It’s time for the return of the mallards, a sweet reminder that spring is nearly here. These guys stayed close to me, finding things to eat while I snapped a few photos.
Photo by Enchanted Seashells
Duck sightings are good luck!
Photo by Enchanted Seashells
The duck symbolizes clarity, family, love, vigilance, intuition, nurturing, protection, feelings, self-expression, balance, adaptation, grace, and strength.
Spiritually, ducks are revered for their symbolism of balance, unity, and wholeness.
To see two ducks indicates inner reflection, balance, and unity, acknowledging efforts to integrate inner and outer realities, reassuring movement towards wholeness.
The encounter encourages emotional intelligence, making holistic decisions that align with values and intuition, and trusting inner wisdom to navigate life’s challenges.
Two ducks symbolize spiritual growth and evolution, pursuing a higher perspective, and accessing cosmic insight, revealing the intricate web of connections.
Ducks, especially in pairs, are often seen as a sign of good fortune and positive events on the horizon.
Sometimes people call me Rosemary even though that’s not my name. They call me Roxanne too, and that’s not my name, either. I guess I’m not very memorable because I’m so often referred to incorrectly and it’s actually annoying, even more because my real name is almost always misspelled.
But this is not about ME, it’s about the herb, rosemary. There’s a lot of rosemary growing in the gardens of Casa de Enchanted Seashells. It’s easy to propagate and seems to endure, if not thrive, during our many months of drought.
Here’s a couple ideas to to create a happy home with rosemary…
Rosemary flowers can be eaten, used in tea, or as a garnish. I’ve never consumed any rosemary flowers but I think they’d perk up a salad.
Rosemary Aromatherapy Recipe
Fill medium sized pot with fresh water.
Add 10-15 freshly picked rosemary sprigs.
Bring it to a boil for a few minutes.
Allow it to simmer for about ten minutes.
Turn off the heat and let it steep as long as you like. As the rosemary releases its essential oils, your home will be filled with an uplifting fragrance. Option to add add lemon slices or cinnamon sticks.
Rosemary Infused Bath This could not be any easier. Simply pick a few sprigs of rosemary and toss into the bath as you fill the tub. Try it and enjoy! (Just make sure your rosemary is bee-free!)
After a decent two inches of rain, our weather turned unseasonably warm, nearly eighty degrees, which totally confused my apple trees and they began to furiously bud and flower, at least a month sooner than normal.
It looks like we might receive a bit more rain in the next couple of weeks but I hope it stays warm-ish so that every blossom grows into a juicy, delicious apple.
Good news/bad news time…
It had been a while since I injured myself but that’s no longer the case. The upper garden is mostly planted with California native plants. When it rains, they go crazy because winter is their time to shine.
Flowering white sage
I noticed a white sage that needed to be pruned. As I ran down the steep set of stairs with a huge armful of freshly cut branches, I misjudged the distance because I couldn’t see where I was going, caught my shoe on the edge of a step, and before I could stop myself, I tumbled down to the ground.
This time I didn’t suffer any broken bones, just a sore shoulder (where I fell) and another injury to my knee (also where I fell). As luck would have it, this was the same knee that has already has a torn MCL, so now I’m limping AND again wearing a brace.
The good news is that the garden is nice and tidy…Happy Monday!
For the first time in about nine months, it rained, and it rained HARD. So far we’ve had about an inch of rain and the forecast predicts a bit more. There was similar rainfall in Los Angeles which prompted flash-flood and mudslide risks for the wildfire burn scar areas through this afternoon.
Photo by Enchanted Seashells
This deluge reminded me that I had started writing a post about an unsettling, recurring leaky roof dream where bits of the ceiling fall all around me and no amount of buckets can ever stop the catastrophe in my living room, no matter how hard I try.
I had the same exact dream a few days ago. It’s not a pleasant feeling to be powerless to avert a disaster so I did my usual research and learned that it’s a common dream theme.
