Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardening: DAILY BUTTERFLIES Page 23, 0 by mellielong

mellielong wrote:
Glad I'm amusing everyone with my stories and pictures. I actually started gardening as therapy. I was really depressed after getting dumped (after seven years). I was unhappy about other stuff, too (job, living situation) so I quit my job, moved from Nashville back home to Tampa and now I live with my parents and my older brother. It's like we never left, LOL! I found that pulling weeds is good anger and stress management. I figured I could sit inside and mope or keep myself busy doing something. It started with weeding the azaleas and grew from there. And since no one was taking care of the front I decided they wouldn't care if I did it. Others had tried, but they were weak (evil laughter). Plus, they had red tips out there and we had this bad disease go through the area and killed most of them. Add in the invasives and it was a mess. So now I do what I want and nobody has said anything negative. In fact, one time a neighbor lady stopped and gave me $25! I was shocked!

The bling on that hand is Mom's. Dad bought the rings from the BX in Vietnam. He sent the engagement ring to Mom who was stationed in England (they were in the Air Force) and the wedding band went to grandma back in Pennsylvania. If that isn't sweet enough, they got married on Valentine's Day! I know, my parents are too cute.

I'm jealous now because one of the ZSTs came out this morning and Mom got to play with it while I was in training all day. Plus, I've got two that are going to eclose tomorrow and I'll be in training again! Oddly enough, the ones coming out tomorrow are the ones being held to the cage by scotch tape.

This is the view out Mom's office window in the front of the house. Her computer monitor faces the window (she works tech support). That's a bougainvillea growing on a trellis in front of the window. Below I have some bromeliads, gerbera daisies, and a couple of plumerias (that lost their leaves this week). Why Mom set the butterfly on the windowsill I have no idea. I guess she thought it was cute. One of these days we're going to have a butterfly loose in the house, I just know it.