Reflections on "Simple Abundance"
June ~ Days 23-30
JUNE 23 ~ Midsummer Night's Dreams
Now is the high-tide of the year,
And whatever of life hath ebbed away
Comes flooding back with ripply cheer
Now the heart is so full that a drop overfills it,
We are happy now, because God wills it.
(James Russell Lowell)
Midsummer's Eve-June 23...Midsummer's Day-June 24
Do you think it is possible that this is a magical time? A time when "the dew of Midsummer's Day will cause the woman who pats it on her face to grow more lovely with each passing year"? (Just in case, I plan on trying it!) Some regard this time of year as a time of merry-making (anyone remember Shakespear's play and in recent years, the movie "Midsummer Night's Dream?") - while others regard it as a time to sit and think of what has happened during the first part of the year, making any needed corrections to their course for the second half.
Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote "I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens, but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly like pearls slipping off a string".
May we all look to this day of Midsummer awareness with joy and festivity and peacefulness in knowing that we are learning our true selves. "Taking joy from everyday" and learning that the pearls that will softly slip off the string, must first be patiently strung!
JUNE 24 ~ Living with Flowers
"I'd rather have roses on my table, than diamonds on my neck" (Emma Goldman)
The simple pleasure of the nature that surrounds us is a beautiful thing to be 'in touch' with. The reading today is quite simple, as Sarah continues to talk about the joys of gardening and bringing it inside with you. Sometimes we need to be creative in order to find a way to do that.
If you are lucky enough to have a rose bush that gives a good cut flower, you don't need a whole boquet to make it work for you. One rose can be quite charming, and if you have some Queen Anne's Lace and clover to compliment it, that could work also. If you have baby's breath from any arrangement, you can keep that and let it stay as a dry plant, adding it to whatever can use it's touch. One year I made the loveliest boquet from only Queen Anne's Lace and purple clover. I also have a blown glass tubes that stand up and only hold one rose - perfect if you can find them. If not, a rose cut at the stem and floated in a small dish of somekind can be used. Another time I had received a boquet of roses and when they finally began to droop, I noticed something....they were still in perfect shape, they were just drooping their heads! So, I cut off the rose, right behind the heads, and stood them in a clear candy dish, shoulder to shoulder. I still have them and they are in perfect condition!
If you search for flowers in places like grocery stores, you can get them often at prices not too different than what that bag of cookies would have cost. If allergies prevent having them, green potted plants can still cause us to feel that nature connection in our own homes. I have a particularly real looking and beautifully colored pot of tulips that sit on top my refridgerator and bring me cheer every time I spy them.
I hope you've enjoyed this midsummer's day, and enjoy this poem excerpt:
A flower unfolds in the glowing sun,
Opening petals one by one,
Exposing its heart to a breathless world,
Awed by the beauty there unfurled...
("Fullfillment" by Martha Hood)
JUNE 25 ~ Getting Started
"Plant it with the green side up" (Mary Ann and Frederick McGourty)
Advise for those with serious lack of gardening knowledge! :)
If you are very low on gardening skills, and think it will cost a fortune to educate yourself, please reconsider and spend some time at your local library! Too many times we are daunted by thinking it takes a lot of money to do or learn anything. There is much inspiration and 'how to' information to be had for the free reading! You will find calendars for when to plant, colored pictures which you may scan at home and keep as a map for your own garden ideas. (Please do not use on your own websites, as that might lead to copywrite infringement, it is only for reference and you can't keep the library book forever).
One thing to think about now, that will give you plenty of time to consider and look for, is bulbs. Whether you are able to buy/order the most expensive, or find yourself looking for bargain bags at the discount store, start thinking of a bulb garden. Plant it in the fall so the roots will have plenty of time to grow before it gets cold, and spring will reward you with flowers while it is still to wet to go out and do any gardening! Sarah advises to plant the bulbs thicker than directions advise - 6 to a hole, with one in the middle and circle the others around the center one, to give a stunning full garden look, as advised by the gardener at the Library of Congress!
Read up on the art of forcing bulbs, a pleasure for those who want flowers everywhere regardless of the time of year, and also to be enjoyed by those with limited space or income.
