Ah, Trader Joe’s. Source of inexpensive food, flowers, paper towels, and this – a lovely orchid. I have never been fortunate enough to possess one before this. And, of course, I won’t be able to transport it back to New York in July. First of all, I’ll be on a plane…but when we packed up and moved all out stuff out East on a truck almost 8 years ago, I had to give up all my house plants and pass them on to others who I could only hope would keep them alive. California won’t let you take a plant out or in. I tend to bond with everything – all plants have a personality, my little stuffed bear, Chloe, has a sensitive soul and hears everything I say, I won’t let anyone deliberately kill a bug, I talk to little spiders as I free them from the bathtub….what can I say? When I was little, I remember getting very sad everytime we bought a new car because I felt we were abandoning our old one and it would be heartbroken. I still have some of that in me.

So, I took a chance buying this orchid. Obviously, I hope it lives on and I have to pass it on to some friend in San Diego. It was just so beautiful that I had to buy it. And I will get attached. I already am.

Ever since the first day I arrived in San Diego (remember how depressed I was?) I’ve been buying fresh flowers for the apartment. The minute I bought a bouquet, I felt better. Back in New York I would be looking at the snow and yearning for my garden. Here in San Diego everything is blooming and my allergies can attest to that fact. I still can’t garden but I can have fresh flowers. Trader Joes is just a few blocks away and Whole Foods is just a bit further down the road. Between them, I am flush with flowers. The Gerber daisies in the top photo are on the coffee table, the little roses are a welcome gift from the teacher I am replacing, and the asters are on a table by the front door. They make a huge difference in the ambiance of this little apartment. Do you keep fresh flowers around your home?