Talk About Orchids ...

I purchased these orchids in January using the xmas money from dad (thanks) from Fantasy Orchids in Louisville, CO. There are two different types of orchids here: dendrobriums & cattleyas. The dendrobriums have a lot more blooms & last a long time. The 'Fantasy' orchid had 32 buds on it but only 29 bloomed. It smelled divine, as did 'New City'. I still have blooms on the Green Lantern, continuous blooming since Jan. 24 (when I bought it). I don't know when it originally bloomed but at least 3 months now. Pretty amazing.

And guess what? I just discovered that there are wild orchids on Lesvos (the island in Greece that ET is from). Check out it out here.

There is also some great wild bird watching on Lesvos!

LC. Volcano Sunset ‘Yuki’

Lc. Burgundy Delight


Den. Oriental Smiles ‘Fantasy’

Den. Green Lantern

Blc. Chia Lin ‘New City’

Quote of the Day

"If you are lucky enough to find a way of life you love, you have to find the courage to live it."

-from A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving

Free eBook - Funny in Farsi

Pretty much everyone knows that I love a good bargain but a free book? Does life get any better? Well maybe if they were handing out free orchids.

You can download the book either to a Sony E-reader or your PC. Be patient it's a big file. I've never read an e-book before. Have you? Enjoy. And if you do read this let me know what you think.

Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Duma

My Top 5 Favorite Blogs

1 – Dooce Written by Heather Armstrong.

She posts almost daily about her life with her husband & daughter. She also includes a daily photo, a daily photo of the dog, Chuck, and a daily style photo. I've really enjoyed the style photos & have used her ideas as a springboard. She posted a picture of her faux wedding ring & I loved the nail polish she had on. Not too long after she posted the info about the nail polish. I went to the store & promptly picked a shade pinker.

2 – The Lazy Organizer Written by Lara Galagher.

She posts about her lazy organizing habits which aren't really lazy at all. I think they are very creative. She posts about her kids, her crazy life, homeschooling & her attempts to eat raw, be more punctual, & improve her habits. Great photography too! Oh – she also responds promptly to her readers. Love her!

3 – Mandajuice Written by Amanda Who?

She posts mostly about her trials & laughs of her kids. She also has a great series about her journey through gastric bypass surgery. I also like her "What's for dinner?" sidebar. I've tried a few of her recipes & have been very pleased. She is also great on responding to her readers comments. BTW – did I mention she's writing a book?!? Wow. I can't wait to read it.

4 – The Pioneer Woman Written by Ree Drummond.

I LOVE her website. First of all, it is beautiful; so clean but colorful & not too busy. Second, the recipes – oh my heck – the recipes are fantastic. There hasn't been one thing that I've made that isn't divine. And her humor … I think we are cousins separated by a family feud. Did I mention her photography? I didn't? Well she has some awesome photos & very helpful tutorials. Yea Ree!

5 – From Single to Married Written by Tabitha Who?

This is the only blog on this list that I read through RSS. To be honest, I find her website a bit busy. However, I really love the content. She has a series of posts about her wedding, honeymoon, conception journey, and my favorite, her posts about her city Washington D.C. All of her photos are top notch. And I love seeing Tabitha's name in the comment section on The Pioneer Woman.