I could have written these words. As I look around Casa de Enchanted Seashells, I see feathers and rocks and driftwood and seashells, so many seashells.
They are my true and stalwart friends.
In every room, I can touch and feel and recreate the time and place they were collected and lovingly gathered: local beaches, Anza-Borrego, Zion, Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Painted Desert, Grand Tetons, Pinnacles, Pacific Northwest–a weaving of memories.
And yes, they bring a smile to my face.
I’m ready, how about you?
For me, today started off AMAZING! I saw about ten friends that I hadn’t seen in more than a year, I got a ridiculously fabulous surprise discount on something for little Char, and to top it off, I made several people laugh and they thanked me, saying they really needed a chuckle today.
All in all, a successful way to commemorate the next six months, right?
Ah, proof there are still glittery sprinkles of enchantment in my little world. Or maybe more accurately; otherwordly.
I was diligently washing the deck yesterday, fully immersed in my terra firma (not on a ladder) project, looking down as I scrubbed the redwood planks before they dried in the sunshine. I can’t exactly recall why I looked up but I am SO GLAD I DID I because this rare and beautiful sight made me gasp: a rain’ess rainbow! I noted the time: it was close to high noon.
Check out my Sun Dog/Sun Bow!
They are iridescent rainbow clouds without a drop of rain in sight. This phenomenon is known as cloud iridescence or irisation. It’s a type of photometeor.
The term “sun dog” (or mock sun) originates from Greek mythology. It was believed the god Zeus walked his dogs across the sky and that the bright “false suns” in the sky on either side of the sun’s disk were the dogs.
A sundog is seen about 22° to the left or right of the Sun. Sundogs often form in pairs on either side of the Sun. Often they appear white but sometimes they are quite colorful, looking like patches of rainbow. The colors usually go from red closest to the Sun, out to blue on the outside of the sundog.
Probably the biggest difference between a sundog and a rainbow is that a rainbow usually signals an end to rain, while a sundog can mean that rain or snow is on the way. Next time you see a sundog, look out for wet weather! https://www.almanac.com/what-are-sundogs#
However, here in very DRY Southern California, there is no moisture in the forecast.
The rainbow always held special significance among the different Native American Indian Nations. It is connected to the Spirit (Supreme God/Creator/Source/All-That-Is) in all things. There are many prophecies and stories from the Cree, the Hopi, the Zuni, and the Cherokee related to the rainbow warriors.
One source says: “While meteorologists have a physical understanding of the circular rainbow around the sun, wisdom keepers of the Americas and Tibet have complementary spiritual understandings about this dramatic omen around the Sun which is known as the Whirling Rainbow or the Sunbow.”
For some native people, the Sunbow or Whirling Rainbow is considered to be a sign from Creator, marking a time of great change, or transition on the Earth. This full-circle rainbow around the Sun, some elders say, can be understood as a sign to people of the necessity to live a life in respect and harmony with all the creations that make life possible: plants, animals, waters, minerals, fires, winds, and other human beings.” https://lifeheartandsoulblog.wordpress.com/2011/02/27/rainbow-around-the-sun/
According to the prophecy, “There will come a day when people of all races, colors, and creeds will put aside their differences. They will come together in love, joining hands in unification, to heal the Earth and all Her children. They will move over the Earth like a great Whirling Rainbow, bringing peace, understanding and healing everywhere they go. Many creatures thought to be extinct or mythical will resurface at this time; the great trees that perished will return almost overnight. All living things will flourish, drawing sustenance from the breast of our Mother, the Earth.
The great spiritual Teachers who walked the Earth and taught the basics of the truths of the Whirling Rainbow Prophecy will return and walk amongst us once more, sharing their power and understanding with all. We will learn how to see and hear in a sacred manner. Men and women will be equals in the way Creator intended them to be; all children will be safe anywhere they want to go. Elders will be respected and valued for their contributions to life. Their wisdom will be sought out. The whole Human race will be called The People and there will be no more war, sickness or hunger forever.” Navajo-Hopi Prophecy of the Whirling Rainbow
I curated info from a few different sources. I have never before experienced this marvelous sky show. I watched it until it disappeared and was lucky enough to snap a few photos to remember an enchanted and precious moment in time.
