Telling Time by Flowers

 

If the lilacs are in bloom, it must be early May. A couple of days of warmer temperatures followed by a day of softly drenching rain has caused the garden to explode. 

Everything seems to be in a great hurry now, strawberry flowers will soon turn to berries and the forget-me-nots under the rosebushes surround the pot in a blue cloud of charm. Such uplifting sights in the garden. I look out of my kitchen window and the profusion of pinks, blues, and greens sets my heart to dancing. 

Violets appeared in one small garden bed a couple of years ago, and although I know they can be quite aggressive, I've managed to control them enough to appreciate their tiny faces. They also grow under a couple of rosebushes. One year I candied the flowers and used them on a cake. Pretty and delicious. 

Birds come to splash in the weathered birdbath and are not bothered at all by this still fellow. Behind him is a profusion of pink rhododendron blooms. Rhodos are showy and very suited to our area, but they are not among my favourites. I read a mystery novel years ago, before I really knew what a rhodo was, and the murderer hid among the rhodos. Funny what puts one off. 

Wisteria drapes carelessly from the roof of the garden shed. My sense of smell continues to be diminished, but if I stick my nose right into the flowers I get a faint sweet scent. 

 

When I was in elementary school our new home was built on former agricultural land. Farms and fields surrounded the subdivision and along the road where I walked to school, a row of apple trees remained. I loved climbing trees and in May I would climb into the fragrance of a blossoming tree to cut branches for vases. They never lasted long, but the scent was intoxicating. 

The beauty of this month fills me with an ache. Beauty awakens deep longings within the human soul. I want to look and look and fill my eyes and heart and brain with the wonders I see. Do you feel the same ache?

A Sunny Start to May

 

This evening, I am thinking of very little. I'm staying at our youngest daughter's home, caring for our two youngest granddaughters while their parents are away for a few days. How busy life with little ones is, with little time for thought. How joyful it is to be with an almost-four-year-old, and a two-and-a-quarter-year-old (she informed me of her age herself). 

In my own garden, blueberry bushes are in bloom with promises of sweet blueberries in a couple of months. The blooms foretell the shape of the round berries that we will soon enjoy.

After I put the little girls to bed this evening I wandered outside. The yard is large with all sorts of plants, trees, and bushes. I'm not certain what the above is - this is the first season our children have lived here and it's been fun to observe the changing garden. 

Bluebells (the Spanish variety) are in bloom, and although they lack the fragrance of English bluebells, I love seeing the blue swaths of flowers among the long grass on this mostly wild property.

My days with the two little girls are very different from my usual routine. There are lots of stories read and supervising play and other activities. Their other grandmother is sharing the care and took them to Butterfly Gardens today while I ran errands. How quickly one forgets the full-time aspect of caring for young children. 

The girls love being outside. Young Cora would love to catch one of the half-dozen or so bunnies that come out in the evening to nibble on grass and other plants, but so far the bunnies have eluded her. Iris bounces on the trampoline for long stretches of time, her ponytail or braid flying with each jump. 

May is full of beauty, and reminds me of the words of photographer Ansel Adams, "I believe the world is incomprehensibly beautiful; an endless prospect of magic and wonder." 

And now it's time for this Nana to get to bed so she can be fully present and energetic for the little ones tomorrow morning. 

A Quick Post on a Glorious Morning

 

After several weeks of chilly, wet weather, a new system will bring warmth and sunshine to our island. This morning, after a wonderful sleep, I awoke to streaky blue skies. Filled with energy I went out for a short walk before breakfast. Beautiful blooms everywhere - prunus trees, daffodils, a few early tulips, and rhododendrons. They filled my soul to overflowing. 

In the woods fawn lilies line the paths, shy faces looking downwards, resembling earthly stars seen from above. 

Last autumn I planted starters of purple sprouting broccoli. Yesterday I picked some. How sweet and tender it is. I also gathered aromatic mint and slender green onions. What joy to harvest in April!

