A cactus in the backyard with a bee enjoying the one-day bloom.
I learned something nice the first week of my husband’s surgery. We have a lot of kind and thoughtful neighbors. My husband got phone calls. People called me for updates on his surgery.
Then our friends from Palm Springs who moved a mile from us, three months after we moved here, called to say they were bringing over a treat. It was a pork loin roast with apple chutney and polenta. The husband is following Chef Jean-Pierre and is getting some amazing results from the chef’s recipes. What a treat. We got several meals. And I didn’t have to cook.
You can check out Chef Jean-Pierre at his website HERE.
Then another friend/neighbor came over to visit my husband and sit and chat. He’s been having his own medical challenges. He’s had a variety of diagnoses the last few months from rare autoimmune disorders to the doctors not having a clue. He said he finally got a diagnosis and it was something quite simple. Iron Deficiency.
When I heard that, I told him I would make him pate. Post my DIL’s surgery and six months of chemo, she was suffering from Iron Deficiency too. Our kids and DIL were coming to visit and I found a recipe for pate that she said she could feel the iron rushing into her blood. It includes chicken livers, butter, scallions, garlic, capers, thyme, brandy and heavy cream.
He was thrilled and said he’d be over with his famous ribs and corn and we’d exchange goodies.
Now those are good neighbors!
Another cactus with a one-day bloom I captured.
A hummingbird sat still and posed so I could get a few shots.
What do your neighbors or friends do for you to help out when needed?
Red and Mrs. are my Northern Cardinal couple who live in a cholla cactus in the wash beyond our backyard fence. They have been arriving daily, but separately. Perhaps there are babies on the way and someone has to be in the nest at all times?
Red arrived and sat on his favorite pink flamingo. I watched him nibble and bite at the flamingo’s head. Maybe seeds blew down from the tree onto the flamingo?
Mrs. watched quail, a mourning dove and house sparrow devour a seed block.
I saw a strange sight. Two female cardinals together on our patio. They flew away before I could get a photo. One was larger than the other. I googled how or why two females would be together. First, I learned that it could be due to an abundance of birds in the area — which we have. Second, it could be mother and fledgling.
Mother cardinals are dedicated caregivers, often seen feeding and guiding their fledglings, which are brown-grey with dark beaks and sparse feathers. Fledglings leave the nest within 10-12 days but rely on parents to feed them for several more weeks while learning to fly. Parents, including the mother, frequently feed young on the ground or in low shrubs. –Allaboutbirds.org
Red got tired of being ignored by the flamingo, so he moved on.
The papa quail and mourning dove were more sociable to Red than the stuffy flamingo.
Mrs. told a quail couple about her visit with the other female cardinal.
Mrs. found a perch on the cactus statue to watch over the backyard actors.
Red seems to be around every day. But the only time he sits still for a photo is when he’s at the Bird Buddy feeder! Otherwise, when I try to get his portrait, he flies away so quickly that I’m left with an empty photo.
This House Sparrow knows how to strike a pose!
Papa Quail keeps watch on his brood. It’s almost baby quail season!
A squirrel likes it when I put out a block of birdseed. They aren’t able to access the bird feeders.
Have you noticed the moon this week? I took photos of it over several days. March 3 was the day it was full.
This was taken on March 1.
A friend of mine texted me from Dubai yesterday. She and her husband were traveling for a safari in Nairobi and had a brief layover there. Which turned into four days! I told her to please let me know what they return safely to the United States! We had dinner with another couple over the weekend who were traveling to Israel this week. They have changed their itinerary and are going to Turkey instead. I think I’d rethink that trip, too.
Which photos do you like best?
Would you be comfortable traveling this week to the Middle East?
This year, we planted several bougainvillea. I love the color they add to our yard. They are small now and I can’t wait to see how much they grow in a few years. We had to replace several due to our javelina buddies who ate them.
I’m sharing several plant photos from around our yard. It’s been a very quiet week of rest, elevating and icing my foot. The pain has not been too bad post surgery. Honestly, not much has been going on this week and I’m enjoying the quiet.
We are meeting a fellow swim mom from our Palm Springs team later today who was one of my swim mom mentors. Her daughter went to ASU for college and lives nearby. The daughter was an All American collegiate swimmer and held ASU records. She and her husband had a baby recently and her mom is here to do grandma duties for her daughter’s return to work. It will be my first outing post surgery.
I always enjoy getting together with people from a former phase of my life. It seems as though no time has passed and we can reminisce about our parenting days.
The weather is beautiful and I’m loving sitting outside enjoying the sun reading, since there’s not much I can do — except for a small walk wearing my boot.
