A Gift for You - A Flower and a Poem

 

 

Apple blossoms from another year, just beginning to open.

The blush of new blossoms touch my heart and make me smile.

 

This poem was found just this morning on Facebook. It was posted by a high school friend that went on to become a published poet. Sometimes her poems and the ones she posts I don't quite get. This one intrigued me that we learn the language of sleep with our hearts half-opened flowers. 

Happy Valentine's Day, dear friends!

Over the River and Through the Woods

When my "live-in gardener and I left home a few days ago the sky looked like it had fallen to the ground with a curtain of fog; but we decided to go to the beach anyway. It is about an hour and a half drive through the trees. For some reason the fog just made the adventure more intriguing and beautiful. I was in love with the way it danced among the trees and over the water.

Even on a clear day this swap intrigues me. There are usually many birds to see, including herons. We were not disappointed, though you won't spot any in my pictures. These were quick snaps as we traveled past.

The silhouettes of the bare trees made for a stark, dramatic sight.

We finally arrived! I adore the beach any time of year, but there is something just magical in a winter beach. Is it the wildness? I think so! I do love just a touch of the wild in my life and I get that from a winter beach.

 

We stopped here for a driving break and there was a touch of color in the upturned boats.

And as there is no Adirondack chair that passes me without a photo shoot, more color was added to the day.

And speaking of wild, just at the edge of town where we stopped for a bite to eat was a small herd of elk.

I did say no Adirondack chair passes me by without a snap of my camera, here are some more chairs waiting for a sunny day to sit and watch the waves roll in.

Some chairs resting and waiting for travelers to come again.

With a lunch of fish and chips in our tummy's we were ready to come home again through the foggy trees.

 Oh!!!! I love a foggy, wintery day at the beach.

The drive delighted me just as much as the destination.

Do you love a foggy day?

Happy weekend, dear friends!

Go out and find the wild.

A Gift for You - A Flower and a Poem

Three small bouquets graced my tea tray this morning.

Starting on the left is a small branch from my daphne bush and a hellebore bloom.

In the middle is a soft pink primrose, which will be planted in the garden at the end of the month.

And on the right is a hyacinths bulb beginning to bloom. I found it at Trader Joe's in the vase for $2.49 and couldn't resist this small treat of a flower blooming on my tea tray.

The tea this morning is Shui Jin Gui from Wuyi Origins in China. A very nice black tea perfect for my tea tray. It is like a flower in my cup.

"Some moment happens in your life

that you say ‘yes’ right up to the roots of your hair,

that makes it worth having been born

just to have happen…

laughing with somebody

till the tears run down your cheeks…

waking up to the first snow…

being in bed with somebody you love...

Whether you thank God for such a moment

or thank your lucky stars,

it is a moment that is trying to open up your whole life.

If you turn your back on such a moment

and hurry along to business as usual,

it may lose you the ball game.

If you throw your arms around such a moment

and hug it like crazy,

it may save your soul."

 ― Frederick Buechner

Toss your arms around each moment and savor each day.

Sending love and a flower.

A Secret Place, A Home

 Walking with a friend not to long ago I found this secret place in the tree. As a young child I loved finding secret places and this one would be high on my list of places to hide and dream. I would imagine it was the home of trolls or maybe even a ladybug family. I had a wild imagination playing by myself.

 

This week I received the Spring issue of Victoria magazine. Do you receive Victoria in the mail? I have followed along for a long time. Each issue is like a mini-vacation or escape. When I was reading it I found the question "Reflecting on all of the abodes where you have lived, which house truly holds your heart?"

 

Secret places of girlhood dreams definitely hold my heart. I had an adventurous heart and  traveled alone to imaginary worlds. Most often it was when my mom, sister, and I lived with my grandpa. A time when I was free to run, as long as I was home for dinner or when it got dark. There were friends in the neighborhood too and we could be found in the surrounding area playing hide & seek, softball, roller skating, or riding bikes. When the milkman came by on a hot summers day he would let us hop in his truck with chunks of ice and ride a couple blocks while sucking on pieces of ice.

 

The picture above is me on the left with two cousins and my sister while standing in front of my grandpa's house. There was an apartment above the garage in the background and I would dream of moving in there to live, it was like a tree house.

So I think it isn't so much about a particular abode, but about how it makes us feel. For me it was the freedom of adventure and friendships, a time to dream.
 

Now it is about just sitting on my back steps with a good cup of tea,

observing the day, and dreaming.
 

Do you have a house or place that holds your heart?

 

Happy weekend, dear friends?