Cold, Rainy, Drizzle, Foggy days sprinkled in between Sunny, Bright, Blustery Days that pass rapidly.
This is still the best Spring ever.
No matter what the weather has been like, I vote yes to it.
I think back to past Springs and how they were. Time has such a way of whizzing by. I found myself wishing for days to pass so rapidly. I have always tried to be happy where I am, to bloom where I am planted.
Only during the past few years has this become difficult to do.
I suppose it is a normal aging progression, but that did not make it any easier to get through.
I have fond memories of Springs past. Time of renewal. New Birth.
The Earth coming to life again after a Winter of lying dormant.
Children finally able to run outside and play and have fun without coats and snow and mud. Ok, the mud is still there, but bearable.
I think of my Heritage and the Great Grandparents and decided that a bit of cleaning and scrubbing is nothing compared to how and what they survived.
Little girl giggles while they slide down the slide in our yard.
Puppy squiggles and wriggles and the girls chasing the puppy around the tree.
The first time the kiddie pool gets filled with water.
Daffodils crawling up out of a musty smelling depth and
reaching for the sun.
I learned one time at a nature meeting about the wild flowers
and weeds that are edible. I fried Dandelions in egg and flour batter a few Springs after that class. My Daughters loved having them and would ask me when they saw them bloom the first time when we could cook them.
The many times I was given a hand picked Dandelion bouquet...you
could not ask for better flowers, not even a Dozen Roses compares to the look of love in the eyes of the ones giving that gift to me.
Looking back and remembering those days is a joy to me.
A true gift.
I see how blessed I am. I am loved. I am more than I could ever have been alone. I am my Children, they are me.
They still phone me often. I still phone them too. We connect.
Now they are starting their own families. Spring if full of busy, hurried tasks and they are now the ones going outside and playing with children and watching them get muddy and possibly pick Dandelion bouquets for their Mommies.
It is a time of renewal for all of us. I can recall and record
times when they were growing so that when their own children ask,
they can ask Gramma Kate "What was my Mommie like when she was little?"
I will be there to tell them of the wonderful times we had in Spring. How we went Camping and each pet the girls had.
How we went to pick up our long loved puppy Moki, who was born in early Spring. How we used to go to the park and what their favorite cool Drink was.
Yes, this is definately the best Spring ever.
Every Spring is.
Hugs my Dear Friends,
Katie
Thursday, May 19, 2005
More Thoughts of Spring
I sit outside looking at the wild flower garden I treasure.
If I think of how many hours I have spent in that little place,
it would number in the hundreds or more.
I have weeded, planted and reaped the joys of that place more times than I cold begin to count. It is somewhat of a Secret Garden in that
people cannot see it from the Alley that runs behind our home.
In this garden, I have experimental Perenials. Sometimes I add in and take out things that did not grow as I thought they would when I planted them. There is a corner of spices and my Clemitis in the corner. It gets bigger and prettier every Spring and blooms for so long the summer is nearly ended before it gives up making beautiful blooms of lavender with a darker purple center. I have long forgotten the names of most of these flowers...but there are Butterfly weed, Coneflowers and Wild Strawberries just to name a few. I never tire of spending time out there....unless the mosquitos are bad and chase me inside.
I have a little old porcelin baby bathtub we put water plants in every year, and I found some sprinkly stuff that kills the larve that the mosquitos lay in it. We usually put in a Water Lily and
some water cabbage and whatever else the store has that fits our
budget. I had so many of one plant last year, I could have sold it had I had the ambition and energy.
I also began an Arid plant garden at the same time. Plants that love to be hot and dry and don't complain when I don't quite get all the weeds out. It is bordered on one end by my Deep Purple Iris which double in depth each Spring. On the western end are the Multi-Colored Tulips that seem to get taller every year. They were late blooming this year, but oh when they did, what a joy to see every morning, afternoon, and early evening when I looked out the Kitchen window.
