Blue Bottles Writing Studio

Kerria, Korean Lilac, Kolkwitzia, Kaleidoscope, Keaton, Kedgeree, Kissing gates, and Keyboard.

IN THE GARDEN

It has been a busy time in the garden this last week; spring is almost over. The tulips and daffodils are gone. My dwarf bearded Iris bordering the edge of my garden are almost finished; they were beautiful this year. The Hellebores flowers are big with seeds, now mostly cut back. But the peonies and the full-size Iris are almost ready to pop. Today, I will turn on my irrigation system for the hot days of summer that will be coming soon.

I have a few plants beginning with K that I love. Kerria Japonica is one of my favorites, with its bright burst of frilly sunshine yellow. My Korean Lilac is just opening its buds; I love it because it is small and fragrant. Another favorite plant of mine is Kolkwitzia or Beauty Bush, but it is an aggressive grower. I used to have two on either side of a walkway until they started to take over the building. But in a large space, they are exquisite when in bloom.

HENRY AND DAISY

Both pups are doing the usual, sleeping, eating, walking Henry, and cleaning up after Daisy. When we go out in the car, and they are in their separate beds on the hammock in the back seat, they look down at their beds and then up at me with a look that seems to say, where’s the treat you usually give me.

IN MY PAST

As a child, growing up in the islands of the Caribbean ( see Chosen A Memoir, available on Amazon), I had a wonderful toy called a kaleidoscope. I viewed bright, colorful, geometric designs changing as I turned the base. I loved it. There was no television at home when I was a child. But during the long hours, while my husband studied, I remember some of the best movies were the ones with Buster Keaton, a great comedian from the day of the silent screen. I always laughed so hard.

I grew up on a meal called Kedgeree that originated in colonial India. It was easy, colorful, and tasty. It consisted of cooked smoked haddock, hard-boiled eggs, rice, and parsley. The ingredients were cooked separately and then mixed together.

Another memory is of the gates allowing hikers to access a farmer’s field without allowing the livestock to escape. They were called kissing gates. The term originated because the gate “kisses” at the two extremes of its travel. It also only allows one person to pass at a time, thus trapping the second person from exiting until a kiss is given!

MY WRITING

There was a time, many eons ago, when I kept a handwritten journal. However, my spelling, grammar, and incomprehensible sentences made it very difficult to read afterward. Now I own a computer and a Keyboard, life is much easier. It is only time management that stands in my way nowadays. I started writing early this morning. But I stopped to walk Henry and collect stones because the tide was low. When I returned home, I replaced a few plants that had died and spread the rocks I had collected into the empty spots in the garden. Then, it was time for a shower, breakfast, and a Zoom meeting. I am finally back on the computer many hours later. Many days are like this, but occasionally, I am inspired to write and have been working diligently on the final piece of my book. It is done. Now begins the reading, the editing, and finally, the printing.

PROMPT

I started a silly ditto for The Blue Bottles Writing Studio prompt

SHOES 

I left my shoes chained to the rail

to walk barefoot in the sand,

to spread my arms like wings,

to turn cartwheels in the air

to feel the wind and breathe

spinning visions of sea and air

Today, I must either finish the poem or start writing something else. After that, I have a story to write and edit with the help of Grammarly for my Tuesday Writings with Mary Gillilan. https://maryegillilan.wordpress.com/