Clivia In Bloom

Quite the dramatic background for my Clivia.  It's just the unlighted upstairs workspace (to be) but I quite like the dark leaves against the shadowed walls.  This is the only Clivia in my collection that bloomed this year.  Things aren't going well upstairs right now; the citrus are dropping all their leaves and fruit, the orchid flower buds are wilting on the branch (not opening) and none of the amaryllis has sent up a flower stalk.  I will have to rearrange my downstairs display and add an orchid (or two) and remove some things that are past blooming (hyacinth, paperwhites).

My artichoke seeds (two of them) have sent up their seed leaves.  I am waiting for true leaves now.  The third germinated seed has not made any leaves yet.  It would be nice to have three plants.  I want them to get big enough so I can "fool" them into thinking they have survived a "winter" by letting them sit outdoors for a few weeks in cold temps.  But they need leaves in order to do that.

I have to do some grocery shopping today (buy fruit), make dinner (I haven't cooked since I made pot roast), iron G's work shirts and sit and drink coffee and read my book.  Only two pieces of chocolate left in the box.  Thank goodness.  Tomorrow I get a haircut and I am asking the hair stylist for a young person's haircut.  No "old lady" cut.  I may even buy some Doc Martens.  Whatever they are.  Big old boots, right? I draw the line at tatoos and piercings.  But I will wear communist manifesto tee shirts.

I swear I'm not a Republican but this Union Busting is making me very happy.  The time for unions is so OVER!!!  I believe each individual teacher, policeman and fireman should be accountable for his or her own performance.  They shouldn't all be safe or rewarded just because of collective bargaining. Bad teachers need to be fired.  Lazy cops need to find new jobs.  Etc.  The automotive industry cancelled union contracts and look what happened--better cars, actual profits and better jobs.  I would rather work alongside people actually doing their jobs, than to work alongside people just showing up to get the pension.  Teachers using lesson plans from the 80's because they don't even want to make a new lesson plan.  Fire them.  Plenty of new teachers graduating every June.  Teachers who actually WANT to teach. Yes, there are plenty of good, veteran teachers in the school system.  Ask them if there are teachers they'd like to see GONE.  Bet they have a list.  And don't get me started on FAT COPS.  Ones that take 5 minutes to get in or out of the police car.  Save your life in a crisis?  More likely have a heart attack.

And I'm a policeman's daughter.  My dad was always fit, ready and able to serve and protect.  Unless he was too drunk.