Just playing...

Most days I love my work, and some days I even love the meetings for my job. Today was a perfect example. Monthly, all of the Life Enrichment Coordinators (that is the P.C. term for an activity coordinator) from our various sites meet. Every other month we try to have an internal inservice that is brought to us by one of our peers. One of the sites has a Horticulture Therapist on staff and she did a presentation today. To make it more authentic, we met at the Portland Memory Garden, an AMAZING garden in SE Portland that is meant to address the needs of those living with memory disorders and their loved ones. I take many of my participants on outings to this garden, and all love it. There are raised beds, lots of different flowers, plants, trees, etc. I even go on my own frequently. After our inservice I decided to stay and "play" with my camera. I have a sort of borderline addiction to taking photos, as amateur as I may be. Below are the results:

One of my favorites, along with the one below that is similar.

Rarely, I title my work, I don't feel I am "professional" enough for that. However, I decree that the one above shall be called "Juicy Fruit!"

Second favorite!

Bzzzzzzz........

I wish I could bottle the smell of Jasmine! Love it. Someday, I hope to have it outside of a window so I can smell it whenever I am near that window!

My passion....

"Oh, cut me reeds to blow upon,

Or gather me a star,

But leave the sultry passion-flowers

Growing where they are.

I fear their sombre yellow deeps,

Their whirling fringe of black,

And he who gives a passion-flower

Always asks it back."
-Grace Hazard Conkling,1878-1958

I love plants, flowers, anything green. I don't have a lot of "growing space" so things that grow vertically are a good thing! :) A year ago, or so, a co-worker of mine introduced me to the Passion Flower vine. I fell in love with it. I tend to like "unusual" things, shoes, plants, flowers. I was given a start...it didn't make it through the winter, not surprising considering the winter we had. I was given an opportunity by Linda, another co-worker friend of mine to order a Passion Flower through a gardening catalog when she was making an order. I did! And, it is the best plant purchase I made this past spring! It has grown like crazy and adorns my front porch area very nicely. I decided to take a string of flowers blossoming at the same time as a chance to get some photos!

I love the curly vines...

The Passion Flower comes with a meaning, as so many flowers do. According to Paghat's Garden the following, plus more is stated:

"Five petals & five sepals are ten apostles, leaving out Judas the betrayer & Peter because he denied knowing Jesus. The purple carolla Bosio reported had seventy-two filaments, the number of thorns in Jesus's crown. The three pistil stigmas are nails. The five stamens are the number of wounds, so that to this day, Catholics in South & Central America call it "The Flower of the Five Wounds." The leaf represents the spear that placed the wound in Jesus's side (that one is a stretch since the leaves are five-lobed, but unlike some other species, this one's individual lobes are at least lance-shaped). The dark spots under the leaves are the 33 pieces of silver paid to Judas. When the flowers are spent after a single day (the time Jesus spent on the cross), the petals do not drop from the vine but re-close over the ovary, & this symbolizes the Hidden Wisdom that constitutes the Mysteries of the Cross, & is like Jesus enclosed in the tomb.This rich symbolism was embellished by later authors so that the white petals came to represent the purity of Jesus, the palmate leaves the hands of his prosecutors, & the clinging tendrils the cords of Jesus's bondage (or the whips with which he was lashed). The fruit itself is the Earth for which Jesus promised salvation."

If you want to see these gorgeous, and very unique flowers, come by for a visit!

Perfect Day/Oaks Park Stroll

I love days that start like today. I woke up to no alarm, that makes it perfect with just that component. The sun was shining, which is sort of new as it has been cloudy the past several mornings. I made my morning cup of tea, curled up in a blanket and sat on my balcony. Peace. Quiet. Cat sitting on my lap, between purr and sleep, and helping to keep me warm. I can never ask for a better morning than that.

After I was ready to venture into the day I decided I was going to go for a nice long stroll somewhere. That destination ended up being Oaks Park and Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge. I'd been to the park for an outing for work, but we hadn't gotten off the bus, let alone explore at all. This park is right near the river, so I headed that direction, walked as far north as I could, then turned back and got on the Springwater Corridor Trail, a trail that loops parts of Portland and is a total of 40 miles. I've walked a lot of it in different sections. I didn't actually venture into the Wildlife Refuge, but got a good view of it as I walked by. Here are some pictures from the stroll [you can click on any picture to enlarge it...actually works on all blogs...fyi :) ].

Natures version of a "diamond in the ruff".

You can see the city in the distance.

I love sweet peas.

This is the "bottom". The pinkish color is all the sweet peas blossoming.

There is an Osprey nest perched on one of the power poles.

The Osprey is in there...click to enlarge and see it!

