William should have the last word…
“O Lord that lends me life,
Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness.”
William Shakespeare
Grace for Others
Remember when you were in grade school and someone else got picked to be teacher’s helper? Remember when your friend achieved an “A” when you only received a “B+” on the final math test? Remember when you found out someone was making a higher salary?
Were you thankful?
“It is delightfully easy to thank God for the grace we ourselves have received, but it requires great grace to thank God always for the grace given to others.” James Smith
Never look back, unless…
Have you ever said – “I wish we could go back to the good old days.” Somehow, we seem to forget that there were problems back then, too!!
“Never look back unless you are planning to go that way.”
Henry David Thoreau
Florists – This post is for you!
There will come a time when the flowers will fall asleep in the snow. My walks will become more brisk and I will have a warm cloak and scarf to ward off the chill. The leaves will cushion the walkways even as the earth accepts the coldness.
Florists make our world beautiful all year around. They help celebrate our births, weddings, anniversaries, Valentine’s days, and deaths. When we cannot find the words to say, they offer a thought that fills the moment.
A big thank you to those remarkable florists who give us sunshine and warmth all year around.
“Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.”
Luther Burbank, 1849-1926 (American botanist, horticulturist and pioneer in agricultural science.)
Just Living is Not Enough
“Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.”
Hans Christian Andersen
Education & Experience
“Education is when you read the fine print. Experience is what you get if your don’t” Pete Seeger
Sometimes I have time to read the fine print and sometimes my only available option is to embrace experience as a teacher.
Pete Seeger used the power of song to inspire peace. His protest music in support of international disarmament, civil rights and environmental causes continues to resonate in a new generation of peace seekers.
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time ago…
Pete Seeger - American folk singer and an iconic figure in the mid-20th-century American folk music revival.
A Poet’s Inspiration
When I think of a poet’s capacity to synthesize complex concepts into a single sentence or a few words, I am curious about where their insight comes from. When you dig into the poet’s background there is always a source of inspiration.
Theodore Roethke (1908-1963) was awarded the 1954 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for The Waking. Twice, he was the recipient of the National Book Award for Poetry: 1959 for Words for the Wind and posthumously in 1965 for The Far Field.
Theodore Roethke grew up in Saginaw, Michigan. His Father and Uncle were market-gardeners, who owned a large 25 acre greenhouse. The use of natural images in Theodore Roethke’s poetry was inspired by the many years that he spent tending the plants. He affirmed the greenhouse “is my symbol for the whole of life, a womb, a heaven-on-earth.” His ability to convey profound emotions was rooted in the tragic deaths of those he loved. In 1923, when he was only 15, his father died from cancer and his uncle, from suicide.
“Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light.”
Theodore Roethke
For more on Theodore Roethke, check out Clanmother on Pinterest.
Flower or Weeds?
Sometimes I prefer weeds to flowers, even when they bear thorns. It seems to me that the thorns protect the flowers so that they can embrace the sunshine without fear of being picked. Something to think about….
I will be the gladdest thing
Under the sun!
I will touch a hundred flowers
And not pick one.
Edna St. Vincent Millay, “Afternoon on a Hill”
Our Planet…
“Don’t blow it – good planets are hard to find.”
Quoted in Time (original author unknown)
Summer Rain…
This morning, the newspaper said that summer was coming to Vancouver next week. The gloominess would be dispelled – at last! I’ve never thought that rain was a harbinger of gloom. I rather like the rain and so do flowers…
“Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby.”
Langston Hughes
Yellow
“I really just want to be warm yellow light that pours over everyone I love.”
Conor Mullen Oberst
The Rain Song
“Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby.” Langston Hughes
A rainy day, a quiet garden – listen and you will hear the Rain Song. The singing was unmistakable as I took a chance detour into a garden situated next to a busy shopping area. I was alone without an umbrella! Who cares about few drops (well, actually, it was more than a few) of rain, when you are listening to music…the Rain Song.
A Different Drummer
“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.”
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)
Happy Mother’s Day – 2012!
Mother’s Day comes but once a year and yet it inspires us for the remaining 364 days. Everyone has a unique Mother’s Day story that belongs only to them. These are the narratives that we keep for ourselves, locked safely away in our hearts until the moment when we require extra grace or courage. That is when memory gives back full measure. A smile, touch or word, gently recalled has a sustaining endurance. Happy Mother’s Day! Welcome to a new year of building memories.
Walking the Sea Wall
“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospection.” Anais Nin
The rain clouds went missing on March 2, 2012. There wasn’t a moment to lose. I grabbed the camera and headed out to the famous Vancouver Sea Wall and sunshine. We take photos to taste life twice… Come with me on my spring walk. We’re heading to Granville Island, where the hot, robust coffee and fresh breads await us.
Lady Budd