My dad is 89 years young today. He had dinner at my sister's place yesterday and she took this photo. I think he looks great, especially in that blue shirt that matches his eyes. I'm so thankful for my father (and mother), and call them frequently. 

Enjoy this day, whatever the weather where you are. 

Friday Favourites: Exploring nearby

 

Bright young green willow tree leaves glow in the sunlight at Beacon Hill Park in downtown Victoria. This week has been a mixed bag of all sorts of weather - cold to the bones rain, piercing wind, and a bit of blue sky and sunshine to remind us that yes, it really is April.

In late January or February Great Blue Herons arrive in the park to build their messy twig nests, lay eggs, and raise their young. They stay until August and then disperse into smaller groups along the coastline. 

In 2004 over 90 heron nests were established in the Beacon Hill Colony. Marauding bald eagles decimated the population in 2007 and the herons abandoned the rookery, not returning until three years later. Slowly, the amount of nests grows once again. 

A sign by the rookery says, "Shhh - herons are nesting". Most of the trees surrounding a lake in the park have herons perching on tall gangly legs, surveying the scene of visitors from near and far observing the spectacle. All at once a great number of herons effortlessly lift off, long legs dangling, to soar with slowly flapping wings round and round. I saw at least 20 of them in the air at once. 

Peacocks live in the park and are easy to spot when their raucous cries pierce the air. This bird looked very regal perched in the tree, long colourful tail feathers trailing down.

My young companion ran around the flower beds, following the paths and grassy edges. 

We made another stop downtown, at the Teacup Tree. I learned of this tree from another Canadian blogger from across the country, Margie of Tea in the Valley The teacups are hung in an ornamental plum tree in honour of the homeowner's mother, a dedicated teacher and tea-drinker. 

Little Cora spotted this "teacuppot" as she called it, and wanted to touch it, so I lifted her up. A pretty collection of teacups hang from many branches. As well, tiny fairy gardens huddle under the shrubs along the sidewalk, and Cora was thrilled to look at them. 

What a pleasant outing we had. One doesn't have to go far from home to discover interesting things. 

I am happy to report that the cabinet installation is complete. Measurements for the countertops were taken today and it will be another month before they are ready. Patience is definitely needed when renovating. This weekend I hope to move everything back into the kitchen, although I won't have much of a work area or running water. Little by little!

Wishing you all a lovely weekend whether at home or away. 

Friday Favourites: Of Books and Flowers

 

Outside my window this afternoon all sorts of things are happening. The apple tree is getting ready to burst into blooms. Clematis armandii, seen above, couldn't wait, and a few pink buds have opened to the sun. The camellia bush, planted a year or two ago, is covered with pink flowers. Daffodils, pansies, bellis daisies, and a few tulips bloom in profusion along my walking route. And the ornamental cherry trees - pink clouds everywhere!

My current reading selection is eclectic, ranging from gardens to food and from Paris to England. Seasons at Highclere is a book to dip in and out of and I'll be sorry to return it to the library. 

Hidden Gardens of Paris is much the same - it's fun to look at the map, find a garden, and read about it. The book reminds me of finding the Anne Frank Garden in the Marais District in Paris a few years ago, and of a delicious lunch of falafel in a nearby restaurant. 

I've just begun What She Ate, an exploration of the kitchen lore and food preferences of six of women including Dorothy Wordsworth, sister of the poet, Eleanor Roosevelt, and surprisingly, Eva Braun, Hitler's mistress. I'm looking forward to finding out more about these women.

And then the Miss Marple Stories. These stories are written by current mystery writers with Miss Marple as her usual perceptive self. I've enjoyed the ones I've read so far, although I sometimes think, "Agatha Christie wouldn't have said it quite like that." 

