Gliding in the Garden

It’s safe to say the backyard is evolving.

For starters, I am now the proud owner of a glider. Have you ever? I wanted a swing, and may still get one, but—for now—I’m happily gliding along.

It’s the perfect spot for coffee, for snacking, for chatting, for praying.

In Southeast Texas,  you have to be vigilant when it comes to mosquitoes. And no matter how much you spray your yard with the right stuff, some still have the nerve to meander out, day and night. I bought two citronella lanterns to help ward them off. This one hangs right next to the glider.

This adorable angel girl is another new addition. She holds a butterfly in her hand and I bought her to use as a tombstone for our precious collie, Princess, who was buried right here in this spot of the yard in 2003. Up until now, her grave was marked with a plain concrete block that had her name printed on it, but I wanted something, well, prettier. It’s taken me this long to find the perfect thing.

A few yellow coreopsis plants have been added to the side of the garage. They remain in pots, for now, and are doing well.

My lantana finally took on a growing spurt. I was afraid I would lose it at first, but it seems to have made a turn for the better. Gardening is all about trial and error, about hoping, and waiting.

This was my first year to plant a rose bush. It came loaded with blooms and after the final bloom faded I was worried I might not see any new growth. But would you look at that? A bud has started to form!

My Lily-of-the-Nile is showing new growth, as well. Such things make the gardeners heart skip a beat.

It is one of my favorite plants.

On the back patio, the fern is thriving. It had been doing well inside for the past year, but I thought it would do it good to be outdoors in the shade for awhile. With so much new growth, it seems to agree.

And the impatiens in the bucket are looking magnificent and have not stopped growing. I can't look at them without smiling.

Butterflies are out in record number. Their favorite landing place is the blue plumbago.

And I haven't even mentioned the double-color tropical hibiscus I planted in the front yard. Would you just look at the beauty it has been yielding?

With summer upon us (and our temps here already in the high 90's some days), I don't know how long I can keep my little garden flourishing. But I don't dwell on that; I simply enjoy it for what it is offering today.

Until next time, sweet friends, press on.

***

Somebody Bigger

Last night, as darkness took over the day, I walked out to my little garden in the backyard and extinguished the citronella lamps that had been burning.

As I turned back toward the house, there was the crescent moon, suspended above the pines. For a moment, I stopped and stared, my heart overwhelmed by the Creator's mighty works.

I could see the people inside the house—people I loved, who had a lot on their plates and their minds. I didn’t want to make a scene, but my first thought was to burst inside and announce that the God who created the universe was still in charge, still giving orders, still telling the moon what to do and when, still looking out for His children, still interested in hearing about our smallest and biggest concerns, still able to carry us over the rough places.

“He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing” (Job 26:7).

I didn’t interrupt the family gathering, but this thought has stayed with me all day: Why do we worry and fret? God is so much bigger than we can comprehend. No matter what may come, or who may go, if we’ve committed our lives to Him, we are in gentle and capable hands.

The song, "Somebody Bigger than You and I," written by Johnny Lange, is an oldie, but its message is timeless:

Who made the mountains, who made the trees
Who made the rivers flow to the sea
And who hung the moon and the stars in the sky
Somebody bigger than you and I
Who made the flowers bloom in the spring
Who made the song for the robins to sing
And who sends the rain when the earth is dry
Somebody bigger than you and I

Who lights the way when the road is long
Keeps you company
With love to guide you
He walks beside you
Just like He walks with me

When I am weary, filled with despair
Who gives me courage to go on from there
And who gives me faith that will never die
Somebody bigger than you and I

***

Linking up with Lorraine for “Think on these Things.”

It's Time ~ Book Giveaway!

If you’d like to know how NOT to behave in a marriage, The Man and I can provide you with a multitude of examples. But even with that bit of bad news, we have apparently done a few things right, because we’re still together, almost 32 years later.

The latest Chicken Soup release (Chicken Soup for the Soul: Married Life!) is a collection of 101 inspirational stories about marriage—the challenges, the rewards. It will be in stores on Tuesday, May 29th, and I’m honored and humbled to have two stories included. One story is a prime example of how not to behave in a marriage, while the other one offers pointers on how to make marriage work for the long haul.

