Good Thoughts Needed

   Forrest, our young friend recuperating from the traumatic brain injury (TBI) was doing quite well until about a week ago, but must undergo yet another brain surgery today.  He is at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.  I'm sure his doctors, nurses, and family would appreciate your prayers.
                                                                                                                                                                  

  This is what greeted me today; one of the orchids on my desk is in full bloom -- proof positive of hope.

Flash Those Pearly Whites!

I love going to the dentist!  The reasons are simple:
1.  She's REALLY good!
2.  We can carry on a conversation and she can understand me even when my mouth is full of stuff -- like her hands.
3.   The Marine Recruiting Center is on the next floor up. :)  Semper Fi Guys!!!
4.  You don't have to take off your clothes.  (Unless you really want to, I guess).
5.  You never get weighed.

Today I not only left with a clean smile, but with two really sad-looking orchids.  (No photos, yet -- they're in critical condition).  There were four of them in her office.  I pronounced two of them DOA and brought the other two home.  It'll be touch and go, but I'll keep you posted.

How Hot Was It -- And a New Hobby

We had a few days that were really unbearably hot.  But we humans weren't the only ones feeling it.  We spotted this critter and actually thought it might be dead.  It wasn't.

A couple of months ago, I posted that I'd gotten a lovely little orchid for free when I found it broken, on the floor at a local Home Depot. It's thrived since I've brought it home and is even currently sending up a new shoot. Since then I've added three more to my collection.  Three are phalaenopses, including the first and the last one: the yellow.  The other, with the single dark purple flower, is a red dendrobium actually growing out of a piece of wood.

Contrary to popular belief, orchids are easy to care for. They eschew fussing over, and in fact, the single most common cause of failure is over watering. They love filtered light and cooler temperatures, bloom in the winter, and love being pot bound. In the words of Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, "How easy is that?"