SueBee and Kat

Today’s Foto Fix features a cactus I saw on a recent visit to a local Arboretum. I found the resemblance to the famous mouse to be quite fun! He seemed to be waving hello to me. ~SueBee

Experienced vegetable gardeners may laugh at this, but I’m so proud harvesting my first zucchini and zucchini flowers this morning that I’m posting about it to celebrate! My oldest daughter, Angelika, gave me a few seeds that I planted May 20 in a small planter area in my back yard, and now I have fresh […]

I thought you might enjoy seeing how far along the giant avocado pit has come. I first planted the sprouted pit into a coffee can on March 13th; it’s now about 26″ tall, is in a much larger pot, and looks quite happy on the porch. The zucchini plants, started from seeds planted on May […]

My oldest daughter met me recently at the South Coast Botanic Garden for a socially distanced morning. It was required to reserve our spots in advance, as entry numbers were limited, and to wear our masks during the visit. It was really nice to get out for awhile; the gardens were beautiful. I hope everyone […]

I visited the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont yesterday morning. The garden is open for members and by reservation for non-members only; the number of visitors is limited due to the Coronavirus situation. The weather was perfect, with slightly overcast skies. I noticed after reviewing all the pictures I took that the vast […]

I took these pictures while on a morning walk ’round my garden yesterday. The new purple morning glory seems to like its spot, and the cactus I rescued has yet again thanked me, this time with four gorgeous white flowers. The milkweed that popped up on its own has provided a lovely spot for monarch […]

I took an early morning walk, pre 8am, on the local beach this past Saturday, before the crowds hit. Now that our beaches have re-opened, again, this time with more safety measures in place, I wanted to take a look. Had there been crowds, I would have turned around and gone home. As it was, […]

I completed a new journal just in time for Mother’s Day. It’s dedicated to my mom and grandma, both of who lived to be nearly 100. I named it ‘Susie Homemaker; my grandma always called me Susie. I was inspired to make it after realizing the bulk of my hours during this Coronavirus (Covid19) lockdown […]

Since our Coronavirus (Covid19) lockdown, I haven’t shopped in any grocery stores, and I haven’t used any delivery services. I’m not very trusting of third-party workers… who’s supervising them, who’s watching they follow safety protocol, etc. Instead, I’ve ordered online and picked up groceries twice from WalMart (the only store that had any availability at […]

Good morning, my fellow Covid19 Lock-downers, Stay-at-Homers, Quarantiners! I couldn’t pass up taking pictures of the perfectly shaped teddy bear bush and beautiful flower-filled wagon on my morning walk. I hope you all enjoy your day and stay safe. ~SueBee

On March 31, I posted the first Signs of Our Times, showing Covid19 instructions displayed in local store windows. Today’s post is nearly a month later, and shows some changes since March (such as Face Masks Required for Entry, X marks the spot on sidewalk).  I wonder what might be new another month from now…. […]

A couple months ago, the mobile home next to mine was being moved out, the owner having sold it and sadly, moved to a hospice situation. Before she left, she offered me to take whichever plants I wanted. There were a few cacti, none of which had been cared for in many years. The one […]

While today’s world feels like the first picture, with a large wave of doom ready to crash down, I look forward to the day our reality is the second one, with all of us still standing, and safe. I took these pictures seven or eight years ago at Newport Beach, California, with the little CoolPix […]

Not able to go Out ‘n About these days, I find myself focusing the handy iPhone camera on things at home… flowers, little decor objects, etc. I’m sure most of you are doing nearly the same, passing the time, staying safe. Yesterday I did some spring cleaning on my large front porch… sweeping off the […]

I realize the time frame of my baby avocado tree is nearly matching that of Covid19 here in the US. The first case of the virus was diagnosed in Seattle, Washington on January 21.  I bought the avocado on January 17, let it ripen, then cut it open on January 25. It was absolutely delicious! […]

We used to complain about time rushing on by, hours that felt like minutes, blink and another year had passed. Well, it doesn’t seem that’s a complaint anymore… for me anyway. I do love that about the Safer At Home orders during the Covid19 pandemic. While I spent last week making face masks for family […]

This is the final set of pictures from my wonderful walk through the Arboretum after getting an advance reservation slot due to the Covid19 situation. I hope you enjoy viewing the pictures! ~SueBee

…continuing on my walk (from part 1) through the garden during the Covid19 social distancing rules. As you can see, the roads were empty, shuttle bus shut down, trails and paths closed, drinking fountains taped off, day was overcast… altogether a very different experience, but I certainly got some much-needed exercise. ~SueBee

I discovered that a favorite Los Angeles garden where I’m a member is not closed due to Covid19. Rather, they’re offering advance reservation slots for members and other guests to enter. Upon reading that, I immediately made a reservation and drove the 40 miles early morning a few days ago. It turned out to be […]

I took an early morning walk, wandering past a nearby shopping center which was nearly empty of cars and people. That in itself was odd enough, but seeing the signs taped into the windows of the closed shops gave me such a feeling of melancholy. My walk was brightened once I was back in a […]