Perhaps you have noticed how cleverly the flowers in your garden have timed their blooming to fall in periods so that there is always something beautiful on display. The azaleas are already on their way out now, but the honeysuckle and lantanas are beginning to take over from them. And, next month, my favorite - gardenias - will be ready to arrive!

And of course that reminds me of a story. I have large gardenia bushes in front of and behind my house, and I watch carefully to catch the first bloom. They always produce rather large flowers, but seem to be late in blooming. One of my neighbors has a gardenia planted next to her mailbox which is of a variety that has much smaller flowers, but, much to my annoyance, blooms earlier in the season than mine.

My daughter tells me it is my competitive nature that makes me care at all. Okay, then wait until I tell her about today's disaster...

I went out to pick up the morning paper, and, as I glanced around at the shining green leaves surrounding the neighbor's mailbox, I saw two spots of white. Reluctantly, I went forward for a closer look... surprise! It was a only crumpled piece of kleenex. When the trash truck lifted the cans, a few bits of tissue escaped and landed in the bushes.

I thought of yet another old adage - "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." And there's always the other one - "Distance lends enchantment." Oh well, there was a piece of honeysuckle growing nearby to pick. That was real, and it smelled good too.

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If you're interested in a quick and easy way to make some improvement in your blood pressure, here are seven ways to keep it down, recommended by the National Institutes of Health:

1. Lose excess weight. (Even ten pounds can help.)

2. Limit or avoid alcoholic beverages.

3. Get at least 30 to 45 minutes of exercise during most days of the week.

4. Limit the amount of salt in your diet - not just table salt - check your food labels for sodium content. Some canned soups can have more than a whole day's worth of sodium!

5. Try to get eight to 10 servings of fruit or vegetables every day.

6. Restrict your fat intake.

7. Last but not least - if you smoke, stop.

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I took advantage of my oldest son's visit last week to make a trip to Mobile's Exploreum for "A Day in Pompeii," the amazing exhibit of artifacts from the city consumed by Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 74.

The exhibit focuses on life in the town, including their businesses, houses and gardens, furniture and art, jewelry, their dining and eating habits, religious beliefs and household shrines and even their funeral practices.

There are also more than 250 artifacts found in the city of Pompeii, all preserved exactly as they were rediscovered. Each visitor is supplied with a handheld device that provides a self-guided tour.

In addition to being a fascinating exhibit, we found the Exploreum easy to find, with convenient parking just outside the doors. Here's a tip, though - if you plan to park at the meters, bring plenty of change - it's $1 per hour, and you can't put in more than one hour's worth of coins at a time. Not very easy to tear yourself away from the show to feed the meter - time flies when you're having fun, you know.

This exhibit moves to another city in early June, and will travel around the U.S. all year, so plan to go soon - once it's over, it will be just like Pompeii - gone forever.

To contact The Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center and Imax Theater in Mobile, call their toll-free number, 877-625- 4FUN, or visit their website, Exploreum.net

The exhibit will run through June 3rd. Cost of tickets is $18.25 for adults, $17.25 for seniors 60 and above and youth 13 through 18, and $11 for children two through 12. Advance tickets are available. Exhibit hours are Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m, and Sunday, noon - 5:00 p.m.

The Exploreum also offers a gift shop, a digital 3-D theatre, an on-site cafe, and an IMAX theatre.

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Here's an interesting quote from the witty Sophie Tucker:

"From her birth to her teens, a girl needs good parents. From 18 to 35, she needs good looks. From 35 to 50, she needs a good personality. From fifty on, a girl needs cash."

See you next week!