"When we accept ourselves with all our imperfections, we then can begin to accept others just as they are."
It is a lesson to be learned. As I always say, there is no perfection only progress. None of us are perfect. We may think we are, but we certainly are not. I must say the serenity prayer more than once a day. I have accepted people just as they are. It is difficult when I see a person suffering mentally, physically and psychologically. I see it on a daily basis. There comes a time when one must move on. Have you moved on from a situation? I have moved on in relationships, in occupations, in hobbies and in volunteer positions. When something does not make you happy anymore it is time to move on. In the past I might have thought this was a defeat. Actually it is an accomplishment and an achievement to know when you have done enough. It is always better to move on when you are at the top. One should enjoy life. What have you enjoyed in your life? I am going to enjoy the peace , serenity and love of Fire Island as the future unfolds. Being with Rick, and friends at the beach and among the plants is the best. Try to find a place for yourself in life where you and nature can be one. BE AMONG THE PLANTS
In discussing the sedatives, I have discussed Valerian and Passion Flower. I want to discuss briefly the California Poppy. Like the opium poppy, Eschscholyzia california also contains alkaloids with sedative and hypnotic properties. It is native to grassy and open areas from sea level to 2,000m (6,500 feet) altitude in the western United States throughout California, extending to Oregon, southern Washington, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and in Mexico in Sonora and northwest Baja California. At the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, the back garden has the most beautiful orange colored poppies.
However, compared to the other poppies and their alkaloids, this poppy is relatively safe to be used. It brings the body to a state of equilibrium, not narcotic like the phenanthrene alkaloids of morphine and codeine. It is important for those reading not to confuse the California Poppy with that of the Opium Poppy.
I wonder if the Wicked Witch of west placed California or Opium Poppies in the field to deter Dorothy from reaching the Emerald City. Poppies are used as emblems on tombstones to symbolize eternal sleep. This aspect was used, fictionally, in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to create magical poppy fields, dangerous because they caused those who passed through them to sleep forever. Do you remember that scene?
Opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, is the species of plant from which opium and poppy seeds are extracted. Opium is the source of many opiates, including morphine, thebaine, codeine, papaverine, and noscapine. The Latin botanical name means, loosely, the "sleep-bringing poppy", referring to the sedative properties of some of these opiates. The poppy is the only species of Papaveraceae that is an agricultural crop grown on a large scale. Poppy seeds of Papaver somniferum are an important food item and the source of poppyseed oil, a healthy edible oil that has many uses. It is widely grown as an ornamental flower throughout Europe, North America, South America, and Asia.
The leaves are alternately divided into round, lobed segments. The flowers are solitary on long stems, silky-textured, with four petals, each petal 2–6 cm long and broad; their color ranges from yellow to orange, and flowering is from February to September. The petals close at night or in cold, windy weather and open again the following morning, although they may remain closed in cloudy weather.
It grows well in disturbed areas. In addition to being planted for horticulture, revegetation, and highway beautification, it often colonizes along roadsides and other disturbed areas. It is drought-tolerant, self-seeding, and easy to grow in gardens. It is also pictured in welcome signs while entering California. It is the official flower of California. April 6 is designated California Poppy Day.
Top photograph: Judy Garland sleeping among the Poppies in 1939 Wizard of Oz
Other photographs: The California Poppy
Until tomorrow...
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