ypsi~dixit

On a vaguely related note,

Y.'s adventurous friend yesterday tried to dissuade her from the rosy dream of owning chickens, saying, "You're like my mother--you're much more of a plant person than an animal person."

Y. chuckled indulgently at this ridiculous statement but secretly pondered it afterwards. Today I spent hours upon contented hours tending to all my chlorophyll children, trimming my topiary, pruning my hibiscus, repotting my rubber plant and tenderly washing each of the rubber plants' big, waxy leaves--the rubber plant likes that. Don't ask me how I know. But every time I wash its leaves it immediately perks up. Its leaves raise up a bit and it seems to glow in appreciation.

Y. often putters a whole weekend day in the dirt, perfectly happy to deadhead geraniums, tie up droopy flowers, and repot things.

Meanwhile I've barely said hi to my dog today, as I buried myself in leafy pursuits.

Y. grudgingly concludes that her friend was right. As usual. In fact he's always right about everything, distributing observations that at times initially nettle the whimsical and somewhat erratic me but ultimately turn out to be good and sound advice (grumble).

Y. is actually lucky to have more than one friend who simply can't be fooled, even by me. Phooey/thank goodness for these people.

The new moon in Cancer reminds us of the astounding power of emotions, especially if we can get control over them. By gently guiding your thoughts to ideas that make you feel loved, excited, rich, lucky and free, you can actually live in that happy space. Experiment to learn not only how to feel your feelings, but how to generate them.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Ten or 20 years ago, the word "instant" was often used to describe something that could happen in 10 minutes -- as in, "instant oatmeal." Now "instant" is more instantaneous -- as in, the amount of time it takes you to fall in love.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You're usually the one to disburse congratulations, include a card with the gift and offer to help prepare the meal. Today, you'll feel so proud for having done so. The little things are infinitely the most important.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). The stars emphasize your natural intellectual gifts -- that is, if you put yourself in the right environment to experience them. Head in the direction of culture, high-minded discussion and wondrous exchanges.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Certainty has its place and time, but you could spend the whole of today being perfectly, delightfully unsure -- and that's good, too. Before you decide what to go for, check out how happy someone who already has it is.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). It feels as though others your age are so much older than you, and you're merely a babe in an adult disguise. This is because your creative spirit is a child. A Sagittarius is an appropriate "play date."

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Whether it's a box, a bun or a system of belief, this is the time to think outside it. An Aries helps blow open your preconceived notions. However, don't take on anyone's philosophy dogmatically, especially not your own.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You'll be sharing, giving presents or doing generous deeds. Keep in mind that presentation is key. It's not the face value of what you're giving that will matter, it's the spirit in which it's given.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Friends could mistake you for their therapist. At a certain point, you have to draw the line, or your energy is sucked into the void of unsolvable problems.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Maybe it's difficult to tell time using the second hand of a clock, but what really shapes your day now (indeed your week, your year … ) happens in a matter of a few scrumptious seconds.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). The biggest issue is how you're going to make more money in less time. It's not so much about being efficient as it is about choosing projects that compel you to lose track of time altogether.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). There's both safety and strength in numbers. The trick is getting the whole group to agree to stand for the same thing. If anyone can do this, you can. Start with a Libra.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You're reasonable, as usual, but a relative is stubborn (and slightly insane). Fighting this person is silly. Let him have his day. When people stop resisting his ideas, he'll settle down.

FORECAST FOR THE WEEK AHEAD: If the sun is the father of the solar system, the moon is the mother, orbiting around our little planet with the kind of nurturing, maddening and magical attention that only a mother can give. The moon rules Cancer, which is why the crab is also called "Moonchild" and why Cancer is the sign of mothers. This energy can be harnessed to heal our "boo-boos," sympathize with our plight and reflect our emotions. It is comfort, familiarity and, perhaps most famously, home. This week, consider the way each human carries around a certain emotional tone like a hermit crab carrying around his house-shell. Some people "live" at Cheerful Place. Others, Misery Mansion. What is your emotional "home"? What emotion is most comfortable to you? Under the new Cancer moon at the start of the week, you might approach that question with more honesty and clarity than you've had in awhile. Mercury transits into Leo on Wednesday, encouraging self-expression. Since it's easier to know your feelings, you'll probably want to discuss them, especially with people who seem intertwined in them. The sun and Jupiter end the week on an auspicious and lucrative note.

Thank you, dear Oracle. It's true. I'm merely a babe in adult disguise. Note to kind readers: my birthday is coming up August 7, so now is the time to order those polar exploration books from Amazon. I've got most of them, so email me for a list of the ones I don't yet have. And do it promptly, so they come in on time.

I have heard about a commuter rail project that is being studied that would go from Detroit to Ann Arbor, and then I think there is another branch that they are talking about going from Ann Arbor to Lansing. There is a website about it at:



http://www.annarbordetroitrapidtransitstudy.com

Do you know if this is what he was referring to? If so did he give any ideas on the timeline?

I had first heard of this project several years ago and thought it would be so cool to take a train to Detroit. I never go there becuase I hate the drive. Now that I am a business owner in Depot Town, I think it would be great to have the old depot serving that purpose once again.

Damn, am I supposed to be pruning the hibiscus? My husband is still worried that I overdid it on the forsythia. Of course, he planted that one, and the hibiscus is my baby.

The more you cut back the forsythia, the better. They are rugged shrubs and will spring back with extra vigor.

My lilac, which I practically razed to the ground, is sproinging back beautifully, with lots of fresh new growth and a much improved, more airy shape.

Incidentally, I DID raze my *mom's* lilac to the ground. "You cut it back too much!" Y. held her tongue. And now? It's totally covered with vigorous new growth and is no longer a giant, shade-choked mess.

(blows smoke off hand-pruner, returns it to hip holster).

Jim: I've heard of hte project, but I don't know what the timeline is. I think it's just starting up, in the early planning stages.

I too would love to see the depot revive.

Oopsie, didn't answer your question. It is not necessary to prune your hibiscus at this time. I only was shaping it a wee bit and removing some dead branches (harbor insects).

Thank you!
http://symy.jp/?Ct_220745

Thank you!
http://symy.jp/?Ct_220745