A Day in a Life

It was the seventh day of October 2009. Ham, the ten-year-old Schnauzer was "praying" under the desk. Fancy, the hyperactive two-year-old pug was doing the same under the coffee table. It 's their favorite resting position. Maybe it was just my overly active imagination but with their clasped front paws partly tucked under their chins, I thought they were praying. I wanted to believe that dogs with their highly developed senses know when something is not quite right with their masters. It is not too silly for me to imagine that yes, they can smell our worries and our fears. When we were feeling low and grounded like these flightless birds under the buffet, I thought they know for sure that something was wrong.

Two slices of homemade oat bread, toasted; 2 bananas, a kiwi, 2 hard boiled eggs, and 1 pint of orange juice = breakfast for two. This year I started making the oat bread for breakfast to keep my cholesterol from crossing the dreaded line. It is a hearty yeast bread with rolled oats, oat bran, and maple syrup. Sometimes I throw in a cup of walnuts. Very good and very easy to make with a heavy duty mixer. I used a Kitchen Aid but sometimes I think kneading it by hands when I'm motivated and have the time doubles the health benefit.

After breakfast I decided to do a little work outside. The weather man predicted a high of 61 degrees Fahrenheit. A good day to haul the remains of this year's garden to the compost bin. It's a fall ritual that mentally closes the garden door. Not as exciting as planting flowers and vegetables in the spring but there's comfort in knowing that LoLa's Garden exist. Not just in my dreams but in reality. The memories linger and I remained contented throughout the winter months.


I have always admired the beautiful pink dogwood that seems to gracefully float outside a friend's apartment picture window. So when I saw a Pink Stellar Dogwood on sale in one of the local nursery, I bought it without asking too many questions. Well it's a dogwood alright but not the one I dreamed of owning. The one in my dreams have branches that grow horizontally. The branches on this one are more upright. The blooms are too few, more white than pink, and comes with too many leaves. Last summer it looked so stressed and I found out why. I noticed some vigorous branches growing on the trunk just a few inches above the ground and the leaves were slightly different. My tree was turning into a bush. I didn't know it was grafted to a root stock and didn't do anything to protect it last winter. I am hoping our winter this year won't be as harsh but just in case I removed the unwanted growth and covered the graft with mulch. I want it to survive and recover simply because of its history. It taught me something and the blooms are pretty. Don't you agree?

Lunch was fast and easy. A package of Top Ramen soup, about two cups of diced onions, celery, carrots, broccoli and leftover roast chicken meat = hearty soup for two. Sometimes I use cabbage instead of broccoli or angel hair pasta and chicken broth if I don't have Top Ramen. The result is basically the same. A homemade soup that is tastier, fresher and more satisfying. And it's almost as fast as nuking a canned soup.

Dear Heart was watching hockey, a commercial, no! A John Wayne movie, another commercial? No, back to hockey, still a commercial, checked history channel, back to hockey. It's one of the reason I don't watch TV but I had to laughed thinking about the advertisers not getting their money's worth. Back in the seventies when all we had was a rabbit ear on top of the TV set, I remember watching a lot of TV shows. Now that there are hundreds of channels on cable, I probably average around 3 to 5 hours a month. I am a reality show virgin and I think I'll keep it that way. Because there are so many things to read and Pogo's computer games are always waiting. Some games are a challenge and require a lot of play hours to master. I like winning. It feels good. Though sometimes I think the robot cheats, or maybe just luckier than me.

Hockey - DH and son are big fans. When the Spokane Arena was new I volunteered to use one of my son's season tickets (he had to work) not to see the Spokane Chiefs play but to see what the brand new arena looks like inside. I brought a book about forensic DNA and was amazed how my almost 20-year-old-5-credits in genetics helped me understand what the lab detectives were looking and doing with the specimens. Eventually the screaming stopped and DH told me it was time to go home. I asked "Who won?". Needless to say he still enjoys telling the story every chance he gets.

Hockey, is also the reason why a red and white Heart Surgery booklet from the Providence Heart and Vascular Institute in Spokane is on top of the coffee table. DH is very passionate about hockey. And it bothers me that he is now willing to miss a game when our son works and can't drop him off and pick him up at the front door. He is 74, the parking lot is too big and he have a hard time walking that far. So because and only because he so love hockey, I was able to convince him to see his primary doctor to asked for a handicapped parking permit so he can park close to the door and not miss a game. And without missing a beat the good doctor said okay but lets do a stress test first.

