Are there House plants in Heaven?

I have some news about a family member, the houseplant. You remember him? We've been through the years together, stuck by each other through thick and thin, dry or humid, sand or soil. Well, it was either the years or the hot summer but he is slowly succumbing to a demise. Remember our little game of droop-over-the-pot to indicate he was thirsty? Well, it seems he doesn't have the strength to pull himself up anymore. Today I staked him and tied a string under his leaves to prop him into a standing position. It was a pathetic attempt , a small sigh of resignation escaped from somewhere below the soil line. I've tried everything, a new pot, soil, sunshine, I even put him out front while the lawn was being sprinkled to invoke in him the will and pride of his wild ancestors. Nothing. I'm afraid that I am here to just make his last few days as comfortable and dignified as possible, and hope that I can be there to hold a leaf when he finally decides to let go and join the big mulch pit in the sky.

On a happier note, my plumarias are doing exceptionally well and I am happy to report that one of the newer ones has just unveiled flowers for the first time. True to the nursery's promise it was indeed a deep dark red flower with just a hint of yellow in the middle.

The occasion of both of these events reminds us all that the Lord Bloomith, and the Lord Wiltith away.

Soda with her bird.. (ok, it's a pigeon, but it tastes like pheasant!) 

Remember when....

Please allow me the literary license to shorten the list I have stolen from Dave Goodman, to be restored to its original integrity as time permits:


10 years ago .....
Had just moved to Carson City, NV from Northern California to jump start a struggling marriage and help redirect a wayward teenage stepson.

5 years ago....
Was living with Mom when the time came for her to sell the Fullerton house and move up north to Mariposa while I moved into the Norco house and began living ALL BY MYSELF for the very first time in my life!

1 year ago...
Was feeling pretty cocky, fit & feisty, had just been on a Hawaiian cruise hobnobbing with the captain and crew, looking forward to another Hawaii visit in a couple more months. Getting used to being without Mom and Sid, having no overhead, no debts, no entanglements or ties of ANY kind, I was truly truly free. Self sufficient and salient. But kind of lonely.

Oh, and Sid Dawg House the blog was born July 15 a year ago! (Whew! Could that be possible?)

Yesterday...
Paul and I took the day off and took Soda out to a Sporting Spaniel training session (with REAL birds!), then went golfing and visiting with brother John and our Mary.


Today...
Happy Birthday, America! Will go back over to JP and Marys to BBQ hot dogs and ribs and then shoot off "safe and sane" fireworks after dark. Oooooo, aaaaaaah, oooooh!

Tomorrow...
Back to work to be self sufficient again.