Prickly

My friends living in the northern reaches of the country are currently enduring a torrent of wild and wintry weather. Snow. Sleet. Wind. You name it. If it's unpleasant, they've got it.

Here in Los Angeles, I carve out 15 minutes every afternoon to sit in the sun. During this sliver of time, I feel the heat warm my chest and tinge my cheeks with color. It is a decadent indulgence, one I am sheepish to admit but secretly relieved to have. After decades of shoveling snow, cutting grass, and trimming bushes, I have become an ardent fan of the desert landscape. 

For this girl, cactus is the new black.

"Gardening requires lots of water, most of it in the form of perspiration." – Lou Erickson