Hummingbirds, Blue Bells, and Jack Fruit

Our bluebells are in full bloom. Their existence and other blooms remind me there is brightness and joy in the world still. It all helps us come out of our sad moments of losing a fur angel and places us back into the wonderful world that is filled with beauty. But then again, when I really think about it, these bluebells were peed on time and time again by Jasper. He loved lifting his little leg on the pretty purple flowers, sharing his energy all over the place. So, here we are.

The eight- to 10-foot-high climbing rosebush is coming along too. We had a strong wind, thunder, lightning, and rain last night, which caused some of the petals to fall to the ground. But all in all, the bush survived the tumultuous weather and all is good. 

Walking Togo up the alley, I saw the apple trees in a neighbor's yard. They were full of beautiful blooms bursting into the spring air. What an art show!

I love apple trees in bloom. 

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Terry spotted a bedspread with pillow shams to brighten our room. With a gorgeous hummingbird design in bright colors, it put everything in a different light. It really brightens the room, and our mood. We needed that.

This set definitely screams "spring." I had to put it on the day after losing our fur angel. It really lifts the mood of the household. Beautiful choice, babe!

Much to my surprise, Terry also purchased a hummingbird feeder with a camera. We will have to put it all together, hang it, and hopefully get some good shots to share in the blog. I can't wait! 

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Gas prices are still skyrocketing at $4.89 for the cheap stuff around here, so the deliveries were put on hold for a bit. That is, until today (4/10/2026). I chose to go out for one or two runs since I'm growing bored. I have had conversations with all my fur angels, and bored Terry to death with my ramblings, I'm sure. Now it's time to do something. 

I did some math yesterday and found that it takes approximately .23.333 cents to operate my car per mile with the gas prices are as high as they are. I figured that's not too bad. Maybe once in a while go for a delivery? Of course, these 23 cents do not cover the price of maintenance, repairs if needed, and the usual wear and tear on the car, insurance, and all of the other costs that are needed to operate our cars. I figure at that price, maybe a few won't break me. I did one close to home yesterday. It felt good to get out and do one. We will try again today. 

After a few hours of waiting for the deliveries to come in and nothing happened, I pulled the plug. I guess it's going back to doing files or opening up some other form of money-making ideas that keep me occupied. We will have to see how it all goes. 

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Leaving me home alone, without supervision of any kind, does nothing but get us into trouble. I am mulling over ideas to keep myself entertained and employed. My poor husband. He is always supportive of whatever I choose to do but the plans I come up with are often ones that will have piles of crap around the house that we don't need or want or put us further into debt. The jewelry isn't selling. The files I used to transcribe seem to be gone each time I log in to find one I can work. Deliveries are really sucking due to the gas prices we find ourselves paying. In Oregon, our cheap stations are at $4.89 per gallon. Ridiculous and, in my opinion, totally unnecessary. 

This leaves me in quite the predicament. What does one do with themselves when there is no work? Throughout my life I have worked two, three, and even four jobs at a time. I was never sitting still to let boredom find me much less set in. I was running deliveries, selling jewelry in live sales and online, transcribing files, and working on closed captioning titles for videos and films. I loved every minute of it, even while falling face down in bed every night. That exhaustion was welcomed and it was expected, and for that, I was grateful.

Terry is happily working his two days a week. His weekend begins Wednesday, giving him a four-day weekend. In the meantime, he has written a second soon-to-be-released poetry book, kept up with his physical therapy to assist the healing of his knee, and he has read many books. Look at him go! The man will be 70 years young on the 25th of this month and yet nothing seems to slow him down. Well, besides another book.

Me? I'm sitting in the office, waiting for the sparse orders to come through for delivery. In the meantime, the files are gone, and jewelry is trickling out sales. I have been a life coach before, so I guess maybe it's time to begin again. The process will start today. At least I won't have tote after tote of jewelry, or box upon box of stuff that isn't selling. I do still have the Marketplace store on Facebook, filled with jewelry and other items, waiting for those special people who enjoy costume and vintage jewelry, along with other items. 

To keep myself working, I began the dismantling of the beds and blankies my little guy slept on while alive. I miss him lying in the office with me while I am on the laptop and felt it was time to clean things up and bring in new energy. So, boxes and items were carried to the basement, with Mallory's help. We carried down a few from the nook and one or two from the office. I vacuumed and shampooed the carpets. Now it's time to push out the old energy and bring in the new with a round of smudging the home with palo santo. 

Palo santo is a hardwood tree that is native to Peru, Ecuador, and other parts of South America. In Spanish, the name of the tree translates to "holy wood" and when burned it leaves the scent of citrus, mint, and pine. 

Palo Santo has been used in ceremonies to clear energy, purify spaces, and to assist in physical and mental healing. It is known to help relieve stress and anxiety and does help with focus. So, I will be doing that today (4.16.26). 

A stick of palo santo sits on top of pieces of sage that I burn. 

Sticks of palo santo. 

Palo santo does burn well, and it leaves a campfire scent upon the initial burn. Afterward, the smoke settles and the citrus, pine, and mint aroma comes in. Your room is left with the blend of aromas for a while. Opening windows to release negative energy in your space is necessary for the cleansing though, and that takes out a bit of the scent. What is left will linger for a day or two. 

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Going to the store the other day, I spotted a couple of boxes of what I considered to be an odd fruit. 

This is jack fruit, a most amazing edible treat. These samples of the fruit are tiny compared to other full-grown fruit that can weigh as much as 110 pounds. Figs and mulberries join the jack fruit in a family of delicious edibles. 

Often the jack fruit is used as a substitute for meat, including being a delectable choice for vegetarian barbecue. Unripe jack fruit has a mild flavor, with a blend of flavors that are similar to a banana, mango, and pineapple. The texture is comparable to the firmness of a pineapple. 

Each of these jack fruits are $10 each at WinCo, however, it is so versatile in being a fruit and also a substitution for meat that it seems it could be worth the cost. Who knows? I have done research but have yet to taste the fruit myself. 

Photo by webmd.com

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Terry and I are planning a trip through Wildlife Safari this weekend, so I will end this post here. I feel it makes the post a bit too long if we add our trip on top of all of the babbling I've already accomplished here. 

So, until our next post, take care of yourselves and know you are perfect just the way you are. 

Until next time,

Terry and Vicki Macrae

Two old people investigating the world