Sunday afternoon in SoCal was warm, sunny, and windy. I was intent on my project, hanging outdoor lights from the deck all the way to the grape arbor.
Picture me standing on the highest rung of a medium-sized step ladder. As I reached my arm as far as possible to secure a line of bright lights, I felt one of the ladder feet sink deeper into the soil than the others, creating an uneven support system.
In a split second that seemed to last an eon in slow motion, I knew before it happened that I was going to fall, that there would be no way to recover, nothing to hold to break the inevitable tumble.
And so I fell.
Arm still outstretched, I became airborne as I crashed to the ground, step ladder tangled in my legs.
I thought for sure I broke something (I’m no stranger to broken bones) but I suffered only bruising, no more damage than black and blue discoloration to remind me to be MORE careful in the future. My luck might not hold out if I tempted fate again.
If anyone had been filming me, I’m sure it would become a viral vid on YouTube or TikTok with the hashtag #stupidity, but alas, I was alone with my bunnies and butterflies and the lizards that got scared and ran off to hide under a rock.
There are more planets than Mercury in retrograde; maybe this was a message from one of them? I dunno, but I can verify that the lights look festive and perfect for late nights in the garden, just the effect I was looking for, well worth the pain.
Here’s a unique and cool way to wish someone “Happy Birthday!”
“Happy Solar Return!”
It was the occasion of MY solar return and one of my gifts was an A M A Z I N G windchime.
I thought all chimes were pretty much the same with only slight variations in tonality and musicality, but I was SO wrong.
Apparently there’s a whole world of chime tones and chimemakers. What a beautiful passion to share with us!
I don’t know much about music, but when I heard these chimes for the first time, it was as grand-sounding as a symphony.
Of course, I had to research the company. Woodstock Chimes are the original musically-tuned wind chimes, tuned to appealing melodies and scales from around the world.
The company was started in 1979 by self-proclaimed “old hippie” and Grammy Award winner Garry Kvistad.
My chime gift is called the Tree of Life, adorned with crystal accents along with “soothing sounds that offer tranquility and space for reflection”.
“With its promise of eternal life, the Tree of Life myth exists across cultures and dates back to ancient times. It is a representation of mankind, symbolizing how we are rooted on the earth even while we are reaching for the stars…two birds are nestled in the tree’s branches with crystal accents in a bright, bold green; the color of growth, renewal and spring.”
Listen for yourself: https://www.chimes.com/products/tree-of-life-chime
This was a splendid way to celebrate my solar return! I sure wish I was at that lake, but this is a much better photo than the ones I took. Mine is hanging on my deck and the crystals catch the sun and scatter all the colors of the rainbow.
Let’s back up a bit.
I had to drive to the big city which meant I had to go to a place where they had a parking structure.
Immediately, those are two things that cause me a great deal of anxiety and panic–traffic and bad distracted drivers, along with the terror of driving into and maneuvering my car in a tiny space inside a gigantic parking garage with a low ceiling.
I hate them.
That’s always been a stress trigger for me. How will I remember where I parked? (I’ve gotten lost before.) How do I get to where I need to go from the parking garage? What if there’s an earthquake? What if I forget how to back up? What if all the horrible things I’m afraid of happen all at the same time?
There’s a word to describe the fear of parking garages: Tingchechekuphobia. It’s a neurotic phobia, I know, but I suffer from it. I don’t know who created that word and I don’t even know how to pronounce it, but it is what it is.
At this point, since I had to drive around and around and around to find a bunch of open parking spaces, I was pretty much completely dizzy, disoriented, and confused, because that’s what happens to me in tall buildings and parking structures.
