Cats, Flowers and Genes

Ma used to feed the cats. She didn't personally keep any pets, but she fed cats nevertheless. Every day, she would come out her back door and take the catfood dish in. They would start to gather. By the time she came out with the dish full of food, and another with water, they were there. Five or six usually--they appeared at mealtime just like clockwork. She would talk to them while they ate. Then she'd go in and get her teapot full of boiling water and pour it carefully into the cracks of the sidewalk around her yard--killing millions of ants marching around here and there. I think I'm going to feed cats when I retire. I always thought it was pretty cool how they just came for dinner. Nana grew geraniums--all varieties. She had a whole back yard full of them. She knew each variety and loved them all. My favorite were the Martha Washingtons. They're lavender tipped with white centers and a fine black line like a sunburst coming from the center. For you folks in the Rocky Mountains--in San Diego, you can grow whatever you like whenever you like--outside in your yard. We had ferns, poinsiettas, geraniums, birds of paradise, carnations--all growing year round. I would love to be like Nana and have a garden of beautiful flowers, but I am afraid that gene went directly through me to some of my children--Amy and Jennie especially are terrific flower growers. Amy planted a beautiful flower garden a few years ago in the flower bed in my front yard. It was great, but the flowers were annuals. Nana inherited this trait from her father. Pa was a wonderful gardener. Everything he touched grew. How wonderful to have a green thumb! I wonder how many others of their descendants love to garden...