Been Up For 5 Hours...

Evidently 5:00 AM is my bladder's wake-up time and this morning my brain clicked on at the same time so I've been up putzing around, making phone calls, trying to make the old remote talk nicely to the new TV (without any luck), and taking pictures of flowers.

But first... look at this butterfly that visited the zinnias yesterday morning.  It's a blue swallowtail.

 

Then in the afternoon a pair of male goldfinches visited the zinnias for an afternoon snack.  I am totally planting more zinnias in those planters next year.  They draw birds and butterflies, what's not to love.
 




Speaking of flowers, there weren't many yesterday but I love each and every one.  When the funeral guy asked what kind of flowers we wanted both DS and I said tropical and not in vases, in an arrangement that supported the (empty) sea turtle urn.  I don't have a picture of the turtle urn but it's exactly right.  Everyone loved it, I'm sure Durwood loves it too.  He'd better, since it's the vehicle that will take him back to the coral reefs he loved.




ETO, the woman who originally hired me to work at the dive shop, and her family sent this gorgeous arrangement of birds of paradise.  Perfect and absolutely beautiful.


 



Our friends from the Aqua Center dive shop sent this enormous peace lily.  It's amazing and it couldn't have come at a better time since the one they sent for Mom's funeral seven years ago isn't doing real well.  It's nice to have an all-green one to put in its place.




Aunt B, Mom's sister and the person that those of you who read this blog daily are familiar with from the comments, and her beloved sent this beautiful white orchid.  After posting this I'll be looking up how not to kill it on the internets and probably printing off a 10 page care manual.



 

A few members from the Bay Lakes Knitting Guild came and presented me with this extra-orange version of a prayer shawl from the Guild.  These women know my love of bright colors well.  I'll be sure to think of them when I'm wrapped in it--if the high temperatures and humidity every decide to leave.


It was lovely and heartening to have so many people come to share a hug and a Durwood story, to have a laugh at some of the crazy things he did.  It made us all feel like we weren't the only people that loved him.  Thank you all who came to the funeral and thank you to all who have sent FB messages.  You've made a difference during a very tough and stressful week.  Don't sell a quick FB message short, knowing someone's thinking about you and yours does indeed hold a person up.

DD and I met out-of-town friends for supper last night and we ate at Plae Bistro where I hadn't eaten before.  I had the mussels.  Oh. My. God.  They were so good.  The "small" plate is about a pound of mussels (which looks like a bushel basket full because of the shells) with succulent mussels in a rich, creamy liquid full of minced onions, garlic, and bell pepper with flatbread to sop it up.  I was proud that I managed to eat it all without having mussel juice dripping from my elbows.  I tasted DD's mac and cheese, it was good, better than good, but it'll be a long time before I look at anything but the mussels on that menu.

I haven't written a prompt for the last two nights.  I've been too tired by the time I rolled into bed.  I haven't neglected my little ankle stretches and my bedtime meditation, I just haven't written.  I'll get back to it, maybe tonight, tomorrow night for sure.  Today we're packing up all of Durwood's work clothes to take to the men's closet at the Salvation Army store.  Good thing we're strong both in muscle and stamina--or is that just our innate stubbornness?  Yeah, probably that last one.
--Barbara