Wednesday Vignette – plant procurement

Posted on December 13, 2023 by annamadeit

Last night I attended the Holiday Party of the landscape company I work for. The company is unusual in that it is large enough to employ a Plant Purchasing Department – which is where I spend my days, M-F. The location of the party was at one of our recently completed projects, and it was fun to see a fully realized, completed project. It’s a winery, located high up a hill, overlooking the west Portland suburbs. I’ll have to return during daylight hours some time to truly see it, but even at night the view was spectacular with all the lights below.

For most landscape installers, it makes no sense to employ special people to procure their plants, but we buy a lot. We spend over 10 million dollars a year on plants for our projects, and we have a fleet of trucks that go up and down the west coast to bring them to us and the various job sites. It’s a huge operation! But, at the scale of projects we install, our team over at Plant Purchasing saves them thousands of dollars per job, so it’s definitely worth it.

Anyway, I thought it might be interesting to talk about the different tiers of plant procurement. You get the absolute best prices when you buy from the growers themselves – at least most of the time. However, for economy’s sake, growers tend to be rather specialized in what they grow. Seeking them out directly works for us, because of the quantities we buy. Often there is a minimum required purchase, which can range anywhere from a few hundred bucks to a couple of grand. The crux when you’re a small or midsize installer and need an array of plants is that minimum, as well as the limited selection.

Which is why most landscape companies buy from so called Plant Brokers. They usually carry a good selection of everything from trees to groundcovers, and provide a nice and easy “one-stop-shop” for landscapers – but at a cost. They jack up their prices quite a bit. Though not quite as much as retail operations do, when you need thousands of plants, their prices will start to hurt your budget. As for direct buying from growers, these brokers provide lot of our competition, as they too, buy up large quantities directly from growers, and grow them on further on their own farms.

Another very significant reality is that the Willamette Valley is prime real estate for growers. Our mild climate, fertile soils, and access to water makes our part of the world the prime growing ground for the rest of the US. Massive amounts of west coast-grown plants (in some cases, exclusively) traverse the Rockies each year, to feed the east coast market. Occasionally, this is a source of frustration for us, as we see just the plants we need already earmarked for east coast distributors and retail venues. One winter a couple of years ago when I spiffed up the Ohio front yard of my parents a little, I shopped the local retail vendors for goodies. I saw evidence of this eastward migration everywhere. And, even at “winter sale” prices, I marveled at what I had to pay. I swore next time I would just pack a suitcase full of plants to bring – LOL!

In a pinch, even we might have to rely on retailers – which generally add between 200-250% to the purchase price of their plants, or the smaller specialty nurseries. Thankfully, these are exceptions to our normal buying, but if we have to, we buy from wherever we need to, in order to complete the plant lists we get. Truth be told, they are getting more and more complex – something I personally appreciate, even though it makes our buying more difficult. In the end – provided a knowledgeable maintenance crew takes over the post-planting care – the expanded variety make the end projects more interesting. But, all to often, the hard fought treasures we searched so long and hard for, perish by lack of proper care upon completion. But that’s a disconnect I’ll discuss another time…

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Wednesday Vignette – the pitfalls of ‘solo’

Posted on December 6, 2023 by annamadeit

So, here is another post that only peripherally touches on the magic of gardening, and the gardening community. Per an NPR report I heard yesterday, the US is in a “loneliness epidemic”. Apparently around 25% of the population say they feel alone – which is interesting considering more than 8 billion people now walk this earth. Notably, I heard the same thing in Sweden, when I was there last year. Our surgeon general brought it up earlier this year. His report offered some remedies and also some very poignant reasons as to why. Which in turn made me think of the friends and the network I have made being part of the gardening community, and how grateful I am for it. In yesterday’s interview, gardening was referred to as “the world’s slowest performance art form”. Love that definition!

Finding community with those that share your interest is key. (Did I mention gardening?) Other popular activities mentioned to bring people together were different kinds of visual arts, music, cooking, and baking. Which instantly made me think of today’s kids. Over the decades that school budgets have been continuously slashed, those monumental connectors of our collective humanity have been eroded.

