For the love of smiling!
I took a photo of the avocado tree a few weeks ago and posted it on this blog, bragging about its amazing blossoms. A few days later, on climbing the tree to pick one last unreachable avocado, I got a bit tangled in the blossoms and, in untangling myself, realized they were actually the blossoms from an adjacent plum tree. I haven’t wanted to admit this until now because I am so embarrassed. I am quite sure all gardeningy people spotted my error but were kind enough not to say so. Anyway, it’s not my fault that the plum tree (or whatever it is) keeps throwing its pink-blossomed arms around the avocado tree!
I was overjoyed to spot a little peachick on the roof of the shed adjacent to the chookyard and I had a rather long conversation with it until I realized it was a twig!
I love to tell these embarrassing little funny stories to Anthony because it gets him smiling. Some time ago, it seemed that he would never smile again – not because he was sad but because the Parkinson’s has affected all of his muscles, including facial. But over time, I have learned how to elicit a different kind of smile; I use banter, loudness, crudeness and lots of vigorous hugs.
His loud, spontaneous, contagious laugh has gone and so has his loud voice as he now speaks in a kind of whispery way but I am ungentle and say things like:
Speak up, Anthony, clear your throat!
You look like a dead duck today!
Wake up!
Sometimes I catapult myself into his room, throw my arms around him and he gets such a shock and always says, “Jules, how did you know where to find me?”
Or, if he is having a bad day with forming words, I just get his beautiful new, slow-growing smile. And when Ming enters the room, Anthony’s smile gets a whole lot quicker!
Note: Avocado trees do not have pink blossoms!
jmgoyder 
Too too funny… Good to laugh at ourselves (before others do lol) Diane
Yes – blushing!
Those are the little things you will treasure forever my friend
Yes.
Well, I did wonder about those blossoms, but I’m such a brown-thumb I just accepted your superior wisdom! That’ll teach me a lesson, eh?
Good to know another brown-thumb ha!
I don’t like avocado and have never seen an avocado tree
Hardly any fruit this year but I love it!
LOVE this Julie. Lovely pink blossoms are lovely pink blossoms, wherever they come from.
You amaze me in that find beauty in everything. 🙂
Only finding beauty in everything fairly recently – must’ve been a bit blind before!
I am sitting here laughing at your stories of the trees and the twig. I am so glad to know I am not the only one who accidentally converses with inanimate objects!
I do hope you haven’t talked to a twig though!
I had to smile at your post today, Julie, because I was thinking about smiling and what it means to me. It’s not the actual smile with the mouth. I love a smile with the eyes. In my youth I was always attracted to men with twinkling mischievous eyes and wondered………is Anthony able to smile with his eyes at all?
His eyes are quite blank due to not blinking but sometimes the twinkle is still there!
I Love the new word you coined– gardening you! Made me smile. 🙂
Ha!
Bah! Auto-correct adjusted me. I said “gardeningy” Love your new word!
I could have been writing this post myself because I have made a thousand and one similar mistakes and I just laugh and laugh at myself. I’m glad that you are the loud one now, Anthony probably appreciates the turnout around so much more than you know. Hugs 😀
Whenever I can get him to smile it’s like gold!
😀
Hahaha Julie! Thanks for my morning chuckle! 😀
Diana xo
You are welcome!
How long did it take to twig what you were talking to?
A couple of minutes!
I prefer wearing my old glasses and these things happen to me. It is vanity.
Haha!
Reminds me of how ran outside with my camera all excited to get a butterfly on a rose, only to find it was a dead leaf and a bud. Oh, well, I need the exercise and heart stimulation. Doesn’t take much to get me excited!
Glad I’m not the only one!
may i just say i didn’t know and really think it quite lovely that the plum tree is sharing it’s blossoms with the avocado tree!! i love to read your light-hearted wit especially on days i am not feeling so witty myself. i treasure the moments we have here when we just have to laugh at our joint or solo misadventures.
thinking of you, anthony and ming, sending big hugs to you
I quite liked the plum tree hugging the avocado tree too but I still feel a bit silly!!!