
An auspicious sign on the Fourth
My 73rd birthday was the best so far. If my birthdays keep getting better, I just may live forever. Friends dropped by on the Fourth – we spit a lot of cherry pits (an orchard is in the making) and then we raided the refrigerator for an impromptu dinner. What’s not to like? I didn’t cook, and I was spending time with my nearest and dearest.
Any day that begins in the garden is a good day. Fourth of July, the morning was fresh and damp with dew; traffic was non-existent; and only birdsong sounded. The doves were hard at-it… as constant as a clock…never pausing to take a breath. In the distance, a rooster had his say. I walked about the garden and saw that the native grass is taking over.
I’m OK with weeds: didn’t I say that I’m older but wiser? Not that I welcome weeds, but as long as I can strike some balance between the authorized flowers and the weeds, all is well. I guess the key word, in terms of achieving wisdom is ‘balance.’ And accommodation. And an acceptance of the imperfect.
I love the Prickly Poppy – an invasive species that reportedly came to America illegally amongst potatoes. The juxtaposition of the poppy-like flowers with the prickly body warms my heart – a reminder that by nature we are all soft and sharp.
And even if we are only half of what we could be, there is beauty in the imperfect and the damaged. If we take a closer look, the flaws may be more beautiful than we think.

At some distance, the flower is faded.

A closer look and the dying plant’s beauty is revealed.
Gorgeous pics and writing. Glad to be among the cherry pit spitters. I see that you called but att won’t let me here your message. Any chance you found my hat?
Already miss you
Bar
No hat. I’ll ask Oogie. Perhaps he has hidden it. Or eaten it.
Doris,
Not to be picky, but I think your flower is a prickly poppy not a Russian thistle (tumbleweed.)
Loved your birthday celebration.
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Thank you, Ruth. I was pretty sure that I was wrong – couldn’t match it to any of the photos of Russian thistle on Google… but I went with Russian thistle anyway. I appreciate your help. From now on it’s a Russian poppy.
What a GOOD comparison! Yeah! It was a fun Birthday – cherry pits & mango salsa!
Thank you for joining us – you were one reason our fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants party was so much fun.