Sarah also tells the true story of a woman who planned and planted her bulb garden with care, knowing she was dying and would never live to see it bloom. Her passion for what she loved, was not deterred by what tomorrow would bring. From this story, I would like to pull a parable, and suggest we all realize the importance of our lives, and how the affects from all we do will go on after we are no longer here. I remember when our minister and 2 young sons were killed in an airplane crash, when flying home from a revival. Searching for words of comfort, I told the widow/mother how their lives were like the stars in the heavens. When a star dies, for hundreds of years later, we look up and still see the light from that star coming down, because the light that the star put out, is still in the process of arriving here, even though the star itself is gone. And how their lives were like that. They may be gone from us, but the light from their lives was still coming to us and giving us light and joy.
It is like that with all our lives, what we are doing and the effect of it, will be here long afterward. Your life and actions are not just exisiting within you, they are an ongoing phenomenon, spanning time for good or bad. Consider.
June 26 ~ Everywoman's Essence of Paradise
I will depart a little here....in her thought that plants that do not bloom should be left in the office. I think people have different skills, different lighting, and different taste. Green plants can be quite lush and make one feel in touch with nature, AND are easy to care for. There is an incredible variety to choose from including some that thrive in poor lighting and don't require intense monitoring. If you love them - enjoy them and fill your home with them!
If you can get flowers to bloom in your house and can afford to buy wonderful gloxinias and such - go for it! You will not be disappointed in the hobby of blooming flowers! You can find African Violets can be quite cheap. If you don't have a flower stand with plant lights to ensure blooming, one of those special plant light bulbs that fit into your regular lamp will help out and provide regular lighting at the same time. As far as window lighting, east is best if you are depending on blooming. If you are just starting, try one African Violet, and develop your skill before buying expensive plants or very many inexpensive plants. Violets are one plant that will not tolerate misting, though, so don't mist! Water violets from the bottom up, by placing their pot in a large bowl with water in it. When the ground becomes wet in the violet pot, remove and put on a saucer to protect furniture from water leaks. You must not top water or the leaves will rot. I once had a window shelf on the east side of my house. I kept several African violets on it, and would rotate them thru the house, so they continued to bloom. Look for inexpensive violets in discount stores and often groceries that have a florist section will carry them. Check a few different places to see how the prices run. Gee, I'm getting a real hankering for another violet, I'll look around when I go to the store later today.
Consider a trip to one of those garden shops that have the huge plant houses with indoor and outdoor plants for you to wander thru and dream and choose. Here is an online garden shop to wander thru: www.metrolinagreenhouses.com
"The universe is full of magical things.....patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper." Let's sharpen our wits and perceptions, gals! I don't want to miss or waste one ounce of the magic that life offers us!
June 27 ~ On Herbal Gardens
It must be very rewarding to take a snip of this or a snip of that and actually cook with it.
When we do things for ourselves, whether an herbal garden or flowers, or any other hobby, it is not only fun, but I find it tp be very theraputic. It's calming to put your mind to something and work with it. Many of our troubles and daily cares are sifted thru and resolved while we patiently weed our gardens or put a stitch into some handmade craft. It is a way of providing our own entertainment, instead of waiting around for someone or something else to amuse us, and feeling let down if no one does. While our hands work thru the steps of what we are doing, our mind has the time to be free to also work thru steps. We do keep our minds pretty busy, while working, while raising kids....sometimes when we have a moment, we rush into another mindbending thing. But during our hobbys, our hands are busy and our minds are free for contemplation - great therapy!
I just found this fun site, maybe you will enjoy it too.
Notice the links are different at the top and bottom of this page.
Their wild flower and herb index links at the bottom are HUGE!:
http://www.geocities.com/tvksi/herb25.htm
June 28 ~ Repotting / Room to grow
Leaves / stems / roots
Body / spirit / soul
Keeping life interesting
If you get the feeling that your life is stale and boring, it may time for you to broaden your horizons a little. Interestingly enough, they say the same thing about your brain that they do about your body, "Use it or lose it", and I would suggest that it applies to your spiritual side also!
What if you had a plant and sat it in the sun, but never watered it? What if you watered it and sat it in the sun, but never gave it a bigger pot? What if you left off the water....or the sun? The thing is, it has needs in all areas, and if you ignore an area, the plant will wither.
There are three parts that make you whole: body, spirit, soul.
Do you spend time on one of the three, but skip two? What should you be doing in these areas to make sure part of your nature is not withering?