Of course the stress test showed some issues. The doctor send him to his cardiologist and he in turn ordered a coronary angiogram. DH had two blocked arteries that the doctors thought they could fix with stents but found out they couldn't. The wire would not go through the blockage. The stents were the first choice simply because they are less invasive. Plan B is bypass surgery.

Bypass surgeries are almost too routine nowadays. I'm sure most people in industrial countries have heard or know somebody who had one. But it is still a major surgery that requires 4 to 6 weeks of recovery. According to the booklet, the purpose is to go around or "bypass" the artery that is blocked using a vein from the leg to improve blood flow to the heart. Although thoracic surgeons are doing it everyday, it still sounds like a science fiction. A very complicated procedure that often use a heart-lung machine to pump blood to the body while the heart is temporarily stopped.

Tomorrow DH will see the heart surgeon. At the main time he is recovering from the previous failed procedure. It's been 4 days and he's still a little sore. We were told that surgeons don't like to do major surgery until the Plavix, a blood thinner that was given to him in anticipation of the stents is out of his system. Fancy started climbing on his lap and snipping his chest, burying her little nose as if she smelled or sense something bad. And I'm back staring at the birds. The birds I bought as garden ornaments and ends up collecting dust under the buffet. At first it was just a roaster, a hen and a chick I found at the thrift shop. Then my daughter gave me the one she got from CBK when she was a sales rep. And then it became an excuse to visit the thrift shop. Finally I decided to build a bird sanctuary under the pink dogwood tree. Maybe next year.

The thrift shop is my favorite place to explore when I'm bored, or when my mind is actively creating and collecting nothing but negative thoughts. When I'm looking at other peoples junk and watching other people who are also looking at it, I'm cheaply entertained. At the thrift store, my mind is now occupied and busy wondering what's this and what's that and why somebody got rid of it. At the book section I saw a must have Chocolate Lover's cookies and brownie cookbook for 99 cents. And at the kitchen ware section, a unique looking baking pan, also for 99 cents. If for any reason I find these stuff not worth keeping when I get home, I simply donate it back. A cheap thrill for me and another buck for them.



I love chocolate. The Nutty Clusters cookie recipe I found in my new to me Chocolate Lover's cookbook looks good, but I didn't have the right ingredients. No problem. Tweaking is my middle name and improvising is my game. I don't think I could copy and publish the recipe without the publisher's permission, so I won't. But here's what I did. Instead of unsweetened chocolate (2 oz for cookie and 2 oz for icing) I use 3 oz of Ghirardilli 60% cocoa bittersweet chocolate baking bar for the cookie and just 1 oz for the icing. Making only half of the icing is good for me but it's not enough icing to cover all the cookies. I also replaced the salted nuts with walnuts and I am very satisfied with the result. Still I'm wondering about the unusual baking pan. It is made in England. Please leave a comment if you know more about it.

What's for dinner? One word. Leftovers.

November 28 update:
I apologize for leaving this post as a draft for a long time. I just didn't have the time, the energy, and the right frame of mind to finish it. DH is right on schedule. He is successfully recovering from his triple bypass surgery and is free to drive again. What a relief. The driving restriction was almost as depressing for him as the open heart.

Huckleberries in Mother Nature's Garden

This is the winding dirt road that will take us to the huckleberries in Mother Nature's garden. The wild colony is less than ten miles from the paved road. However, this road is very primitive. So it's five to eight miles per hour all the way to the top of the mountain. Driving this slow is necessary not just for safety but also to fully enjoy the breath-taking scenery.


We (my son the driver and a friend and her husband, who is a passionate forester) are in North Idaho's high country. It's the second week of August and the wildflowers on the side of the road are starting to go to seed. Some of the petals are still soft, flawless and bright but most of the blooms have dried out. Surprisingly they still look very pretty. I mean naturally pretty and contented. Mother Nature obviously allows them to mature (age?) naturally and gracefully. And for no reason other than to produce viable seeds for the next growing season.


