Tag: Barb Strona
The Last of my Musings…for Now
On October 4, 2022, I fell from my cantering lesson horse, Dolly. It was totally my fault; I was concentrating on giving her a jab with my right leg (which she did not need),when she saw something terrifying—a man with an enormous, coiled hose. As I had my right leg in the air off her […]
Winter Gardens with Chuck McClung
At our final meeting in 2022, Chuck McClung, a gardener his entire life with a master in botany, gave a truly enlightening talk. His focus was on what we can do in the winter with and for our gardens. McClung began by saying how lucky we are to live in San Diego, and in Mission […]
The Hardships of Horse Riding
October was not my best month. It began with a stupid mistake on my part. I was practicing dressage on my friend, Dolly, the lesson horse. I knew something next door had disturbed her; she jumped a bit to the side. Normally when this happens, or if she gives a little buck to express displeasure […]
Communicating with the Non-Human World
I have always believed that there should be a way to communicate with living entities that are not human. Given today’s state of the world, I am not sure humans are doing such a great job communicating with our own species. I am not an “animal communicator,” nor do I wish to become one; I […]
Happy Half-Birthday
I wonder if I am the only person in the world to celebrate half-birthdays. It is a wonderful way to celebrate yourself with no expectations and no disappointments. Here is why you should do it and how. Birthdays are a big deal in most families. When we are young, we hope for a party with […]
Kokedama Workshop
In February, the Mission Hills Garden Club attended a workshop on Kokedama, an offshoot of Bonsai, given by Kanako Yamada. Kokedama is a plant which grows from a sphere consisting of roots covered in soil and then wrapped in colored moss. The spere represents the earth. After feasting on delicious Japanese style hors d’oeuvres, we […]
The Pleasures of Age
For the past few years it seems that I devote one annual column to age. Before this goes to press, I will turn 81. I can honestly say that so far, this seems to be the best year of my life. First, I survived the COVID isolation; in fact, I turned it into a huge […]
What Shall I Do with my Poinsettias?
When I was a teenager, my parents bought a home in Brentwood, a Los Angeles neighborhood. I loved my bedroom. It was just big enough to put a twin bed on two opposite walls with a bookcase and planter between them. A high window was above the garage which shared the beds’ wall. On the […]
The Pleasures of Age
For the past few years it seems that I devote one annual column to age. Before this goes to press, I will turn 81. I can honestly say that so far, this seems to be the best year of my life. First, I survived the COVID isolation; in fact, I turned it into a huge […]
Propagation of Bougainvillea
Some of you know that October is my birthday month. And, since we didn’t meet over the summer season, I decided to use this article to chat about what is currently of importance to me. In the late 1960s, San Diego State had climbing bougainvillea cascading down a hill to the parking lot just off […]
