Even after the storms of February '09, the governor has declared a drought; I'll pray for rain!

lent begins

This one-sentence thing would work better if I was feeling healthy; hopefully, tomorrow there will be more wisdom, more substance, more cogency here.

Mardi Gras

The cold that I've been evading for weeks now - finally caught me. I'm not feeling too hot right now, and will meet a new doctor tomorrow to try to sort out the complications.

I should be in bed, but 'tis Fat Tuesday, which means tomorrow is Lent, and I want to try something new.

I kind of have started doing this over on the "grateful for..." sidebar, but I want to expand the idea a bit. So, for the next six weeks I'll (be attempting to) blog daily, using one sentence only.

Let's see how it goes.


P.S. the photo is apropo of nothing, I just like it. Maybe it's the fever. ;o)

victim of an urban legend

Many Springs ago now, I walked in to work snuffling and itchy-sneezy, grumbling about my allergies. "Everything is covered in a fine yellow powder", I complained bitterly. "Those stupid Acacia trees that bloom all over my neighborhood are killing me!"

I worked at the time as a receptionist in a multi-specialty clinic - for the Pediatric and Allergy department. Dr. Landon, whose specialty was in both those fields, was not only an excellent young doctor but also a genuinely cool guy. I looked up from my drip-nosed tirade, and there he was smirking at me. He shook his head. "Those poor acacia", he said, "everybody blames them."

"But...but... but that yellow powder! Everywhere! Ack!" I retorted. I just knew I was on the right track here, I just had to make him understand. Even if I had to turn sub-verbal in the process.

"You may be allergic to acacia. But you may not be. The poor acacia gets blamed for allergies at this time of year because it has yellow flowers. But lots of things bloom or give off pollen at the same time: the pine trees, junipers, fruit trees! Look at how much more of that is growing around you. It's not the acacia's fault that you are allergic to juniper pollen!"

Huh. How about that?

Poor acacia tree.

fertile.

I know - at least, I think I know - that the rest of the world is frigid and frostbitten, covered in snow or brown grass or mud. But here in my part of the world, Winter is brief and Spring is coming. She will not wait another month for the Equinox; no, she is bulging and ready to burst forth. The Summer-browned hills are beginning to green, buds are shooting on the bare trees, plum trees are covered with pink blossoms (at least, those which haven't been washed away in the saturating rains of the past week!)

Between rainstorms, we've had a couple of beautiful days. Yesterday I spent more than two hours in the garden. And by garden, of course, I mean the 3'x12' slab outside my back door that passes for a balcony. I ripped out the dead and ragged, planted new and colorful posies, and peeked at little tiny seedlings. I sure wish I could remember what seeds I planted!
It is as therapeutic as anything I know for soothing the mind and soul to spend time in a garden.

Oh, and it's not just outdoors where life is springing forth:
Yeah, the garlic and ginger know Spring is coming, too!

liberty and justice for all

"We, the undersigned, share President Barack Obama's view that for too long, issues of LGBT rights have been exploited by those seeking to divide us. It's time to move beyond polarization and live up to our founding promise of equality by treating all our citizens with dignity and respect."

"Yet, on December 19, 2008, Ken Starr and the Prop 8 Legal Defense Fund filed legal briefs defending the constitutionality of Prop 8 and seeking to nullify the marriages of 18,000 devoted same-sex couples solemnized before Prop 8 passed.

"The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in this case on March 5, with a decision expected within 90 days.

"We, the undersigned, ask that the Court enforce the equality promised to each of us by our constitution and invalidate Prop 8. So doing will protect all loving, committed couples in California -- including the 18,000 who said "I do" last year -- and prevent the initiative process from being a tool for stripping vulnerable minorities of precious constitutional rights.

"As Americans who believe in the rule of law and fundamental civil rights, we know that Ken Starr and the Prop 8 Legal Defense Fund's shameful attempt to nullify equal protection and all these bonded unions will be condemned in the eyes of history. We know that, ultimately, love will prevail, no matter how hard they try to fight it."

So I signed the petition. (I don't know if the court will even look at such a petition; in fact, I really doubt it. But that's not really the point.) The part that put it over the top for me, aside from the fact that I truly believe that Prop 8 is bigoted, hateful and wrong, is that last sentence. Read it again: "We know that, ultimately, love will prevail, no matter how hard they try to fight it." Amen, amen.

You can sign the petition too. I hope you do.