After my walk I headed to Laurelhurst Park to hear the Providence Stage Band play '40's Big Band music. Whenever I've gone to a concert in the park this summer it reminds me of my childhood and walking up the street from the house and going to the concerts in the park by the Casper Municipal Band. Something I think I will always enjoy.

A good day! :)

Swan Island Dahlias

"The Dahlia you brought to our isle
Your praises for ever shall speak:
Mid gardens as sweet as your smile,
And colour as bright as your cheek."
~Lord Holland

As part of my job, the part I love (which is most of it, minus the paperwork), I take groups of our participants on outings to a variety of places in and around Portland. Many times I am able to see and experience things and places I wouldn't normally, or I get to share a place I have experienced with these wonderful people. Today was such a day. The Swan Island Dahlias are AMAZING! The fields are in Canby, OR...about 30 minutes south of Portland. I took a group of five ladies to see the flowers, picnic lunch in tote. We sat in the sun and ate lunch and then walked among the beautiful flowers. Enjoy the pictures!! I know in the dreary months of winter, I will!

The above flower is my favorite for the season...Freckle Face!

Our stash to take home! A bunch of these were given to us! How wonderful!

Me with the Dahlias!

One of my participants wanted to take a picture of me because I was taking pictures of all of them. The above picture, not a great one mind you, was taken by one of my little ladies. I promised I'd show it off and not delete it. Too bad I keep promises... :)

After trips to the fields the last couple of years, I must say that it is a good thing for my pocketbook that I don't have a yard to plant all of these wonderful plants in...I could do some damage.

India's Independence Day 8/15/1947

"At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance..... We end today a period of ill fortune, and India discovers herself again." ~Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru

India declared independence from British Rule at the stroke of midnight between August 14 and August 15, 1947. You can read more about the partitioning of India and Pakistan from Britain here.

I have always been facinated with India...I think it may be the way my subcontious expresses it's desire for me to travel to that country. Someday I will. I am drawn to that culture and I think that the only way that thirst will be quenched is by me experiencing that place of intrigue for myself. When I saw that there was the India Festival being held in Portland at Pioneer Courthouse Square, how could I not go? The festival was sponsored by the India Culture Association of Portland. I rode the Max train down to the square. When I got off the train I ventured into all of the people. I have discoved that I love, absolutely love, clothing from other cultures. I am facinated by the styles, colors, fabrics, accessories, etc. I made my way over to the "staging" area and there was a group of kids dancing, and lots of cheering. I eventually sat down, right in front and I have to say, I was in heaven. I watched many, many groups and inviduals dance.


Eventually, I was a little too warm to continue sitting in the sun so I pulled myself away to walk around the booths and get into the shade and breeze. I couldn't stay gone long. I made my way back to the dancers and watched more. The longer I sat there the hungrier I got, especially since I could smell all the yummy food. I wasn't sure if I would be able to eat anything, but found something that appeared to be "safe". If I get sick, I can tell you it was the Vegetable Biryani, not because it wasn't so delicious, but it may have contained gluten (safe according to recipes I've found online, but still no guarantee). I must say, I think it was worth it (I hope that statement holds true through the next couple of days). It was made with basmati rice, vegetables and a curry sauce on top, yummmm...I must also say that I drank a Mango Lassie and though it wasn't my favorite beverage in the world, I didn't hate it, had actually gotten quite used to it by the time I sipped the last of it. I can now say that I tried something new, 2 new things in fact and enjoyed them...would have them again if offered. I ate rather quickly becuase, you guessed it, I couldn't stay away from those dancers.

Rather than rambling on any longer, I'm going to cut to the chase with the pictures:

Amazing colors and clothes.

All the onlookers

Amazing

There were several girls that had all kinds of accessories. The one you see above I thought was gorgeous. I can only image how heavy it may have been though. I might add, it took me about 5 tries before I got this shoot.

Cute little girls dancing.

This young boy, 4 or 5 I would say, was practicing his role while I was eating. Couldn't help getting a quick picture.

She teaches Indian dance...should I take lessons sometime?

These are some of the clothes that were on a rack in one of the booths.

I was amazed by all of the dancers, of varying ages. The kids were cute, it would be fun to see them in a few years after continuing to take lessons. Those who'd been dancing for many years...WOW is all I can say. I am working on getting some of the video footage uploaded for your enjoyment and for my memories, most likely the short snippets will be in another post.

I finally knew I needed to get home to get some stuff done, or I could have and would have stayed until the festival closed at 9pm, so I pulled myself away, and got back on the Max to head home. While I was riding back I decided that I think I was born into the wrong culture...I should have been born into a culture like Indian culture, full of color, dance, music. Maybe I can be multi-cultured and enjoy them all...I plan on going back again as I loved it so much and right now that is the easiest way to "travel" to India...my hearts desire. Hope you enjoyed this little trip! Happy travels to you!