An update on what I have been doing lately.

 Here is an update on what I have been up to, this is a photo heavy post, mostly where I talk about my recent walk.

 I’ve been doing some online shopping, recently I purchased a new mandoline to slice vegetables and when it arrived to my surprise it was a mermaid incense burner. Now as much as I love mermaids I have no idea how to slice veggies with it. So back it went to Amazon and I purchased another. When I moved in 2019 my mandoline went into the donations bag since I hadn’t used it for a few years. It’s always the case, but I still donate stuff I haven’t used in a year. 

 I purchased this lovely tin dragonfly sign from Cheryl Baker Arts, I love dragonflies and thought this would look wonderful displayed somewhere around the house.

I ordered some tea from Twinings, it arrived on Tuesday I put the box aside and finally opened it Thursday morning. I bought 5 boxes of tea, mostly black tea and 1 citrus herbal.They were kind enough to toss in some sample tea bags and a sweet little card.

At Christmastime my sister made up gift basket which included a Twinings tea sampler with about 50 varieties of tea, I passed the green tea onto my daughter in law because I haven’t been able to tolerate the taste since I got sick back in March 2022. Anyway, there was English Breakfast tea with lemon and English Afternoon Tea I loved both so much I tried finding it at our local Publix, when I couldn’t find it I went directly to the source. I bought English Breakfast (decaf), English Afternoon, English Breakfast with lemon, English breakfast with probiotics, and Lemon Delight herbal tea. If you are wondering why so many boxes of tea and why so similar? Aside from drinking a cup or more a day I’m planning to make iced tea which I usually make by the half gallon so the tea will be gone in a flash.

While I was refilling the bird feeders in the front of my house I snapped a few photos, the gardenia is putting on a beautiful show, these blossoms have such a sweet scent some days I have to take a step back because it's so strong. I love when the Mexican Petunias grow among the gardenias. I cut a piece of the cactus yesterday so I can try my hand a propagating it, it has to sit for a few days while the cut end heals over then I can place it in soil.

The reason I cut the cactus is it's growing through the fence, it was in my yard originally a former lawn service provider mowed it down, and last year I noticed it grew under my fence into the neighbors yard, it didn't grow much then this year I noticed not only did it grow taller, it was beginning to flower. I'm hoping I can get it to take root and grow.  I haven't had much luck with cactus rooting but I'm giving it a shot.
 

Last week I did a long walk at a local park trail, the day was lovely though I started my walk later in the morning than I had planned. Some of the sites I saw along my walk,I usually walk this trail in the late autumn and winter because there isn’t much shade, there were wild flowers, giant thistle and flowering cactus, wild berries, pine cones and a fuzzy caterpillar for my great niece because she loves crawly things. 

 Tomorrow my son Nick and daughter in law Megan are taking me on a hike for Mother’s Day, at the Ocala Landbridge, I have wanted to take this hike but illness and recovery, surgeries and more recovery since March 2020 made it just about impossible. Yes, it’s the day before Mother’s Day however, last year I had the happy couple for Mother’s Day so this year they will spend Sunday with Megan’s Mom. Anyway you can be sure I will snap some photos and post them here. I’m looking forward to this hike and hope it’s as pleasant a day as last year. Here is a link if you are interested.

https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/landbridge-trailhead