This photo was taken with me seated looking up at a mesquite tree branch.
Our fire sticks are turning bright orange. We have several plants throughout the yard. Why is it called “fire stick?” Not only does it resemble a stick on fire with its orange color, its sap is toxic and causes a burning sensation on skin and in eyes, leading to severe irritation and potential temporary blindness. I’m always careful walking by them.
I love these plants called Fairy Dusters. They do remind me of fairies. They can be light pink to a darker red like this one.
I hope you enjoyed my plant photos. Yes, I’ve seen Red but he’s staying far away in the wash behind our house. I’ve seen him where I believe their nest is in the cholla cactus.
Happy Friday! What plans do you have for the weekend?
This is a photo of the beautiful backdrop of Palm Springs, Mt. San Jacinto, from Ruth Hardy Park, which was a few blocks from our old home.
Why am I writing and posting photos of Palm Springs again?
Because I was there Friday through Sunday. It’s beyond gorgeous looking out the airport windows to the mountain. I forgot how much I missed that!
The night before we left, one of my best friends called and asked if she could pick me up at the airport. She’s the friend who helped us move five years ago. True friends. I wrote about that move HERE.
I was going to take a Lyft to my dad’s skilled nursing facility, but my dear friend drove me and came inside to surprise Dad. He was thrilled to see her. My dad was hospitalized several weeks ago and sent to skilled nursing to rehab. He realized at age 93 and 11 months that he can no longer live alone. It was a relief that he came to this conclusion on his own.
Friday accomplishments: Dad signed power of attorney to me. Dad listed his home with realtors we met in his home Friday. It was a long day for both of us!
The next door neighbors helped all weekend, too, popping in and out. They’ve looked out for Dad for three years.
Saturday was another long day meeting movers and getting them scheduled for Tuesday. Dad will be discharged from skilled nursing and needs a place to sleep by Wednesday night! I tagged what Dad wants moved including artwork, lamps, bed, dresser, dishes, clothing, etc. with yellow stickies.
I taught my dad how to use Lyft, in the event he decides to sell his car 🙏. Also, assisted living will drive residents wherever they want to go — at anytime without charge.
The realtors will schedule Angel View Thrift Shop to pick up everything left behind and prep the house for photos and to show. I don’t have to be there!
I’m exhausted. But Saturday morning I started the day with a walk and coffee with another Palm Springs good friend. We swam masters together, plus our daughters were friends from pre K through high school and beyond. My daughter was a bridesmaid in Kira’s wedding this past summer.
Here’s a crazy coincidence:
My daughter told me yesterday that she visited Kira on Saturday. On the way, my daughter got off on the wrong BART stop (Bay Area Rapid Transit). My daughter was frustrated with her mistake and was looking down at her phone to figure out what to do next. She looked up and saw Kira’s younger sister standing in front of her! The two got back on BART and went to Kira’s house together.
At the same time I was walking and having coffee with my friend, my daughter was with Kira and her sister (my friend’s daughters!)
What could have been a really tough weekend turned out to be special and possible — thanks to friends.
This was our home of 28 years downtown Palm Springs. Our backyard and French doors face Mt. San Jacinto, so we had great views.
This is Tahquitz Canyon Way. We had great views of Mt. San Jacinto on our morning walks.
Also, a great view Sunday morning of the Tahquitz Witch.
What is the Tahquitz Witch?
Cahuilla shaman named Tquits (or Tahquitz), is a malevolent figure from Southern California Native American lore, often appearing as a fiery ball or shadow in Tahquitz Canyon near Palm Springs, said to steal souls and cause strange phenomena like rumbling or earthquakes, with the legend popularized by stories and books, including a local horror tale about a witch-shadow that scares children.
The Legend Explained
The Shaman’s Fall: Tahquitz was a powerful shaman who used his abilities for evil, angering his people, who eventually banished him to a cave in the San Jacinto Mountains, near Tahquitz Canyon.
His Spirit: After his defeat by a chief, Tahquitz’s spirit was bound to the canyon and mountains, becoming a source of fear and mystery, notes the YouTube video and the Los Angeles Times.
Manifestations: Believers say he appears as:
A large, green fireball or shooting star in the night sky.
A shadow or silhouette cast on the canyon rocks at certain times.
Causes strange ground shaking, rumbling, or animal sounds in the canyon.
