We had lunch here and it was great. My cancer supportgroup has lunch at a different place every month.
One of the hundreds of Monarch butterflies.
Our wonderful friend Tish, gave Esther and I guest tickets to see the limited time Butterflies Pavilion exhibit at the fantastic Botanical Gardens. After having lunch with my cancer support group Friday at THE FARM AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN, we went to the Gardens. It turned out to be a real learning experience. Also a wedding took place while we were there in the Butterfly Pavilion- what an original idea and it was beautiful. The couple walked in at same time we did, so we witnessed it all. Including the two butterflies mating right by the couple. It provided laughter for everyone in the pavilion. The wonderful guide/docent there tried hard to show us the difference between female and male butterflies, but Esther and I never really saw the difference, and we believed the butterflies were of the same sex! Also we learned today that the butterflies only live 2-6 weeks. That was depressing. Such beauty for such a short time. Makes you stop and realize- wouldn't you be "mating profusely", as we saw they were-if you only had 6 weeks to live!!!!! We really enjoyed the Botanical Gardens and want to go back. The plants and cactus are amazing. The weather was incredible and the two places we went to today were the BEST- couldn't have been a more perfect day.
After we left the Desert Botanical Gardens, we went to see Joe. And that was another totally perfect experience. We got there about 45 minutes before their dinner, and it seemed like everyone was in a happy and good mood. It all began when Esther reached for some candy from the bowl on coffee table and the big green hand came down on her saying Happy Halloween! She had never seen one before and yelled and we all began laughing. So she kept doing it and the whole place was in stitches laughing. Then everyone started playing with it. Johnny and Susan gave this to Joe last week and it has truly been a gift for the entire home. Everyone has loved it. Johnny and Susan, you guys are great and what a perfect gift!
Then Maggie started throwing a huge blue ball for everyone to catch and throw to someone else, and all we did was laugh. I have never seen this place so happy and having so much fun, and we were laughing and enjoying it all with them. Jules , Frances, Pat and Joe- all especially joined it and were laughing their heads off. I don't know why- but everything was funny to all of us. I hit Jules once on his head with the ball, and it really struck him funny. Of course, it is as light as a feather and can't hurt anyone. When they called everyone to dinner, no one wanted to go, as they wanted to continue having fun and laughing. Jules said, "it seems so peaceful here." He was right and A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL! Joe was talking and laughing and enjoying himself immensely the entire time. So nice to see everyone enjoying life.
After leaving the group home Esther went to see Miriam Iverson and got a massage. (I had one already this week), and I went home and regrouped. Then after the massage, Esther and I went to the OUTBACK and had a delicious dinner. We both had clam chowder and I had grilled coconut shrimp and Esther had bronzed chicken with corn cakes- which I tasted and it was very good. Esther is only in Phoenix less than 10 days or so before she moves to Washington.
And the really perfect ending to a blessed and perfect day, was that I slept (without any sleeping pills) for ten hours last night and it was great. Thank you, God for this perfect day!
"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners that make our souls blossom".................Marcel Proust, 1871-1922
