It's early June and it's been sunny and blustery so far. Strong winds, rain and dramatic skies. Love it. My flowers are blooming all over the place! I come out in the morning to see new blooms busting out on the poppies, especially. Plants I'd planted last year that I thought had died have returned and grown rapidly (portulacas, butterfly weed, myosotis/forget-me-nots, etc). I've been out in the garden doing edging, working on improving soil conditions so I can plant more flowers and bushes. The cats sit in the windows as I garden and meow at me whenever I look at them, it's so cute! They make it a game. I meow back, in acknowledgement, just for fun. They might be deaf but they are visual and respond to that sort of thing. The birds are always around, my goldfinches practically live at the nyger seed feeder. The woodpeckers love peanuts so I make sure to keep the other feeders full..hungry little buggers!
While I work, I leave music or tv on in the background. I was watching the Jodi Arias trial and hoping for justice for that poor young man, Travis Alexander. She's been convicted, and now we wait for the re-sentencing. If anyone deserves the death penalty, it's her. She was insane, stalking, not taking "no" for an answer, being manipulative. And she destroyed him, then tries to profit on her crime. Just goes to show how low deviants can go. Growing up in a home with a master manipulator present, I understand fully how terrifying these kinds of people are..unpredictable and volatile, controlling. It's beyond scary. I was stalked a few times in my twenties and thirties. Men showing up at my place, unannounced. Three times, Men staring in at me from the bushes. Freaked me out. One (very professional)man threatened to kill some other guy he thought was after me. Looney tunes. Another even got himself actually thrown in jail. He took my business card (picked up at a trade show I was exhibiting in) and took it upon his crazy self to show up at my house! Serves me right for having my address on my business cards - I was young and dumb (D'OH!!) He showed up on Christmas, draped in jingle bells, hoping to visit me, demanding to be let up (in my then apartment building). I wouldn't buzz him in so he buzzed the crap out of that buzzer until someone let him in downstairs. He then wouldn't leave my front door, kept banging on it, knowing I was there from my initial answering the buzzer to see who it was. The cops hauled him off. UGH. What a freak. Older man with a screw loose. No means no. He just didn't get it. The cops told me that they were their own witnesses and that I didn't have to go to trial against him, they would go instead. Thank you, police! I remember it like yesterday. This scenario came back into my memory when watching the Arias trial. It pays to be careful of who you talk to. Arias is dangerous and should never be let loose ever again (no parole!)
Last week I got a call from a lifelong friend of mine, my childhood psychotherapist, Janeen, who was in town and wanted to see me. She lives in Tennessee now so it's such a pleasant surprise for her to come see me in her busy schedule here in Ohio! She came with her friend, and they came in the house, stayed awhile and we chatted. Wonderful conversation with two fantastic people! It was like old times, but twenty years later. How times fly! Janeen was the mother I always wanted but never had. She was the one who helped me with a difficult time with my mother. Janeen told me to work hard to be independent when I was twelve, not to be like my family but to learn healthier ways of relating to the world. And I never forgot that. Been on my own since 17, and though it was hard when I was taken out of an abusive situation. I learned to grow up pretty fast. Anyways, the whole saga of my recovery from narcissistic child abuse started with her. Now, all these years later I told her that she's the mother I always wanted but never had, and she told me she thinks of me as a daughter. That means so much to me. I am forever grateful. I was a lonely, alone little girl and she showed me the light so long ago. And now I'm a middle aged woman, and her presence is love and light, makes me feel cared about, either in person or on Facebook :) It's important, I think, to let people know when they make a difference in your life, to let them know that they are valued. Gratitude!
Other things..found out that there is an extremely large perennial flower greenhouse not too far from my home. Later this month, I'm going! After clearing away a new area for a garden next to my house, There is a lot of space for new plants. A lilac bush, rose bush or two and peonies are on my list. I'm like a kid in a candy store let loose in either bookstores or garden centers. Love them. Looking at this local greenhouse/grower's website,
Bluestone Perennials, I see some plants that interest me. If the price is right, they will be mine. I'm going to make this new garden an Eden! Flowers everywhere! It would be wonderful to attract hummingbirds and butterflies to my yard. It's in my mind, now I just have to build it. Takes time. Nothing really looks all that great until the year afterwards, so next year, I want it to be lush and beautiful.
Another thing on the to-do list: learn how to use the telescope I bought last year. Here it is in all its glory, uncalibrated, waiting for me to get it in alignment:
It's nice living near Observatory Park, when I finally get the hang of using it, they have events for amateur astronomers to bring their scopes to. I will pry myself away from work and do it. Astronomy is fascinating. For all who like it, www.slooh.com is a great site to visit. I have a membership to rent their large telescopes and take photos of nebulae, planets, galaxies and more with far better equipment far better than I could ever have. It's a wonderful site..very addictive. I'm a big star geek, and proud of it. The colors and formations of the different phenomena are spectacular. The best views, of course, are from Hubble telescope, but Slooh is still no slouch. Here's a pic I took of the (Waxing Gibbous) moon not too long ago:
Here's M63 or the Sunflower Galaxy:
On a last note, I fixed my laptop! Without the help of some high-priced computer tech (last visit cost me $250)! It's fine now, other than needing a new fan soon. The malware, spyware and other garbage are all gone and this thing is completely back to normal. Thanks to using lots of anti-malware and anti-spyware programs. If you throw enough mud at a wall, something's bound to stick. Well, it stuck. Still working on my health. I've lost weight (yay - still much more to go, though for optimal health) from eating soft foods only (and losing my appetite for jello, tapioca, cream of wheat and other boring food..I want steak! To eat an apple! You get the picture). I will get the permanent teeth this month, thank God. Might get my hair trimmed soon, too. I look like a shaggy bush when it gets humid especially. Time to get it taken care of, kind of a mini-makeover for Summer, maybe. So much to do, so little time. Still, life is good :)
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