When our kids were in school, their art teacher (who has since retired) was known throughout the school district for how he created cards/calendars/prints from the kids’ art, and sold it back to parents. That’s how he managed to keep his classes going. As for music, the only reason they even had any at all, was that a class parent knew how to play the piano and volunteered (for as long as her own kids were enrolled) to teach Choir.

Things are WAY different now than when I grew up. Almost everything has become about test scores and meeting “benchmarks”. Teachers do double duty as nurses, social workers, counselors, and one of schools’ big responsibilities is to keep hungry kids fed. The part of school that used to be about expression, self-sufficiency, and finding yourself have been eradicated and no longer exist. These days, parents are relied on to provide these “extras” – at least the parents who are able. We were lucky in that we’re both bonafide scrappers, creative types with hoarding tendencies. We had tools, musical instruments, and art supplies galore at home for them to explore and play with. Our kids had access to those extras in their home setting, but not all kids do. Other than f***king up our climate and wasting our planetary resources, that is one of our greatest crimes toward the generations immediately following our own.

I don’t usually post pictures of family, but here are our prides and joys, happily making themselves ninja swords out of bamboo. I’m guessing they were about 7 and 10 when this photo was taken. Both are now young men. One is studying industrial design, and the other is pursuing music production. And I’m almost positive that most of the bandwidth that shaped those choices did not come from their time in elementary school. That’s sad. Every kid deserves exposure to more “non-utilitarian” alternatives.

This starving of arts and humanities on behalf of raising a labor force to feed the industry of consumption has been going on for decades. I am convinced that if people were universally allowed a proper, well-rounded education – which might even provide them with an opportunity to find their bliss and their future path (even if not in a STEM field), they would be far better equipped to face the twists and turns of life. They might even find their ‘like-minded community’ much earlier in life and not be so lonely later on. There is a reason why currently, so many kids say their favorite class is ‘recess’. It’s their only chance to run free a little.

And that, my friends, concludes my rant for this week.

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Wednesday Vignette – breaking bad habits

Posted on November 29, 2023 by annamadeit

So, we’ve all just survived Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday. This morning I heard something from a sponsor of NPR that totally rubbed me the wrong way. I must have forced out of my mind which organization it was, but the message was some weird twist of “…consume more so that we can live more sustainably”. It made absolutely no sense at all.

In order to live sustainably, we need to consume less – not more. I’m grateful that the only thing I can think of that I can possibly want, is a new (or used) cable to charge my headphones, to replace the one I lost. I live in a world of abundance, I have absolutely everything I need… and more. And yet, society is urging me to consume more. Consumer spending is up, they said. Interestingly, one small trend is that we’re spending more on experiences, not so much on stuff (specifically toys). I found a little hope in that trend – it’s a step in the right direction.

I try my best to not order anything online. And I hate self-checkout. I guess I crave the human interaction – I don’t want life to be all about money and expediency. I like to live s l o w e r . What little I buy, I try to buy from local businesses. It might cost me a buck or two more than ordering online, but I like to think those dollars go toward someone having a job – near where I live. Sure, my money might benefit a corporate grocery chain, but it might also be from someone propagating plants, selling used books, or repurposing discarded junk into something cool. My point is that maybe we shouldn’t support our economy as much as we should support our community?

Economists everywhere are rubbing their palms together in delight as we go into our seasonal spending spree that will help push the numbers up. That kind of thinking is on a straight collision course with the idea of cutting emissions and living sustainably. So, my biggest wish for this Holiday Season is for us to tread gently, appreciate what we have and what we can give, make stuff, grow stuff, trade stuff, give with heart and meaning, share stuff, teach stuff, offer expertise or experiences. Find humanity in detaching from the race to spend on ‘stuff’.

I just spent an hour giving a few bucks to organizations I support; mostly to environmental groups, but also some that protect civil rights and fight disinformation. However none of their work is going to matter much if we keep consuming the way we do – and are encouraged to do. As a specie and as a culture, we’re currently operating in a way completely opposite of what is good for us. I find inspiration in the wise words of Erin Remblance. She’s right – we don’t talk enough about this stuff. I think we should.

