January 3, 2012 -- okra "flower"

I pulled the sections of an okra pod apart to create this "okra flower," something my grandaughter, Grace, taught me to do. It's amazing how effective this "flower" is. As I pulled the pod apart, seeds were spilling all over the place and it was all I could do to resist collecting them. (Nancy, you have already saved all the okra seeds you could possibly use!) The foliage the opened-pod is combined with is equally interesting. It is buttercup foliage that I collected on my walk this afternoon. It was seriously cold outside, but this foliage was as staunch as it could be (and prettier than it looks in the photo).

Here's how the windowsill looks right now (that's a red oak leaf on the right):