Body: do you love yourself enough to provide the nourishment your body needs that will make it strong and give you your best chance of being here longer and healthier? Do you plan some form of exercise at least once a week to help your body remain healthy? Don't forget that taking time OFF is also important to your physical and mental health!
Spirit: do you plan activities that you love so that you will retain a happy spirit? No matter if it's gardening, quilting, decopage, internet pages, mystery novels, studying a foreign language, playing an instrument, pet time, etc. The point is, you keep your mind active and produce a higher level of satisfaction in your life, which will positively affect your mental outlook.
Soul: your soul yearns for fullment, for companionship with its creator. According to your own believes, take time for spiritual growth in your life. Keeping in touch with the needs of your soul will renew you and enable you to face the problems that arise in all our lives.
June 29 ~ Pruning Back, Plowing Ahead
Pruning, if done by life, can be quite devastating. Something happens and suddenly everything is changed. Living thru the change and overcoming the loss are painful, tramatic....might we take a lesson from the plant world?
A well cared for tree or rose will be one that has been pruned. It endures the shock of having part of it removed and being forced to change it shape from what it would have elected.....and in the end, it emerges strong and beautiful.
We suffer, never a pleasure....but we learn and in the end we grow. We lose things and people that are part of us and endure things that change our lives for ever, and are forced into paths that we would never have elected.....and we are like that plant, suffering, yet surviving. How we react to the 'pruning' of life, will determine our end result.
Consider this thought:
ATTITUDE by Charles Swindoll
"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other pepole think or say or do. It is more important than apperance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home.
The remarkable this is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude....I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our Attitudes".
June 30 ~ Lessons from the garden
If the garden has lessons to teach us, they are these five:
~1~ Pruning is painful, but we can emerge victorious from it.
~2~ It may seem that our efforts are all for nothing, but things are not instantaneous. It takes time to see the product of your labor.
~3~ Whatever you sow, you shall surely reap.
If you sow positive and constructive deeds, you will reap them, in due time. With patience your crop will grow, and with gladness you will receive its fruits into your life.
If you sow wild oats and confusion, all will go well for AWHILE, until the fruits of your 'labor' are ready for harvest. Then you will find your life being choked by the choices you made, the things you planted.
~4~ The seeds you cast may fall into another's garden close to you, and produce the same fruit, good or bad.
~5~ Renewal. Times greatest gift ~ the opportunity to turn under the last crop and start a new one. As sure as you yet live, you have a new opportunity, everyday, to turn under old crops, bad choices, and plant new seeds in your 'garden of hope'. Seeds that are carefully chosen for the fruit they will bear.
Read July 1-7
*In order to understand the full context of these reflections, you will enjoy your own copy of the Sarah Ban Breathnach book:
"Simple Abundance ~ A Daybook of Comfort and joy"
Sarah's Website ~ ENJOY!: www.simpleabundance.com
Uploaded June 8, 2001
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED-COPYRIGHT 2001
This page hosted by 
Get your own Free Home Page
JUNE 23 ~ Midsummer Night's Dreams
Now is the high-tide of the year,
And whatever of life hath ebbed away
Comes flooding back with ripply cheer
Now the heart is so full that a drop overfills it,
We are happy now, because God wills it.
(James Russell Lowell)
Midsummer's Eve-June 23...Midsummer's Day-June 24
Do you think it is possible that this is a magical time? A time when "the dew of Midsummer's Day will cause the woman who pats it on her face to grow more lovely with each passing year"? (Just in case, I plan on trying it!) Some regard this time of year as a time of merry-making (anyone remember Shakespear's play and in recent years, the movie "Midsummer Night's Dream?") - while others regard it as a time to sit and think of what has happened during the first part of the year, making any needed corrections to their course for the second half.
Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote "I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens, but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly like pearls slipping off a string".
May we all look to this day of Midsummer awareness with joy and festivity and peacefulness in knowing that we are learning our true selves. "Taking joy from everyday" and learning that the pearls that will softly slip off the string, must first be patiently strung!
JUNE 24 ~ Living with Flowers
"I'd rather have roses on my table, than diamonds on my neck" (Emma Goldman)
The simple pleasure of the nature that surrounds us is a beautiful thing to be 'in touch' with. The reading today is quite simple, as Sarah continues to talk about the joys of gardening and bringing it inside with you. Sometimes we need to be creative in order to find a way to do that.
