Life – Page 6 – Travelcraft Journal

June 20, 2016June 20, 2016

Pomegranate in Progress

Patio

We’ve had this dwarf pomegranate tree for about 5 years (6? more?) without any sign of fruit – until this past spring.

I was so excited when I spotted a couple tiny red buds one day that I texted photos to Phillip. And my parents. And posted one on Instagram.

Pomegranate bud

Those buds blew off on an unusually gusty day, and I thought it was all over for this year. Then new ones grew.

Yesterday, on the eve of the summer solstice, when I was on the patio worrying about my plants in the 119F-degree heat, I spotted a little pomegranate fruit.

Pomegranate

Phillip thinks the tree is in a better spot at our new place. I think it’s because I’ve been watering it with water from Frida’s tank.

Either way, I’m glad to see it flourishing.

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February 29, 2016February 29, 2016

#LeapDay

Do you have a Leap Year tradition? If I have one, I can’t remember what it is.

It would be fun to have something you do every 4 years.

As it is, I’m just looking at it as an extra day. There’s usually not a February 29, so anything you actually accomplish is bonus, right?

Also, I’m pretty sure calories don’t count, which is good because my local Culver’s is offering 29-cent custard cones for the occasion. But maybe I should leap a few times just to make sure.

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February 15, 2016January 11, 2017

January Photo: Monticello Fog

After looking back at what an app considered my top photos from last year, I realized the app doesn’t really know my life.

So this year, I’ll be choosing one of my Instagram photos each month that speaks to where I’m at in some way and sharing it here as my own Photo of the Month.

For January, I chose this photo from the foggy day we visited Monticello during our DC and Virginia trip. Phillip and I enjoyed exploring the grounds, and the fog added a layer of romance and mystery.

Also, I find myself drawn to photos with empty seats in them. Maybe when I see this type of image, it makes me feel like there’s a place for me in the space. Maybe I take them (and post them), so you can feel like there’s a place for you in my photos too.

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November 16, 2015November 16, 2015

Kindness

News of the attacks on Paris is heartbreaking. And the rumors about attackers having entered Europe as refugees, having been saved from a sinking ship, rocks my core and tests my belief that kindness changes people.

And yet, as individuals who are not world leaders or aid organizations, maybe the best we can do is still kindness – to give a stranger directions, be patient with someone who is struggling with your language, invite someone over who is far from their hometown.

Maybe kindness can’t prevent every violent act. But, in the long run, I think it’s our best hope.

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Images made with Stamen Design mapping utility. CCL. (Heart added with Skitch.)

November 9, 2015November 1, 2015

A Fish Called Frida

This is Frida. We realized after naming Frida that the colorful Bettas with the long tails are actually males. But I’m pretty sure fish don’t care about our gender norms.

After some research I learned that (a) Bettas like having plants in their tank – both to hide in and to keep the water oxygenated (b) they can tear their fins on plastic plants (c) they can coexist with live pothos plants. There are other plants that are even more recommended for fish tanks, but I thought I’d start with what I have and add a pothos cutting to the tank. Frida likes to swim around it and sleep on top of a leaf near the surface like it’s a hammock.

Bettas are more interactive than a lot of fish. They notice you and recognize the people that feed them, doing a little happy/feed me dance when you walk by.

I seriously didn’t know one little fish could make me smile so much.

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