Pure enjoyment

Wow! Another fantastic day in my world. Temps will reach almost 80 degrees they say. My plans are to get out to the garden again to work. Although, "work" doesn't seem the appropriate word to describe the total sense of well-being I get when communing with nature. Maybe the word(s) to describe what I do in the garden should be "pure enjoyment!"

Some exciting moments are about to happen out there: my oriental poppies are in pod form and about ready to burst open. They are the most amazing bloom I have seen in a gorgeous cool coral/apricot color. My clematis is climbing high on the deck rails and any day now they will be blooming. The first of my bearded iris has bloomed too. Everything seems to be in a getting-ready-to-bloom state. I can relate it to the feeling I get when I am working with fabrics and creating.

I was out taking pictures in the garden yesterday and as soon as I download them I will share them on this blog. Here's one of some ferns with new baby ferns. We have an abundance of ferns here in the NW. Until then...

Things in the garden

And, so, yesterday I mentioned the poem by Robert Louis Stephenson and being on 'the path of right'...

After some thought I've decided that maybe being on this right path is what we all think we are on and maybe only when we relax in the place where we are, can see the sweetness of it all. It's not so much about right path as it is about knowing the path is where we are--good or bad--and we must continue on this path no matter where it leads us.

OK now, enough of that... I was going through some pictures I had taken last fall and found a great closeup (in my eyes anyway) of some tiny mushrooms in my back yard. It wasn't until I got a closer look that I found a very tiny slug--Pacific Northwest kind--in the picture too. Part of me was not happy with the boldness of the slug and the other part of me pleased with the picture reminding me that the world is not perfect and neither are my photos. I love being in my garden, taking pictures of my garden and marveling in creation and it's beauty; beauty even in the sleek and slimy little slugs!

To find the cute little slug, look on the green Creeping Jenny plant, to lower right of center.

Ta-ta for now.

The path of right

Opened my email today and found a wonderful quote from Robert Louis Stephenson:

The best things in life are nearest: breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life.

His words really spoke to me this morning--talking about being in the present moment--this is it. The words 'the path of right just before you' seem to jump out at me as I feel the need to know which 'path' is the right path. Is there such a thing as the 'right path.'

Creativity is central to me--it is my joy. So, what am I waiting for?

To those fallen

Memorial Day. Now that's something to take a moment of silence. To me it's a day when I remember those fallen in past wars. I have one relative from close family who died in the Vietnam War--Randy Rainville. Today, to me, is remembering Randy and all of the others who have given their lives doing what they thought was right for our country. Blessings to them and their families. They were the "great" protectors.

I'm not fond at all of war and my hope is that someday all nations will come to agreement and work together. I've included this quote from Eleanor Roosevelt that gives a sense of my feelings:

When will our consciences grow so tender that we will act to prevent human misery rather than avenge it?

To garden or not

Today is another beautiful day in the great Pacific Northwest. And as usual, during the summer I love to get out in the garden and commune with Mother Nature. We purchased some new landscaping plants the other day and had actually dug the holes for them. Now it's compost time to enrich the poor earth that will be surrounding them. After that, applying new drip system emitters to concerving water. It really is about conserving, isn't it? And to be even "greener" we will spread mulch around them to hold the water in. Just doing our part...

The garden is calling me. I will communing with nature on this holy day in the week as soon as I can get my garden shoes on!

So this is it...

Here I am, sitting at my computer on this very bright and sunny Washington morning with the decision to start a blog. Now what...

Encouraged by a few in my family to begin a blog, I've finally given in (this is huge for me) to the urge and this work of journaling (maybe) daily musings on my life as it currently sits--including family, art, textiles, photography, watercolors, my beliefs, nature, "going green", all things French, gardening, life's wonderings and the list goes on. You might then, expect something on any or all of these topics as I begin this new endeavor.

Wow, I am now a blogger! I love reading blogs and at some point will begin to list some of my favorites. Right now though, I am feeling a bit pumped up about just getting started. Questions come... what sort of goal should I set for myself, how often should I blog, how much should I share and more. I think maybe just what inspires me at an given moment. Today, because the sun is shining, I'll share a photo from my collection that speaks to the day... enjoy!