Ellie Mae

Ellie Mae
Beautiful Ellie Mae

Freddie, the French Bulldog

Freddie, the French Bulldog
Lazing on a sunny afternoon

The artist

The artist
Ollie Mac

Ollie and Annie

Ollie and Annie
Azorean grandmother

Acrylics and watercolors

Acrylics and watercolors
Cannabis and sunflowers

Papa and Ollie Mac

Papa and Ollie Mac
Priorities, Baby

Acrylics and watercolors

Acrylics and watercolors
Hollyhocks

Mahlon Masling Blue

Mahlon Masling Blue
My friend and brother.

Mark's E-mail address

bellspringsmark@gmail.com

Thursday, January 5, 2012

There Goes the Neighborhood

There Goes the Neighborhood
We have a little Christmas cactus sitting on a window sill, above and to the right of our kitchen sink.  We have had it for one year and two weeks.  It has not been especially noteworthy, lounging in its spot, comfortable enough in its setting, to allow the neighborly daddy longlegs to move in and build its home, between the five-inch flower pot, and the window.
I am the official potted-plant, maintenance man in this household.  My Virgoan nature requires that I water all fifteen of the downstairs plants, rhythmically, and uniformly, and the plants have always shown their appreciation by doing whatever it is that potted plants are supposed to do, and doing it with flair.
This little Christmas cactus has perched next to its African Violet pal, and watched as this violet, the last remnant of Annie’s mom’s houseplants, has pushed purple petals out of itself, unceasingly for six months now.  Up until now, the cactus has been content to be an observer of life, and not the source of any attention.
For me this has been the most tumultuous of years, with changes abundant in everything I do.  I think differently, which affects every phase of my life.  People who have known me for any period of time, notice the differences immediately, and sit back to see what’s in store next.
There could not have been two more different entities in this house, than me, and the little Christmas cactus, until just these past few days.  Suddenly, however, without warning, this little model of consistency, has leaped outside of its shell, and produced an exquisite bloom, softly pale in its center, but flamboyantly lined along its edges with a deep, blood-red hue. 
Is nothing sacred?  The little cactus has changed.  I have changed.  My change does not come in the form of an exhilarating bloom, so much as a change from within.  If you evaluated my change, you would find that though the same on the outside, I am profoundly different on the inside.  If you examined the change in the Christmas cactus, you would find profound changes on the outside, but that the cactus is still, well, a cactus.
It just goes to show.  You can’t always judge an entity by its plain exterior; you never know what’s going on in the inside, and you never know when those changes will manifest themselves.  I’m just glad I didn’t have to spend the year on a window sill, talking over the back fence, to a daddy long legs. 

8 comments:

  1. You probably would not have been so surprised by the bloom and change had you been reading your daily horoscopes.

    Okay I admit it I had no clue what you meant by Virgoan. So I had to google it. So my first comment was meant to show my wittiness and hipness. But I just couldn't pull it off with a straight face :).

    I have had my Christmas cactus for 5 years. It has faithfully bloomed each of those five. But strangely enough not this year. Probably because I moved it during one of my re-aranging the furniture frenzies or maybe it just wasn't in the mood.

    But even though no color this year, it still continues to grow...and change.

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  2. I love that. We change all the time. But you can't always tell from the outside. So, I always go by this: Just because you knew me yesterday, don't think you know me today because I am always changing. And if I'm changing, then you must be too! So, I guess my point is we shouldn't judge or take each other for granted! P.S. I knew what a Virgoan was :)

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  3. It didn't bloom this year, Lynda? That's kind of eerie. Maybe that red hat is still available…with the pink boots.

    And Judy? Groundation sings, "It takes a weak heart to judge one another." Your additional point about not taking one another for granted is noted. btw, I am still glowing from your post on "goodness all around…"

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  4. I love the new photo and, it's true. You are blooming, dude! I think you were hidden for all those years and now you are on fire and it shows. You are a-blooming. I like what Judy said about change. I can tell you that i am so not the person I was a year ago or five years ago or 25 years ago. But, still, I do want to remember the person that I WANTED to be.
    And, Lynda, I bet your cactus really wasn't in the mood to bloom this year. After all, were you in the mood to bloom?
    Virgos rock! Don't believe what those horoscopes say about us. We are really interesting people....

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  5. LOL Virgos rock. The prototypical virgo is pictured (ah, the perfect use of the passive voice) as a fussy, fastidious neat-freak, whose attention to detail, always makes one feel a little nervous. I don't think so. I prefer to go with: Out of chaos, comes order.

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  6. That's the thing about Virgos - those stereotypes make us look so whiney, fussy, over-critical and neat-freaky. On the other hand, we are also, according to my sources, creative, industrious, analytical, witty, and SEXY AS HELL.

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  7. Wait a second…just how sexy is "hell?"

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