Poppy & Simon

Poppy is a good name, don't you think? 

I for one wouldn't mind being named Poppy.  It's cute and spunky.  I even know someone who had a small white pup named Poppy.  It's sweet and fun, and even sassy..

With a bit of charm to boot.

I'll tell you a secret.

I have always had a really hard time consciously doing things over and over in the now, that would give me results in the way way future.

Don't lots of us?

I mean, isn't it more than difficult to do something over and over and over, with the plan to reach some great outcome, in a long and undisclosed amount of time?

It is.

It just is.

The lessons learned from being so madly devoted to gardening, every single day, are endless.

But one, one stands out above the rest.

And that is the lesson of doing a lot in the now, to get results in the future.

Take poppies for instance.

Poppy seeds need a cold period in the ground.

You have to plant them way way way way way ahead of time.

And then, once they sprout, they take like 90 -180 days to flower.

Some take a whole year.

Talk about patience???

My garden forces me to be so patient.

So, I planted my poppy seeds in the winter, along with any other seeds that needed to go in early.

I watered hard, brown, compact Arizona dirt for ages.

And now, I begin to see tender gifts.

Now, imagine if I had followed some serious exercise regimen, and practiced my mandolin every single day while the poppies were growing?  Imagine? I could be a body building best mandolin player ever.

;)

Darn.

Must implement the lesson better ;)

Speaking of lessons....

Have you met Simon?

Simon is one of 4,798 lizards living in our yard.

He was trying to eat the tiny blueberries off of my skinny little blueberry bush, and got his head stuck in the waffle wire that surrounds many of my plants to keep out the rabbits.

(sort of like the time, many years ago, that my little boy cousin decided to wedge his head between two fence bars surrounding our swimming pool, and couldn't get it out.  I think the fence had to be pried apart by two big men with serious tools?)

 

It was a good thing that I saw when his head went in so I could act fast.

 

And, it is also a good thing that his human friend (that would be me) acted beyond lightining quick at getting him out promptly.  I, at times, can be good under pressure.  I feel like I have to buckle up, and just get the job done.  Another thing is, I often do squeamish things easily.

I wish I had been a dermatologist all of the time.

Anyhow, what was I saying?

Oh yes, head, Simon, panic.

So...

 

I assessed the dilemma and ran and got my super strength, fine tip wire cutters...

I looked at the most safe way to cut him out, without hurting him, and in 1, 2, 3 - I got him outta there.

 

Golly Simon, you almost gave me a heart attack!

My nerves.

I'll need a cocktail at 6 a.m.

(joking!)

He let me pet him a tiny bit with my right hand which was un-gloved.

I took him on the porch to let Mister Lovee congratulate him on surviving the ordeal, but Mister Lovee wouldn't have it.

I told Mister that, if he didn't pet Simon I was going to have no respect for his manly self.

But, he said he could care less what I thought, and ran away.  Nice.

Like an elephant reacting to a mouse.

Silly Lovee!

 

Simon was a free man.

I put him in the loveliest part of the garden amongst primrose, and a big tree with gourd vines crawling up it.

 

He scampered off.

But first he looked at me, and blew me a kiss.

I know!

Amazing.

:)

So that's the tale of the day!

It is 10:03 a.m. and I have completed all my outdoor chores, and in an insane fit, decided to start painting my kitchen cabinets yesterday.  I am in the Kilz stage, with more to go.  We stayed up way too late watching Biutiful with Javier Bardem.  Incredibly Intense.  It's no secret, I adore Javier.

Alas, there shan't be late nights with early mornings.

Must got to bed early early.

I am such a bore ;)

Happy sunny lovely weekend to you!!

 

Towering sunflowers are making their debut, and I have not even properly planted my summer sunflowers yet.

I am inspired!

Will you be planting sunflowers this year?

 

PS:  My official summer repeat song (even though it's been out for a while, I love it).  Just love Florence.

Comments

[Papillon Bleu]

No Sunflower for me but, the flowers are still blooming like crazy!
I love the photos of the poppies. In French, we call them coquelicots. I think it sounds sweet in both languages.
xo!

By the way V, have you seen? my new book is out!! YAY!!!!!!! (just wanted to share the happy news with you)
;-)
P.

[Carl V.]

Such a fun post! You are the hero (heroine) of the piece! Though I think I empathize on some level with the Mister. I would definitely have wanted to employ the glove as you did. Very cool and funny that you also couldn't resist taking pics. I would have done the exact same thing. There is a true photo-journalist spirit within you!

It is interesting because your "in the now" thoughts echo those I was thinking when reading a post earlier today on writing and the fact that writers don't 'wait for the muse', they do the work--write every day even if it is all crap, all for the hope of the payout of a good story developing in the future.

Great food for thought.

[A Fanciful Twist]

Carl, this is so funny, I almost always walk around outside with my camera
wrapped around me, just in case. Isnt that funny? And this was so
one of those times ;)

You never know when a rare bird etc, will pop up, and you have to be
ready. I love that you think I am the heroine of that day, Danka ;)
I did feel so happy to save that little lizard, haha!