Potentially, it’s not as dire as I thought. It could mean…
–A heavenly transition of divine blessings. The heavenly waters are descending down, as a cleansing release.
— You will be flooded with relief as blessings rain down upon your life.
— Your dream is an expression of pure giving that represents grace in life and personal growth in prosperity.
— The dream is from a spiritual part of your soul. The rains are a sign of a beautiful future filled with growing abundance; spiritual and material gifts.
— The presence of heavy rain and water in your dreams may symbolize emotional cleansing, a need for spiritual renewal, or the flow of energy and creativity in your life.
On the other hand, a recurring dream about a leaking roof might symbolize a feeling of vulnerability, insecurity, or a sense that something important in your life is falling apart. The leaks represent emotional distress or overwhelming issues that you feel unable to fully address.
Things to think about…
Severity of the leak: A small leak might represent a minor concern, while a large flood could signify a major issue.
Your actions in the dream: If you are actively trying to fix the leak, it could indicate that you are attempting to address the underlying problem in your waking life.
Your emotional state in the dream: Feeling anxious or panicked about the leak can further emphasize the sense of vulnerability.
I wish I had paid more attention to the other times I had this same dream; I could have kept track of the date and all the other details to figure out if there’s a pattern — I’ve dreamed this same scenario more than a dozen times in the last couple of decades. I know it’s not related to the failure of my actual roof, so it must be psychological or emotional. At least I memorialized it THIS time and will observe any future recurring dreams.
No matter what my dream meant to me personally, the actual sky water made my gardens very happy as they had been parched for such a long time.
November 11 is supposed to be a special day because 11/11 aligns in perfect numeric harmony to open a powerful doorway for spiritual growth.
This 11/11 cosmic portal event is supposed to help us connect more deeply with our true self. Right now I think we need a collective activation to clear out all the negative energies on this planet.
Just in time for this intense cosmic portal catalyst and when all else fails, nature is a comfort. My hawk stopped by for a visit to cheer me up. Yes, I was this close to her and yes, she is spectacular.
Photo by Enchanted Seashells
With her proud profile, she brings keen eyesight, patience, and trust. Get the rats, my friend!
Photo by Enchanted Seashells
A hawk visit is a sign from the spirit realm that we are ready to take on a larger, more powerful expansion and vision of our world. The hawk symbolizes a need to start looking forward, envisioning the path ahead, and perhaps even preparing for a greater role in life.
Many believe that the hawk is a messenger, bringing a message from the spirit of the departed. It’s often interpreted as a sign that your loved one is watching over you and that they are at peace,
I can tell you that I know for certain that my mom, if she was alive, would be DISGUSTED with the election results and especially the total annihilation of our reproductive rights. I thought we’d never go back but here we are.
I’ve shared lots of stories about our plight with RATS here in SoCal; for whatever reason — whether it’s overbuilding or decimation of natural predators — many neighborly conversations are about the growing rodent populations.
Because rats love tomatoes, I use mesh bags to protect my beautiful heirlooms from being vandalized and I check on them daily.
Look at that photo...a rat ate through the bag to ravage a gorgeous tomato that was just beginning to turn color. I harvested the rest of them even though they’re green because I refuse to feed those disgusting, destructive, villainous vermin.
I had anticipated simply slicing the heirlooms to enjoy with homegrown basil. I am so sad; it’s a crime against humanity!
I wondered if it was safe to still eat the mangled tomato if I chopped off a large area around the bite and cleaned it really well, but I learned that it’s not worth the risk of any saliva-borne diseases that may have infected the whole tomato, so I had to toss them out. That was PAINFUL.
My plant obsession isn’t all about monsteras and fiddle leaf figs, I lovelove African Violets, too.
The African violet symbolizes devotion, faithfulness, and commitment. They’re also supposed to be great for indoor air purification because African violets absorb toxins.
