PEONY

If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom. ~Terri Guillemets

My macro lens has been waiting for my Peach Sorbet Peony bushes to bloom. Finally, this week they opened in their tri-color glory. The pink in this extreme close-up reminds me of cotton-candy.

I love the streaks of red. This shot also picked up traces of the sticky peony juice. This variety does not harbor ants like so many others, so it is wonderful to cut and bring indoors without fear of bringing in ants.

I love this shot because it seems lit from within; the center almost looks like a flame.

The shade made this peony appear more purple than pink.

CAREGIVING

"I feel the capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance."

~ Pablo Casals

It was my intention to post this about a week ago, but when I went to publish it, the musings disappeared. Now I do not even recall the thoughts I wrote.

It seems a bit odd to me that many people refer to care-giving as caretaking. The whole essence of caring for someone who is no longer able to care for him or herself is an act of giving by the person doing it. Caretaking seems to imply a whole different attitude towards the emotional and physical energy invested in caring for someone.