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Life is full of irony...

I went out and about in the late afternoon to pick up an item off of Freecycle... and had to stop and get some dog food and such... so I stopped at a small "catch-all" type of Mart in a somewhat seedy part of town. Walking in... it was a visual feast... especially compared to the very drab and grey-with-barred-windows.. and door-only-slightly ajar... exterior.

Inside... were brightly colored pinatas... next to canned food... next to cheap Barbie knock-offs... which were next to the pot pipes and various tobaccos...

As I was getting my items (and chatting with the very nice clerk)... a gangster wanna-be looking youth came in... sheepishly carrying a dozen beautiful roses ("for my moms" he said)... while he casually asked another guy about buying a small machine gun. Yes... machine gun. I will assume a toy one.

Life is strange... and wonderful. Like today... when I went to get some chicken wings for dinner... picked up my weekly ALIBI newspaper... and discovered I was the "Shutterbug" photo winner for the week... this always surprises me... but really makes me happy :)

And tomorrow... I am going to see the BODIES Exhibit here in ABQ. It was commented to me that it was interesting how I was going to see an exhibit full of dead bodies... at the dead end of the year... and how ironic it was that those bodies lived on... past their time... and how things are beginning again soon with the new year... and it was all so ironic ... and interesting... and strange... and wonderful.

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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(photos by Elaine A. Russell)

In the middle of town here, is a HUGE horsechestnut tree. When I was very little, it sat in front of a tiny house owned by Mr. & Mrs. Butler; an elderly couple who have since passed on. I remember Mr. Butler telling me about this tree one time... when I asked about the thorny looking nuts it bears in the summer and into fall.

Apparently, these trees originated in the Balkans, and were carried to Northern Europe, and then to the USA. I have read that these trees were primarily planted for their decor, as they would get big and have large showy leaves in the spring... and big showy flowers in the summer. The nuts are very bitter, and generally considered not to be edible. However, old herb books do mention that the bark was sometimes boiled, and the liquid could be consumed for everything from rheumatism to fevers. (link: here)


All I know... is that when I was little... it was a tree unlike any I had seen before...

and I was fascinated by it.

I have always had an affinity for plants and trees...

and this one was "extra special."

Well... that little house is long gone now... but the tree still stands strong and proud there. I stopped by today to check on it, and was blessed to see that it was not only doing well... but had gorgeous blooms on it.

You'd think that... with all this tree has seen in it's lifetime... that it would give up and wither away. But ... it actually seems stronger today than I remember it being. People can be like that too. Sometimes, with all the crap that goes on in the world... our first thought may be to shrivel up and hide somewhere.... sink into the ground and stay there. But... if we let it... adversity can also make us stronger... majestic... able to handle the wild winds.

My father is carrying on. In spite of all predictions... and certainly beyond belief at times. I do not understand it... nor will I try. I can only believe that there must be a purpose... and like my tree that I love so much, I will try to bend with the wind... and listen for the lesson.

( and in other news.... I was shocked to learn that another one of my photos won the Alibi's Shutterbug weekly contest... WoOt!.... see HERE)