Today it is sunny for the first time in about a week. A welcome change from the dreary, rainy days of late. My amaryllis has finished blooming, I shall cut the flower stem off today. It had five beautiful blooms that lasted over two weeks!
I re-potted my orchid, seems I needed more information on the potting medium, which I packed too tightly when I re-potted it last year. Many of the new roots had rotted, so I clipped them back and used a terra cotta pot and pre-soaked moss, which I didn't pack so tightly. There are many new leaves on the plant but no bloom spike. I can only hope that the plant will recover from my lack of knowledge and give me a flower sometime in the future.
On a sad note, my friend in Washington has decided she cannot be my friend anymore. The reason for her decision is b/c she is a Jehovah's Witness and I will not convert to her way of thinking. It seems she has "gone into the ministries", whatever that means and since I will not accept her god as mine, she can't have me for a friend. Seems she thinks I used some "harsh words" when I told her she was indoctrinated into that faith. She was raised in the JW religion, her father and grandfather were ministers. Earlier in our friendship, I asked her to stop sending me religious texts from her book/pod casts, but she wouldn't cease. When I called her on the subject, she was not understanding that we all have the choice what to believe. She just can't accept my opinion!
I remember days when I was outside in my garden, working in the dirt and the JW women would stop by, parking right in the middle of the driveway. They wanted to talk to me about their great Jehovah. I told them I had work to do, but they were welcome to sit with me and pull weeds if they wanted to chat. They would persist until one day I told them I was Jewish. They left me alone after that.
I was raised in the Seventh Day Adventist religion. I attended Seventh Day Adventist schools and attended church on Saturdays as well. I was well indoctrinated into that religion for my "formative" years. When I was old enough to see the inconsistencies in the "elders of the church", I began to question may things I saw that were contrary to what we were taught. I was pressured to be baptized. I declined and was ostracized in school. In the end, I left that faith and have not been a participant in any organized religion.
But because I can't accept the Bible as the "way", my friend has dismissed me. Such a small issue since we have so many other things in common. She is an excellent photographer but has cast that aside for her religion. I have a BFA in photography and encouraged her efforts, sending her my books from college. I am sure they are gathering dust on her shelves. We have gardening in common but she doesn't see that this common interest is enough to remain friends. I will miss her. But not enough to change what I believe in!
On a bright note, I have reconnected with my cousin. She lives close to me now but has been a self-described hermit since her husband died 18 or so months ago. She cared for him for the last years of his life, he was the center of her world...him and her dog Hunter...a 160# Rottweiler. She has recently started to connect with friends again. She came over last Sunday to visit. We had a wonderful time! Yesterday, I saw her at Wallyworld as she was leaving. I was headed in to the store to return something. Having not seen her for a number of years, then seeing her twice in a week was interesting.
Time to go for today. Enjoy the sun while it is here. Temperatures will be very cold tomorrow morning and continue cold all weekend. I am prepared!