Be like the Flower........

......and turn your face to the sun! ~ Kahlil Gibran

A wise one once told me that whatever it is that brings you down is only allowing you to discover the tools to bring you up. Tools.

Merriam Webster's definition of tool: "a handheld device that aids in accomplishing a task"

Well.....I'm not talking about those kinds of tools, per say. I'm thinking about the tools that bring us to another place in life. Tools that feed the Spirit, that Enlighten the mind. Tools that remind us of who we truly are. Flowers can be tools. They bring us joy, peace, they tickle our senses. Flowers have been an important part of this Spring transition.....more so than usual. I'm hoping it's because maybe I'm a little more awake than in the past......or at least aware. Some flowers have been actual tools, implements. We painted with flowers this past weekend. We adorned our Nature Table with beautiful blossoms. We wore flowers in our hair......and yet, somehow it meant so much more. We were all so aware with all five senses.

Be like the flower......

To be like a flower we must stand tall.....or heartily. Face the sun and absorb all her warm embraces. Dig deep with our roots and stand up to the storms. Provide a retreat for passing critters and maybe some nourishment. Give of ourselves without expectation......glow radiant light from our ever colorful petals.......and just BE!


As parents, our children really are like flowers. They are our garden bed that we must tend to everyday.......and still all day. We are the dutiful gardener that will keep our flowers safe from invasive species, make sure they have plenty of sunlight and food and water, talk with them and share time with them. Encourage them. Yet we are also flowers in our own bed......needing to be cultivated, loved, fed, watered.

I am lucky to be able to be home with my little flowers. Where I, too, can be a flower. All of us growing and loving and feeding each other. Soaking up the Sun's warm embrace and growing stronger everyday. Our rhythm in Life is one that we perfect as we go. I'm enjoying sharing our days with you here. A little piece of our history. Proof that when we're knocked down, or we loose a blossom here or there, that Life is good. We continue to explore, love, encourage, and.....well......jusr plain Live.

Tomorrow Charlotte and I will be making caterpillar's on leaves for our Nature Table. I'm hoping the weather will be nice enough to travel out of doors to spy on some real one's living their lives. Crawling......munching.......maybe......on a flower!

A Little Creativity

The dawn has broken through and even though clouds may block the sunlight, I know it's there. I awoke this morning with a very clear vision of my day. Get up. Wash my face. Kiss my husband. Say good morning to my oxalis. Enjoy a cup of coffee and enjoy the flow of the rest of my morning. So far.......a raging success! Not all mornings are as glorious; of course, life takes its own path without any control on our part. All it takes is a little creativity to allow change, a shift, a jostle in the usual "rut", a little creativity and some will-power to accept that it MUST be done. A "rut" is no good to anyone. It makes life seem boring and predictable. Some folks may enjoy that.......not me! I'm a Libra. I need a balance of predictability and spontaneity. It just takes......a little creativity!!! See, you're getting it!

I've decided that our days will become rather structured with a simple rhythm that everyone will come to groove on, chock full of morning, afternoon, and evening rituals. Our life together as a party of six has become rather hectic. So much is going on all at once that everyone feels lost in the shuffle or swept under the rug! So.......I'm looking forward to the expectations of our life, the simple minute gatherings where we will just sit and be. Share a story or share a meal. Hold hands and sing a blessing, the little things that make life grand. The moments that when our children are grown and raising up their own family, they will think back and remember such traditions and put them in to place amongst their own rhythms. Isn't that what traditions are all about?

So.......there's the predictability, now for the spontaneity. The wonderful thing about spontaneity is that it can't be planned. My thought is that for all that will come with a simple rhythm, a little spontaneity will flow. We will actually have the time (external and internal) to allow ourselves to relax and just BE! Be ourselves with no fear of rushing to the next meeting or ball game. The time that will exist will allow us time for a game or walk in the woods.

Being a family just takes a little creativity! Relish in these moments that you share with your loved ones. Take the time to breathe and allow your gratitude for them in your life to shine. Amidst all the sports, school, church, work and other commitments a family will pursue, allow yourself a moment within your day to be thankful for your children, your partner, your pets, friends and family who mean the world to you. It’s these little moments where we can see the meaning and the peace that make our life worthwhile.
I hope that you find the love and gratitude that is yours today!

A Joyful May

Welcome to May. The May Day celebrations abound. The Celtic celebrations that mark the beginning of Summer......ahhhhhh........Summer. Warmth. Sunshine. Blue skies. Flowers. Bees. Fresh Vegetables. A Summer's Breeze. These are a glorious things and bring such joy to the human Spirit. *sigh*

To Welcome our May we had a little morning celebration. We weeded our flower beds. Gathered the dandelions that were plucked from the beds and used them to paint pictures. Then Charlotte, her Daddy and I sat around on a blanket in the yard and soaked up the morning sunshine while making a flower wreath that wouls adorn each of our heads! I think the only one who enjoyed wearing it was our faithful companion, Rosco!!!! We moved Charlotte's summer kitchen outside to the front of the house where it will be available to countless hours of play. Washing dishes, baking cookies, planting!

~ "Ahhhhh, the hours we will play and toil all the little things in the soil."

Thankfully where we live this day will continue to be a beautful day. The Sun will shine, we will wear bare feet all day, watch our eldest son play baseball later in the day and then.......just maybe we will burn our misgivings and other things that are unwanted or not needed in a celebratory bonfire this evening!

" THe moon shines bright and start give light a little before it's day. So God bless you all both great and small and send you a joyful May."