Easter dinner was not at our place this year. My kitchen is a hollow, empty room where I manage to scrounge together enough to feed the two of us. Instead, we all met at Ashley and Owen's place on a rainy Sunday afternoon and enjoyed a delicious meal, a slightly wet egg hunt, and a wonderful time. Young Iris helped decorate the tables with cheerful bowls of floating dandelions. Both Iris and Cora were thrilled to be seated at the children's table in an adjoining room this year. They do love their older cousins, who love them and take good care of them in return. 

Weekend plans are loose - gardening, perhaps, or maybe a little outing. The new cabinets will be installed next week and until they are done Tim is not quite so busy. Wishing you all a weekend filled with satisfying things. 

Of April Things that Gladden the Heart

 

Spring is a wonderful and capricious season; blowing hot one day and cold the next. There's been both during this first week of April. All day today the wind tossed tree branches to and fro, and pink and white prunus blossoms fly through the air. Now in the evening we sit in warmth and pools of light and listen to the gusts outside.

American Robins are everywhere. I see them on lawns, poking their sharp beaks into the soil to bring up juicy worms. They perch on tree branches in the garden and in the woods. A sure sign of spring. 

Along a recent walk I noticed a weeping willow tree, each trailing stem acid green with new growth. In my own garden the acer tree leaves are a similar yellow green. 

The apricot tree is in bloom. I always think it flowers much too early, before the pollinators are really active. So I do my part with a soft paintbrush. Whether or not it does any good I can't say as our yield of apricots has never been large. 

The dyes I used were from things around the house - purple cabbage (the teal eggs), dried marigold flowers, yellow onion skins, grape juice, and sumac - the last was a first time experiment.

While dyeing eggs yesterday, I thought about Easters past. My sister and I always had new dresses for Easter Sunday, sewn by my mother, who usually sewed something for herself, as well. When I was very young, there were little hats and white ankle socks to wear with our patent leather shoes, and sometimes even white gloves. 

We often went to my grandparents' home for Easter, spending time with both paternal and maternal grandparents. Church on Easter morning meant getting dressed up in our new garb. My grandparents' church was large and I always thought it cold. But I loved the singing - Mennonites sing harmony so well. 

Then Easter dinner - a feast! My grandmother hid a large chocolate treat for each grandchild, often in the house because the weather was unpredictable. One year I remember looking and looking for mine and feeling quite desperate because everyone else had found their egg. Grandma told me that because I was the eldest, mine was well hidden. To my relief, I eventually found my egg. 

This year we're having dinner with our children and grandchildren at one of my daughters' homes. Rain is predicted so perhaps the egg hunt will be indoors once again. 

For those of you who celebrate Easter, I wish you the joy of the Risen Christ. 

A (Very) Short Tropical Getaway

 

Outside, bright sunshine and chilly wind vied for supremacy. I stood in the line up to enter Butterfly Gardens with three grands and shivered without my jacket. I knew that tropical temperatures awaited me. A fluffy Yellow Canary welcomed us into the humidity. I felt my hair responding immediately - curl and frizz ensued as expected as the jungle ambiance surrounded me.

Butterflies are everywhere in this miniature paradise, landing on heads and brightly coloured clothing. Butterfly Garden's website has a great guide to the names of the butterflies. I thought of Barbara from Coastal Ripples blog because of her interest and knowledge of butterflies. 

Do you find that certain sights remind you of blogging friends?

Blue and gold macaws kept careful watch from their perches, or splashed in bowls of water. Other parrots flew around, made cheerful conversation, and entertained us well. 

The pink flamingo looked so elegant  beside the koi pond and its great posture had me straightening my back. 

I was reminded of the first time I saw a Blue Morpho in the wild. Seven months pregnant with our son (middle child), I went on a jungle hike in Ecuador that involved descending into a deep canyon via a steep trail with a rope. Tim and our guide took good care of me and I managed to go up and down without incident. 

