Garden Update

Despite several hospital stays, and weeks of bed rest my plants are still surviving, the knockout roses which were fairly dead in the beginning of April have responded to a trim, careful watering and has rebloomed. The tomato plant which fell over several times has given me some lovely tomatoes which at this time I can't eat so I have been giving them away. The yellow Hibiscus which was totally striped of all growth early in the spring has regained its foliage and given me several sunshine yellow flowers. and the Mexican Petunias continue to bloom each day, this is before they open completely. Life finds a way.

 For now all I can do is water this illness has taken its toll on my energy, the weight loss has been significant (26 pounds in a month) which makes me weaker and most days I am not drinking enough water etc. for the hot Florida days, though I force in at least 2 glasses of water through the day I usually drink a half gallon or more daily.
I long for the day I can get my hands in soil and transplant to larger containers or the ground, but that is still a long way off.  An actual visit to the doctor's office would be beneficial so that maybe I can get answers to why there is still so much pain after being on antibiotics for several weeks and a solutions to fix this ailment.  I have no concentration to read or stitch so my days are spent lying down watching old DVD movies and sleeping.  I know eventually this will pass and I will regain my quality of life but right now its just exhausting.

I'M MADE OF SCRAPS

I am made of scraps.
Colorful bits of every life that goes through mine
and that I am sewing in the soul.
They are not always pretty,
not always happy,
but they add me and make me who I am.
In every encounter, in every contact,
I'm getting older ...
In each patch a life,
a lesson, a love, a nostalgia ...
That make me more of a person,
more human, more complete.
And I think this is how life is made:
pieces of other people who are becoming part of the people too.
And the best part is that we will never be ready or finished ...
There will always be a patch to add to the soul.
So, thanks to each of you,
that are part of my life and that allow me to enhance my story with the remnants left in me.
That I too can leave bits of me on the roads and that they can be part of their stories.
And so, from piece to piece we can become, one day,
in an immense embroidery of "we".

Cora Coralina. Carioca poet.

Happy May Day!