If you are lucky enough to have a rose bush that gives a good cut flower, you don't need a whole boquet to make it work for you. One rose can be quite charming, and if you have some Queen Anne's Lace and clover to compliment it, that could work also. If you have baby's breath from any arrangement, you can keep that and let it stay as a dry plant, adding it to whatever can use it's touch. One year I made the loveliest boquet from only Queen Anne's Lace and purple clover. I also have a blown glass tubes that stand up and only hold one rose - perfect if you can find them. If not, a rose cut at the stem and floated in a small dish of somekind can be used. Another time I had received a boquet of roses and when they finally began to droop, I noticed something....they were still in perfect shape, they were just drooping their heads! So, I cut off the rose, right behind the heads, and stood them in a clear candy dish, shoulder to shoulder. I still have them and they are in perfect condition!
If you search for flowers in places like grocery stores, you can get them often at prices not too different than what that bag of cookies would have cost. If allergies prevent having them, green potted plants can still cause us to feel that nature connection in our own homes. I have a particularly real looking and beautifully colored pot of tulips that sit on top my refridgerator and bring me cheer every time I spy them.
I hope you've enjoyed this midsummer's day, and enjoy this poem excerpt:
A flower unfolds in the glowing sun,
Opening petals one by one,
Exposing its heart to a breathless world,
Awed by the beauty there unfurled...
("Fullfillment" by Martha Hood)
JUNE 25 ~ Getting Started
"Plant it with the green side up" (Mary Ann and Frederick McGourty)
Advise for those with serious lack of gardening knowledge! :)
If you are very low on gardening skills, and think it will cost a fortune to educate yourself, please reconsider and spend some time at your local library! Too many times we are daunted by thinking it takes a lot of money to do or learn anything. There is much inspiration and 'how to' information to be had for the free reading! You will find calendars for when to plant, colored pictures which you may scan at home and keep as a map for your own garden ideas. (Please do not use on your own websites, as that might lead to copywrite infringement, it is only for reference and you can't keep the library book forever).
One thing to think about now, that will give you plenty of time to consider and look for, is bulbs. Whether you are able to buy/order the most expensive, or find yourself looking for bargain bags at the discount store, start thinking of a bulb garden. Plant it in the fall so the roots will have plenty of time to grow before it gets cold, and spring will reward you with flowers while it is still to wet to go out and do any gardening! Sarah advises to plant the bulbs thicker than directions advise - 6 to a hole, with one in the middle and circle the others around the center one, to give a stunning full garden look, as advised by the gardener at the Library of Congress!
Read up on the art of forcing bulbs, a pleasure for those who want flowers everywhere regardless of the time of year, and also to be enjoyed by those with limited space or income.
Sarah also tells the true story of a woman who planned and planted her bulb garden with care, knowing she was dying and would never live to see it bloom. Her passion for what she loved, was not deterred by what tomorrow would bring. From this story, I would like to pull a parable, and suggest we all realize the importance of our lives, and how the affects from all we do will go on after we are no longer here. I remember when our minister and 2 young sons were killed in an airplane crash, when flying home from a revival. Searching for words of comfort, I told the widow/mother how their lives were like the stars in the heavens. When a star dies, for hundreds of years later, we look up and still see the light from that star coming down, because the light that the star put out, is still in the process of arriving here, even though the star itself is gone. And how their lives were like that. They may be gone from us, but the light from their lives was still coming to us and giving us light and joy.
It is like that with all our lives, what we are doing and the effect of it, will be here long afterward. Your life and actions are not just exisiting within you, they are an ongoing phenomenon, spanning time for good or bad. Consider.
June 26 ~ Everywoman's Essence of Paradise
I will depart a little here....in her thought that plants that do not bloom should be left in the office. I think people have different skills, different lighting, and different taste. Green plants can be quite lush and make one feel in touch with nature, AND are easy to care for. There is an incredible variety to choose from including some that thrive in poor lighting and don't require intense monitoring. If you love them - enjoy them and fill your home with them!