There are the Hostas growing alongside the east fence, getting fuller and bigger each year. I planted the green ones there, having divided them and moved them from a couple of other places since first buying them a few years ago at good old wallyworld. They were cheap at the time and have quadrupled in the years I have had them planted here and there. I have the varigated version around a tree on the southeast of the yard, growing and becoming more beautiful each year, just like the others. I even moved some along the leanto..they love all the shady places I find for them. This year I will only move the ones by the leanto as they need to be divided and conquered.
When I planted them, I got so tired before I was done, I have klumped them a bit and need to remedy that.
The new Lilac bushes we planted last summer are growing and doing well. The Weigilia bush is doing well although I am not sure I like the shape it is taking. May have to talk to someone about how to shape and fix that. I just have not had the time to do that as I should.
I smelled the Spearmint and Peppermint the other day while I was weeding around the tree. It will make wonderful tea one day.
I have two small areas near the front step that need some new Landscaping as I am not sure I like the way they are developing.
That is one of the Joys of Spring, being able to get outside and enjoy these beautiful flowers, some of which I have not even mentioned. I got out there with my camera earlier and was amazed how good the pictures looked, considering the camera was a 48.00 special.
More later on how Spring has affected me both in past and present.
Hope you smiled at least once just sharing my flower gardens with me a bit. They are an amazing way to get out and appreciate nature.
The bugs will be here soon and that will temper my joy a bit, but I realize without them, the flowers would not survive either.
Hugs my friends, catch you later.
Katie
If I think of how many hours I have spent in that little place,
it would number in the hundreds or more.
I have weeded, planted and reaped the joys of that place more times than I cold begin to count. It is somewhat of a Secret Garden in that
people cannot see it from the Alley that runs behind our home.
In this garden, I have experimental Perenials. Sometimes I add in and take out things that did not grow as I thought they would when I planted them. There is a corner of spices and my Clemitis in the corner. It gets bigger and prettier every Spring and blooms for so long the summer is nearly ended before it gives up making beautiful blooms of lavender with a darker purple center. I have long forgotten the names of most of these flowers...but there are Butterfly weed, Coneflowers and Wild Strawberries just to name a few. I never tire of spending time out there....unless the mosquitos are bad and chase me inside.
I have a little old porcelin baby bathtub we put water plants in every year, and I found some sprinkly stuff that kills the larve that the mosquitos lay in it. We usually put in a Water Lily and
some water cabbage and whatever else the store has that fits our
budget. I had so many of one plant last year, I could have sold it had I had the ambition and energy.
I also began an Arid plant garden at the same time. Plants that love to be hot and dry and don't complain when I don't quite get all the weeds out. It is bordered on one end by my Deep Purple Iris which double in depth each Spring. On the western end are the Multi-Colored Tulips that seem to get taller every year. They were late blooming this year, but oh when they did, what a joy to see every morning, afternoon, and early evening when I looked out the Kitchen window.
There are the Hostas growing alongside the east fence, getting fuller and bigger each year. I planted the green ones there, having divided them and moved them from a couple of other places since first buying them a few years ago at good old wallyworld. They were cheap at the time and have quadrupled in the years I have had them planted here and there. I have the varigated version around a tree on the southeast of the yard, growing and becoming more beautiful each year, just like the others. I even moved some along the leanto..they love all the shady places I find for them. This year I will only move the ones by the leanto as they need to be divided and conquered.
When I planted them, I got so tired before I was done, I have klumped them a bit and need to remedy that.
The new Lilac bushes we planted last summer are growing and doing well. The Weigilia bush is doing well although I am not sure I like the shape it is taking. May have to talk to someone about how to shape and fix that. I just have not had the time to do that as I should.
I smelled the Spearmint and Peppermint the other day while I was weeding around the tree. It will make wonderful tea one day.
I have two small areas near the front step that need some new Landscaping as I am not sure I like the way they are developing.
That is one of the Joys of Spring, being able to get outside and enjoy these beautiful flowers, some of which I have not even mentioned. I got out there with my camera earlier and was amazed how good the pictures looked, considering the camera was a 48.00 special.
More later on how Spring has affected me both in past and present.
