"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.
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“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.
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"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.
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The 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.
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The 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.
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The 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.
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The 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.
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Fall 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.
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The 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.
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We 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.
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Our 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?”
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Summer 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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It looks like our early summer has arrived in a chariot of fire! We are desperate heat seekers at this point of the year and yet, even we NW natives have our limits. The U.N. said this morning we are approaching the key warming limit for our precious planet. So, as we remodel or build our new homes let us all keep energy efficiency top of mind, plant trees in our yards to absorb carbons and maybe even do a little vegetable garden for an adventure. It will never be one thing or person but the collective effort of all that will move us forward. Happy Summer!
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I would call this a reluctant Spring. All the signs are there as the trees bloom and the green shoots erupt from the earth. However, the temperatures don’t match the season. It feels like we are mimicking Mother Nature. The economic climate has been less than attractive but people have decided to get on with their lives having faith that things will normalize while moving forward with their hopes and dreams. The human spirit is a glorious thing to witness.
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Why are we so anxious for Spring? Hope, renewal, rebirth, green, delicious scents and sun! Reading on a warm bench outside, planting our gardens, cooking with fresh vegetables, leaving the door open for fresh air. Walking ourselves and the dog with only one layer on and greeting our long hibernating neighbors. It is often the simple luxuries in life that are the most wonderful. Happy Spring!
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"Where there is love, there are always miracles.” - Willa Cather
It seems that through our acts of kindness and love our hearts expand and our lives get bigger.
Sometimes it isn’t the easiest thing on the menu but we all sleep a little easier having risen to the occasion. Cheers to all of us for stepping up to the plate when called.
I hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day!
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