This is the beginning of a datura (jimsonweed) flower. My daturas haven't done much this year. One of them has languished in the pot, not dying but not exactly growing either, and the other two are also small but at least they've bloomed once or twice. In fact I missed the flowers, they came and went so quickly. This one will probably be fully open today.
I was on the fence about growing them again anyway, so I'm not heartbroken. I think they like a hotter, drier environment than we've had this summer.
Yesterday I caught up with a few tasks and errands:
-- I went to the doctor to follow up on my recent blood tests. My cholesterol is still high, though not as high as it's been in the past. The doctor asked if I'd considered medication. I told him my mom's cholesterol is high too, and we've never had strokes or heart attacks in our family, so I'm not concerned. He agreed and said I was still "very low risk" despite the numbers so for now we're not doing anything. Otherwise everything was normal.
-- I trimmed some more of the landscaping in the front garden. We have a Hebe down by the street that's half dead, so I took all the dead parts out, and tore out more ivy to keep it from climbing up the walls of the house.
-- I posted some stuff on Freecycle. We had a stack of plastic plates and bags of plastic cutlery dating back to our wedding party eight years ago! Dave and I are infrequent party hosts (can you tell?) so I gave all that away. I also gave away a WiFi signal extender that wasn't very effective, but the guy who took it messaged me later and said it "works pretty well," so I guess it was just us. I might list some more items too. When Dave comes home the house will be empty!
-- I cleaned out and organized the pantry and the spice cabinet. We had a lot of stuff, particularly baking stuff, that was quite old, such as an unopened container of bicarbonate of soda that expired in 2013. I remember debating throwing it out the last time I cleaned out the pantry, and we haven't touched it since, so I chucked it. We just don't bake much. I also discovered frozen sausages in the freezer from last November! Gotta eat those when Dave returns. It's easy to lose track of stuff in there.
Another current bloomer -- our Inula.
Last night I watched the final episodes of "Heat," a four-episode Australian family melodrama that I discovered on Channel 5. It was pretty good, though kind of over the top. The main "bad guy" turned out to be so loathsome it defied belief.
Then my brother called me with the news that my mom is once again not doing well. I don't want to fly off the handle and across the ocean if it's not necessary, especially since Dave is gone and I'd have to figure out what to do with Olga. So for now I'm staying put. Mom is not very aware anyway, so I'm debating what to do in the longer term. I'm not sure she's going to make it to October, when I intended to visit next. I'll look into airline tickets and see what my options are.
Sorry to hear your mom is unwell. I think she is in her eighties?
ReplyDeleteDatura do grow well here but are inclined to droop in extreme heat.
I just read about Heat and it hasn't been screened here yet. It sounds watchable, but it is going to be shown on commercial tv, a misery place for those who dislike advertising. If we watch it, we will record it using Fetch and Household Management is very skilled at ad skipping.
I'll keep an eye out for Heat.
ReplyDelete"We" have a giant datura growing over the fence from a neighbour the flowers drop down into the yard here and I sweep them up now and again.
I also have high cholesterol and know I should be eating the right foods to reduce it but I'm just not a salad person. I grew up on sweet and sugary. I take the medication, but know I should do more walking as well.
Sorry to hear about your mum, I know she won't know if you are there or not, but you will know you made the effort and that's what's important.
In the second paragraph, you say that you were "on the fence"... I hope that Mrs Kravitz didn't see you!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that your mum seems to have taken a turn for the worse. I understand your dilemma.
Sorry to hear about your mother. I, too, know the feeling of elderly parents living far away and having health issues.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry Steve. It's so hard waiting for someone to die, even worse when it's your mom. Take care.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to hear about your mom. I know that puts you in a quandary as you are so far away from home. I am flying home tomorrow to visit my mom and am lucky she's doing well.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry about your mom. That's a difficult situation.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Sorry about your mom. The good thing is that she's unaware, so your visit is really for you.
ReplyDeleteI have high cholesterol, and a family history of stroke and heart issues, so I've been taking medication for years, reluctantly.
For a long time I used red rice yeast extract for successful control, but my trusted herbalist retired so I thought I'd be safer on the meds. If you have a trusted source, the Chinese have used red rice yeast for over a thousand years for blood moderation.
Generations of my farming ancestors would roll over in their graves knowing that you are trying to keep a jimsonweed alive in a pot none the less. Here it is very invasive in farm fields and farmers are aggressive towards eradicating it.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your mom's turn for the worse. I fortunately lived close to my mom during her last days but am dealing with something similar with my grandma. Her days are numbered, she is very aware still, and I have to juggle the desire to be there with her and yet maintaining our life back home. It can be tough to balance at times.