And these are the huckleberries in Mother Nature's garden. The western huckleberries according to Danny L. Barney Ph.D. of University of Idaho, belong to the genus Vaccinium, the same genus as bilberries, and the domesticated blueberries. The eastern huckleberries on other hand belong to the genus Gaylusaccia. They both look like blueberries because they are cousins and members of the heath (Ericaceae) family. But the fruit of Gaylusaccia contains ten large, hard, bony and crunchy seeds, making the berries difficult to eat. This is how some websites including Wikipedia described huckleberries when asked to compare it with blueberries. So for the record, the western huckleberries are more like blueberries but smaller, sweetly tart, and intensely more flavorful. And most importantly the seeds if any are not noticeable.


The huckleberry basket above is part of the Native American exhibit at the Grand Coulee Dam. (Please click on the picture to read the sign.) It is indeed a perennial favorite and is now being harvested from the wild for commercial processors. In the late seventies when we first started picking them behind 49 Degrees North ski resort in Chewelah, WA, if I wanted huckleberry wine, I would have to make it myself. Today, if you don't like wine how about a huckleberry martini or mojito? Some nice Spokane restaurant have it.

My Flora of the Pacific Northwest textbook listed several species of the western huckleberries including V. membranaceum, the state fruit of Idaho, V. deliciosum (YES! Love that name), and V. ovalifolium. They grow on acidic soil in coniferous woods in and around forest clearings at 2,000 to 11,000 feet elevation. The color varies from red to blue, purple and black. The huckleberries and blueberries above were frozen when I took the picture. The store bought blueberries are much bigger than the wild huckleberries but this too may change in the near future. The University of Idaho is conducting research on several species for edible landscape and future commercial fruit production. Not everyone is happy about it but if the demand keeps growing the domestication of huckleberries will benefit the bears who love it and need it to store fat before they hibernate.


This is the 30th annual Pig Out in the Park, in Spokane Washington's Riverfront Park. Six big days of fun from Sept. 2 to Sept. 7. Free admission and entertainment. There will be a total of 55 bands, 42 food booths and 3 adult beverage gardens. So what is it doing in my Mother Nature's garden post? The locally made MaryLou's Ice Cream is here. Next week they will be at the Spokane Interstate Fair.

The band on stage is Trampled by Turtles from Duluth, Minnesota. It's a string band playing bluegrass music so intense and energetic, a lot of people got up and dance right after I took this picture. Some dance with their babies, some with young children. Some dance barefoot, some with partners and some without. Grandpa was dancing with grandma and mom was dancing with dad. The green area in front of us were soon full of happy people having fun dancing and enjoying the music we don't hear very often. My friend and I were having fun too watching the players and the dancers. Listening to the mandolin, the fiddle, the banjo, the guitars and the vocals, while eating MaryLou's yummy homemade huckleberry ice cream in a homemade waffle cone. Life is good.

Manito Park and Botanical Garden Part 3

The Gaiser Conservatory at Manito Park is named in honor of Dr. David Gaiser, a longtime park board member, and it's the place to see tropical and subtropical plant specimens from around the world. There's always something blooming here even when the snow outside is a few feet deep.

Madagascar Jasmine or Stephanotis is a twining vine, and a vigorous climber with a waxy, white star-shaped scented flowers. Most people have seen the flower. Stephanotis is a popular component for bridal bouquets and corsages . However, it's a treat to see the vine with the exotic blooms in this part of the world. The vine requires no lower than USDA Zone 10 to thrive outdoors.


This Madagascar Palm is also showing off with white huge flowers in front of a Jade plant and an American native Giant Saguaro. An African Milk Tree to the right is one of my favorite houseplant. Although mine is in a small pot and just a foot tall the mother plant was six foot tall, so it has the potential to grow this big.

The trunk of the Madagascar Palm and its scientific name, pachypodium lamerei remind me of a pachyderm, an elephant.


This Aloe is from Northwest Madagascar and is much bigger and taller than the woman standing behind it. I don't think my Aloe have the giant genes.

And even in the plant kingdom some families like this one just want to be left alone. This one really makes you watch your steps as you go around it. (My excuse for missing the tag.)



The Nishinomiya Tsutakawa Japanese Garden opens in 1974, the same year the city of Spokane hosted the World Expo. Nishinomiya is our sister city and the garden is named to symbolized the friendship. It's a beautiful and inspiring place to meditate. The scenery demands respect without saying a word. You just feel it. The sound of the water running under the trees tells you to slow down, be quite and enjoy the moment.