Luckily for me, there was a very kind man who had parked a couple cars away and when I asked for his help because I didn’t know where to go, he must have felt my fear and walked with me to the right building. Like Blanche DuBois, I have always been able to depend upon the kindness of strangers, referring to A Streetcar Named Desire, of course.
I also hate elevators but couldn’t find the stairs so I took the elevator and when I found my destination, I needed to go to the restroom and the secretary pointed into the hallway.
Without thinking, I entered the first door.
OOOPS.
I hadn’t paid enough attention to the little graphic on the door because I had entered the MEN’S ROOM (!!!) although I wasn’t immediately sure because for a split second I thought perhaps I had been away from the world for so long that there were now all genders restrooms and this was the way it was in 2021.
However, seeing the man standing at the urinal convinced me I was in the WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME. (Teehee)
I did what I normally do in life and turned it into a self-deprecating joke…”Well, I seem to have made a mistake. My bad!”
I turned around, walked out, located the PROPER restroom with the girlinatriangledress graphic, used the facilities while I laughed to myself, and re-entered my destination.
Most people would probably not use that embarrassing situation as the icebreaker in a conversation, but I’m not most people…
“I just walked into the men’s room by mistake. I guess that’s why I don’t come into the big city very often.”
We all laughed and totally diffused what could have been a forever humiliating experience and THANK GOODNESS I didn’t see the man who had been at the urinal, but that wasn’t my first time in a men’s room.
Nope. Not my first rodeo, as they say.
When I was twelve-years-old in Detroit, I spent the summer going to the JCC almost every day because there was some sort of pre-teen activities program a lot of my friends attended. On one certain day there was obviously not enough adult supervision because a few of the guys dared me to go into the boy’s bathroom.
I took that dare and entered the boy’s bathroom. Apparently it was bad timing because the program director happened to be in there and I was subsequently asked not to return to the JCC for the rest of the summer.
When I told my parents why I was persona non grata, they simply looked at me and said, “Oh, Rosebud. We’re disappointed in you.” And when I explained it wasn’t my fault; it was a dare, I got that tired old cliche…”If someone dared you to jump off a bridge, would you do that, too?”
However, I believe I detected a glimmer of a repressed chuckle behind their serious demeanor.
Although today’s excitement wasn’t due to a dare, I was able to successfully navigate my way back to my car and drive around and around and around to finally find the exit and return to sky and daylight where I could finally take a breath, but the stress had taken its toll, and there’s only one remedy that always works for me: retail therapy!
I haven’t been to our mall in more than a year, so I decided to see what it was like now as the pandemic is easing up a bit; what stores were open, masked of course. I had a thoroughly pleasant time. It was just what the doctor ordered to soothe my fraught nerves as I leisurely strolled from shop to shop.
I treated myself to a few bits of frothy intimate apparel at Victoria’s Secret. Here’s the bag, but you can’t see what’s inside. Instead, you’ll have to use your imagination.
Have you ever found yourself in a similarly mortifying situation? How did you handle it?
Did anyone watch the televised funeral of Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth’s husband? He died on April 9. Despite one’s personal opinion of the monarchy and their fame, celebrity, and notoriety–tossing aside the gossip, this is a story of enduring love.
I watched some of it and was deeply touched by how small and solitary Queen Elizabeth looked as she sat alone. I turned it off because it didn’t seem right to intrude on her grief.
They had been married for almost seventy-four years.
How tragic for her to lose her life partner, the one she shared great times and the not-so-good times, the highs and the lows, but through it all, there was a shared and sacred commitment to going through life as a loving team; against all odds.
Their eyes focused on each other in this photo really touched my heart:
It reminded me of a Queen song and how ironic is THAT, even more so considering I never heard it before last week when I put American Idol on for a few minutes and one of the contestants sang “Love of My Life“.
Sad.
Have you ever thrown a fistful of glitter in the air? I tried several times, and attempted to capture it with my camera, but all that happened was that I wasted a ton of glitter!
You should have been here; it was a bit too windy (also a total failure) but funny.
