Among the prickly and pretty

Hello there, folks!

When it comes to the weather and my walks, the notorious law of meanness works. Sunny day, clear sky or beautiful clouds - it's about working days. Rain, snow, wind, dullness or mist - it's about the weekend. Today it was raining with thunder in the night, snowing in the middle and now came out the sun - typical Monday. Frankly speaking, I am indifferent to everything on such days. Like my life is just passing by. It is usually difficult for me to force myself to leave the house. Also, who else can help me but myself? Well, I don't live alone, I have a husband, but sometimes I'm not sure which one of us needs more help or support.

So, the last weekend was as rainy and gray as usual, except for one fact - it was our anniversary.

My previous post brought back memories of visiting the botanical garden in winter, and I suggested going to the greenhouse of the botanical garden. Locals call it "Large Botanica" because there are 2 botanical gardens in Kyiv. So we did.

In the spring, this place turns into a mecca for photo sessions and family walks. A beautiful view opens from the high right bank of the Dnieper. First comes the blooming season of magnolias, then lilacs, chestnuts, and so on. But so far there are very few visitors, especially on such a gloomy day.

The greenhouse has 4 pavilions - Tropics, Orchids, Rhododendrons and Cacti. It's not my first time here, and I usually like blooming rhododendrons more than anything else. Indeed, it's hard to resist the beauty of flowers and the variety of their colors. But this time my favorites were the cacti. They seemed to me more beautiful than orchids and rhododendrons. There are many of them and they are all very different. Tall and slender, prickly and juicy, short and round, tiny and fluffy. I felt so comfortable so just I walked slowly around them a few circles until closing time. Walked and photographed.

This is a kind of anniversary that no one knows about except us. We don't expect greetings and toasts on this day and we don't even always mention it between us. But I know he knows, and he knows that I know. Usually, people celebrate wedding anniversaries or proposals. This day is neither of them. I won't say for my husband, but before we met, I had all this. Wedding, divorce, dates, proposals - a complete cycle, albeit in the wrong order.

I remember well that at the moment we met, I despaired that I would be able to feel true love for someone again. Not just a strong, passionate and lasting feeling, but the kind of feeling you have in your youth when your heart is inexperienced and has not yet overgrown with a shell of disappointments and mistrust. Now I know that all his and mine previous experiences were just preparation, the road to the day when we met. That's what this anniversary is - the beginning, the day when we met.

We could celebrate in a restaurant, as we sometimes did. There are many restaurants or bars located in the basement of buildings where you can be in relative safety even during shelling. But that would be unwise in our financial situation. Therefore, we arranged a walk and prepared dinner at home - Nick prepared the duck, and I prepared the side dishes and desserts. It's good that there were two desserts because I messed up one of them. It should be a cake and cookies but came out with 2 kind of cakes. It was a very simple recipe and I still have no clue what exactly went wrong.

Anyway, the most important was that he was at home on this day, not at a Stronghold somewhere in the fields... Nick is the love of my life, my hero. I am very afraid of losing him, but I would not have been able to fully respect him if he had not volunteered for the Armed Forces on February 25, 2022. There are hundreds of thousands of people like us. I never thought that feelings could be so polar. We are afraid, we sometimes regret our choice, but we would do the same again.

That's it.

I apologize for the quality of the photos, I took them on my smartphone.

I had my camera with me but I don't know when I will get my hands on those photos, because the work has been taking up a lot of time the last couple of weeks ruining my leisure plans along with the weather.

As you see, it's time to say Thank You and Good Bye. But what's the moral of this story?

Walk more often? Yes of course.

Appreciate your loved ones? No doubt.

But still ... to believe in good things and miracles. My experience has shown that it doesn't matter how discouraged you are and how long the road of failure is behind you.

Sometimes we just need someone to tell us - you will be fine. You will know when it happens. Let me be that "someone" for you today.