If you can get flowers to bloom in your house and can afford to buy wonderful gloxinias and such - go for it! You will not be disappointed in the hobby of blooming flowers! You can find African Violets can be quite cheap. If you don't have a flower stand with plant lights to ensure blooming, one of those special plant light bulbs that fit into your regular lamp will help out and provide regular lighting at the same time. As far as window lighting, east is best if you are depending on blooming. If you are just starting, try one African Violet, and develop your skill before buying expensive plants or very many inexpensive plants. Violets are one plant that will not tolerate misting, though, so don't mist! Water violets from the bottom up, by placing their pot in a large bowl with water in it. When the ground becomes wet in the violet pot, remove and put on a saucer to protect furniture from water leaks. You must not top water or the leaves will rot. I once had a window shelf on the east side of my house. I kept several African violets on it, and would rotate them thru the house, so they continued to bloom. Look for inexpensive violets in discount stores and often groceries that have a florist section will carry them. Check a few different places to see how the prices run. Gee, I'm getting a real hankering for another violet, I'll look around when I go to the store later today.
Consider a trip to one of those garden shops that have the huge plant houses with indoor and outdoor plants for you to wander thru and dream and choose. Here is an online garden shop to wander thru: www.metrolinagreenhouses.com
"The universe is full of magical things.....patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper." Let's sharpen our wits and perceptions, gals! I don't want to miss or waste one ounce of the magic that life offers us!
June 27 ~ On Herbal Gardens
It must be very rewarding to take a snip of this or a snip of that and actually cook with it.
When we do things for ourselves, whether an herbal garden or flowers, or any other hobby, it is not only fun, but I find it tp be very theraputic. It's calming to put your mind to something and work with it. Many of our troubles and daily cares are sifted thru and resolved while we patiently weed our gardens or put a stitch into some handmade craft. It is a way of providing our own entertainment, instead of waiting around for someone or something else to amuse us, and feeling let down if no one does. While our hands work thru the steps of what we are doing, our mind has the time to be free to also work thru steps. We do keep our minds pretty busy, while working, while raising kids....sometimes when we have a moment, we rush into another mindbending thing. But during our hobbys, our hands are busy and our minds are free for contemplation - great therapy!
I just found this fun site, maybe you will enjoy it too.
Notice the links are different at the top and bottom of this page.
Their wild flower and herb index links at the bottom are HUGE!:
http://www.geocities.com/tvksi/herb25.htm
June 28 ~ Repotting / Room to grow
Leaves / stems / roots
Body / spirit / soul
Keeping life interesting
If you get the feeling that your life is stale and boring, it may time for you to broaden your horizons a little. Interestingly enough, they say the same thing about your brain that they do about your body, "Use it or lose it", and I would suggest that it applies to your spiritual side also!
What if you had a plant and sat it in the sun, but never watered it? What if you watered it and sat it in the sun, but never gave it a bigger pot? What if you left off the water....or the sun? The thing is, it has needs in all areas, and if you ignore an area, the plant will wither.
There are three parts that make you whole: body, spirit, soul.
Do you spend time on one of the three, but skip two? What should you be doing in these areas to make sure part of your nature is not withering?
Body: do you love yourself enough to provide the nourishment your body needs that will make it strong and give you your best chance of being here longer and healthier? Do you plan some form of exercise at least once a week to help your body remain healthy? Don't forget that taking time OFF is also important to your physical and mental health!
Spirit: do you plan activities that you love so that you will retain a happy spirit? No matter if it's gardening, quilting, decopage, internet pages, mystery novels, studying a foreign language, playing an instrument, pet time, etc. The point is, you keep your mind active and produce a higher level of satisfaction in your life, which will positively affect your mental outlook.
Soul: your soul yearns for fullment, for companionship with its creator. According to your own believes, take time for spiritual growth in your life. Keeping in touch with the needs of your soul will renew you and enable you to face the problems that arise in all our lives.
June 29 ~ Pruning Back, Plowing Ahead
Pruning, if done by life, can be quite devastating. Something happens and suddenly everything is changed. Living thru the change and overcoming the loss are painful, tramatic....might we take a lesson from the plant world?
A well cared for tree or rose will be one that has been pruned. It endures the shock of having part of it removed and being forced to change it shape from what it would have elected.....and in the end, it emerges strong and beautiful.
We suffer, never a pleasure....but we learn and in the end we grow. We lose things and people that are part of us and endure things that change our lives for ever, and are forced into paths that we would never have elected.....and we are like that plant, suffering, yet surviving. How we react to the 'pruning' of life, will determine our end result.
