Aaaa.  Finally another chance to sit in front of the computer and share.  I thought preparing for the move was going to be the part that kept me away from blogging, but now that I’m in the new apartment and trying to settle in, I’m finding little time to do much of anything besides “nest.”  So now is my chance, and here’s a little post.

One of my most favorite things about living in California is the weather.  It’s not blue skies and sunshine every day.  But it is most days.  Whenever it does rain, which isn’t that often, I see it as a great treat.   We were given this treat on Monday when we had a whole half day of heavy rain.  And not the drizzle that we’re used to, but real “buckets of rain.”  So refreshing and cleansing…it didn’t last long.  In the winter, when a storm brings rain down by the ocean, you know that it snowed up in the mountains.  And one of the coolest things about living in Southern California, and especially in my new town of Long Beach, is that you can sit on the beach with the waves and palm trees and see the snow caps of the Los Angeles mountain range.  I can’t help but smile every time I look at them.  And after a good rain, when the air is crisp and fresh, the view is as clear as the blue skies that canvas them.  I wish I could post a picture but no camera I own would give the scene any justice.  Besides, some things are kept safer in my mind.

Seeing these mountains reminds me fortunate I am to have the opportunity to live where I do.  Being so close to the two things I love most about nature, the mountains and the ocean, feels my heart with joy.

What do you love most about where you live??

When I woke up this morning, I was a bit distressed.  All my things are in LB and The All-Star is in the Bay Area.  I didn’t know what I would do with my day.  My limbs are too achy to move more boxes and I’m not in the mood to nest alone.  Suddenly I realized that my babies were not prepared properly for this move.  Who are my babies you ask?  Well they’d be my garden of potted plants.

Gardening has slowly become a new passion of mine.  But my relationship with greenery has not always been an easy one.  My thumb was no where near green when I started.  In fact, for a while, it was a depressing shade of black.  Very frustrating but I forged forward.  After several failed attempts and a few shed tears (yes, I cried over dead plants), I have finally attained a mildly green thumb, or at least one that can keep them alive and even, for some, flourishing!

So in the absence of my partner and all of my “stuff”, I took the opportunity to transfer some of my little buddies into better pots in hopes that they will continue to thrive at the new apartment.  Some will be brought from outside to inside which I think will be okay since it’s starting to get cold at night.  I’m excited to show them their new home.  There’s lots of windows for them to enjoy the light through.

These are the little ones I’m trying to raise.  The one of the left is a Bromeliad pup and the other is a cutting from a Spider Plant.  Fingers crossed for both, I don’t think I propagated them correctly.

This guy in the middle is a Miniature Rose.  The All-Star gave him to me last Valentine’s Day.  He was barely hanging on for a while, but is doing much better now.  I even got a bloom this summer.  We’ll see how he holds up through the winter.

This is the mama Peace Lily.  She’s the very first plant I got when I moved to California and she’s the only one from then still standing.  What a tough girl.  I gave her this new pretty pot today.

These plants really do enrich my life.  Caring for them to makes me feel peaceful and part of nature.  I love watching them change shape and grow.  Their finicky characters have taught me to have patience and a gentle hand.  Their glowing green calms my mind.  Their release of oxygen freshens my air.  Their dirt reminds me that I can grow from the “yuck” that life sometimes likes to throw my way.

Gardening is an important aspect of my path towards wellness.  Not only is it a hobby that makes me happy but it brings beauty and serenity to my surroundings.  I’m glad I didn’t give up on them.  They’ve made a difference in my life, for sure.

What hobbies do you have that enrich your life??

I can’t end this post without first thanking my Dad and Aunt Chris for introducing to me the wonderfulness of plants. I hope one day my thumb can be as green as theirs are.