Okay, I’m off my soap box now.

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Wednesday Vignette – thankful

Posted on November 21, 2023 by annamadeit

My mother always says to count your blessings if you can’t sleep. Definitely more interesting than counting sheep. To fill your heart with peaceful bliss instead of boring yourself to sleep seems a winning strategy. But last night when I couldn’t sleep, I could only count things that I felt I needed to do, and felt guilty about not doing. This evening I did a couple of those things, and feel all the better for it. I’m thankful for that.

Everywhere I look these days, I discover reasons to feel privileged. Not just material or situational reasons, though those blessings are numerous. No, a profound, heartfelt sense of gratitude goes out to a smattering of people who through their writing and expertise keep me off the ledge in this crazy world. If you feel prone to despair and hopelessly treading water in the tsunami of hysteria and information (false and otherwise) that assaults us daily, I’m going to post links to them below, to where they offer sanity, hope, and a lifeline out of confusion, historical turning points, and sometimes just wonderful musings.

First out is Heather Cox Richardson, professor of political history at Boston College. I have no idea how she does it, but she puts out an absolutely phenomenal newsletter every night, synthesizing the news and connecting current events to historical precedents. I’ve followed her for a few years now. It sounds corny, but her work has a very factual, calming effect – at least on me. And it has given me – who never took a class in American history – a bit of a crash course. Here is a recent piece she wrote on defending democracy. I treasure my early mornings with Heather and my coffee. Can’t think of a better way to get ready to face another day.

Teri Kanefield is a defense lawyer turned author. She has worked extensively in election law, and continuously offers a calming factuality to combat rage hysteria from various media. I especially appreciate her psychological bent and her ability to bone out dangerous authoritarian behaviors. She’s helped me not get so riled up over processes I don’t quite understand, and encourages patient anticipation and trust in the rule of law. Her blog posts are usually weekly, and chock full of great explanations.

Another lawyer I follow is Joyce Vance a former US attorney and current law professor who writes more often, and helps debone the gnarly, nitty-gritty of legal processes and offers an informed perspective on what to expect as things move forward. She too, is a really good antidote to media rage-mongers.

Brian Klaas is the one I was thinking about when referring to “wonderful musings”. An associate professor of global politics at University College London, he too is an author of books. This is an excerpt from a February release. I’m definitely buying that book – the preview is spellbinding! Too bad it won’t be out in time for Christmas…

Timothy Snyder is a Yale history professor and author. Like Teri Kanefield, he offers invaluable insights into the rise of authoritarianism, global conflicts (especially Central and Eastern Europe) and draws historical parallels that help understand our drift into the danger zone. I appreciate how he helps alert me to developing patterns.

Among all the other things in the world to be grateful for, these five keep me mentally buoyant and from drowning in the morass. Their combined efforts keep me sane and informed, and I appreciate them so much. I’ve always found political history interesting, and their varied perspectives are fascinating, relevant, and on point. I honestly don’t know where I would be without them.

I have not, on the other hand, found anyone who can calm me down in terms of the climate and biodiversity collapse that’s playing out in real time. That search is ongoing… But I am convinced that in order to ever get to a point where we can protect our planet, we need to protect democracy first. And these people are doing it admirably. I’m very, very thankful for them.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, y’all!

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Wednesday Vignette – on tree inequality and a possible remedy

Posted on November 15, 2023 by annamadeit

Lately, an old, familiar, and very relevant topic has re-emerged. I heard a thing on NPR just today about the importance of urban tree cover in mediating our ever increasing heat waves, and how our tree-lined streets (or lack thereof) not only reflects but also exacerbates economic, health, and a slew of other inequalities. It’s really both quite fascinating, as well as aggravating. You may read more about it here, and of the various studies that have been done.

I’ve written about tree-less frustrations before, and I still find it maddening to imagine what could have been if urban planners through the ages had allowed for wider parking strips throughout, when they mapped out our sprawling cities and towns. And, I have ranted about overhead wires many times. So many obstacles, all created by ourselves… I have no real answers for how to equalize the urban tree cover and democratize the cooling benefits of trees.

