I slept soundly and awoke in less pain then I had fallen asleep to…always a good thing! As I pulled off my face mask and popped out my earplugs, more surprises awaited me. Sometime in the night, I must have swallowed a whole melon which had take up residency on my left side. Ok, it’s actually swelling from the incisions but it sure does look and feel like a melon.

I did not initially feel well enough to meet with Sue and Karissa (Nate’s Honor Rescue) to develop the itinerary for our next Suncoast Animal Alliance so I texted Sue my regrets. We’ll catch up in the next few days.

After my morning drugs kicked in, however, I was eager to get out of the house. Hans loaded up my walker (I’m a crooked lady with one half of my body bearing fruit). I found just the right way to push the walker while cradling my paunch and off we went sloughing through the on-season traffic.

First stop…Trulieve to replenish my medicine. I was once again impressed with the customer service the young staff provide. They do a good job helping customers navigate through the scores of options. Today’s haul included new vape pens, gummies, chocolate bar and tincture.

Stop Two. Home Depot. Hans needed a mighty maul for some reason 🔨✔️and we wanted to find a new plant for the living room side table. Our quest for the perfect house plant is endless. A plant will eventually outgrow it’s perfect spot and need to be reintroduced elsewhere. I have planted many of these “misfits” in one of the side gardens. It’s a bit eclectic but I really hate to discard a living plant. Hans is not a fan of my unstructured flora. I , on the other hand, love giving the mums another go, the tulips an encore and a second chance for a bromeliad to bloom. Growth and adaptation——What a metaphor for life!

So what did we end up with? I think our choice demonstrates the optimism we cling to. Although we are huge orchid fans, neither Hans nor I have been successful in keeping them in flower. Yet, we remain hopeful … maybe this time? Plus, we bought the orchid food….What can go wrong?

Notice there is an accompanying bromeliad. She looks glorious now, yet sadly many of her fore-bearers reside in my garden of misfits. But no matter. Hans and I are outliers, living for today. And today, today the plant is perfect.