Newsflash! More Bad News!

Sounds familiar. 

Loose women! hee!

Just a little aside here, kids.

When someone is going through a tough time, I believe it's proper etiquette to not tell them MORE bad news about something or someone else.

Or send them articles about deeply depressing things about certain possible health issues or cancer scares.

Honestly?

Like I need one more damn thing on my plate right now?

Send me kittens or videos of dogs singing, thank you.

I need positive distractions, not doom or gloom. Yeesh.

My friend in MA sent a very nice article today about being fully yourself. How to let go of the distractions and attempt to focus on the here and now.

Well, that, too is all fine and dandy when you've got money in the bank and can focus on that.

Right now? I'm wondering how on EARTH I'm gonna pay some bills that are due in the next two weeks. I haven't got anything in the bank and people keep saying they're gonna hire me to work in their garden or at their house and then? They disappear on me. There is absolutely a lack of follow-through in Anchorage.

It's the oddest thing.

I show up when I say I'm going to. I do what I tell people I am gonna do. I call when I say I'm going to and if I can't do something, I let people know well in advance.

On the other hand, I cannot tell you how many times I've shown up for a client meeting and then POOF? They are a no-show and they don't even call to say they're sorry when I text or call to remind them of our meeting.

I've driven almost an hour round-trip to a client's house to confer with her on her garden? She wasn't home. And there were no apologies when I saw her. She just said, "Oh, I flaked out."

Yep. You did.

And you wasted an hour out of my day. Actually more, because I had planned to spend at least an hour planning your garden with you. SO, it was 2 hours of wasted time. That translates to $80.

My time is valuable. I have sh*t to do. Things going on. Even if it looks like I'm just browsing at a garden center, I'm not. I'm taking mental notes. Comparing prices to the other three garden centers I've just visited.

When I go to the Botanical Garden, I'm not doing it for fun. It's a fact-finding mission so I can see the native plants that thrive here in Alaska. I've only lived here for a year and I'm learning all the time. I ask questions, I wanna know so my business will also thrive!

When I'm at the restaurant up the street, I'm networking. The bartenders know me and actually give my card to patrons who they know might use my business. I strike up conversations wherever I go - yes, I'm friendly - but it's also an attempt at shameless self-promotion! And it works about 90% of the time. If I can give my card out at least once or twice a day? That's forward motion.

So, re-establishing yourself in a completely different part of the world is a challenge. It's a matter of learning your environment and also the behavior of the humans therein.

It's a totally different place here in Alaska, from a purely psychological standpoint. People REALLY are different. Like REALLY REALLY different. I'd have poo-pooed it if someone had told me that people's behavior would be so different here, but here I am, and I'm tellin' ya? It's just straight up WEIRD.

I've lived all over the world and in many parts of the country I've experienced the "locals." From California to Florida to Maine to Michigan and lots of places in between.

Midwestern people: Nice. Helpful. Kind. Do unto others as you would have done to you. Salt of the earth. Slow-paced type of life. Family-oriented.

Southern people: SUPER nice. Very kind. Genteel. Very respectful toward women. A little scary with the guns. Traditional. Slow-paced. Family-oriented.

California/Oregon/Washington people: Laid back. Outdoorsy. Judgemental. Frugal. Generally take themselves too seriously (in my humble opinion). Creative.

Northeast people: Appear cold at first, but once you're vetted? They will kill for you. True. Kind. Generous. Giving. Highly philanthropic. Creative. Smart and QUICK. Family and friend-oriented.

West but not West coast Westn people: Highly independent. Self-sufficient. Free-thinking and a bit on the wild side. Family oriented. Helpful and make-do-with-whatcha-got type of attitude.

European people: Self-assured. Smart. Very well-mannered. Highly independent thinking. Creative. Family-oriented. Wordly.

Alaskan people: The women are very much like the Midwestern people but most of the men (the transplant men) come at you with the scary attitude of me me me me me. Not all Alaskans are like that - mind you, I'm being REALLY generalized here on the things I've noticed since moving here. There is just a different attitude about living side by side with others.

Now, the NATIVE Alaskans I've found to be the most wonderful humans I have met to date. Very kind. Very spiritual. VERY intuitive. VERY generous with their time and care. SO in tune with nature and the animals and the seasons. It's what I've been striving to learn and do with my gardening and my study of animals, ecology and conservation.

The people with whom I've made the best friendships here are the Native Alaskans, and the transplanted people from Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and a smattering of East Coast transplants.

It's like we all immediately recognize another fellow Midwesterner or East Coaster - that's what they call us here or more likely, "One of you damn liberals" - I've had that thrown at me a jillion times.

Nothing makes a person feel more welcome than being immediately pegged in a certain political light.

And, furthermore, what the hell is wrong with liberal-ness?

And, further furthermore, what the hell is your problem?

Don't judge me before you know anything at ALL about me.  Yikes.

Settle down there, Judgy Judgerton. 

It's an odd place to live, for sure. The women of Alaska rock. Pretty much all of them I've met are really amazing women.

But all of the Alaskan women issued me one warning upon my arrival:

"The odds are good. Yes. But? The goods? Are odd."

Ain't THAT the truth.