A shoutout to the Portland parks. We might have minimal room for street trees, but at least we’re blessed with wonderful parks throughout the city. This is from Farragut Park, just down the street from us.

Wealthier neighborhoods were granted wider parking strips with room for trees, and low-income areas were not. I’m ever grateful to the person who first owned our little house. They had the foresight to plant a now huge Magnolia grandiflora in the front yard. By now, it measures around 70′ tall so – despite having hell strips of barely 2′, we have shade. (I’m not sure at which point a ‘parking strip’ becomes a ‘hell strip’, but I’m going to designate it at about 3-4′, or so.)

The City of Portland Approved Street Tree Planting List offers no alternatives for anything under 3′ wide. And there are SO MANY parking strips that are less than three feet, where the roots of just about any tree would start lifting the sidewalk concrete within years. I worked on a project last year for a new-build on a corner lot, where the building permit from Portland Bureau of Development Services specified we needed to plant 4 trees (2 on each street) in order to pass inspection. I argued that there wasn’t enough room, so after a bit of back and forth, they finally backed off.

So how do we increase tree cover in less endowed neighborhoods, when the current situation is truly a flaw steeped in historically discriminatory planning practices? Something I saw in Sweden last year gave me an idea that might be adapted to enable more trees. Stupidly, I didn’t take a picture, so you will have to make do with a quick sketch.

Hope you can see how the existing hellstrip itself is incorporated in this idea, to create enough space for tree roots. In this sketch, I put the tree right on the curb, as it were. Obviously the old curb and part of the street would be replaced by planting soil to enable a tree to thrive. City records would have to determine locations of pipes and sewer lines to allow anything this big to be planted, of course.

You know those annoying speed bumps that never really seem to slow anybody down? Our block is a cut-through to avoid a long light nearby, so we get a lot of cars speeding down our street. I swear, sometimes I see cars become airborne as they bounce off our so called speed inhibitors. In the elegant Swedish solution, they had extended the sidewalk out into the street at alternating intervals – kind of like teeth on a zipper. Those “teeth” prevented the ability of drivers to drive in a straight line. Instead, they had to navigate via a gentle slalom through the street. The obstacles themselves were planted with often lovely arrangements of shrubs and flowers – the viewing of which, I suppose, was the reward for being forced to slow down.

My hybrid idea as it applies to urban tree planting in our less fortunate neighborhoods, would be to replace the speed bumps with these raised “teeth” – or outcroppings if you wish. Except instead of flower arrangements, each would be big enough to hold a good-sized tree. What little hell strip there is could be incorporated, to double the space. In Sweden, the “teeth” were the same height as the sidewalk. Here, I think they should be taller, to protect the trees. American drivers are a lot more aggressive than Swedes – and no, I’m not making that up. People here are a lot more stressed out and frantic – which manifests itself in their driving.

Anyway, I think it would work. And it would have several good benefits. Less through traffic on our residential streets (because people looking for quick shortcuts would find it annoying to constantly have to slow down and to let others through), slower driving by those that still come through, and more shade cover/less reflected heat. It would make our overheated neighborhoods more pedestrian friendly. Obviously this kind of arrangement would not work well on thoroughfares and main roads, but I think it would be great in the neighborhoods. The one negative I can think of would be less space for street parking. Which might be a problem since houses have gotten so expensive that newer residents often need roommates to afford the mortgage – meaning the number of cars on each block have grown significantly.

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Wednesday Vignette – natural swimming pools

Posted on November 7, 2023 by annamadeit

All the rage overseas, you don’t come across them often over here in the US. Not yet, anyway. I’ve been intrigued with them for years, and I finally have a glimmer of a chance at creating one! I started working with a new client who just bought a house on a generously dimensioned lot. They brought in architects to revamp the traditional facade into something more contemporary, and create an ADU as well as a pool and a pool house. It is possible to convert a conventional pool into a natural one, but with this project we’re starting from scratch so can do almost whatever we want. Hooray!!

