False Dragonhead Flower, June 18, 2019

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This is the request I sent out into the universe yesterday:

I should know what this is but can’t remember. If someone refreshes my memory, I’ll post the name.

And although Pat, Angloswiss, Ghostmmnc, Derrick and Slmret came to my aid (Thanks, all,) Bob at Love Will Bring Us Together seems to be the most thorough and persuasive in his identification, agreeing with Pat, Angloswiss and Slmret, and Derrick agrees with him.  Here is his solution to the flower mystery:

It’s definitely a member of the Lamiales Order of plants that includes all 3 you are deciding between, but Pat is right – it’s a member of the genus Physostegia probably P virginiana – False Dragonhead.
Foxgloves belong to genus Digitalis and they generally have their flowers on one ‘side’ of the stem. The flowers seem to have more of a wide open ‘mouth’ than the dragonheads.

The Physostegia flowers are evenly spread about the stem at 4 right angles to one another in cross-section.

What’s more, (I’m so proud,) I seem to have driven Bob to declaring himself the Robin Hood of plant identification. He went on to say:If you wish to avail yourself, i now have my ‘service’ up on my blog: 🙂


So let’s keep him busy and out of trouble. He’s taken care of
all of my identification woes for the past year and so now extends his generous offer out to the blogging world in general. Once again, thanks, Bob.

And, again, thanks to all of you who helped to solve the mystery.

For Cee’s FOTD.

Abandoned

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Abandoned

Droplets on the window screen are caught, each in its trap—
a wire cage suspending them inches from my lap.
Your silkscreen propped against the wall, only half completed.
My heart, once full, now emptying, each moment more depleted.
You’ve vanished with your waxes. Our nuptial pledge seems over. 
Your true nature reassumed, once more you are a rover.
This half-empty silkscreen your only good-bye letter,
my father’s warnings fill my mind. I should have known you better.

 

Prompts today are droplet, silkscreen, deal and betray.

Paper Art

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Karen at Momshieb published a photo of this wonderful cookbook she found in a second hand shop that was made up of a number of pamphlets bound together.  It reminded me of this artwork made in Bali out of rolled magazine pages that I saw in a gallery on Prince Edward Island. Wanted to share it with her and the easiest way was to share it with everyone on my blog. After viewing the photos below, click on the red hyperlink above to see her cookbook.

 

First

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First

After the dance, we walked the streets all the long night through,
moving to a doorstep to avoid the cleaning crew.
You let me rabbit on about every silly thing,
then made your wordless statement as the morning birds took wing.
Lifting through the rising sun, they faded into mist,
unaffected by the fact that I had just been kissed.
Then you restored my fallen hat, my scattered keys and purse,
that morning without equal in my young universe.

 

Prompt words today are rabbit, mist and equal.

Gazania: FOTD June 17, 2019

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For Cee’s FOTD

Happy Father’s Day to My Dad!!!

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I had so much fun looking back through old photos of my dad.  Thought I’d share them with you. My two nieces are visiting my sister in Phoenix right now so thought they’d get a kick out of seeing these photos of their grandad and grandad-in-law as well. Click on any photo to enlarge it.  Clicking on them also provides explanations for some of the photos. My dad died at the age of 70 in 1974.

 

In front of Murdo Drug Store.
Dad in the Amana Colony, visiting my sister Betty in College, 1958
My sisters and dad and I.
Dad dressed up by mother, Arizona, early 1970’s
This is my dad and I in front of a cabin in The Black Hills.
I gave my dad this exotic hairdo while he was sleeping, then left the room. Before I could get back, he awakened, put on his hat and went to Mack’s Cafe to meet his cronies for coffee. When he got there, he took off his hat and gave everyone a big surprise! Most of all himself.
Dad’s family at homestead. My sister Betty in front.
Ben Dykstra (My dad) age 13.
My father, age unknown.

Scrub Daddy Scores (Scours?) a Family

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This prompt word of “daddy” hadn’t been posted yet when I wrote my poem for the day using the other three prompts from sites I draw my words from every day, but now that it has been posted, I think it deserves its own post. This post from three years ago was not viewed by many people now reading my blog, so thought it warranted a second posting.

The prompt for the day was daddy.

lifelessons's avatarlifelessons - a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown

This is Marilyn, my sister’s across-the-street neighbor.  We went to college together but didn’t know each other then.  A while ago she started reading my blog and she says her heart was especially tugged by the Scrub Daddy Saga, which with this blog is stretching to 4 posts—I think the most I’ve devoted to any topic.  To read the opening episodes, you can go HERE, (Don’t forget to read the the best part––the comments of a representative of the Scrub Daddy corporation who somehow becomes aware of my posting and enters into the rhyme fest,) then HERE, then HERE.

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Marilyn arrived one day with a package that included a number of the Scrub family whom I had never met before.  They came complete with the note below: “Here is what happens when Scrub Daddy and Scrub Mommy get together.  Va-Va-Voom!!  Scrub Mommy was there dressed all in pink…

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Recluse

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Recluse

Like a rabbit in its burrow, you hide yourself away.
Do you frolic in the nighttime and obscure yourself all day?
How can you be so opposite of all the world’s routine?
What is it you are doing that you are so rarely seen?
I’d buy you an alarm clock if you think that it would aid
your efforts to return yourself to the daily parade.
My offer is not insincere. I’ll do what I must do
to try to spend some daylight hours with the likes of you!

Prompts today are rabbit, gratis and insincere .

Flower with Bee: FOTD, June 16, 2019

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For Cee’s FOTD

Ballroom Intervention: Trod Upon Blues

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Ballroom Intervention:
Trod Upon Blues

This gratuitous violence that you insist is dancing
insures that there will definitely be no further prancing.
I don’t intend to be the victim of your future trodding.
My toes can’t take another night of your infernal plodding.
If you must sashay, my dear, I think it would be fine
if you took a few lessons to insure that you will shine
when next you ask a girl to dance, lest your skills depreciate
to a level where the least of us will not appreciate
your extended hand out to ask us for a dance.
I’m afraid not one of us is willing now to chance
damage to her Manolos, let alone her toes.
We’ll simply have to get along with more accomplished beaus.
So with most loving intentions, we’ve all chipped in to buy
a coupon for dance lessons for our favorite clumsy guy.
We hope that you will take it in the way that it’s intended,
and that you won’t be angry, downhearted or offended.
Please accept these lessons, dear. After just a few
instead of asking us to dance, we’ll be asking you!

 

 

Prompt words today are night, sashay, gratuitous and shine.

 

  1. uncalled for; lacking good reason; unwarranted.
    “gratuitous violence”
    sinónimos: unjustified, without reason, uncalled for, unwarranted, unprovoked, undue; Más
  2. 2.
    given or done free of charge.