But then, again, most men and women I know who cohabit or are married or whatever, are in a constant struggle to just "be" together. We come at life SO very differently.

I choose to be positive and to try to be the best I can be for just today. Tomorrow will come and I'll just try to do the same all over again, but I CANNOT change yesterday or make tomorrow different than what it will be. All we've got is right now.

And right now, I'm eating delicious pasta with butter, salt, pepper and parmesean. Then, I'll go work it off as I garden all day today.

Not too bad. I'll take it.

Ciao for now. Thanks for reading.

My bestie, Karen and I were butterflies for Halloween. Natch.
My talented Momma made all of our costumes. 

Death, taxes and disappointment

So, there's a happy little title to this today!! The three things we can depend upon in this life!

I've been dealing with such utter bullshit in the last week - fraudulent charges from Sprint on my bank account (someone lifted the numbers from my debit card - nice), fraudulent charges from a skin care company (false advertisement on Facebook) and another false charge at some gourmet grocery store in Kansas.

I've never been to Kansas.

And then my day began anew with a phone call from my favorite garden center in Massachusetts, Marblehead Garden Center (MGC). I've been utilizing their fine products for 20+ years and I adore them and appreciate their incredible part in making my business flourish when I opened Fox's Flower Boxes about 800 years ago!

I've always loved the people there and I even worked there for a few summers (what a blast!). Being surrounded by flowers is pretty much totally awesome!

So, then my day started with a phone call from their billing department. There was a $140 charge incurred this summer on my charge account at MGC. Well, this summer I was, as you may well be aware, in a car driving across country AND I was coming to Alaska to stay here and open my NEW business, The FlowerSmith.

Well, it turns out that this "person" who used to work for me (heavy lifting and designing - he was talented as all get out) had used my charge account (his name is on the slip) to buy himself some flowers for his yard this past summer.

Hmmm.

Nope. Not cool.

So, of course, I confronted him about via email (it's always best to have written record of these things, by the way - phone calls go into the mist unless you record them). A few hours later, I of course get this from him (this is the exact email he sent me minus his name because I'm not an asshole like he is):

"On Dec 3, 2014, at 3:21 PM, A*** W****** wrote:

Lisa,

I only used your Foxes Flower Boxes for the discount, as you said I could.  I have NEVER charged anything to

that account!

You need to grow up and learn how to talk to people. You have issuse still can clearly you need to have more

therapy Lisa. What is shitty Lisa is how you communicate!

A***"

Can you imagine writing that to a person who had been in intensive therapy for a year? I can't imagine ever speaking to another person in that cruel way. And if I'm the shitty communicator, why am I paid for my communication skills? I was the Communications Specialist and a Public Affairs Associate at two world-class museums (and I wasn't fired - I left those two jobs!).

I don't think my communication is the issue. I think someone doing something fraudulent and illegal is the issue.

He's mad because he got caught and I am not gonna bail his ass out! Not my job. Never has been and never will be.

There's even more to the story - he also apparently told the people at MGC that he "took over" Fox's Flower Boxes. Well, up there in his email, he doesn't even spell the thing correctly. He spelled it "Foxes" which has never been the spelling.

So this dumbass was going around trying to drum up business for himself by telling folks it's now HIS business. Nope. Not the case.

Then, of course, I had to get on the phone with all the people with whom my OLD business was associated to let them know that this person is in NO way connected to or representing me.

Oy to the vey with this bullshit all day.

Luckily, I've got really really good relationships with my old clients and all the vendors I used, so it was a blessing in disguise to get to talk to all of them after two years of my absence! Everyone was happy to hear from me (which sounds cocky, but it's true! I love these people!), so it was fun catching up with everyone and then to have to tell them this unfortunate turn of events - well, they were all very understanding and kind.

I guess the lesson I learned here is be very careful who you trust. I have known this guy for more than 10 years. Totally trusted him. Had him in my home. He even supported me on one of the worst days of my life. But, MAN! What the heck?

I guess we never really ever can completely know another person. 

Trust yourself and protect yourself. (Isn't there a song like that?)

I luckily listened to my gut a few years ago and sort of cut him out of my life and now I totally understand why. Turns out other people also did the same thing after he showed his true colors.

Also turns out he left Massachusetts and is in Texas now, likely finding another "friend."

With a "friend" like him...

And on it goes! I'm good and healthy and happy and married to a wonderful man. Some pipsqueak in disguise cannot hurt me...I just hope he leaves the nice people of Texas alone. 

The FlowerSmith Website

My hydrangeas on the side of the Derby Street house. Yummy.

Angelonia in a pot by the back door.

Eggplant blossom!
I grew these in raised beds in our parking area...
They did very well. Small, sweet eggplants.

Gorgeous butterfly enjoying the nectar on one of the
oversized butterfly bushes in the backyard.

I don't know why this has taken me so long!


Ridiculous!

Anyway, my website is almost done. More photos to load and some tweaking to do here and there, but it's basically allllmost done!

Let me know what you think!

Click here: The FlowerSmith

Fall pretties with bunny tail grass, sweet potato vine, chili peppers and kale.

Purple asters provide a bit of bright color to this arrangement.

Grasses, pumpkins, kale...

Winter doesn't have to be bleak!

A festive wreath, garland and planter for the holidays!