Natural swimming pools – or NSPs – were developed by Austrian researchers back in the 1980’s with the goal of chemical free bathing in an artificially created setting. While conventional pools rely on chlorine, natural pools are built around a balanced ecosystem, and use algae and water pumped through a filter of plant roots to keep the water clear. They demand at least 500 sf of area and consist of two fairly equally sized zones; the bathing zone and the so called regeneration zone where the plants reign. The bigger and the deeper, the better in the case of these pools – larger size makes controlling the algae easier. Here is a fun rabbit hole to escape down into, if you want to read more.

While a natural swimming pool can look just like any old pond, it can also look just like a regular, rectangular chlorine pool, except with more plants and an ever so slightly brownish tint to the water. The French came up with their own version; a kind of yin yang interpretation with sleek lines on two sides that fade into “au naturel” on the other two. Mind you, it’s almost misleading to talk about ‘sides’. A natural pool can take almost any form. Incorporating waterfalls and fountains into it is a good idea as moving water keeps mosquitos at bay. Can you see how much fun this could be?! I’m excited!

Here is the side of the backyard that will hold the pool, the ADU and the pool house.

In general, natural swimming pools tend to cost a little more to install than standard pools. The reason is primarily the amount of soil that needs to be removed. Remember, they need to be big so there is enough space to swim, given that around 40% of the total area is allotted to the regeneration zone. Once this initial financial hurdle is cleared, maintenance costs are minimal. While conventional pools are expensive to maintain, taking care of a natural swimming pool is more like caring for a garden, so those extra dollars spent up front pay for themselves rather quickly compared to what one would have to spend on conventional maintenance contracts. Cut back perennials and grasses in fall, and prune overgrown shrubs. And occasionally check to make sure the pH stays at healthy levels. That’s pretty much it. In this particular garden, we won’t remove the excavated soil, which is a huge money saver. Instead, we’ll be using it to build up other areas of this rather expansive plot.

The property continues behind that hedgerow type-thing, up to the neighbor’s arborvitae hedge in the background. Right now there is an arbor (behind the dolphins) leading to a neglected, rather weedy field. The plan is to put a pickleball court and other fun stuff back there. The randomly placed fountain will likely disappear. Gotta tell you, I really like those dolphins, though… Maybe they can find a new home in the new pool…?

It’s still unknown if we can actually pull this off. So far, the client is with me on this, which is great. The issue is that it’s such an anomaly over here that there are very few contractors that actually know how to do this kind of work. So, if anyone reading this know of any one in the Pacific NW who builds NSPs, I would very much appreciate their info. I would love to be able to say that there is an NSP coming to an area near you….

Also, it’s Election Day, which I follow with great urgency and interest. Thank you Kentucky, thank you Virginia, and THANK YOU OHIO! Phew…

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Wednesday Vignette – in season… and not

Posted on October 31, 2023 by annamadeit

Last week, when my friend Tamara and I visited our friend Rickii to celebrate that she and her husband sold their beautiful home on private, wooded acreage, and downsized to a condo with a spectacular view over the St John’s bridge, Tamara brought a massive squash neither of us other had ever seen before. She had grown it in her garden, and relayed the name as Gete-Okosomin; an heirloom variety of squash cultivated by the Miami people of Indiana for millennia. More of its story here – it is very interesting, and well worth reading.

Big kitchen knife included for scale.

Size -wise, this giant gourd was a bit intimidating, so Rickii and I decided to split it. Imagine our surprise when it’s flesh had this sweet melon-like fragrance. I finally cooked my half this evening. Most of my pumpkin soups are savory, but because of that alluring scent, I decided I wanted to make a sweet soup. I got this idea I wanted to pump up that melon flavor, so I bought a cantaloupe and added that, too. I honestly doubt it had any effect. As most could have told me, melons are generally not at their best around Halloween. Oh well… I really wanted to try it. You just never know…

However, as could reasonably be expected, the melon was more like a root vegetable with very little flavor. I threw it in anyway, to get rid of it, along with half an onion, the juice of half a lime, nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar, and some cream. At the end I added some fresh apple cider. In retrospect, more of that would likely have made it even better.