[Kathy @ Creative Home Expression]

I was looking at that movie yesterday to rent on CinemaNow, but I'd never heard of it, so I passed. {I got Gulliver's Travels instead, which was a mistake}. Well, thankfully for Simon you were around, Vanessa. It wouldn't have been such a happy outcome if it was me. I'd have been in the house watching out a window, so I don't blame Mr. Lovee at all for wanting nothing to do with it! I think it's a brave man that knows his limitations! : )

[geraldine snape]

Yes my sunflowers are coming along nicely in their pots avoiding the slugs and snails !!!Great post! love the lizard!

[nancy]

love this post.. what a beautiful soul you are

[rebekka]

Ah....your blog is always such a breath of fresh, colorful air!!!

[Miss Lori]

Simon, silly simon, I bet you won't stick your head in there again, will you? My sunflowers are blooming like mad! not just one bloom on the stalk, but many! I've never seen the likes of it in my tiny patio garden! Makes me happy every time I look! Your poppies are simply gorgeous!

[Liz]

Talk about a lucky lizard! I will admit I would have wanted to keep him. I had a pet lizard as a kid and I miss my Iggy.

[Kathleen]

No sunflowes...but I did put in POPPIES! I LOVE POPPIES. I planted one envelope of seeds called "Fairy Garden and I am getting all manner of surprises and a similar mix of wildly colored morning Glories. The first ones opened today werea beautiful purple! My mister was shaking his finger at me because I was digging in tomato towers for my sprouting veggies and just melted in the heat...but we have to take care of our plant folk!

[Cori G.]

Dearest Fanciful One!! I had the silliest visual of Mister Lovee running in fear from your wee little scaly friend. For some reason, not sure why, but I imagined him running like Captain Jack Sparrow with arms flailing in the air and darting through the shrubbery...HA HA HA!!! That Mister Lovee of yours is full of so many zany antics that even though he never appears I still see him in my head and always get a big chuckle (don't tell him I said that)...hee hee!!!
Now I was thinking of something from the beginning of your post, but me remembers it not. Oh well, such is my brain these days ;-(.
Until next time...
MuCh lOvE!!!
cori

[Chuck]

Wonderful post! So nice of you to save the little fellow. Your blog is one of my favorites. Thank you!
Chuck

[Dawn Marie]

I love reading your blog, it always makes me smile. Love the garden, it's like a fairy dell.xx

[Annalee]

I'm so glad you were there to rescue poor Simon! He is indeed a lucky lizard... ^-^

I tried planting sunflowers several weeks ago... only one sprouted & my cat ate it. @_@

But the other day, when I was watering my garden plot, what did I find??? A sunflower! I have no idea how it got there... but there it is & there it shall stay! I can't wait for her to bloom so I can see what she looks like! =D

Wishing you a happy, sunny, fun weekend!

XOXO

[Miss Linda]

Great story to read on a saturday morning. Sounds like Simon is happier now....Love love and love poppies. Check out my bag challenge for this month and see what I made.

[Kaerie Faerie]

Hi Miss V
love your post, I have many lizards here too, and they get into everything LOL
I planted large stripe sunflowers a couple weeks ago, I planted seeds, what do they look like when they start to appear out of the ground, still trying to see them
I love your Sunflowers and would like some too
similar heat and desert where I live
any tips???
Karey

[Alia]

I am so glad Simon is okay! I have such a huge soft spot for animals. The other day I saw a coyote limping really badly and I just wanted to chase after it and nurse it back to health, but coyotes are not quite as easy to wrangle as lizards so I had to let it go! Poor thing I hope it is okay.

[Teresa in California]

My husband has me kill spiders if they are in his sink in the bathroom... Is he squeemish? Yes!
Actually, I hate spiders myself...
But lizards and snakes (if not poisonous) I like them. They are beautiful creatures. We have a bevy of alligator lizards in our yard, as they used to be my sons which he kept in the house in a old empty fish tank. I mean, they did spawn, after we turned them out into the wild. The neighborhood cats like to chase them. Glad you were able to rescue the lizard.
And your poppies are glorious! I didn't know they took so much tender care to make them bloom.
Have a lovely weekend!
hugs,
Miss Teresa

[Sarah]

I agree about the lessons of gardening-but I only apply them to gardening too! Glad you were there when Simon (Simon?!) had his mishap. Lucky lizard.
I have got sunflowers ready to go in the ground-they are the dark red kind-I am going to protect them with a broken on the bottom pot so the snails don't get them!

[Only Cute Things]

Jajaja Que divertido!

nos vemos en Mad Tea Party!

xoxo

[Flavia]

So lucky you were around to save him! Simon is cute! I like him. :P

[Kim]

Oh my how lovely your garden grows Miss Valencia! It's wonderful to see that with time and patience beautiful things happen! I am so happy that you were able to save the little lizard, Simon!!

I am looking forward to watching Biutiful.I too adore Javier!

