The Gardenias are in Bloom

I really need to post more often. Part of the reason I even started this blog was to work on my writing. I guess I should also use it to work on my discipline. What's laughable is that I thought I could manage two blogs at one time. I am notorious for over stretching myself.

So the gardenias are in bloom. I've been waiting two months for them to finally bloom. I guess I got jealous seeing them in bloom at the nursery and not at my house. Yes, I know that those bushes are forced in a green house, but I never claimed to be realistic. Part of the reason that I love to see them in bloom is because of the way they smell. Gardenias and Peacock Orchids are two flowers that amaze me with how much fragrance can come from one flower. Even with the few gardenia blooms that we have right now, I can smell them as soon as I step from the car. Granted, by the time the whole bush is in bloom, I may find the smell sickening, but that's another story. See, my gardenia is more like a hedge than a bush. It's four bushes in fact. Or at least I think it's four bushes. They're planted close together so it's difficult to tell. The whole hedge is over five feet tall and it's easily ten feet long. And it is loaded with giant buds ready to bloom at any moment.

So, in an attempt to keep the hedge trimmed and my house smelling sweet, I've been taking cuttings every few days and putting them in a vase in the house. I love fresh cut flowers. Last week it was all roses. This week it's mostly gardenias. The way my garden is looking, there could soon be some lilies in the mix. I didn't expect lilies so early. It's been very dry here lately and lilies typically need an inch of water a week in order to bloom. I guess it goes to show that the soaker hose has been doing it's job. By the way, wonderful invention soaker hoses. Only about $10 for a 25 ft hose and it's much more effective at watering my garden than a sprinkler.

The gardenias blooming really have been the highlight of my week. My gall stones are back and eating anything with the tiniest bit of fat gives me more pain than even Vicodin can take away. I really don't see what all the hype is about regarding Vicodin. It takes two hours to kick in and then it still barely masks the pain. Then it only lasts for a couple hours after that before I need to take another one, but I digress. Needless to say, it's been a crappy week complete with a trip to the ER, a follow up with my doctor, missed days from work without pay, and the possibility of having my gall bladder removed. The pain tells me to get the dang thing out of me, but faith tells me that I shouldn't be so quick to take an organ out of my body that God put there for a reason. Even if the doctors think it's a useless organ.


I always like to end on a happy note, so I give you frolicking goats. I'm sorry that the picture is so blurry, but they always run up so quickly it's next to impossible to get a clear picture of them. Plus Bella kicking up her feet is just so cute. I guess it's good that the goats are always so happy to see people. Some people would call them trained, I just call them spoiled. And yes, that would be the male, Rusty, whose stomach that looks fat enough to be pregnant.