Consider this thought:
ATTITUDE by Charles Swindoll
"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other pepole think or say or do. It is more important than apperance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home.
The remarkable this is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude....I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our Attitudes".
June 30 ~ Lessons from the garden
If the garden has lessons to teach us, they are these five:
~1~ Pruning is painful, but we can emerge victorious from it.
~2~ It may seem that our efforts are all for nothing, but things are not instantaneous. It takes time to see the product of your labor.
~3~ Whatever you sow, you shall surely reap.
If you sow positive and constructive deeds, you will reap them, in due time. With patience your crop will grow, and with gladness you will receive its fruits into your life.
If you sow wild oats and confusion, all will go well for AWHILE, until the fruits of your 'labor' are ready for harvest. Then you will find your life being choked by the choices you made, the things you planted.
~4~ The seeds you cast may fall into another's garden close to you, and produce the same fruit, good or bad.
~5~ Renewal. Times greatest gift ~ the opportunity to turn under the last crop and start a new one. As sure as you yet live, you have a new opportunity, everyday, to turn under old crops, bad choices, and plant new seeds in your 'garden of hope'. Seeds that are carefully chosen for the fruit they will bear.
Read July 1-7
*In order to understand the full context of these reflections, you will enjoy your own copy of the Sarah Ban Breathnach book:
"Simple Abundance ~ A Daybook of Comfort and joy"
Sarah's Website ~ ENJOY!: www.simpleabundance.com
Uploaded June 8, 2001
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED-COPYRIGHT 2001
This page hosted by
Get your own Free Home Page
JUNE 23 ~ Midsummer Night's Dreams
Now is the high-tide of the year,
And whatever of life hath ebbed away
Comes flooding back with ripply cheer
Now the heart is so full that a drop overfills it,
We are happy now, because God wills it.
(James Russell Lowell)
Midsummer's Eve-June 23...Midsummer's Day-June 24
Do you think it is possible that this is a magical time? A time when "the dew of Midsummer's Day will cause the woman who pats it on her face to grow more lovely with each passing year"? (Just in case, I plan on trying it!) Some regard this time of year as a time of merry-making (anyone remember Shakespear's play and in recent years, the movie "Midsummer Night's Dream?") - while others regard it as a time to sit and think of what has happened during the first part of the year, making any needed corrections to their course for the second half.
Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote "I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens, but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly like pearls slipping off a string".
May we all look to this day of Midsummer awareness with joy and festivity and peacefulness in knowing that we are learning our true selves. "Taking joy from everyday" and learning that the pearls that will softly slip off the string, must first be patiently strung!
JUNE 24 ~ Living with Flowers
"I'd rather have roses on my table, than diamonds on my neck" (Emma Goldman)
The simple pleasure of the nature that surrounds us is a beautiful thing to be 'in touch' with. The reading today is quite simple, as Sarah continues to talk about the joys of gardening and bringing it inside with you. Sometimes we need to be creative in order to find a way to do that.
If you are lucky enough to have a rose bush that gives a good cut flower, you don't need a whole boquet to make it work for you. One rose can be quite charming, and if you have some Queen Anne's Lace and clover to compliment it, that could work also. If you have baby's breath from any arrangement, you can keep that and let it stay as a dry plant, adding it to whatever can use it's touch. One year I made the loveliest boquet from only Queen Anne's Lace and purple clover. I also have a blown glass tubes that stand up and only hold one rose - perfect if you can find them. If not, a rose cut at the stem and floated in a small dish of somekind can be used. Another time I had received a boquet of roses and when they finally began to droop, I noticed something....they were still in perfect shape, they were just drooping their heads! So, I cut off the rose, right behind the heads, and stood them in a clear candy dish, shoulder to shoulder. I still have them and they are in perfect condition!
If you search for flowers in places like grocery stores, you can get them often at prices not too different than what that bag of cookies would have cost. If allergies prevent having them, green potted plants can still cause us to feel that nature connection in our own homes. I have a particularly real looking and beautifully colored pot of tulips that sit on top my refridgerator and bring me cheer every time I spy them.
I hope you've enjoyed this midsummer's day, and enjoy this poem excerpt:
A flower unfolds in the glowing sun,
Opening petals one by one,
Exposing its heart to a breathless world,
Awed by the beauty there unfurled...