At the bottom of the small deep canyon, a waterfall splashed into a small pool before running away in a stream of clear cool water. Light filtered through tall trees and a fine mist filled the air. Several Blue Morphos flitted about as we admired this secret place. With closed wings these creatures camouflage well (they are the brown ones with many "eyes" in the lower left corner of the collage above), but when they fly, oh the beauty of their iridescent blue wings. 

This memory came to mind as I watched Blue Morphos in the gardens this week. It's difficult to capture them in flight and as soon as they stop, the wings close, hiding their blue beauty. I managed to capture a hint of the blue which does not compare to actually seeing them. 

It's far too cold for butterflies outside of the sanctuary just now, but I've seen a few fat bumblebees busy about the early blooms which is an encouraging sight. What are the sights in your world these days?

Spring Delights

 

The morning sun streams in, casting strong shadows across the room. A small vase of tete-a-tete daffodils, grape hyacinths, and delicate hellebores, picked yesterday, smiles at me from the coffee table. In the garden creamy primroses nestle in their leaf nests. I am filled with contentment.

Yes, my house is still a mess, but it's now a livable mess, unlike last week. The plasterer left two and a half hours before my parents arrived and with the help of our eldest daughter and her 10-year-old (both on spring break), we scrubbed and dusted and rearranged the furniture to a semblance of normality. There are no curtains on the windows, and the blinds have splotches of plaster on them and there is plenty of dust, but the situation is going to worsen, so I'm just ignoring things as best I can, and cleaning the bits that need it most.

I went for a walk with the daughter and granddaughter mentioned above and can say with certainty that spring is here. The wind, so sharp just the day before, had softened, and real warmth comes from the sun. In the garden, peonies reach upwards with surprising speed. 

Our family party on the weekend went well. We set up a simple photo booth with silly props and everyone was tasked with having their photo taken throughout the evening. These are my five grand darlings - four girlies and one sweet boy. There was a quick height comparison at the end - my eldest granddaughter is now taller than I am. It was inevitable, but happened much more quickly than I imagined.

edited to add: The party did not take place at our home, but at one of our daughters'. Our house is so topsy turvy that a party would be impossible. My kitchen is barely functioning!

We celebrated Tim's birthday with lots of fun and laughter. Daughter-in-law Katie made the cake - a sparkly blue ocean with jelly bean waves and a paper boat. 

The sun continues to shine and I'd love to sit here in the warm light, but there are errands to run on this beautiful spring morning. 

Spring or autumn, I hope that you delight in the season today. 

Friday Favourites: Welcome Spring!

 

Late daylight on golden daffodils. How beautiful they are. The sunny warm days we've enjoyed have brought out many blooms and gladden my heart. 

In the spirit of keeping it real, I confess that I am sitting on my bed writing this post at 6:30 pm. Two plates and two sets of cutlery lie at the foot of the bed. Tim and I just finished our dinner, purchased at the deli counter at the grocery store.

It's been a bit of a stressful week with tradesmen here refinishing the ceilings on the main floor, and they are still here, working much harder now than they have been all week. You would not believe the mess. Seriously. Splotches of plaster from here to there. Dust everywhere. I've been spending time with my daughters and working in the garden to avoid being in the house. The promised finish time of Wednesday has been extended until Friday morning. Grrr. That afternoon my parents arrive. I hope the work is done by then! I'm trying to be cool about it all, but it's exhausting, and I just want to get to cleaning it all up!

So let's look at beautiful spring things and practice avoidance. 

Our Persian friends brought us a beautiful platter for the new year, celebrated on March 21. Spring is such a logical time for the beginning of a year, don't you think? Everything on the tray (other than the sweets on the little plate) begins with the letter "s" in Farsi. "Haft-seen" meaning seven s' is a tradition of the season of Nowruz, celebrated for over 3000 years in the middle east. There are rich traditions in other cultures, and I love to learn about them. 

Apricot blossoms popped out this week, and I've seen bees and insects flying around, so I hope they are doing their important work that will result in lots of sweet apricots in a few months. 