Once soft, I pureed the entire thing. It has a beautiful yellow color! Taste-wise it’s not bad at all, but unfortunately the melon flavor is no longer the dominant note – or even detectable. I’m wondering if it dissipated when it got heated up…? Anyway, it’s too bad melons and squash don’t ripen in the same season – they could have helped each other.

Still, it turned out to be a really nice, creamy, mellow soup with fruity undertones. I bet it would make a perfect breakfast soup! I’m not big on eating solid things early in the morning, but I can handle warm liquids. So, this is what will be on the morning menu for the next few days ahead – hooray! It will warm my sleepy body and strengthen my resolve so I can face going outside and scrape the frost off the windshield. I don’t think I’ve ever seen frost in Portland in October, before, but this is what the cars looked like this past weekend. Wonky weather, for sure.

This has got to be as strange and unseasonal as Halloween melons, but here we are. Frost in October. Photo from inside my car, looking out.

Hope you all had a great Trick-or- Treat! We only had a single visitor this year, but it made us so happy! It’s a dramatic improvement over last Halloween, when not a single kid came to the door. We were so disappointed – this year was better!

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Wednesday Vignette – truths and consequences

Posted on October 24, 2023 by annamadeit

Lately, I’ve been stewing on the rather glaring perception of a void between the standards of attaining a certain status, and the relative lack of adherence to those values required once you’re in. In order to become a member of democratic bastions like – say – NATO or the EU, you have to go to all kinds of lengths to prove that your country is an uncorrupted nation of laws with free and fair elections, and so on. Once accepted, however, it seems you are no longer as wed to those standards. Take Turkey and Hungary, for example. Both countries – under their current leaders – have severely curtailed the precisely outlined values and human rights that their very memberships were stipulated on. And yet – to my knowledge anyway – there is no periodic re-visiting of these hard-won memberships to ensure good faith, adherence and compliance to those ideals. I’m thinking maybe there should be.

Take Turkey, for example. For the longest time, they exerted their veto on Sweden’s NATO application because Sweden in their eyes harbored Kurdish extremists. I’m not sure why the change of heart, but in the past week, they finally decided to let the Swedes in. Like Palestinians, the Kurds are an ethnic group without a country to call their own. They are spread over various other nations in the Middle East, and persecuted everywhere they go. This is why there are Kurdish refugees in Sweden. I’ve known a few, and can tell you they aren’t all what Turkey makes them out to be. Just like all Palestinians do not abide by Hamas. Or that being Pakistani or Afghani does not mean you’re automatically part of ISIS or Taliban.

To try to make sense of the Levantine madness we’re currently observing I started reading, trying to find out the origins of this mess. It’s definitely complicated, and I am in no position to explain anything. But I see parallels. Many Jews speak of Palestinians with the same hatred and disdain the Turks talk about the Kurds, and the Nazis once spoke about them. Some of the interviews aired on NPR have been chilling to listen to. Domestic Israeli politics since the Oslo Accord have gotten more and more aggressive toward Palestinians in their policies, and the occupied territories relentlessly developed as if they were a legitimate part of the Israeli state. Interestingly, they are not recognized as such by the international community, and yet… I find the irony of the perpetually persecuted Jews developing their own state-sanctioned version of Apartheid stunningly discordant. History apparently has a very short memory…

I spent about half a year in Israel many years ago. I lived quite harmoniously with both Jews and Arabs on a kibbutz. My experience may not be typical, but it’s all I’ve got. It IS possible to coexist. In fact, I bet that’s what most of us want, but there has to be checks and balances. I implore NATO and EU to periodically check and insist on members adhering to the stated shared values, and hold them to their original commitment to ensure they remain in good standing. Likewise, Israel needs to respect the rights of their non-Hamas Palestinian brothers and sisters, and the US needs to use their might to keep mediating and to insist that support is not unconditional and behavior is consequential. Most of all, we all need to recognize that hatred and terrorism is born out of oppression, lack of equality, and injustice – whether at home or abroad. So there you go. I will never amount to either historian, strategist or politician, so if you’re still with me, thank you for humoring me. I know I’m out of my league here, but these issues are so huge and so haunting. As a very small human in the middle of this bi-polar, aggressive world, I felt the need to vent. I will always argue that plants make more sense than people, but even they revolt when mistreated.

