Why I Oughta...

For Mother's Day this year, Nat's Mom gave her a small Flowering Tobacco Jasmine plant that came in a little plastic capsule.  There was very little instructions with it other than that it was potentially poisonous (see ASPCA page on it being poisonous to dogs here !).  Nat's Mom has given us a few Disneyland Roses ( first one in 2017 and two more in 2018 ) and a couple of hydrangeas , but this is the first annual that she's gifted us. I wasn't sure where to put it, so I ended up sticking it on the side of our house on the southside - near where I put the 2018 Disneyland roses and was planning to do a Belgian Fence.  I didn't pay it much attention and didn't even water it consciously.  And look at it above:  beautifully tall and graceful.  But, this isn't just a looker.  Nope.  It does a couple of things that are interesting.  First...it transforms from day to evening.  The listing on Select Seeds calls it a "night bloomer" .  Then it

I'm posting this on Saturday - the day before Mother's Day - because the emails go out the next morning and I figure that's the best way for Nat to see this. Happiest of Mother's Day to the best, most wonderful Mother (and partner in life) around:  Natalie.  That's her above on an adventure she took me on over the weekend where we went to (randomly) Rivers Casino for some chow at Hugo's Frog Bar and where she won on a slot machine! She's going to hate me saying, this, but here goes:  Natalie does it all.  And does it all with such grace.  She's a mother to three terrific kids.  And I know that they're turning out the way they're turning out because of her.  She tends to them, nurtures them, and makes them stronger and smarter and more caring each day.  *She's* the reason why they are caring, unique kids.  *She's* the reason why I couldn't be more proud of my family and of calling her my partner. I couldn't do what I do dur