1. Plants get diseases that can spread to other plants. My sweet friend Rebecca gave me a topiary when she moved. I loved this plant because I really needed something to go in the entry way of my house. Over time though, it started to look crummy, so I assumed it must not be getting enough sunlight or water. After getting worse despite the great lengths I went to to try to nurse it back to health, I finally had to ask my mother if she could look help me figure out what may be wrong. As the daughter of someone with someone with a green thumb, she could tell right away that it was dying a slow diseased death. Meanwhile, I've also lost a bush and noticed a tree is not looking well either.
2. If you remember my September lessons, I told you that I discovered I enjoyed gardening. In October I've learned that enjoying something doesn't necessarily mean you are going to be good at it.
3. I'm a little bit over Facebook. I joined the Facebook bandwagon late in the game-in the early summer of this year. Honestly, I do enjoy seeing pictures of children, the self-deprecating and sarcastic humor of certain friends, and links to interesting articles or blogs. Yet, I must say I'm pretty sick of all the bragging and self-righteousness. In my opinion, they should rename Facebook, Bragbook. I get that people want to share things about their lives, but I don't need to know that your kids eat all their veggies, that your husband is so fabulous he could have walked out of a storybook, and that you are now installing a white picket fence in your yard. Thank you very much.
4. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. So much attention is given this month to breast cancer awareness and the promotion of pink (male professional athletes even coordinate pink into their uniform attire) that it sort of overshadows the support of purple. I don't know who comes up with what months we should bring awareness to certain issues, but it was not a good idea to have these two issues competing for attention. While I absolutely think breast cancer awareness is important, the statistics of domestic violence are so disturbing, it should be as widely addressed.
5. Which brings me to my next lesson. 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence during her lifetime. And, every year more than 3 million children witness domestic violence in their homes (1).
6. My family recently went to the Magic Kingdom on a long vacation and my girls had so much fun, they are still talking about it. Also, I have to admit, I had more fun as an adult at the Magic Kingdom than I did as a child. I'm not sure what that says about me. But, anyway.
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| Riding "Dumbo" with Jenna. |
7. Hold tightly to your children at all times in large crowds. My five-year-old daughter, Jenna, was lost twice during our Orlando trip. The first time was at the Magic Kingdom during a mob of parade people in a retail store on Main Street. Thankfully, my husband found her rather quickly. The second time we were once again in a large crowd at the Rainforest Cafe at Downtown Disney. She walked behind another family, thinking it was our turn to be seated. This time it took a few minutes (what seemed like hours) to find her. When we saw her in the middle of the restaurant she was crying and, thankfully, being helped by one of the servers. It was the worst panic I had ever felt. I don't think there is anything in life that can be worse for a parent than having a missing child or burying one. Thank the good Lord she was found both times!
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| Rainforest Cafe |
1 "Domestic Violence: Statistics and Facts," Safe Horizon, www.safehorizon.org/index/what-we-do-2/domestic-violence--abuse-53/domestic-violence-statistics--facts-195.html (accessed October 29, 2013).