The Dahlia Trial Garden of the American Dahlia Society. It is one of 8 in United states. August and September are the best month to see the blooms.


Spokane, the Lilac city, also have a Lilac Garden at Manito Park. But they bloomed in May, a month before I started blogging. Maybe next year. Hope you enjoy the tour.

Manito Park and Botanical Garden Part 2

It is the second week of August and the Duncan Garden at Manito park is in full bloom. What a great day to be at the park. The temperature is in the low 80s and just enough clouds in the sky to keep us park lovers looking comfortably cool and contented.


This formal European style garden was originally called the Sunken garden. It was designed and built in 1912 by John Duncan, Manito's second superintendent from 1910-1942.


If you click on the pictures you can see the granite fountain in the center of the garden surrounded by the geometric beds full of flowering annuals.


There's probably tens of thousands of Cosmos, Begonias, Marigolds, Geraniums, Zinnias, Alyssums, Dahlias, Petunias, Snapdragons and many more that look familiar but I couldn't remember the names. It is a popular place for weddings and photo ops.

The park is open everyday and the admission is free.

Manito Park and Botanical Garden

Last month after dinner, my two friends and I decided to spend our monthly girls night out walking and visiting at the Manito Park and Botanical Garden in Spokane, Washington. Manito means 'spirit of nature' in native American language. The 90 acre park is more than one hundred years old and still managed to live up to its name. I come here often to see what's blooming and what I imagine will look good in Lola's Garden.

The Rose Hill above is an All American Selection test garden and the home of 1500 rose bushes representing 165 varieties of hybrid tea, floribunda, grandiflora and miniature roses. But no close ups or macros until I acquired the nerve to upgrade my point and shoot camera.

The Joel E. Ferris Perennial Garden is the flower lover's favorite place to stroll from early spring to fall. During our visit the Moonshine Yarrow, the white Shasta Daisy, the purple Garden Monkshood (above) and the Globe thistles (below) were in full bloom.

The thistles were 6-7 foot tall, and were swarming with bees. It looked really cool but probably not a very practical plant for a home garden unless the area is big enough to accommodate the prickly and aggressive plant.

The Duck Pond used to have more than a hundred ducks and geese but most of them were adopted and relocated during the 2008 duck round up. It was once a tradition for people to bring their stale bread when they visit the park. Feeding the ducks is pure entertainment. They will jump, dive and do all kinds of acrobatic move to get the stale bread as if they had nothing to eat all week. We think we are doing them a favor and we feel good feeding them. Unaware that we were doing them more harm than good. And people continued to give them junk food until there were too many wild birds staying in the pond year round just waiting for the hand out. Too many birds and too many stale bread equals too many bird poops. And the pond's ecosystem suffered. This is the reason for the duck round up and relocation. And feeding the ducks is no longer allowed.

I am not sure what this aquatic turtle is trying to tell me. My guess is that his world, the water is still too murky. "Help!"

Please go to Friends of Manito for more information about the park and gardens

My Favorite Annual Flower # 2 is a Zinnia

My favorite annual flower # 2 post is a Zinnia. Zinnias are one of Lola's Garden's favorite annual because they are heat tolerant, low maintenance and are very reliable bloomer all summer long. They also come in so many different colors, shapes and sizes. The Benary Giant series are the largest and most vigorous with fully double dahlia-like bloom that are 4-6 inches in diameter. They have excellent vase life and the bees love them.


An Orange Benary Giant next to a Nicotiana.


Three Zinnia varieties showing its range of colors, shapes and sizes.


Top left is a white carefree Zinnia from the Profusion series for ground cover and containers. It's an All-America Selection (AAS) Gold Medal and FleuroSelect winners. The bicolor one is Zowie Yellow Flame, another AAS winner. It's taller than the Profusion and a foot or two shorter than the Golden Yellow Benary Giant. These are the varieties available at Lola's Garden at the TIEG Garden Expo in Spokane, Washington.

Today's Flower is a Sunflower

My first "Today's Flower" post is a sunflower. This is one of the volunteers from the many varieties I planted last year and so far the most interesting. For more information about sunflowers, please read my June 29 post.

Go to Today's Flowers to see flowers from around the world.