(no subject)

Beulah came over and we talked about irises. Then we watched the Smallville episode 'phoenix". It's a while since I'd seen it. A few impressions:

1. Lex had a harder edge than I remembered - less vulnerable, more angry. Angry with everyone but Clark.
2. When Martha said to Clark that no one blamed him for the baby's death, I assume that means she didn't know that Jonathan blamed him for the baby's death.
3. Lex was so good to the Kents in this episode - gave them a farm in a way that didn't harm their pride; made his affection for them clear. And yet they never show him much trust or kindness through the whole season. Poor Lex!
4. Lionel seemed more benign, less dangerous and threatening than I have come to think of him. His actions to Lex, before "Shattered", are much more ambiguous and could be interpreted (with allowance for Lione's character) as fatherly.
5. Lana Lang seemed more annoying than ever; when I first saw this I was just happy with her because she and Clark seemed to be breaking up. This time - no. She's still a weepy and self-absorbed selfish brat. Her most amazing line is when she says that whether she and Clark are together or not is 'her decision'. Not entirely!
6. The reunion between Lex and Clark is still the best moment of the episode.
7. A adore Rutger Hauer as Morgan Edge. I wish he'd stayed - a magnificent villain.
8. Lana's use of martial arts against the thugs just doesn't ring true. Not unless she has a split personality.
9. Chloe is wonderful.
10. Clark is cute. There was even a split second where I liked him as red!Clark, though in general I don't like red!Clark at all.
11. Nice flannel.

Iris...

My current fascination with irises began a couple of days ago when I read a play called A Betrothal by Lanford Wilson. It looks as if my theatre is going to enter it in the Eastern Ontario Drama League festival this fall. The script is lots of fun; I hope we do produce it, because I want to see the play.

There was enough in it to pique my curiosity, so I started looking up irises on the web.

Though I like looking at flowers as much as anyone, I don't know a lot about them. The only flowers I've ever researched were roses, not so much because I am interested in roses, but because I love their names. Like race-horses. I've also been advised by my Ayurvedic counsellor to use the scent of roses as aromatherapy, but do you know how hard rose-scent is to find? I know one place where I can find rose-scented candles. I have found no rose-scented shampoo, bath oil, soap, or shower gel. I continue to search.

So there I was, thinking about irises, and on looking them up online I learned that they have names that are as much fun, and interesting, as roses. Current varieties include Dark Vader (the space opera contingent), Dark Desire (for the romance novelists), Antigone, Apollo's Touch (suitable to my current reading of Homer), Archeveque, Batik, Bewilderbeast, Wizard's Return, Chocolate Swirl (if you like ice cream), Dream Express, Marilyn Ashley, My Forte Richard Ernst 2000, Galactic Warrior, Cinnamon Girl, Amethyst Flame, Titan's Glory, and Dusky Challenger.

And I'd thought and iris was an iris was an iris, although I knew you could have different textures and details. Now I know there are dwarf and tall irises, and some are grown from rhizomes and some from bulbs. There are bearded irises - apparently the most popular - contrasted with Siberian Iris, Japanese Iris, Dutch Iris and even English Irish. A whole world out there that I know nothing of.