CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

I have decided to be completely environmentally friendly this year and dispense of paper Christmas cards. And it seems like everyone else as well, this year we have received only a dozen or so from friends. Well they didn't get one from Walter and me!

Of course, I'm still keen to send warm seasons greetings - this year (and subsequent years, me thinks) by email. When I started to draft the email, it seemed abit plain. So decided to do a nice html thing. But of course, Thang's never been good with creativity, so ended up with the easy option, a video greeting!

Stroke of genious - environmentally friendly, personal and unique - what more could you ask for?

I'm sharing the season's greeting here with all of you, too!

WAITING FOR THE BANANAS

Each day I scrutinize my banana tree to check out any changes since first noticing the first signs of fruit. A week has gone by and I have definitely noticed progress.

Everyone has advice. Dad reckons cow manure is best dug into the ground approximately one handspan away from the base. Then covered and watered. He's probably right, everything he touches on the plant way seem to grow wonderfully.

But I take the easy option. Any food scrap goes around the base including left over cabbage (some of which have been appearing inside the house courtesy of my naughty dog, mimi), banana skin (seems appropriate) and even mango seeds and skin.

I am salivating at the thought of eating my first home grown banana!

A moment in time

My day is always rushed and hurried. Even if I'm not busy, somehow I make myself busy. Seems to make the days go by faster.

Walter posted this pic recently from a trip in Quy Nhon, Vietnam - it caught my eye because it was just like time stood still and I was able to savour a moment in time.

So precious.

GOING BANANAS

A sure sign that you're getting older is that plants in your garden stop dying. Gone are the old days of irregular watering and short periods of enthusiam followed by long episodes of neglect.

I am surprised that I have the patience with a garden these days, but then again, I shouldn't be given I'm well and truly entered the fourth decade on earth.. it's a scary thought!

But I digress... I was sipping my morning cupa looking out onto my back garden, and noticed my banana tree (Walter so desperately wanted one and we eventually did) was lopsided. I was starting to doubt the effort I've been putting into the garden, when my eye caught sight of something which didn't look like a big banana leaf.... I've long ago stopped looking at the leaves because, while beautiful, under them invariably are ageing, yellowing, decaying leaves... you get the drift, you plant banana trees for bananas, not for their looks!

But then I did noticed something different, it wasn't flat, or green (or decaying yellow for that matter) like other leaves. This one was bulbous and, well, purple! OMG indeed it seems to be a banana flower, the pre-cursor to fruit.

Oh the joys of gardening, and seeing something finally come off (my gardenias are a mixed success).