Ditches Drifted with Tiger Lilies

Today we managed to get out for a little drive in the countryside. Many of the ditches were resplendent with drifts of orange tiger-lilies. We drove by without stopping for most of them, but finally I just had to capture a snapshot for the blog, unfortunately the photo just doesn’t do them justice.

Yesterday though was a day of recuperation. I spent some time on the computer putting together the first draft of some scrapbook pages of the wedding. I want to put some text on the pages, but somehow I find that impossible, yet I manage to write things for the blog – go figure.

Today’s word of the day is raiment (RAY-munt noun : clothing, garments). The wedding was adorned with the fanciest of raiment. There were dresses embellished with pearls and sequins, some made with satin or silk, some long to the ground while others were short and sexy. All set against the backdrop of dark suits and colourful ties.

What have my pleasures been over the last few days?

• Spending time with Carm’s family at a festive event ; seeing all the lovely dresses on the young women ;
• listening to the drum mixed with Lebanese music – such a primal sound that strikes a chord deep inside our consciousness – there was something so elemental about the music. It was rendered even more exciting by the chain of dancers ;
• doing a decent job putting nail polish on my fingers and toes – “she had rings on her fingers and bells on her toes” was really just referring to coral painted nails (ha ha) ;
• looking at the sequin dress lying on the table – I left it there ‘cause I wanted to enjoy the vibrancy of it’s colour for just a little while longer – it is now wrapped up and put away in the closet for perhaps another 20 years ;
• reading on the swing on a Sunday afternoon ;
• eating Baklava – honey pistachio phylo packages of goodness! My first real experience with baklava was in Jordan 22 years ago – it was so incredibly good (not to be matched in North America). Dad and I bought a package to have in our room, that night I woke up to see Dad sneaking across the room to have one in the middle of the night! So that’s where I got the food calling to me in the middle of the night gene!

Today’s pleasures - watching a much needed light rain come down (not for long enough though) ; eating an ice cream cone – very yummy ; seeing all the tiger lilies in the ditch ; smelling the sweet charred smell of roasted red peppers.

Kindness is the sunshine in which virtue grows.
Robert Green Ingersoll