Gopher plant in our garden

This photo of me and one of our gopher plants shows how tall gopher plants can be. I like the look of these plants, but they don't seem to completely repel gophers. We have gophers living three feet from our plant, and the gophers are munching away on our vegetables in a most alarming manner.
Before posting this photo I researched these plants, Euphorbia lathyris, AKA Gopher spurge, Cape spurge, Mole plant or Mole spurge and read that the white sap is very toxic, so be very cautious when handling the plant or cutting it. People have gone to the ER room because it caused an allergic reaction with severe itching and swelling on hands and face.
I read that the gopher plant can spread so much by its seeds that it is considered a noxious weed in some areas like the Pacific Northwest. Here at our home in California it hasn't spread and we have two large plants.
Have you grown gopher plants? Did they repel gophers?

Greek Orthodox Church Destroyed on 9/11

Greek Orthodox Church Dome and Cross
Originally uploaded by bongo vongo
Finally this is in the news, with the New York Times picking up the story on August 23, 2010.
A Greek Orthodox Church was the only religious building destroyed on 9/11 at Ground Zero, and so far has not been allowed to rebuild.
This has been a lot of years to still not give them permits.
Yet the mosque got a quick green light.
This is not justice.
Here is the article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/24/nyregion/24greek.html?src=mv
The church simply wants to rebuild; it should have gotten the permits years ago and I hope it gets the ok to build now.

Cute cat and flowers

Romanticat
Originally uploaded by aikan

A cat and flowers, two of my favorite things, and I know lots of you blogger friends agree. We loves us our cats and our flowers.

Be bold

"Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid."
This quote is meaningful to me and I hope you like it too.
The author is Basil King, who wrote books and was an Anglican priest and married, while suffering at times from depression due to his becoming slowly blind, and having serious thyroid problems.
Basil King was born on Prince Edward Island in Canada in about 1850. I wonder if he knew of L. Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables. King and Montgomery are both noted Canadian writers.

I won, I won, the cutest herb garden pasta set

I am so happy! Yes, little ol' me won a give away on Anne's blog at http:/agirlandhergarden.blogspot.com
Anne gave away a $45 gift certificate to use at http://www.csn.com
I had not visited that online store before and Wow, they have a huge variety of things at very reasonable prices. The certificate was for anything in the store.
This set arrived yesterday in the mail, via Fed Ex and last night we used the large bowls as dinner plates, for salmon, ratatouille and roasted potatoes. The pasta set bowls are microwave and dishwasher safe, and very pretty.
Please visit Anne's blog and say hi.

Two Profound Prayer Ideas

Chicago Temple Stained Glass
Originally uploaded by Atelier Teee
I was listening to Catholic radio on Sirius on Saturday, which I have in my car so can't take notes on details.

I heard two wonderful insights on prayer.

One was from a Jesuit priest, which he learned from an elderly man who had a rich prayer life. The man often prayed for two hours and the priest asked him what he prayed about, and what words he used, during such a lengthy time in prayer. The man replied "I look at God and he looks at me."

That sounds very beautiful to me.

The second thing I heard on Sirius radio was a quote by Sister Angelica, who said she often prays "Lord, what do you want me to do at this moment?"

Isn't that profound? Her prayer often ends with immediate action by her.

Now, those are two wise people, and I note that each of them is a senior citizen. Sometimes it takes time to learn how to pray and to spend time with our Father.

Wolf of Tebron book review: A hero, a wolf and dreams

Wolf of Tebron by C.S. Lakin.
I enjoyed going on this hero’s journey with Joran and Ruyah, in this fantasy that contains elements of fairy tale and myth. Joran is an unlikely hero who sent his wife, Charris, away in a jealous fit, and Ruyah is a huge silver wolf who has long watched Joran from the woods and hills nearby.
Joran does not know why, but he has the ability to talk with animals, whether a goat on his farm or a wolf or wild songbird.
The outward purpose of the journey is to rescue Charris, who is magically imprisoned in ice in an unknown place. The author skillfully interweaves the hero encountering danger with passages where wisdom is shared and beauty is seen.
Lakin includes lyrical descriptions, characterizing the essence of light itself as “liquid joy”, and the wolf leading the way as “But he set his attention on Ruyah’s tail, which floated on the fog like a disembodied swatch of fur.”
The travelers are forced to visit Cielle, the moon’s sister, then Sola, the sun’s mother, the South Wind and finally the Sea, and face despair, fights and the threat of death as they journey toward Charris. Sola says that the moon is a jealous being and won’t give up Charris, and she is right.
I am not going to give away any plot here but I recommend that you read this fantasy which intertwines dreams and reality, and enjoy the journey.
This is the first book in the Gates of Heaven series.