For the first 50 years of my life, my perfectionist self mistakenly believed it was all about knowing more, getting it right, planning, attempting to prevent bad things from happening, and keeping all of my chicks in a row. It took me this long to discover that the JOURNEY is all that matters. This quote from Gilda Radner sums it all up:

"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.
"


Thursday, April 27, 2017

Spring Sex



This is just a quick little blog about a fascinating topic
 I always wondered about but never really 
made the effort to understand. 
Sex and the Oak Tree.


When I went outside yesterday,  I noticed
 a lot of gold "pollen" tassels hanging from 
my oak trees.  I know this is where all of that
disgusting yellow pollen dust comes from
every spring.  It covers the whole world for a few weeks
and makes many of us sneeze.

But what is it's purpose? 
I googled it and this is what I found.


They are called "catkins" (from the Dutch for kitten tail).
They are actually the male sex apparatus of the oak tree.
The female sex apparatus are small inconspicuous
flowers mainly found toward the top of the tree.


The catkins release their pollen over a 4 day period each spring.
The spent catkins then fall to the ground.


The yellow pollen released into the air gets blown 
to the female flowers to fertilize them.


The babies are the much dreaded acorns which
carpet our lawns in the fall, embedding themselves
in the soil and sprouting the following spring
in an attempt to produce more oak trees.

Heavy spring rains may affect the release of the pollen 
and its ability to pollinate the female flower,
which in turn affects the acorn crop in the fall.
(We can only hope)

Also,  acorns on the White Oak mature in 1 season,
while it takes 2 seasons for acorns to mature 
on the Red Oak.

That's all for now!
Have a great day!



Saturday, April 22, 2017

My Baby Boy Turns 26!


We all understand that there are different seasons
 in every personal relationship we have in our lives.
Friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives...
We are constantly changing and evolving.

I believe the one relationship that evolves and changes
most dramatically is that between parents and their children.


Adam and I have gone through many changes
in our 26 year relationship. 


All of these pictures might show you a close
mother/son relationship.


And these pictures don't lie.  
I always felt a special bond with Adam.

 
We are so very much alike in so many ways.


But we have had our times when I have stayed awake
trying to figure out how to best be a mother to this 
complicated boy (high school).



And I'm sure there were times when Adam wanted to 
distance himself from me.  


Can I possibly admit that it was a little bit of a relief
when Adam went off to college?


I feel guilty even thinking about it now.


But I know now that those times were necessary
for Adam to grow as his own person 
and for me to learn how to mother an adult.


It has been such a pleasure to watch Adam mature since high school.


He had become a strong, kind man
who also knows how to be vulnerable.


This past year has been a season of change in
our relationship again.


Adam makes me proud every day.


I am so excited for his present and for his future.


So on this day,  I applaud my baby boy.


I celebrate his 26 years with us.


I am thankful for all that he does to make
my life better.



I couldn't ask for a kinder, sweeter, more loving son.


Happy Birthday, Adam!


With love from your biggest fan.