They appear delicate and precious but they’re actually quite hardy and sturdy and not really high maintenance at all, at least not in my opinion. The flowers last for a long time.
Their botanical name is Saintpaulia and they belong to the Gesneriaceae genus. I started propagating my own violets a few years ago. Creating new life gives me a great deal of pleasure, plus it’s pretty easy, so there’s a high success rate.
A couple of my very own babies are flowering. I’m so proud of them!
They’re not too finicky or hard to take care of if you follow a few tips:
❀ Don’t water from the top and try not to get the leaves wet.
❀ They love bright, indirect light.
❀ Fertilize about once a month.
❀ Some websites suggest an Epsom salt drench every two weeks to assist flowering.
❀ Remove dead or faded flowers.
❀ They don’t like to be too wet or too dry, I use filtered water because our SoCal tap water is disgusting.
❀ It’s almost funny but the best performing violets are in the smallest pots, much smaller than you’d think for dinner plate sized foliage.
❀ Propagating is simple. The traditional method of propagating violet leaves is to place the stem into water until roots begin to grow. Select a healthy leaf. It doesn’t take very long for roots to form.
Besides my sweet lizard, there’s another eligible bachelor vying for my attention…
A few days ago as I was tidying up the family room, I noticed some ODD movement on a big corn plant leaf (Dracaena fragrans Massangeana) near the patio doors. There was no breeze so it was a bit unsettling to watch the leaf move up and down. I hastily picked up the plant and placed it outside on the deck.
Out jumped this little guy! I don’t know how long he had been living there, well-camouflaged, but I thought the outdoors would be a more suitable environment.
Mr. Toad is a very handsome young man, but not all that photogenic. He’s a bit camera shy and kept running behind a pot while I was trying to snap a pic.
I guess he finds enough to eat because he and my lizard love seem to peacefully co-exist.
In most ancient civilizations, toads were synonymous with transformation and renewal. These mysterious creatures are capable of shedding their skins and reincarnating in new ones, signifying rebirth and regeneration. In Chinese folklore, they were believed to be spirits of blessing and prosperity for everyone they encountered. Native American traditions also hold spiritual convictions about toads, which they view as messengers of the soul world.
Attracting toads to our garden naturally controls pests and enhances biodiversity, creating a healthier and more balanced ecosystem.
Frogs, lizards, toads; there’s lots of reptile love around here!
Every morning he waits for me on the deck by the patio doors. Sometimes I almost trip over him because he’s always underfoot, trailing me from the deck to the garden and back again.
When I first noticed this behavior, I thought he had somehow become stranded on the deck and was asking for help, so I put him him in a box and released him on the grass, but he came right back.
He turns his head back and forth as if he’s listening to me, “Good morning, little guy!” “Is it hot enough for you?” “Here’s a bowl of fresh water in case you’re thirsty.”
At night, he looks through the screen door, but that’s where I draw the line. He’s not coming in, not even if he shows off with a few sets of those lizard-y pushups. #boundaries
One occurrence would be nothing to think about, but this happens daily, so I guess I’m in a relationship now.
I brought him a green hornworm from my tomato plant and he gobbled it up. Since my love language involves feeding and caregiving, that made me happy (and a little grossed out).
Most of my research says that lizards symbolize resurrection and rebirth. In Egyptian hieroglyphics, the symbol of the lizard was representative of plentiful abundance. A lizard in one’s house is often seen to represent an old friend or acquaintance.
A phytophile is a person who loves plants, and for me, that includes dandelions! Phytophile comes from the Greek words phytòn (plant) and philìa (love or passion).
Last week I rescued a six-foot ficus and a sad little cordyline from the nursery clearance section. They were dried out and cruelly discarded. These once beautiful specimens simply needed a bit of my tender, loving care. They quickly perked up and are both now enjoyingthe good life here at Casa de Enchanted Seashells.
Enchanted Seashells | Princess Rosebud 