Really really cold...

The temperature is falling into the mid-twenties (Fahrenheit) tonight. A challenge for Houston - we don't usually see that kind of cold.  I've covered the variegated ginger, the Meyer lemon, the Atlas mandarin, and the calamondin orange.  Who knows what frizzled leaves will greet me in three days time, when the temps are finally going to get somewhat reasonable. The great news is that our precipitation came in the form of rain, and was gone in just a couple hours. No shoveling here! 

Atlas Mandarin crop

Atlas Mandarin, originally uploaded by AmyEmilia.

Not much of a picture. But, this is the ENTIRE crop of Atlas Mandarins from my tiny little tree. We planted the tree a year ago. Yes, I know you aren't supposed to let such a young tree fruit, but we just couldn't bear to pinch off all of the little guys. So, I left this one.

Slowly, slowly it got bigger and bigger. I had to add a support because the little tree (it is all of 2 feet tall) was leaning perilously towards the ground. Slowly, slowly the fruit changed from deep green to lime green, and in the last 2 weeks, more and more orange.

Since we were not going to be home the next few days, I clipped it off and brought it with us. We peeled and ate it tonight. What a wonderfully tart flavor, juicy and seedless too. I think it would be better to leave on the tree another week or so, but it was still eminently edible. Here's hoping our crop at least doubles next year!

Happy Birthday, Cousin!

Coralee, originally uploaded by AmyEmilia.

Today would have been your 52nd birthday. I think of you every day, and miss you in this world. Hardly seems possible it has been a whole year.

looking out to sea

looking out to sea, originally uploaded by AmyEmilia.

The end of the beach season is almost here... a cool north wind is blowing all the way down to the island. We will miss the swimming! But fall and winter beach walks are also amazing. And the beachcombing is better, for there is less competition for the shells and feathers.

Speaking of feathers, I found a couple great pelican feathers last week! There is quite a collection now housed in a San Bitter bottle on the counter. (My missionary upbringing makes it SO difficult to throw away "useful" things!)

This past week was not the best for weather but it was nice to just relax. Lots of rain and clouds. Hopefully I will be able to carve out another week towards the end of the year, when it usually is cold and windy (!). My timing is excellent.

the great roadrunner in the sky

the great roadrunner in the sky, originally uploaded by AmyEmilia.

This morning's sunrise was gorgeous! A lively cool wind, bright blue sky, and the promise of a sunny day. We are happy to see it, after 5 days of rain and almost as many inches.

Speaking of mirrors and sieves

You can never understand one language until you understand at least two. -Ronald Searle, artist (b. 1920)

© Anna Marie Nemcova
Dreamstime.com

I am no linguist. My language skills are very limited, although I do have a decent ear for tones which helps a lot.  Nevertheless, I have been surrounded by other languages since I was a child.  My mother grew up speaking Bangala and English, so there were bits of Bangala in her everyday speech.  (Actually there still are - just the other day she designated me as a "fundi" or expert in a task.)  By the time I was 5, we were posted in Ruanda-Urundi and then a year later, to Congo.  Over the next 12 years we moved around in Congo, and also spent nearly a year in Switzerland.  I acquired a decent proficiency in French, and a passing acquaintance with Lingala and Kikongo.  When we returned to the States we lived in Hawaii for a while, and I learned some Hawaiian Pidgin.  For the last 20 years my home has been Houston, where the West and East Texas variations mix with the soft Southern sounds to become the classic Texas drawl.  Now I am married to an Italian and am once again learning a new language, and a new culture. 

Living in all these various cultures with their varying languages has made me acutely aware of the relationship between the two.  You cannot truly understand a culture without speaking its language.  And, you cannot speak a language well without also learning the culture.  The depth and texture and complexity of either is lost if you attempt to learn them in isolation.

© Mike Neale
Dreamstime.com

We are mirrors and sieves- reflecting our surroundings, sifting our experiences.  We end up with an identity that is new every day, just a little bit different than the day before.