Photos below of one of the projects I’m currently working on. It’s nice to focus on the small things when the world feels so contrary and vast.

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Wednesday Vignette – a couple of October treats

Posted on October 17, 2023 by annamadeit

Where to start… what a harrowing few weeks this has been – for so very many people around the world. Full of opinions as always, the constant barrage of the hate-filled pain, misery, and evil some humans impose on other humans is exhausting, and I just needed to find some nugget out there to focus my battered soul on.

Climbing up the tall Italian cypress in my front yard is a Clematis cirrhosa ‘Lansdowne Gem’. It’s one of those plants I tend to forget about. That was especially evident this summer. I didn’t realize until the leaves of this evergreen Clematis crisped up that I probably hadn’t watered it as much as I should have. It looked (and still looks) terrible. Alas, a few weeks ago, I noticed buds, and today, when I came home, it looked like this! Most of its flowers are usually waaay up high, but this stem had chosen a different route, and instead was growing through a Grevillea below where I could admire it. Seeing it was a welcome diversion, for sure!

My post-dinner agenda was supposed to consist of ordering plants for a couple of projects, but what I really wanted to do was something more self-nurturing. A few weeks ago, I had found these fabulous raven skulls at Lippman’s – a legendary Portland party store. I’m almost always too late to the holiday fun, so I have to forage among their scraps in the days before Halloween. This year, I managed to remember to go early, and I’m so glad I did. These birds had laid there looking at me for far too long, so I finally gathered up some seed heads, cut a chunk out of my mostly dead Corokia from last winter (I saved it for this very reason), and dove in. I blissfully played for an hour or two – and boy, it did me a world of mental good. I can order plants tomorrow instead. I’m much more alert in the morning anyway.

Wishing you all some fun Halloween prep. October is such a great month – especially if one is able to avert one’s eyes from the death and destruction in the wake of the daily dallying of our own control-ridden, power mad species. It feels almost inappropriate to play with skulls – even though they are plastic – considering how much of that is actually real, out there. But I guess that is the whole point of celebrating Halloween, or Samhain as the old Celts called it – when the veil between the living and the dead was at its thinnest. We live in fluid, dangerous times, indeed. Be sure to allow yourself space and time to do things that help you keep your head up. And – I’ll say it again – hug your loved ones.

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Wednesday Vignette – 25 years

Posted on October 10, 2023 by annamadeit

First, a heartfelt thank you for all of your kind thoughts and sentiments in response to last week’s tragedy. I’m afraid I don’t have any news at all about my aunt. She still has not been found. Though the official search was called off, teams of volunteers are carrying the torch along with increasingly desperate family members. As so many of you pointed out, dementia and Alzheimers are such brutal, undignified ways to end a life well lived.

So calming… and then suddenly, there is that treasured spout!

As if we needed a reminder of the passage of time, today my husband and I have been married 25 years. Holy cow, that went fast! Not one to necessarily keep track of these things, I’ve been told it’s a ‘Silver anniversary’. When I looked it up, I learned this milestone also has its own flower – an iris. More random anniversary trivia here if you’re interested.

Back in the day, some put on big parties to celebrate such a thing, but parties take planning, and planning takes time. And who has the time? For as fun as a party would be, you’d have to be in a place where you can relax and actually enjoy it for it to serve its purpose. I don’t think either of us are quite there right now. So instead we decided we’d head to the coast for another shot at whale watching.

By all accounts, by now the gray whales have begun their migration back to the warm waters of Baja for mating and breeding. We know that we may not see any whales at all this time around, but neither of us care much. We both agreed that we would happily pay the fee just to be out on the water for a spell. It truly was mesmerizing to mentally melt into the nearly hypnotic swell of the sea, as we waited for any sign of the gentle giants. Signs of their existence was all around, as detached kelp from their feeding floated on the surface.

The whales impart a very important life lesson that we all should take note of; it’s good to come up for air on a regular basis. And by regular, I mean more often than every 25 years.

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