I tried three different techniques for fixing coffee, until I sipped from the cup that soothed my soul. The Chemex won and Goldilocks…I feel you.

I rarely edit my photos anymore and haven’t for a long time. Every now and then I’ll brighten it if the subject is sitting in a darkened area, but I enjoy waiting for the camera to pick up that sliver of natural light. This slows the photo taking process instead of just snapping it knowing it’s going to be edited. This morning, I noticed my thumb has stopped automatically moving to the edit button.

I bought a different breed of Hibiscus this year and it’s the opposite of what I’ve had in the past. The one I had last year for instance would stand up straight and open it’s flower like an announcement to the world that it’s in bloom. The open faced bloom was the size of my hand, so you couldn’t help but notice it. The one I have this year is a double bloom, which makes the flower heavy, so it droops and hangs downward. Sitting in the alone chair, I looked over and spotted a bloom which isn’t noticeable by looking at the plant straight on.

This plant blooms from the side, or back, almost like it wants to be kept secret. The Hibiscus bloom only stays open for one day, so I’ve started pinching the bloom off at the stem and bringing it inside, knowing I only have that one day to enjoy it. I placed it in a tiny cup of water on my worktable and it’s mesmerizing to look at. When I took this photo, it was early in the day, so the only light was the daylight coming from the window, but look at it glow!

It’s similar to the quiet bloom, but you really have to be paying attention, or you’ll miss it. This plant prefers to bloom in secret.