Man I REALLY need to tackle our "bonus room" & get rid of a bunch of stuff. It's not hard to pick out the stuff to get rid of, but it IS hard to actually remove it from the house.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your mom. I lived in Ohio when my mom was dying in NC - it was really hard to know when to be there. I wanted to be here all the time, but I couldn't afford to miss work.
I have a volunteer datura and it came up where I had one planted years ago. It's still pretty small and not showing signs of blooming yet but when it does, I'm going to try and remember and save the seeds.
ReplyDeletesorry to hear about your mom. seems your dream was a bit prophetic. she was coming to say goodbye.
I don't think I've ever seen a datura bloom before it fully opened. It has an interesting look.
ReplyDeleteSorry about your mother. It's so hard to figure out what to do when you are so far away.
I've been on high cholesterol medicine for years and have never had a problem with it.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your Mom but glad to hear she is peaceful and hopefully not in any pain.
Here it seems like we don't hear about high cholesterol anymore. At one time that's all we heard about.
ReplyDeleteWell Son Of A Gun And Wish I Could Hang With The Olga Girl - Health Wise, Cut The Butter And Cheese From Your Diet And See What The Number Reflect - Sending Positive Vibes Your Way Brother Man
ReplyDeleteCheers
My moonflower (Ipomoea alba) has just begun to bloom. The only flowers I've seen so far weren't totally opened before I went to bed and were already spent when I got up the next day.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry your mom isn't doing well.
It's so sad that she won't remember or be aware even if you come. But you will be aware of being there with her, so figuring out how important it is to you (closure stuff) is the key thing in my humble opinion. How is Dave enjoying Seattle? Hope he has time to see some of the sights and enjoy the beautiful weather. Hot for us though at nearly 90 degrees.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about your mom. I hope things go easily for her and for you and brother during this transition.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your mom, Difficult to see a loved one go through this passage.
ReplyDeleteSacred Datura thrives in the heat here in northern Arizona. The roadsides are full of them.
ReplyDeleteIrene
Yes, sorry to hear about the mom. But then it comes time for all of us, doesn't it? Considering her lack of awareness, it may be a blessing. But still hard on the survivors. Be strong.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad about your Mom, but it does come to us all. Going back will avoid guilt, but one wonders how much she'll know who you are. Stout heart.
ReplyDeleteAndrew: She just turned 86. Interesting that I can see "Heat" before it appears on TV in Australia!
ReplyDeleteRiver: Well, at least you're doing something about the cholesterol. The giant type of datura is different from the one I have.
YP: Yeah, she'd never forgive me if I damaged the fence!
Bob: It's hard to be so far away, isn't it?
Pixie: It's strange in this case, because this is really just her body. Her mind is long gone.
Michael: Glad you're going to see her and she's doing fine. Make the most of your time, even if she drives you crazy.
Janie: It is, but I knew when I moved overseas that I'd have to face this predicament.
Boud: Thanks for the red yeast tip! Yes, my mom is mostly unaware. In fact I'm not sure she's really even conscious much at this point.
Ed: I don't think jimsonweed loves the UK because we're cooler and wetter than the parts of America where it flourishes. I like it partly because Georgia O'Keeffe painted it!
Bug: Yeah, that's the thing. You never know what time is the right time.
Ellen: I think so! I think that dream was definitely about her dying. Funny how the mind works.
Sharon: Yeah, they sort of grow in a spiral and then open up.
Ellen D: Good to hear about you and others on meds. Maybe I should just try them. I'm wary of any long-term medication.
Red: I think it's not as emphasized as it was. They've learned that the numbers aren't absolute and there are other factors in heart disease.
Padre: I wish so too! If I left her with you, I'd know she wasn't lacking for treats.
Kelly: Gotta get up in the middle of the night to catch them, I guess! I know people do that sometimes.
Margaret: Yeah, that's what Dave (and others) said -- that it's more for me than for her. I feel like we've said our goodbyes but I still want to be there if I can.
Robin: I think we're resigned to it, and we both feel that with her dementia she's been gone a while anyway.
Jim: Especially from across an ocean!
Irene: Sacred datura is apparently a close relative to the type I have, Datura stramonium. You know, I mentioned to Ed above that Georgia O'Keeffe painted jimsonweed, but since she lived in the Southwest, I wonder if she actually painted sacred datura and not the type I have?
Catalyst: Thanks. Yeah, I think she's hovering in a sort of middle-state at the moment, not quite awake or aware. (In addition to her dementia.)
Allison: Hard to say. She seems to know us, or did before she began this decline, but yeah, how aware she is now is a mystery.
The freezer is like a deep, dark secret place. Every now and then I go in there, see dates and am scared!
ReplyDelete