Opened Eyes: A Lesson in Empathy

 I just finished a book that will linger in my thoughts for a long time. It has even kept me awake.

American Dirt is a work of fiction. There is some controversy because the writer is not "brown". But the story Jeanine Cummins tells reflects the plight of many who have come as migrants to reach el notre, the north, the USA.

While I have been aware of some of the hardships suffered by migrants coming from Central America and Mexico, this book made it personal for me. It is both an easy read and a hard book to bear. It is intense and yet hard to put down. 

American Dirt taught me a lot about empathy for migrants who are fleeing from, or escaping from, horrors in their homelands and enduring life threatening hardships along the thousands of miles journey in order to reach what they hope is the safety of American soil, American dirt. Some reach it, some don't. Some die trying. Some find the safety they are dreaming of. Some continue to suffer hardships.  They might be treated like dirt when they get here to America. . 

There are few truly happy endings in these stories. If the migrants survive and reach the Promised Land, there are just next chapters, living on hope and uncertainty as undocumented migrants in the USA. While this book is apolitical, and it was written several years ago, at least their chances of finding some kind of peace and happiness are better in our country now than they were a few months ago. They are certainly better than the chances they had in their homelands.

Now, because of that better chance,  migrants are one again piling up at our southern border. Many are children, sent alone without parents. Can you imagine the heartache of sending your child off into the dangerous unknown, perhaps never to see or hear from them again? That's desperation. For other kids, their parents are dead, killed by gangs and cartels. 

So what do we do about it? I don't know. It is such a complicated issue. Can we take all comers? Can we offer a pathway to citizenship to all the new comers as well as those who have been here for many years? Can we screen them for health and crime hazards? 

I just know that after reading this book, I want us to help the mothers, their children, and the motherless children.  

Field Trip, Part 2

 Here it is, Sunday afternoon already. Time to get back to sharing the second part of our run away day last Thrusday.

After leaving the Arboretum, we drove east, across Lake Washington on the Evergreen Point Bridge. Since it was after noon, I used Google Maps to locate a nearby Starbucks for a lunch stop once we reached the Bellevue/Kirkland side of the Lake. While it was a bit out of the way, I found one right on the lake shore and said "let's go there!"

It turned out to be Carillon Point, where we got coffees and a cheese, fruit, and cracker pack to share along with the protein bars I brought from home. We found a bench with a view in the sun.

We sat right under the carillons as they chimed and then rang out 1:00.

And then good old Google Maps took us right to the Bellevue Botanical Garden. 

Blue sky and golden Witch Hazel. 

The perfume of Daphne Odora greeted us near the entrance.

Lots more beautiful Hellebores in bloom. 

Clumps of early daffodils. 

And more to come a bit later. 

The Border Garden is a delight most of the year. In early spring there is some color and mostly there is promise of more things to come. 

What are these big fat green buds emerging from the soil?

Ah, yes. May Apple!

Nice contrast of black Mondo grass and yellow Hellebore. 

More benches for resting and just enjoying sitting in a garden in the sun. 

Fat red peony stalks popping up behind the daffs. 

Moving on into the shade of the rhododendron garden.....

for a brief glimpse of the Yao Garden. 

and to the native garden, where we found Indian Plum in bloom, 

and skunk cabbage in the bog. 

Then back up the hill, across the stone bridge, past the tea house,

and back to the car.

It was 4:00 when we got home and settled in. We were having computer problems, with what turned out to be a battle between Microsoft and Google, not letting us open Google Chrome. After struggling unsuccessfully with that, I announced that I was not cooking dinner.

And you know what we did? We went out! For the first time in a year we ate in a restaurant, inside even. When we called our local Red Robin they said they were not busy, under the 25% capacity allowed, so we jumped in the car and went out for burgers and fries. We rejoiced with the waitress. We felt giddy. (Yes, it had been two weeks since our second shot)

We loved all of our Field Trip Day, including the ending. 

PS: It took a second level Geek Squad guy remotely operating our computer, to fix our Microsoft/Google War, but we are back in business.

Field Trip, Part 1

 We have more work to do in our garden, but we took Thursday off to go visit gardens where somebody else does the work.

Our first stop was the Winter Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum. This garden is noted for its Witch Hazels, many of which were already past their prime, but also for the under plantings of winter blooming hardy cyclamen and Hellebores. There were also early blooming azaleas, camellias, and a few other surprises. 

This awesome tree was not labeled, but its branches kissed the ground. 

The sun lit up the mossy coatings on trees and shrubs.

The golden witch hazels were still in bloom and made even more golden by the sun. 

Corylopsis

Edgeworthia 

Hardy cyclamen 

Another Edgeworthia

Silk tassel tree

An early iris.

I took advantage of benches placed throughout the garden. 

Native red flowering currant. 

Domesticated Pussy Willow. 

Newly planted Hellebores. 

The early pink plum trees are blooming in gardens everywhere now. 

We took our time enjoying every aspect of the winter garden before taking the path back to the car. 

The sunshine was warming and wonderful.

More to come.