagine any of them picking up "The Dark Frigate" or "Gay Neck: The Story of a Pigeon."

Back to work today. Spring Break has officially ended.