Plumeria

Plumeria, originally uploaded by ~So Cal Gal~.

This is a plumeria blossom. It's scent is called fragipani. It is a popular lei flower in Hawaii. Like most vegetation there, it's not native. It is very common, like a flowering crab is to us in Maryland. It comes in this and yellow and pinks and reds, plus some fancy hybrids.

It is my favorite flower. As a child I picked these all the time. Each flowers snaps right off cleanly, leaving your fingers sticky with a thin, milky sap. Then you string your lie, spritz it with water, put in a big baggy in the fridge to keep it fresh.

It's so beautiful in its simplicity. It's delicate looking, but actually the velvety petals are fairly substantial (it's a succulent) And the smell - light but full, clear,dreamy... I could go on. (Yes, I know, smells can evoke powerfully memories and emotions. I was a care-free kid roaming paradise with sand between my toes - not bad.)

Thanks for listening. MC

LLL test

First entry/test 71/2 habits


Z easiest, but of course, is # 71/2 --PLAY PLAY PLAY and PLAY.

However, I'll choose a second pick: believe it or not, # 3 View problems as challenges.

I certainly wouldn't have chosen this one 20 yrs ago, but age, childrearing, home ownership and grad school (incl. lots of commuting time to ponder everything from choosing a paper topic, getting the kid to stay in his own bed at night and changing the belt in the dryer) have enlighteded me on this way of tweaking a problem (oh, crap!) into a challenge (I can find a way to fix that!)
Disclaimer: cannot be held to this statement 100% - be real.

Hardest: # 6 Use technology to an advantage.

That is to say, it's not usually my first line of attack, even when it probably should be. For example, I've never set a blog until now (when I have to) And, my oh my, it was SO difficult.

Let's check this test/first posting - I have every confidence in this technology!