Hope you smiled at least once just sharing my flower gardens with me a bit. They are an amazing way to get out and appreciate nature.
The bugs will be here soon and that will temper my joy a bit, but I realize without them, the flowers would not survive either.
Hugs my friends, catch you later.
Katie
Thoughts of Spring
It is so easy to get caught up in the busy schedule of Life.
Often we as people do not take time to appreciate simple things.
I see it more and more as the older I become. Hurry, Scurry, no..
time to sit and visit....to send a card, watch the children
playing, heck to even LET the children play! Don't do that,
don't sit there, behave, don't laugh or giggle....ssshhhh.
Sometimes I have to do things I do not wish to do. More often
than I would like to admit. But when I do face these challenges,
I try to make the most of a bad situation.
A couple of times this past early Spring this has happened.
I had car trouble on the way to visit my daughters last month.
Spending time in a Used Car dealership was not my idea of fun,
especially when it took time away from being with my family.
Did I get depressed? Sad? Down? No. I did not let myself get upset.
Ok, ok, those of you who know me know that I took it with a grain of
salt....stressed and tormented and all in turmoil on the inside.
Ok, on the outside too. That poor Car Salesman earned his lowly dollar that day! I ranted and raved and test drove every car they
had on the lot that I remotely liked.
In the end, I called my Banker, called my husband, called all my kids....until I finally started to calm down. There was an up side to the entire thing...and I reached and searched for the good things in this experience.
It was a gorgeous Spring day! The breeze was brisk but invigorating. The location was not bad, good things to see. Places to shop near by.
I was not stranded in the middle of no where all alone. I could have had a much worse day.
While I waited, not so patiently, I saw another stranded car abandoned while someone just gave up entirely. Further on in
my trip, I saw a family calling on a cell phone from a broken
down car on the other side of the Interstate.
Then as I finally was near my destination, I stopped to see
if my youngest Daughter was home from work. She was not, so I
continued to the other Daughter's home where I was intended
to arrive 4 hours earlier. As I neared the exit where I needed
to turn, there had been an accident that was blocking both lanes.
Now THOSE people involved in that were having a BAD day. I was
able to appreciate my good fortune in not being involved some
way in that accident. Had I not made that 10 minute side trip,
I feel I might have been. It is all in the attitude toward what
happens to us. The glass truly is half full or half empty. It
depends on how we choose to see it.
I also had a good breakfast and a safe place to wait. The people there were very patient and accomodating...coffee was plenty and so was a warm showroom. I kept thinking how much worse off I could have been. This car trouble had happened to me 3 times before, so I really didn't even panic as I had the other times that I had faced this adversity. This time the car did not die in the middle of traffic...I was pulled safely off the interstate.
I was much mmore appreciative of my children once I finally arrived
safely than I might have been had things gone smoothly.
This past week, I had to get the truck serviced a few miles from home. I always sit in the local Coffee Shop while the work is done
because otherwise I have to make arrangements to leave the vehicle being serviced and then once again a way to pick it up later...or the next day. We have done this in the past when work was involved on my part. The past few years it has been a nice break for me to be able to spend time on my writing, reading or whatever project I can take with me. The time goes fast and usually only involves a bit over an hour of my time. I count myself very lucky in that I can enjoy such a gift of time. There is a time in my past that I would have fretted and been frantic about having to take that time out of my day.
I used this time to observe other people. Since I am starting to do more and more writing, I welcome the time to listen and learn. There are many things a person can learn sitting and just being part of the scenery. The coffee was hot and tasty, and I managed to avoid the temptation of the most delecious looking and large Cinnamon Rolls I have ever seen. I felt in control and relaxed and invigorated having walked up town from the local Repair Gas Station.
I am learning that such a place is fast fading fom the landscape.
The place in Council Bluffs where I had the car fixed my last trip to see that Daughter has since folded and closed it's doors. The Small Business person is fast losing out. That is a topic for another time.
