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Mile 0

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  We have returned safe and sound after a brief respite from the winter chill in balmy Key West. The flight was gratefully uneventful, but the drive down Route One from Miami was marred by an almost two-hour delay due to construction. It was a grey, drizzly introduction to paradise. An educational point: large, shiny, dark red-brown barked trees punctuated the overland sea road. Online research revealed they were the  gumbo-limbo tree , a hardy species that withstands hurricanes. The trunks are used to make carousel horses. Our resort was well-appointed with numerous amenities. A sign board advertised multiple daily activities; text reminders ensured we were aware. We eschewed most of the organized events, and instead, entertained ourselves. We stumbled upon a mermaid and learned a wish was our reward. The first morning, we treated ourselves to an oceanside couples cabana massage with the background music of rhythmic waves, the salty sea scent, and a gentle breeze. Fabulous cu...
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Tropical Escape

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  Heading out for a brief getaway. My regular blog will resume next week. You can follow the Author on her  Website  or  X .
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National Cherry Month

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  Since prehistoric times, cherries have been consumed across their range of origin: Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia. In 72 BCE, a Roman general, Lucius Licinius Lucullus, brought the fruit to Rome from Anatolia (Asia Minor/Turkey). According to legend, they were accidentally spread across the Roman Empire as soldiers discarded the pits. Henry VIII ordered this sweet fruit to be introduced to England. Subsequently, in 1606, they arrived in North America with the New France colony of Port Royal, which today is in Nova Scotia. US cherry growing began in 1852. Peter Dougherty planted sweet cherry  Prunus avium  trees on Old Mission Peninsula, Michigan. The climate was ideal;  Traverse City, Michigan , is now the unofficial “Cherry Capital of the World.” Today, tart/sour cherries  Prunus cerasus  are widely grown in this region. The famous Washington, DC cherry trees were gifted from Japan in 1912. They are ornamental cultivars grown for the beauty of th...
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Spring Garden

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  It’s time to start planning for my 2025 vegetable garden. The seed catalogs are filling my mailbox. I placed my order for seed potatoes today (many varieties were already out of stock). I chose Yukon Gold and French Fingerlings. I’ll make other seed purchases soon. I love the taste of these tender French string beans. Roots laden with nitrogen-fixing nodules are an added soil bonus. I have lived and gardened in the NC Blue Ridge Mountain area for several years but still consult  Hardiness Zone calendars  for yearly updates. The link will take you to a website where you can drill down to your specific state and hardiness zone. In the example above, I can see that I live in Zone 7a (in the Appalachian Mountain foothills). It will also show you first and last frost dates. The chart includes a warning that there is a 10% chance of an earlier or later frost and cautions the gardener to watch local weather reports. From this information I see that I have approximately 175 gro...
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Colonoscopy Prep (PSA)

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  I’m confined to home undergoing the standard colonoscopy prep. Over the last week, I’ve been unable to eat of some of my favorite foods: red meat, cheese, salads, fresh fruit, veggies, nuts, and multigrain breads. Don’t want any retained pieces or parts to muddy the view. Today, my repast is restricted to clear liquids. Boring! I have plenty to drink with the dreaded bowel prep regime of Gatorade (which I detest) and Miralax. Lots of nasty, salty, sweet fluid to chug, hour after hour. My gastroenterologist makes this ordeal a little easier by prescribing Ondansetron (Zofran), an anti-nausea medicine. There are also a couple doses of a laxative to get things going. To facilitate the medicated fluid intake, refrigerate the mix and  drink it through a straw. Does it help ? Shrug. I’m ready for the torrential onslaught with comfy elastic-waist pants and a bathroom stocked with soft toilet paper, wet wipes, and soothing creams. Let the games begin! As unpleasant as the preparatio...
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Writer's Block

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I produce my weekly blog, but beyond this endeavor, my creative juices are dammed, have ceased to flow. Perhaps the ennui is a result of the bombardment of news. I am a news junkie, but the overload of political information has saturated my neurons. The excessive input has blunted any output. Finally, I wrote two haiku last week after a dearth of writing. Hopefully, the sprout of poetry will lead to a robust crop of words… …from a tiny drip to a brisk stream of consciousness. Do you ever feel stuck in a rut, unable to progress? What tricks do you use to break free? You can follow the Author on her  Website  or  X .
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