Oh well. No worries, nothing to stress about. This pic is better.
I’m feeling incredibly Pink right about now. Love her and LOVE glitter!
No rainbows or IVs this time!
Here’s a timeline of my experience subsequent to the second vaccine:
Due to my visit to urgent care after the first vaccine because I had an allergic reaction, my doctor told me to drink at least 64 oz water for a few days prior to my appointment. I know that’s a great idea anyway, but I never really drank that much water, so I definitely know it’s important.
My appointment was scheduled for Saturday, February 13 at 8:15 a.m.
Again, the facility did such a great job that we were checked in and promptly seen. Because of my allergic reaction following the first vaccine, I was whisked away to an enhanced observation area. I must have made quite an impression (lol) because the same nurse was there and she remembered me.
This time, perhaps due to being well-hydrated, I didn’t experience an allergic reaction and went home. My arm was a little sore but no other major symptoms–until about six hours later.
I became super fatigued, had a pounding headache, muscle/joint aches, and abdominal pain. Still no fever.
I continued to hydrate the rest of the day.
Around 6:00 p.m. I took my temperature and had a fever of 99.8. I had prepared for side effects by stocking up on soups and made a batch of my ubiquitious lentil veggie soup
I fell asleep on the sofa watching Vera on PBS. When I woke up, I was alternately hot and shaking with chills. This time when I took my temperature, it was 101.5. I took Tylenol and went to bed.
I woke up at 1:00 a.m., took my temperature again and it was 100.8, so I went back to sleep but didn’t take more Tylenol.
The next morning I still felt pretty badly and managed to make a cup of tea, wrap myself in a blanket and lie on the sofa. I was extremely tired and unable to do anything but vegetate, and that really annoyed me. The headache was as dreadful as the day before. All morning, my temp was steady at 99.8.
At around 4:00 p.m. I started to feel marginally better; the aches were dissipating, and my temp was 99.
I watched a bit of American Idol but couldn’t take more than five minutes of it before I turned to PBS. After “All Things Great and Small” was over at` 10:00 p.m, I took my temperature again. This time it was 97.6 which is my normal. .Other than a still slightly sore shoulder, it’s as if all the symptoms disappeared at the exact same time. I could feel an immediate absence of all aches and pains
It’s very strange to feel unwell and poorly but not actually BE sick. I didn’t have the flu. I didn’t have Covid. I didn’t have any other virus or infection. I kinda sorta feel as if I’m a human guinea pig involved in a gigantic science experiment.
Anyway, it’s over, I’ve had both doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. It’s supposed to offer 95% protection against the virus. I sure hope it does but to be safe, I’ll still follow protocol and wear a mask out in public.
Read about my first Covid vaccine experience by clicking on this link.
My plans were to post this on Sunday, Valentine’s Day, but I’m getting the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine tomorrow and if predictions are correct, I might be too sick to do anything but lay on the sofa rolled up in a warm blanket and watch Netflix or reruns of Bewitched, so here it is!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
I’ve always loved Valentine’s Day in spite of the commercialism. In elementary school, I looked forward to the day we’d give and receive those little Valentine’s Day cards (including the inedible heart-shaped candies.)
Later on, I especially cherished Angel Boy’s handmade cards –which I saved–every single one of them.
There’s something lovely and old fashioned about being thought of as someone’s Valentine, and I like that a lot.
I have simple wants; a bunch of wildflowers is treasured as much as a dozen red roses; all gifts from the heart are appreciated whether it’s a Chanel or a seashell. Or a handmade card from the Angels.
These flowers are called alstroemeria. Native to South America. I prefer their other name, Lily of the Incas, ‘cos it sounds exotic. I’ve been growing them for about fifteen years. Surprisingly, they do quite well here and are drought tolerant. I’ve even been able to successfully dig up and divide the tubers.
I hope you’re having (will have) a happy, happy day!
Enchanted Seashells | Princess Rosebud 