("Fullfillment" by Martha Hood)
JUNE 25 ~ Getting Started
"Plant it with the green side up" (Mary Ann and Frederick McGourty)
Advise for those with serious lack of gardening knowledge! :)
If you are very low on gardening skills, and think it will cost a fortune to educate yourself, please reconsider and spend some time at your local library! Too many times we are daunted by thinking it takes a lot of money to do or learn anything. There is much inspiration and 'how to' information to be had for the free reading! You will find calendars for when to plant, colored pictures which you may scan at home and keep as a map for your own garden ideas. (Please do not use on your own websites, as that might lead to copywrite infringement, it is only for reference and you can't keep the library book forever).
One thing to think about now, that will give you plenty of time to consider and look for, is bulbs. Whether you are able to buy/order the most expensive, or find yourself looking for bargain bags at the discount store, start thinking of a bulb garden. Plant it in the fall so the roots will have plenty of time to grow before it gets cold, and spring will reward you with flowers while it is still to wet to go out and do any gardening! Sarah advises to plant the bulbs thicker than directions advise - 6 to a hole, with one in the middle and circle the others around the center one, to give a stunning full garden look, as advised by the gardener at the Library of Congress!
Read up on the art of forcing bulbs, a pleasure for those who want flowers everywhere regardless of the time of year, and also to be enjoyed by those with limited space or income.
Sarah also tells the true story of a woman who planned and planted her bulb garden with care, knowing she was dying and would never live to see it bloom. Her passion for what she loved, was not deterred by what tomorrow would bring. From this story, I would like to pull a parable, and suggest we all realize the importance of our lives, and how the affects from all we do will go on after we are no longer here. I remember when our minister and 2 young sons were killed in an airplane crash, when flying home from a revival. Searching for words of comfort, I told the widow/mother how their lives were like the stars in the heavens. When a star dies, for hundreds of years later, we look up and still see the light from that star coming down, because the light that the star put out, is still in the process of arriving here, even though the star itself is gone. And how their lives were like that. They may be gone from us, but the light from their lives was still coming to us and giving us light and joy.
It is like that with all our lives, what we are doing and the effect of it, will be here long afterward. Your life and actions are not just exisiting within you, they are an ongoing phenomenon, spanning time for good or bad. Consider.
June 26 ~ Everywoman's Essence of Paradise
I will depart a little here....in her thought that plants that do not bloom should be left in the office. I think people have different skills, different lighting, and different taste. Green plants can be quite lush and make one feel in touch with nature, AND are easy to care for. There is an incredible variety to choose from including some that thrive in poor lighting and don't require intense monitoring. If you love them - enjoy them and fill your home with them!
If you can get flowers to bloom in your house and can afford to buy wonderful gloxinias and such - go for it! You will not be disappointed in the hobby of blooming flowers! You can find African Violets can be quite cheap. If you don't have a flower stand with plant lights to ensure blooming, one of those special plant light bulbs that fit into your regular lamp will help out and provide regular lighting at the same time. As far as window lighting, east is best if you are depending on blooming. If you are just starting, try one African Violet, and develop your skill before buying expensive plants or very many inexpensive plants. Violets are one plant that will not tolerate misting, though, so don't mist! Water violets from the bottom up, by placing their pot in a large bowl with water in it. When the ground becomes wet in the violet pot, remove and put on a saucer to protect furniture from water leaks. You must not top water or the leaves will rot. I once had a window shelf on the east side of my house. I kept several African violets on it, and would rotate them thru the house, so they continued to bloom. Look for inexpensive violets in discount stores and often groceries that have a florist section will carry them. Check a few different places to see how the prices run. Gee, I'm getting a real hankering for another violet, I'll look around when I go to the store later today.
Consider a trip to one of those garden shops that have the huge plant houses with indoor and outdoor plants for you to wander thru and dream and choose. Here is an online garden shop to wander thru: www.metrolinagreenhouses.com
"The universe is full of magical things.....patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper." Let's sharpen our wits and perceptions, gals! I don't want to miss or waste one ounce of the magic that life offers us!
June 27 ~ On Herbal Gardens
It must be very rewarding to take a snip of this or a snip of that and actually cook with it.