Take care!!

Ki,

[I]

Lovely floral photos, and I especially love seeing the poppies after you told us how far ahead you had to prepare for their arrival!

We have lizards around my home, too, and I have a fondness for those little creatures myself. Sweet Vanessa, your tender heart is just one of the many things that endears you to me so. Thank you so much for saving Simon. I especially loved the pic of him sitting up in such a stately manner with his less than regal collar of waffle wire, patiently awaiting your camera click. I'm pretty sure he must have rolled his eyes somewhere during that process. This is what I am just pretty sure he was thinking . . . .

"Why couldn't I have been rescued by someone who DIDN'T have a blog? This is a rather embarrassing moment for me, and now it is going straight to the internet?!!"

Those thoughts whirled through his adorable, scaly head. Yes, I am sure of it. Then all negativity quickly vanished with a snip of the wire, and Simon fell instantly in love. Knowing that something long-term just wouldn't work out between the two of you, he settled for blowing you a kiss. Oh, if only you had caught that on camera! Ah well! Most magical things can only be told of and not photographed. I must share something with you, though, V. Did you know that she who receives the blowing of a lizard kiss will have days magical all the rest of her life? Oh, HOW can you live more magically than you already do? Magic heaped upon magic. Lucky you!

[Linda Diane]

The above post was from Linda Diane, not "I," as is stated. Apparently some gremlin activity was going on when I posted. Hmmm. Sorry about that!

[Amy Sperry Faldet]

That smile after he was free??!!!! Can you believe that little smile for the camera? Great job, wonder woman! I am so glad you are on this Earth! Blessings and poppies, Amy

[Kelly]

The thing about gardening is that it is the thrill of anticipation. It is not the modern day instant “I got to have it now “or quick gratification that our society has deemed necessary to live. Its enchantment is the unknown the waiting game. Flowers in my opinion are like a treasure waiting to be discovered and you know you had a part in its creation. The whole process of the creation is also therapeutic as we tend to it and become part of the circle of life. Yes they die in the end but they show us, these bloomers, such strength and grace. I think it helps us to be more human in the sense that it has many trails to make it happen. You may want to give up at times but you just keep trying to make it work and become whatever it can. This year I used large pots to grow my sunflowers. My first two have bloomed, one pot with bright yellow and the other with a reddish brown color, they are called evening sun with a smaller flower bloom. I do miss the big magnificent beauties you planted Vanessa. Bravo on the rescue Missy and Mr. Lovee, you have me grinning like the Cheshire cat. How ingenious of you! ;) <3<3<3<3<3

[Lucinda Keller]

Awesome post! You are a hero!
Biggest smile on my face!
Thanks! :)

[Raven Moon Magic]

I painted a sign for my grandfathers garden, it says "gardening is a way of showing that you believe in tomorrow" and thats all he has to make plans for, tomorrow...

have a wonderful day, living in the moment

xxx
sheree

[Theresa]

Poppies...poppies. I am giggling right now because I am thinking of The Wizard of Oz. Seriously though, your poppies are lovely. I cannot believe how much work goes into growing them. :) The road to beauty is never an easy one... Thank you so much for saving Simon - I am so glad you found him in time to save that little cutie! How could Mr. Lovee run off from such a little dearie. The most incredible thing happened today while the hubby and I were on a walk today...a DRAGONFLY landed right on my hubby's chest. Such a miracle! Got a really nice photo, too. :) xoxo

[Bellamy]

The lizard story reminds me of the time (when I was little) when I got stuck in a drawer and my mom decided that before she helped me she had to take a picture of me (a less-than-two-year-old baby with one leg stuck in a Tupperware drawer!).

[Susan]

You are such a good person! I swear Simon is smiling in that photo where you got him out of his predicament. :) I would have had to do the same thing...can't stand to see something hurt or stuck. I had to take a gutter apart to rescue a chipmunk once. :) Love this story.

[marjorie]

OH! Thank goodness for Simon you were there! What a horrid predicament, indeed! Your such a dearie!! :) I'm loving all your gardening dreaminess, as well! Happy June, Miss Muffin head!! tee hee!

[Laura]

V---Simon is a lucky little handsome devil! May he grace you in a next life!

I've just HAD a Kitchen-Kilz discussion with Adam. Our counters are KILLING me. Your Tahitian nude===thoughts of it, anyhow===are one of the only things that sustain me.
If YOU can life with TN, then I can suffer through my faux wood grain another month or five. SURELY there are other things that can preoccupy my time?

My pumpkins aren't nearly so prolific this early. I'm JEALOUS and uber happy for you all at the same time!!!!

And Moby and Florence are probably having a cosmic cocktail somewhere RIGHT NOW. I hope so, anyway. Thanks, Flo and Mo! For everything. You too, V!

[Katharine]

Glad you were there to save poor Simon. On Monday I watched a lizard doing pushups at my mom's. Maybe it was a mating ritual. I laughed! I have never grown sun flowers before. Maybe I'll do that this year.