The “Witch” Aspect
While Tahquitz is a male shaman, the “Witch of Tahquitz” is a common local nickname, especially in children’s tales, describing a witch-like shadow figure that snatches misbehaving children. –AI OVERVIEW
During the weekend, I went with a neighbor to see the latest Richard Linklater movie, “Blue Moon.” My neighbor is social and a brilliant person who invited five other women to lunch and the movie. She frequently has get togethers like a Christmas lunch for 30 women, hosting a wedding shower in her home, and more recently having a birthday party of 12 for a neighbor. She seems to have limitless energy and the ability to organize and get people to show up!
I’ve seen a few Linklater movies that I really liked. The one that stuck with me was “Boyhood” which took place over 12 years, following one boy’s life from childhood to college. Ethan Hawke played the father and Patricia Arquette won an Academy Award for best supporting actress as the mother. I thought it was a remarkable project to undertake filming over so many years.
Another common theme in his movies is they take place during one day — with the obvious exception of Boyhood. Blue Moon took place on the opening night of Oklahoma! on Broadway.
It’s the story of Lorenz Hart of Rodgers and Hart fame. After a falling out due to mental instability and alcoholism, Hart is replaced by Oscar Hammerstein. Rodgers and Hart are true opposites. Rodgers is a family man who wants to write music on a strict schedule. Hart rarely gets to bed before morning and spends his life smoking cigars and drinking bourbon in bars.
Although the movie dragged in places and the story isn’t uplifting, the writing is amazing and Ethan Hawke was beyond remarkable. I’ve read his role is worthy of Best Actor honors at the Academy Awards.
What I found especially interesting was the reaction of our row of seven women at the theatre. The woman sitting next to me was sound to sleep through most of the movie.
“Well that was uplifting!” one woman said sarcastically.
“I had such a great time today, in spite of the fact the movie sucked!” another woman said.
I rode home with my neighbor who had arranged the day for us. We drove home talking about all the things that we loved about the movie. I enjoyed what my daughter called an “Easter egg” of Hart talking with E.B. White in the bar and giving him the idea to write about a little mouse named Stuart with a “U” not a “W.”
What movies have you been to with great reviews that you didn’t like?
Then the reverse, what movies did other people not like that you enjoyed?
Official trailer of Blue Moon.
Here’s Billie Holiday’s rendition of the song Blue Moon:
I managed to get an in focus photo of a Harris’s Hawk who made a landing in our tree and immediately took off into the desert.
Today, my husband comes home. I had three days to myself while he traveled for a class. I was apprehensive about his trip and realized it was due to our last long weekend “trip” that turned into a disaster with me falling and breaking my ankle on our first hike! I was also a little worried about how I’d get along, but my husband stocked the fridge and freezer like I’d be eating for a month, not three days.
I had two friends take me out for lunch. We used to work together 30 years ago! They are both graphic designers and I was the PR person who hired them for brochures, ads and billboards. We get together about once a month after not seeing each other for 15 years. That’s when they both left Palm Springs for Arizona. We live a few miles apart now and it’s been wonderful to rekindle our friendships.
My surgeon told me I should start getting out of the house and I’d feel much better. So lunch was a good idea — as well as my mornings outside getting sun and enjoying nature.
Then I quit the board where I was in charge of communications. It’s a woman’s group where we fundraised to support victims of sex trafficking. A post of Wynne Leon’s of Surprised by Joy this week about leadership made me realize exactly why I made this decision. You can read her post HERE called How to Share Direction. A new year began for our group and we have a new leader.
Our group is very small, around 30, and in March we held a fundraiser, a casino night. Literally five of us pulled it off with a silent auction, prizes, menu planning, and me doing communications. I spent the better part of three months working on the program, fliers, invitations, press releases, public service announcements and contacting newspapers, magazines, radio and TV.
We voted at a recent board meeting to focus on growing membership and that a fundraiser like casino night is too much work for us at this point. It was a unanimous vote. Our new leader at a meeting I missed because of my ankle surgery made the unilateral decision that casino night was a piece of cake and we’d have one next March. She told another member to “book it.” That was it for me. No vote was taken. The board also decided to no longer fundraise for sex-trafficked victims because some members find it to be distasteful. Out again for a second time!
Meanwhile my laptop that is only three years old suddenly died. I have a MacBook Air and it’s my second one dying in six years. I remember when my Mac computers lived for 10 years or more. I was sitting on the sofa with my leg iced and elevated with the laptop on my sundress, when the laptop went black. I went to Apple’s website to figure out what to do. It turns out that it said not to use a MacBook Air on fabric, bed or on clothing. Who knew! It overheated and went kaput. According to my daughter, I needed to get a sturdier, more solid laptop, so I did and I’m back in business.
So that’s my week in a post plus a surprise photo I managed to get of Red and Mrs. together!
What are your plans for the weekend?
I’ll be doing my PT and trying to get though the food my husband left me.
