Cheryl

My son's girlfriend, H , was inconsolable when Cheryl, her fur baby, shuffled off to dog heaven.

We felt that a gift of a pet portrait would express our condolence more than a thousand words.

We were certain that it would bring healing and comfort to her hurting heart.

An artist friend was commissioned to paint Cheryl.

Cheryl captured in her glorious goofy beauty

H had the biggest smile on her face when she saw the painting and absolutely loved it!

Hello!

I thought I would do a different kind of post today.

You see, I sometimes confuse one blogger for another blogger especially when they are new to my blog.

I only realized today that a blogger buddy whom I had been interacting with for some time is actually another blogger with the same name and from a totally different country! One is from Poland and the other from Belgium!

I thought they were both one and the same person!

This has actually happened a couple of times, particularly namesake bloggers with similar blog templates.

So, what I would love for you to do for me today is to just say "Hello" in your language and tell me which country you are from in the comments.

And if you are from the US, it would be cool if you could mention your state too.

To start the ball rolling ...

Apa Khabar?  I am from Malaysia.

Well, it appears from many of the comments I received that some of you thought  I was American and lived in the US!

In case you are wondering where Malaysia is...

image credit - http://ontheworldmap.com/

Terima Kasih, semua!

The Garlic Vine

Whenever I think of Mom, I always picture her in her oversized straw hat. 

I see her out in the garden, pruning, weeding, talking to her beloved plants and feeding the birds.

This is the image I will always have of her.

My mom had a super green thumb.

Every corner in her garden brimmed with colour and life.

A devoted gardener, she spent many happy hours pottering around her garden before she became lost in the fog of her own mind when dementia got her.

With Mom's deteriorating condition and my dad's lack of interest in gardening, the flowers slowly languished one by one and her once beautiful garden became no more than a neat, simple yard.

Some days, in moments when she is lucid, Mom almost always asks me where all her flowers have gone.

I distract her and she forgets her question.

In March 2020, our government imposed an interstate travel ban in response to Covid-19 and I couldn't visit my elderly parents for several months.

Imagine my surprise when we were greeted by a dazzling burst of purple from Mom's garden as we were approaching the house on our first visit home since the lockdown.

Dad has no idea who planted the flowers in their garden and we concur that the Garlic Vine grew from seeds that were dispersed by Mother Nature and  most probably birds.

Most days, Mom sits in her favourite spot by the window and stares blankly at the Garlic Vine. 

Some days, she notices the beauteous violet blooms and repeatedly exclaims in pure joy how pretty they are.

And I can tell by the look in her eyes that she is once again in her beautiful garden, tending to the flowers and enjoying the company of the visiting birds and other wildlife.

I'd like to believe that the Garlic Vine is a gift from the birds for Mom.

Fun Fact

The Garlic Vine is so named because when parts of this plant are crushed, they emit the fresh smell of garlic!