My point to this wandering is that I got to get out and enjoy 2 wonderful Spring Days. Days that I might have spent inside had the
ways of the world not intervened. I managed to turn an otherwise negative experience into an investigation of people, nature and Me.
It was time well spent.
Hugs my Friends,
Katie
Often we as people do not take time to appreciate simple things.
I see it more and more as the older I become. Hurry, Scurry, no..
time to sit and visit....to send a card, watch the children
playing, heck to even LET the children play! Don't do that,
don't sit there, behave, don't laugh or giggle....ssshhhh.
Sometimes I have to do things I do not wish to do. More often
than I would like to admit. But when I do face these challenges,
I try to make the most of a bad situation.
A couple of times this past early Spring this has happened.
I had car trouble on the way to visit my daughters last month.
Spending time in a Used Car dealership was not my idea of fun,
especially when it took time away from being with my family.
Did I get depressed? Sad? Down? No. I did not let myself get upset.
Ok, ok, those of you who know me know that I took it with a grain of
salt....stressed and tormented and all in turmoil on the inside.
Ok, on the outside too. That poor Car Salesman earned his lowly dollar that day! I ranted and raved and test drove every car they
had on the lot that I remotely liked.
In the end, I called my Banker, called my husband, called all my kids....until I finally started to calm down. There was an up side to the entire thing...and I reached and searched for the good things in this experience.
It was a gorgeous Spring day! The breeze was brisk but invigorating. The location was not bad, good things to see. Places to shop near by.
I was not stranded in the middle of no where all alone. I could have had a much worse day.
While I waited, not so patiently, I saw another stranded car abandoned while someone just gave up entirely. Further on in
my trip, I saw a family calling on a cell phone from a broken
down car on the other side of the Interstate.
Then as I finally was near my destination, I stopped to see
if my youngest Daughter was home from work. She was not, so I
continued to the other Daughter's home where I was intended
to arrive 4 hours earlier. As I neared the exit where I needed
to turn, there had been an accident that was blocking both lanes.
Now THOSE people involved in that were having a BAD day. I was
able to appreciate my good fortune in not being involved some
way in that accident. Had I not made that 10 minute side trip,
I feel I might have been. It is all in the attitude toward what
happens to us. The glass truly is half full or half empty. It
depends on how we choose to see it.
I also had a good breakfast and a safe place to wait. The people there were very patient and accomodating...coffee was plenty and so was a warm showroom. I kept thinking how much worse off I could have been. This car trouble had happened to me 3 times before, so I really didn't even panic as I had the other times that I had faced this adversity. This time the car did not die in the middle of traffic...I was pulled safely off the interstate.
I was much mmore appreciative of my children once I finally arrived
safely than I might have been had things gone smoothly.
This past week, I had to get the truck serviced a few miles from home. I always sit in the local Coffee Shop while the work is done
because otherwise I have to make arrangements to leave the vehicle being serviced and then once again a way to pick it up later...or the next day. We have done this in the past when work was involved on my part. The past few years it has been a nice break for me to be able to spend time on my writing, reading or whatever project I can take with me. The time goes fast and usually only involves a bit over an hour of my time. I count myself very lucky in that I can enjoy such a gift of time. There is a time in my past that I would have fretted and been frantic about having to take that time out of my day.
I used this time to observe other people. Since I am starting to do more and more writing, I welcome the time to listen and learn. There are many things a person can learn sitting and just being part of the scenery. The coffee was hot and tasty, and I managed to avoid the temptation of the most delecious looking and large Cinnamon Rolls I have ever seen. I felt in control and relaxed and invigorated having walked up town from the local Repair Gas Station.
I am learning that such a place is fast fading fom the landscape.
The place in Council Bluffs where I had the car fixed my last trip to see that Daughter has since folded and closed it's doors. The Small Business person is fast losing out. That is a topic for another time.
My point to this wandering is that I got to get out and enjoy 2 wonderful Spring Days. Days that I might have spent inside had the
ways of the world not intervened. I managed to turn an otherwise negative experience into an investigation of people, nature and Me.
It was time well spent.
Hugs my Friends,
Katie
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