Painted birds and other things

Finished reading The Painted Bird, Jerzy Kosinski. Have to agree
with Elie Wiesel's comment: " One cannot read it without fear,
shame, and sadness. "

It was terrifying. Shocking. Brutal. Filled with such hopelessness.
But it speaks of the drive to live. The need to keep going, pushing,
hoping, and then forgetting what it is to hope.

I am not sure about happiness. There is no indication that this
young boy can even think what that may be. I think what he knows
is some delight in his ability to be resourceful, to beat the odds
now and again. To be able to figure things out. To be stronger
than the others think he is. To be able to smile when someone
tells a story in which others see the humor and laugh.

There were times I thought I would not be able to finish reading it.
But I did, and I am glad I did.

"Maybe there's a god above/but all I've ever learned from love/
is how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya"

Leonard Cohen


*

More rain this morning, which is good for all my plants.
I have blueberries this year!!! They are so cute! They are
ripening and nearly ready for picking. I only have a handful
of them, but I am excited. Think I'll plant some more bushes
this year or next.

The wisteria has gone absolutely crazy! It is over the trellis
which leads into the garden area I have planted in memory
of my dad. I also bought an ironwork double bench garden
trellis, which sits next to the arbor trellis. Looks funky now
but the idea is to have it completely hidden by the wild, trailing
wisteria. So far, the wisteria has started to cover one side
of it.

Garden and mounding phlox, hydrangeas, hostas, speedwell,
sun impatiens, red knockout roses, Impressionistic climbing
rose, asters, day lillies, Stella d'oro lillies, purple and pink
petunias, coral bells, helleborus, salvia, coreopsis, heliotrope,
hardy hibiscus, yucca, liriope, sage, basil, oregano, chives,
lemon balm, lavender, dill, cilantro, flat-leaf Italian parsley, thyme.

Eye candy.

Those are some of the plants growing and doing well in my
yard. Feeding me.

Yes, feeding me.