In the months of April and May, we honored our mothers.
Earth Day in April paid homage to our precious planet, and May celebrated our birth mothers who have shepherded us through our lives.
In search of an appropriate acknowledgement of both, I found Carl Sagan’s famous quote: “Pale Blue Dot."
Read More"There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." - Anais Nin
Read More"A joyful heart is the inevitable result of a heart burning with love."
Mother Teresa
The Happiest of Holidays to You All!
Wishing you peace in your hearts, peace in your families, and peace in our world
"Autumn is a Second Spring When Every Leaf is a Flower."
Albert Camus
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"Summertime is always the best of what might be."
Charles Bowden
Everything is ripe. Everything is glorious. It really doesn’t get any better than this. The mornings are getting cool so we are counting each warm day. I try to press it all into my heart so I can savor the warmth as I tend my garden and watch the hummingbirds.
I ate my first tomato today. A landmark day for a gardener. This relentless heat does produce miracles. I’m always looking for miracles. That unexpected gift from the Universe that could create a fleeting moment of delight or transform your life. Embrace it all and life will be good.
Read More“No gardener would be a gardener if he did not live in hope.” - Vita Sackville West
Hope is that eternal glimmer that it will all work out for the better. I carry it with me every day and it makes space for the Universe to deliver.
Read More"We learn from our gardens to deal with the most urgent questions of our time: How much is enough?"
Wendell Berry, American Poet
"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."
Lao Tzu
We could just sit and watch our gardens and learn so much. It appears that no matter how fierce the winter, we have the privilege of witnessing the miracle of new life each Spring. Perhaps we should take note and count on ourselves more and hurry less.
Spring has arrived and the beloved poet, Mary Oliver says it best.
I rose this morning early as usual,
and went to my desk.
But it’s spring,
and the thrush is in the woods,
somewhere in the twirled branches, and he is singing.
And so, now, I am standing by the open door.
And now I am stepping down onto the grass.
I am touching a few leaves.
I am noticing the way the yellow butterflies
move together, in a twinkling cloud, over the field.
And I am thinking: maybe just looking and listening
is the real work.
Maybe the world, without us,
is the real poem.
Read MoreThe miracle is starting to happen.
Everywhere I look I see new life peeking through the cloak of winter. It gives me heart as I anticipate the unfolding of spring. Socrates once said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Let’s consider his challenge as we welcome the new season.
Read MoreThe shortest day has passed and each day we gain a little light. I peruse my seed catalogues and dream of a garden in bloom. The soil is frozen now so I must be patient. Not my strong suit. However, just below that dormant surface an entire season of beauty is considering pushing upwards towards the surface. Remember this metaphor when your heart may seem temporarily frozen and needs only the slightest encouragement to warm up. Let’s be kind to one another so all hearts can beat gently regardless of the temperature.
Read MoreThe Holidays seem to bring us joy, light, and sadness. Joy in the gathering of those we love. Light as we embrace the stories of our faiths and sadness for those missing from our celebrations. We reflect on our year and begin to plan for the new one. Let us plan for Peace on Earth and goodwill towards men and women.
Read MoreThe poet, Mary Oliver, writes of the “unobservable mysteries- roots and sealed seeds and the wanderings of water.” She speaks of Fall and the quiet closure of what was recently abundant. Similarly, we each round another season of our lives with both grand and subtle gestures that lead us into our annual period of reflection and gratitude. And the one that fuels our souls again is gratitude.
Read MoreFall has arrived! Everything nature has worked all year to produce is either in full fruit or has been harvested. It is the finale of the symphony. Both thrilling and nostalgic, as it all comes to a close. Not unlike life, we work so hard to finish something very important to us and upon completion we celebrate and then go into a funk realizing the next challenge is on the horizon. Nature sets a better example. She rests.
Read MoreThe fiery early fall sunsets and this dahlia have a lot in common. A celebratory symbol of a spectacular summer and a bountiful harvest. This corner of the planet has so many special gifts: Water, forest, mountains, and rich ancient alluvial soils left by our glacial and volcanic past. We have it all. Savor every moment in our blessed region.
Read MoreWe are approaching the grand finale of summer. Trees are heavy with fruit, flower gardens filled with riotous color and even the smallest vegetable garden can feed a family of ten or more. If you are looking for something to be grateful for this might be it. Nature in all her glory. And in the Pacific NW, I don’t think it gets any better than this visual symphony. There is so much joy to be found in this remarkable state of grace.
Read MoreOur voluptuous summer months have arrived. Rich foliage, bountiful blossoms, garden dinners, and the deep healing of the sun on our bare skin. Sometimes it’s just the simple things that make our lives the best. As the poet, Mary Oliver, once asked in her poem, The Summer Day: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
Read MoreSummer is here! This is why we live here. The beauty is breathtaking. There is a lot going on in our world but to ignore this gift would be folly. I always feel that we are in a state of grace during these months of warmth and bounty. So, let’s all take a breath and be grateful for all that is good in our lives, today and always.
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