When we do things for ourselves, whether an herbal garden or flowers, or any other hobby, it is not only fun, but I find it tp be very theraputic. It's calming to put your mind to something and work with it. Many of our troubles and daily cares are sifted thru and resolved while we patiently weed our gardens or put a stitch into some handmade craft. It is a way of providing our own entertainment, instead of waiting around for someone or something else to amuse us, and feeling let down if no one does. While our hands work thru the steps of what we are doing, our mind has the time to be free to also work thru steps. We do keep our minds pretty busy, while working, while raising kids....sometimes when we have a moment, we rush into another mindbending thing. But during our hobbys, our hands are busy and our minds are free for contemplation - great therapy!
I just found this fun site, maybe you will enjoy it too.
Notice the links are different at the top and bottom of this page.
Their wild flower and herb index links at the bottom are HUGE!:
http://www.geocities.com/tvksi/herb25.htm
June 28 ~ Repotting / Room to grow
Leaves / stems / roots
Body / spirit / soul
Keeping life interesting
If you get the feeling that your life is stale and boring, it may time for you to broaden your horizons a little. Interestingly enough, they say the same thing about your brain that they do about your body, "Use it or lose it", and I would suggest that it applies to your spiritual side also!
What if you had a plant and sat it in the sun, but never watered it? What if you watered it and sat it in the sun, but never gave it a bigger pot? What if you left off the water....or the sun? The thing is, it has needs in all areas, and if you ignore an area, the plant will wither.
There are three parts that make you whole: body, spirit, soul.
Do you spend time on one of the three, but skip two? What should you be doing in these areas to make sure part of your nature is not withering?
Body: do you love yourself enough to provide the nourishment your body needs that will make it strong and give you your best chance of being here longer and healthier? Do you plan some form of exercise at least once a week to help your body remain healthy? Don't forget that taking time OFF is also important to your physical and mental health!
Spirit: do you plan activities that you love so that you will retain a happy spirit? No matter if it's gardening, quilting, decopage, internet pages, mystery novels, studying a foreign language, playing an instrument, pet time, etc. The point is, you keep your mind active and produce a higher level of satisfaction in your life, which will positively affect your mental outlook.
Soul: your soul yearns for fullment, for companionship with its creator. According to your own believes, take time for spiritual growth in your life. Keeping in touch with the needs of your soul will renew you and enable you to face the problems that arise in all our lives.
June 29 ~ Pruning Back, Plowing Ahead
Pruning, if done by life, can be quite devastating. Something happens and suddenly everything is changed. Living thru the change and overcoming the loss are painful, tramatic....might we take a lesson from the plant world?
A well cared for tree or rose will be one that has been pruned. It endures the shock of having part of it removed and being forced to change it shape from what it would have elected.....and in the end, it emerges strong and beautiful.
We suffer, never a pleasure....but we learn and in the end we grow. We lose things and people that are part of us and endure things that change our lives for ever, and are forced into paths that we would never have elected.....and we are like that plant, suffering, yet surviving. How we react to the 'pruning' of life, will determine our end result.
Consider this thought:
ATTITUDE by Charles Swindoll
"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other pepole think or say or do. It is more important than apperance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home.
The remarkable this is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude....I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our Attitudes".
June 30 ~ Lessons from the garden
If the garden has lessons to teach us, they are these five:
~1~ Pruning is painful, but we can emerge victorious from it.
~2~ It may seem that our efforts are all for nothing, but things are not instantaneous. It takes time to see the product of your labor.
~3~ Whatever you sow, you shall surely reap.
If you sow positive and constructive deeds, you will reap them, in due time. With patience your crop will grow, and with gladness you will receive its fruits into your life.
If you sow wild oats and confusion, all will go well for AWHILE, until the fruits of your 'labor' are ready for harvest. Then you will find your life being choked by the choices you made, the things you planted.
~4~ The seeds you cast may fall into another's garden close to you, and produce the same fruit, good or bad.
~5~ Renewal. Times greatest gift ~ the opportunity to turn under the last crop and start a new one. As sure as you yet live, you have a new opportunity, everyday, to turn under old crops, bad choices, and plant new seeds in your 'garden of hope'. Seeds that are carefully chosen for the fruit they will bear.
Read July 1-7
*In order to understand the full context of these reflections, you will enjoy your own copy of the Sarah Ban Breathnach book:
"Simple Abundance ~ A Daybook of Comfort and joy"
Sarah's Website ~ ENJOY!: www.simpleabundance.com
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