A few grape hyacinths bloom in sunny spots, and there are many more to come. Hooray for early spring flowers that begin the parade of blossoms. Cooler temperatures and a bit of rain arrived today after I planted potatoes, arugula, radishes, and carrots. 

Last weekend, when I still had a functioning kitchen, I made a simple supper of polenta topped with sauteed asparagus and poached eggs. Fast and simple, and surprisingly delicious. 

The raspberry canes are leafing out. Such delicate colouring and fine shapes that glow in the evening sunlight. 

In another avoidance technique I read Charles' Todd's A Forgotten Place, featuring Bess Crawford. Reading is a stress-buster for me, as even 30 minutes with a book calms me as I lose myself in the story. 

There's a party this weekend, and my parents' visit to look forward to. Anything particular happening in your world in the next couple of days? 

Five on Friday - Rituals and Routines

 

I was given a beautiful vaseful of flowers at Tim's retirement party a couple of weeks ago. The flowers lasted and lasted, and this week I cut them down, threw out the dead ones, and created a smaller new bouquet. 

Beginning a new phase of life - retirement - has meant a shift in routine around here. It's subtle, but things are different. I've been thinking about the routines I've established for myself that are important to me. The non-negotiables, one might say. The things that ground me and help me structure my day.

#1. Exercise: Walking is my favourite form of exercise, along with a bit of stretching and strength building. I'm happy to walk by myself, or with someone else. Often, after dinner Tim and I would walk together through our neighbourhood. Now that he's home, but working on the renovation, he likes to relax in the evenings. I've taken to walking after lunch, or when the noise of saws and drills gets to be too much. How lovely it is to walk in these brighter days, although the wind is still sharp, and mornings chilly. 

#2. Cooking. My kitchen is still functional - to a degree. I'm shifting things around, and more cabinets will disappear this week. After breakfast, Tim covers the counters with drop cloths, we close what doors we can, and I stay out until noon when we find some leftovers or soup for lunch, then the kitchen shuts down again until 5 pm. That gives me time to wipe down the dusty counters and make dinner. 

This is a definite change in routine. I never realized how much time I spend in the kitchen. 

One evening this week I baked banana muffins and granola while preparing dinner. Although I prepared ahead and have meals in the freezer, some last minute things need to be done. I'm adjusting my cooking habits and so far it's going well. I have a few months of upset and things will be back to normal.

#3. Prayer. I hem my day in prayer, beginning by saying "Good morning, God" as I come to wakefulness in my bed. Gratitude for food and health, lifting children and grandchildren to the Lord, amazement at the wonderful world we live in, and prayers for so much brokenness all around. Communication with God throughout the day. Then, at night, a prayer of thankfulness for the day. 

#4. Reading. A day without a few moments with a book just doesn't feel right. Sometimes I manage only a few pages, but I always, always read something. To me, reading is self-care. I lose myself in a story, or am challenged to think about a new concept, or find comfort in re-reading a favourite passage. My husband, to whom reading doesn't mean quite so much, once told me, "For you, reading is like breathing." I thought it a lovely thing for him to say.

The library above is one I visited in Austria, in 2019, at the St. Florian Monastery. My breath caught when I walked in - not visible in my photo are ethereal painted ceilings. It's the most beautiful library I've ever seen. Books are magical!

#5. Eating. We eat three meals each day, with our main meal in the evening. Tim snacks, I usually do not. I cook because I like to eat good food, and because I enjoy it. Meals often anchor a day. I recently enjoyed a lunch of salad greens, sliced pear, and blue cheese. Eating together or alone provides stopping points throughout the day, time to regroup and relax. 

Anne Lamott writes "Daily rituals, especially walks, even forced marches around the neighborhood, and schedules, whether work or meals with non-awful people, can be the knots you hold onto when you've run out of hope." 

What are your rituals and/or routines? Do find they provide structure to your day?