12/12/12

Today is 12/12/12!

For that reason alone,

I knew I had to blog today!

When I saw

it was Poinsettia Day,

I figured there must be

some strange reason

(other than Christmas)

 for this flower to get a day.

Sure, it’s a lovely plant…

and, Very Christmasy!

But, is there anything else?

So, off to google I went.

My search instantly landed me

 on the Poinsettia Day webpage.

(I know I’m on to something

special if it has its own webpage!)

I learned that today

 is the anniversary

of the death of botanist,

Joel Roberts Poinsett. 

He was also a physician

and a minister to Mexico.

Working in Mexico,

he saw the poinsettia plant

 and loved it enough,

he took clippings

and sent them to his home

 in Southern California.

It was 1828. 

Paul Ecke discovered a way

 to cause the seedlings

to branch.

(I’m not absolutely sure

what this means,

but it’s significant… because…)

 in 2002, the

House of Representatives

 created Poinsettia Day,

to honour Paul Ecke.

(That gives the day

a bit more serious-ness!) 

Paul Ecke the third

still runs their

poinsettia farm today!

Have a guess how much money

 poinsettias make for the

American economy each year…

Go on, have a guess.

How much did you say?

Want me to let you know?

(I will anyway!)

Each year, poinsettias contribute

 $250,000,000

to the economy!

That’s a lot of flowers!

 

Hearing that, it probably

 comes as no surprise

that these are the most popular

potted plant sold

in the US and Canada.

In Mexico, the poinsettia

has been used as a

Christmas plant

since the 1600s!     

 Photo

Lei Day

1927 

This was the year 

the first Lei Day was celebrated.

  Now, there is a Lei Queen

 and her court

and Lei day has become

 a large celebration. 

Lei Day became an official holiday

 in Hawaii in 1929

and has been celebrated

enthusiastically ever since. 

 Lei is a Hawaiian word

and means garland or wreath. 

Now, we hear the word lei

and we imagine

 a bundle of flowers,

tied together into a necklace. 

 I didn’t realise,

but there are some rules

 about accepting leis –

ok, not rules...

but customs... 

Today, many people receive a kiss

 when they are given a lei. 

(Traditionally, a bow

would have been exchanged

instead of a kiss.) 

Don’t refuse a lei

or take the lei off

while the person who gave it to you

 is still there –

bad luck, if you do!...

Pregnant women are given

an open lei... 

(A closed lei represents

the umbilical cord wrapped

 around the baby’s neck) 

 If you have an allergy

or are a keen guitarists

and run the risk of chocking

when the lei and the guitar strap

become entangled...  

 the lei will not

be placed around the neck. 

 It will, instead, be hung –

pride of place,

on a music stand or the guitar... 

 And, when you leave the resort –

 what should you do with your lei? 

 Throw it away? 

 No! 

Leis should be returned

to the place they came from...

 or, at the very least,

they should be hung

on a tree,

buried or burned. 

(The lei represents love

and you can’t throw

love away...

and yet, you can burn it...)

I remember making chains

from clover flowers...

I wonder if,

technically,

 they are leis...

Maybe I should make one

to celebrate Lei Day today.

Photos from here, here and here.

Information from here.

Bill and Ben

 

Plant a flower today...

water it...

love it...

and watch the colours grow –

especially if you plant

the flower

in colourful gumboots! 

Photos from here and here.

Spring into Wattle

Gone are the long,

wet,

rainy

and windy days

of winter.

Here are the fresh,

blue skies...

the scatterings of bright flower beds

and the warmth of the sun.

It's Spring!

And that means...

Wattle Day!

Break off a sprig or two of

Australia's native flower.

Brighten your day with their bright colour.

Cheers to Spring!

Christmas Bush Problem

Imagine...

You wake in the night and roll out of bed.

You stumble in the dark,

eyes closed with sleep.

Your body knows the way,

but it's still bumping into corners.

You're almost there, when..

it happens.

The thick stream of spider web wipes across your face.

You feel it pull and stretch.

You imagine the scuttling of spider legs

running across your nose.

Arms flash out, swiping at the cobwebs,

swiping at imagined spiders.

Eyes dart open in panic.

Back in bed, eyes continue to dart

in search of big bodied spiders.

Arms still swipe at imagined cobwebs,

the feeling lingering for hours.

Sleep is lost.

This is what I thought when I saw this:

and this...

So....

I grabbed an empty jar and the spider lies in it still.

I'll deal with it...

... later.

Of course, if the spider had looked like this:

Maybe, I would have let it stay.

(This Hawaiian rainforest spider is closely related to the black widow spider. It is not known to be dangerous to humans in any way. The strange patterns in the spider’s yellow abdomen often take the form of a smiling face, although sometimes the markings are less obvious or even absent. Some happy face spiders can actually have markings reminiscent of a frowning or screaming face! It is on the endangered animal list, due to its limited range and the reduction of its natural habitat. http://listverse.com/2010/05/01/top-10-bizarre-spiders/ )

Please Wear A Poppy

PLEASE WEAR A POPPY "Please wear a poppy," the lady said And held one forth, but I shook my head. Then I stopped and watched as she offered them there, And her face was old and lined with care; But beneath the scars the years had made There remained a smile that refused to fade. A boy came whistling down the street, Bouncing along on care-free feet. His smile was full of joy and fun, "Lady," said he, "may I have one?" When she's pinned in on he turned to say, "Why do we wear a poppy today?" The lady smiled in her wistful way And answered, "This is Remembrance Day, And the poppy there is the symbol for The gallant men who died in war. And because they did, you and I are free - That's why we wear a poppy, you see. "I had a boy about your size, With golden hair and big blue eyes. He loved to play and jump and shout, Free as a bird he would race about. As the years went by he learned and grew and became a man - as you will, too. "He was fine and strong, with a boyish smile, But he'd seemed with us such a little while When war broke out and he went away. I still remember his face that day When he smiled at me and said, Goodbye, I'll be back soon, Mom, so please don't cry. "But the war went on and he had to stay, And all I could do was wait and pray. His letters told of the awful fight, (I can see it still in my dreams at night), With the tanks and guns and cruel barbed wire, And the mines and bullets, the bombs and fire. "Till at last, at last, the war was won- And that's why we wear a poppy son." The small boy turned as if to go, Then said, "Thanks, lady, I'm glad to know. That sure did sound like an awful fight, But your son - did he come back all right?" A tear rolled down each faded check; She shook her head, but didn't speak. I slunk away in a sort of shame, And if you were me you'd have done the same; For our thanks, in giving, if oft delayed, Thought our freedom was bought - and thousands paid! And so when we see a poppy worn, Let us reflect on the burden borne, By those who gave their very all When asked to answer their country's call That we at home in peace might live. Then wear a poppy! Remember - and give!

By Don Crawford

I read this poem each year to the kids at school.

It's sad.

It's also the best way I have to explain what the day means.

Colours of Spring

My garden is just a baby.

This is its first spring!

I'm loving sitting on the deck and glancing casually over the kangaroo paws, standing tall and proud, showing off their bold flowers.

Also...

The little bushes of delicate petals against masses of greenery make me smile.

(I'm easily pleased!)