Half-Price Roses

On Valentine's Day, my sweetie had knee surgery, so 3 days later, when he drove to town for physical therapy, he brought home a bouquet of red roses.

"Happy Valentines Day," he hugged me. "The roses were half price."

That's my McSweetie--scotch with his dollars. Sometimes, he's a thrifty Scotsman; sometimes he's frugal. Sometimes, he's just plain stingy.

Generosity is the antidote to stinginess.

My McSweetie was generous to me: red roses for Valentine's Day.

Don't Supersize My Cyclamen

Today i bought 2 little pots of cyclamen for the holidays. Little because cyclamen doesn't last that long for me. I have tried to keep them for next winter, and succeeded, but they were really looking quite elderly by their second Christmas.

Being a bit thrifty, i opted for small as opposed to large. Truthfully, the small pot gives me as much happiness as the larger pot. I don't need to super-size my cyclamen.

A line from the metta sutta says
Contented and easily satisfied,
Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.

I can be content with a small cyclamen. I can be easily satisfied with this small cyclamen. And yes, call me frugal--an unpopular word. I might prefer thrifty. Not stingy. Simply opting for the simple cyclamen, the small one.

Unusual Edging Plants for the Flower Beds

Callisia fragrans or Basket plant

Those houseplants that i took cuttings from in February, rooted in jars, and potted up in March are now ready to go outdoors. Spider plant and Diamond Frost euphorbia edge my white garden. Callisia and geraniums edge another little flower bed. All these annual bedding plants for free.

One of the qualities of loving-kindness is to be frugal. Another pair of loving-kindness qualities is to be contented and easily satisfied.

These free plants certainly meet the frugal qualification. And i am feeling contented with these lovely and unusual edging plants.

Hyacinths in a Pot

I planted some hyacinths in pots, kept them in the garage for 3 months, and now they are blooming. (Not in the garage!)

What a blast to see 7 hyacinths crowded into a pot and smelling heavenly. This is one way i can really see them--up close on the kitchen table.

My sweetie complains that i planted too many tulips in pots, but he is not complaining about too many potted hyacinths. (Six pots still to bloom.)

In truth, he's happy to have tulips on the deck, tulips on the front step, and tulips to give away. Being Scotch, he's a bit more thrifty or frugal or sometimes stingy than i am.

The hyacinths bring me joy, and giving them away gives me even more joy.

The Clean 15

If you want to save money and buy non-organic fruits and vegetables, then these are the ones that are safest:

• Avocados
• Sweet corn
• Pineapples
• Cabbage
• Sweet peas (frozen)
• Onions
• Asparagus
• Mangoes
• Papayas
• Kiwi
• Eggplant
• Grapefruit
• Cantaloupe (domestic)
• Cauliflower
• Sweet potatoes

Some of these make sense, because they have heavy rinds, like avocados, pineapples, and cantaloupe. For the rest, you'll have to delve into the research of the Environmental Working Group.

As a localvore wannabe, i've been saying No to produce from the tropics. The cabbage and onions at my food coop are local and organic, so that's what i buy.

Oh, those tropical fruits look so delicious.

A line from the chant on loving-kindness says

contented and easily satisfied,

...and frugal in their ways.

This is one way we can practice loving-kindness toward all beings--by being contented with what we have, feeling "contented and easily satisfied," even with second best. Like when we choose cabbage instead of lettuce leaves in a plastic container.

Being "frugal" in our ways is absolutely counter-cultural. We are not frugal in order to be stingy; we are frugal so that there is enough to go around. Enough for everyone.

We want to practice loving-kindness to all beings.