Greens

There is so much pollution in the air now that if it weren't for our lungs there'd be no place to put it all. (Robert Orben)
This is what I wake up to for the past 2 months. Just imagine...today's papers reported that since January til now, there had been 882 forest fires. We have not had rain for that long. I wake up every morning to the smell of smoke and pray that the fires are not too near... :(
Once you choose HOPE, anything's possible. (Christopher Reeve)
Sure there's hope...and my cactus and some green plants (those who are still surviving this dry spell) remind me so, every single day. I look at them growing so beautifully in this horrible hot and dry period...we could at least try too, right?

Enjoy when you can and endure when you must. (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
This basically sums up how we should live our lives, not forgetting to give thanks to God for our daily blessings. Yessss....that includes the sun and smoke...HAHA!!!


The optimist sees the plant and not its thorns; the pessimist stares at the thorns... WHAT ARE YOU??!!
This is my Lucky Money Tree plant...not sure about whether it really gives me luck; I am just fascinated with it cos I could grow a new baby plant by just using a single leaf! I used to be crazy about growing it...sticking leaves into pots and watering them and checking week after week...poor leaves, they must have been so tired of me disturbing them! I would whoop with joy when I see roots growing out from the leaves...LOL...


Now I have a few huge pots of the Lucky Money Tree plant just because of my enthusiasm in the past! However they are easy plants...hate the sun; happy to be under the shade 24/7. I still am amazed with this plant til today cos its leaves look so plastic and way too shiny!!! My snails love seeking shelter around the roots of these plants as they are always in cool places :)
My Snake plant or more funnily known as the Mother-In-Law's Tongue...HAHAHA! Well I must say in this crazy hot weather, this plant actually started to flower. Amazing...
Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is Patience. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Guess that's all we can do here right now. To be patient and wait for rain to come. To be patient and go on with life the best we can. To be patient and pray that every one else is safe and sound. Cos I must say, hearing the siren of the fire trucks everyday is heart-breaking. Waking up to thick smoke makes the heart beat like crazy as fear creeps in.
The greens in my garden will remind me that everything will be okay eventually. They will give my soul rest in this mad world....and hopefully they will do the same for you as well :)

Bougainvillea

The Bougainvillea @ Paper Flower was named after a French sea captain, Admiral Louis Antoine de Bougainvillea. He discovered this beauty in 1768. Wow...such an old old plant and yet, it's famous throughout the world today. To be honest, I believe it's one of the most 'neglected' plants here where I live. People take this plant for granted, as a plant that is 'always there' or 'never dies' and instead of admiring for its beauty, people tend to ignore it :(
We shall draw from the heart of suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival. (Winston Churchill)


Just look at the brilliant colour...and its beauty....
Today was such a hot day for me...'hot' is really an understatement. Temperature was 92F BUT humidity was a good 84%. Believe me, I had fans and air-conditions turned on; FULL-BLAST... and I was still grumpy and sweaty! Yet, when I walked to my kitchen window and looked at my garden...among the miserable-looking leaves and burnt-looking grass...was these paper flowers, all cheery and bright. WOW! How do one bloom under stress?

We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey. (Kenji Miyazawa)

The Bougainvillea symbolized playfulness! Haha...yupp...in the midst of the hottest summers where everywhere is brown and people are burning up, these flowers stand tall, swaying in the hot wind, as if teasing us with laughter. These flowers are "best under stress"!!! We could actually learn from them. To take stress and pain as opportunities to bloom in the future. There's a thought...
Memories:
Miss Susanna Chung, a local writer, was someone I was most proud to have met at a forum about inclusive education for children with disabilities in 2009. Susanna was born with cerebral palsy. At age 21, she mastered typing with her right toe on a typewriter and started writing poems and short stories! I had the privilege to chat with her and I could see her determination in her spirit. Talking was quite difficult for her, yet, she gave it her all. Yupp, I could hear her speak quite clearly, although slowly, and I must say...she could be a superb speaker if given a chance.

In my heart a spring of new hope bursts forth,
yesterday another year passed by,
leaving behind memories of sorrows and joys,
and today another year begins,
with its fresh bouquet of hopes and challenges,
and I will take the perfume of yesterday's flowers to sprinkle on my new bouquet. (Susanna Chung)

YESSS!!! WE ALL CAN BLOOM IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES...IF WE CHOOSE TO!!!