Three birds and a palm tree

It's always colorful in southern California. I'm not sure if these guys are looking at the palm tree, or at the new roof on the condo that almost burned down last year. Word has it that the two lady occupants tried to heat an electric blanket in the microwave. They've moved back in now, but I can only hope their microwave was burned beyond recognition and they thought better of replacing it.

So Mr. G and I had a very good trip yesterday. Well, there was that guy at JFK who stopped me outside the food kiosk, just after I'd purchased some lunch for the flight, and asked me what airport we were at. I guess he was still groggy from a red-eye flight and thought maybe we were in Pocatello.

Our flight was turbulence-free and thereby crochet-enabling.

I've decided to do 3 rows of double crochet for each stripe with no particular planning on color placement. I'm winging it again..heh...heh...It will be a hodge-podge (not to be confused with Mod Podge). I did end up frogging the first few rows of blue. That's because I failed to sufficiently read the directions (so unlike me) and ended up with some funky stitches on one end. I also decided I wanted it wider, so I added more stitches.

While I was out behind the condo taking the picture of the afghan progress, I realized how well represented dear old dad and mom are in the garden. My mom was quite a gardener, and here at the condo she did most of her gardening in pots. In fact, at one point she had lots o' pots. After she passed away, my dad went into minimalist mode. He put all of her knick-knacks in boxes, and gave most of the garden pots away. He did save one of her jade plants though, and he planted it in the ground just outside the sliding door.

It's done quite well. In fact, it's had children.


Here is one of the jade's offspring and my father's fig tree.....having just been pruned to resemble an alien life form. Dad was always quite fond of figs. He planted this tree next to the back door so he'd always have a handy supply. I remember how happy I was the day I took him fresh figs at the nursing home. He seemed pleased. Then, after about a week or so, he told me he appreciated my bringing them but he thought he'd had his fill.


Here's his lemon tree....a thank-you gift from one of several neighbor ladies for whom he did handyman jobs.

Sometimes when I sit out on the patio, with my coffee and my handiwork, I feel like I'm among family.