Ikebana, “arranging flowers” or “making flowers alive” is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. The tradition dates back to the Heian period when floral offerings were made at altars. Later, they were placed in the tokonoma (alcove) of a home. Ikebana reached its first zenith in the 16th century under the influence of Buddhist tea masters and has grown over the centuries, with numerous distinct schools extant today. The arrangement pictured above was created by my mother during a Zoom class which she participated in along with my sister who organized the activity. She never ceases to amaze us with her artistic talent which apparently does not extend to photography. I may have to request that she take another picture without the fire alarm, nature sign, and lighting sconce in the background.