The tulips have survived all the temperature dips, frosts and freezes, that we’ve had over the past week. They are one of only a handful of flowers to otherwise survive at our place without human intervention, in the way of fences or deer repellent. I am glad the weather didn’t take them. It is nice to have some color.…
shiny new mailbox
April 8, 2016We are doing some home improvements this week, one of which is installing a new mailbox. The previous one had been here since long before we moved in and was a sorry sight. It was taped together and had seen better days. So, ta da! A shiny new one. The daily trek to retrieve the mail is ‘an event’ in our household. The announcement from the man that we are going to get the mail is received with ecstatic whole…
book review: the garden room by timothy mawson
April 6, 2016If you love books about gardening, you might like “The Garden Room: Bringing Nature Indoors” by Timothy Mawson. I recently ordered a secondhand copy and it arrived this week. Published in 1994, it is truly eye candy for us gardeners. The idea behind the book is that we can combine the natural beauty from the outdoors with our living spaces, or make living spaces right in the outdoors. Mr. Mawson has selected several noteworthy gardeners and provided some background on each…
a little further south
April 4, 2016While spring is just arriving here, we enjoyed the greenery and blooming trees this weekend during a visit with my family, who are a bit south of us. Ah, nothing like spring flowers! I believe that this particular tree is called a Redbud; however, if anyone knows differently, please do share in the comments. We were so fortunate to see such a beautiful day.…
a little garden friend
March 31, 2016I found this little kinda big toad while preparing one of the garden beds for sowing. This is one the largest toads I’ve seen around here, in fact. I am calling him my little garden friend. He was under a pile of wooden stakes that were laying flat across the soil. When I picked up the stakes, there he was. I think the sudden sunlight surprised him. Maybe he had hibernated there all winter, as he was burrowed into the soil. I…
the best medicine
March 25, 2016Today’s entry in the Simple Abundance book speaks to us about feeling blue. Occasionally, these feelings get the best of us. Sarah offers to us several ways to cope with these feelings, ranging from brewing a fresh pot of tea to clearing your head with a walk around the block, to preparing a new recipe for dinner. I love all of these suggestions. I especially take to heart her suggestion of cleaning our desks and organizing our papers. This never…
a valiant fight
March 21, 2016I came across these feathers yesterday during my afternoon walk through the woods with the dogs. What might have defeated this beautiful bird…a hawk or an owl, perhaps. Odd thing to me, one bird hunting the other. A Trace of Blue, from PacificMelody’s Blog: Sunlight strikes The Blue Jay’s wings Flashing shards of Brilliant blue Shamelessly flaunting His sheer perfection He lights on a branch Of a nearby tree Sings a few notes Then disappears Leaving in his Departing wake…
beauty
March 18, 2016The last verse from a really great poem called “This is me” by David Neuman: You are beautiful because you are rare, Because no one else can compare. Your face, Your nose, Your eyes, With your sense of humor to comprise, Someone no one else can match. Try to make it in a lab… Try throw it down the hatch. You compare yourself to everyone else, When you are one of a kind. Why can’t you get that in your…
stillness
March 15, 2016Today’s message in the Simple Abundance book is about self-nurturing. Sarah Ban Breathnach asks us to consider simple acts of taking good care of ourselves. She asks “How much sleep are you getting? Are you walking often or getting enough exercise? Have you given meditation a fair chance?” I’ve recently begun spending one minute outside first thing each morning, listening to the birds as they start their day. This was so difficult at first – one whole minute during the…
the first flowers
March 14, 2016Daffodils are the first flowers to show their pretty faces in our “garden” – in fact, one of the very few flowers we see here, with the bunnies and deer so rampant. They are wild and crop up here and there throughout the woods. It is so nice to see them, and today it was sad to see their little faces drooping due to all the rain we’ve received, although they need the rain just as we do… Let the…
