"So close your eyes and dream of all the wonderful Trash that's yet to come." ~ Oscar the Grouch

I was stunned yesterday as I was walking around town to discover this.   The Lone Trash Receptacle.  I have done a lot of walking and would have noticed another.  This is it.  And it was empty.  Trash was strewn all around it but none had made it into the little dustbin.  Cambodians really don't think of trash the way we do.  I'm not sure they even have a word for it.  I tried, diplomatically,  talking to one of CCF's teachers about the trash.  She looked totally confused.  Could not understand what I was talking about.  I went on to say that while I was surprised at the amount of trash around I was relieved that I hadn't seen any rats.  She cocked her head to one side with a puzzled look on her face and said quizzically, "Why?  You no like rats?".

Today I was helping a teacher with his resume and what I thought at first was a very large mouse, ran through the class room.  The teacher just chuckled.  We were sitting on floor, barefooted and I was not thinking this was funny.  We continued to work but it kept scurrying out from behind a stack of cushions, it's beady red eyes glowering at us.  I asked if it was a mouse or a rat.  He replied, "what's the difference".  That was it for me for the day.  Because mouse or rat..."I no like rodents!"

"Bloom where you are planted" - mmmm - maybe not.

We've all heard that quote.  Sounds good right?  I have a passionflower plant.  It was a scraggly little thing I bought from the grocery store for $9.99.  Brought it home, repotted it, dusted off its leaves and sat it on my back porch.  It grew well and is healthy.  As I gave it to a friend to tend for me while I'm gone (thank you Liz), she asked where it would thrive best.  That gave me pause.  It is growing well but it is NOT blooming.  So is it thriving?  I told her to put it anywhere and perhaps the change of location is just what it needs.  Not sure if my passionflower is blooming but I do know that the same type of change was just what I needed.  

This is a video clip of a short portion of my commute to work which I posted on Facebook a few days ago.  Click on this link to see it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QF8zAW2tGSQ

This is the best gift I've ever given myself and also the most selfish thing I think I've ever done.  But it is as it should be.  Just because you are going along fine may not mean that's enough and just because you are "planted" doesn't mean you are stuck.  If you aren't blooming perhaps it's time to take another look at where your roots are settling.  

Hope I can find my place back home because once you find that spot where your passionflower begins to bloom why would you ever want to move it back to its old windowsill.