I’m giving away five copies of this book to my blog readers. For a chance to win, all you have to do is leave a comment saying you'd like to win. (How easy is that?) The deadline for entering is Sunday, June 6, 2012.

Good luck and thanks so much for your interest.

***

Island Getaway ~ Hanging out with Twin Sis

I’ve been so absent in blogland this week it's not even funny. There are reasons out the wazoo, but if I told you what a crazy week this had been you might not believe me, so let’s just leave it at that. I am happy to say, however, that it ended on a restful note.

Thursday found me and the twin sister enjoying time together on Galveston Island.  Galveston may not have the waters of the Emerald Coast, but I happen to love its quaintness and the rich history that belongs to the Island. Not to mention, it’s so close to home.

A comfy room with a view. What’s not to love?

You gotta have seafood when you go to Galveston. You just gotta.

We had frozen custard at Rita's for dessert.
Orange cream was divine.

After finishing up dessert, we drove down the seawall to one of the many parks and enjoyed the evening breeze. No matter how old we get, we reserve part of the day for acting just plain silly.

The seagulls put on quite a show.

We returned to our hotel, just as the day was drawing to a close across the little Island.

***

It wasn’t in the initial plan, but we were awake long before sunrise on Friday, so we drove down to IHOP, ate a big breakfast and watched the day break (this was taken from the restaurant; check out that sliver of moon high in the sky).

After paying the tab, we walked along the beach, captivated, as always, by the sun rising, in all of it’s majesty.

***

Later in the day, we engaged in a bit of retail therapy.



For some reason, shopping always makes things better.

After a little time spent soaking up some rays, watching the travel of birds overhead, it was time to say goodbye ... for now.

***

I hope your week is wrapping up nicely. Can't wait to find a few minutes (hours) for visiting with you. Until next time, sweet friends, press on.

***

Mother ~ As Time Goes By

As a teenager and young adult, I did not have a close relationship with my mother. In fact, I was rather estranged from her much of the time. It felt to me as if she misunderstood everything I said and everything I did.

Eventually, I came to see that our discord had little to do with her lack of understanding, and more to do with my lack of clarity during those chaotic years. I had no clue who I was back then. And, as Anne Morrow Lindbergh points out in her book, Gift from the Sea, “When one is a stranger to oneself then one is estranged from others too.” Such was the case.

It wasn’t until I married and moved away that my relationship with my mother took a turn for the better. Marriage has a way of changing your perspective on many things—especially how girls view their mothers. For starters, I realized how spoiled I had been under my mother’s care. Mother had been the laundry fairy, the kitchen fairy, and the fairy who had always kept the house clean.

But as a new wife, I came to see my mother as so much more. For the first time, I saw her as an individual, a young bride barely 17 years of age, with hopes and dreams very similar to my own.

I recalled her struggles in the leaner years—struggles of the most personal kind—and wondered how she managed to respond with such aplomb and decency. I considered how hard she must have worked to create a comfortable home for her family.

She raised three daughters—two of them twins—in a day when there were no disposable diapers. No perma-press fabrics. No hot-rollers. No dishwashers. No microwave ovens. I could go on.

I thought of her being thrust into the spotlight that comes when you’re a minister’s wife, and the shadows that she must have—on occasion—walked in, for that same reason.

As my life began taking shape, my instinct for creating a home-sweet-home brought yet other revelations about my mother. I recognized the valuable gifts that she possessed—and still does. In all of the photographs of my childhood, her talents are apparent, from the fantastic clothes she created with her Singer sewing machine, to the sparkling countertops in the kitchen.

And speaking of kitchens, as a young wife, I marveled at how Mother had faithfully served three meals a day, come rain or come shine. And that tradition continues to this day.

Through the years, I realized that nobody had ever, or could ever, care for me with the same intensity as my mother—not my father, not my sisters, not my husband, not anybody. That’s not taking away from their deep love for me, but in God’s miraculous and divine plan for children to be born and nurtured, a unique capacity to love is reserved for mothers.

It’s a mystery, but once you’re a mother, it makes perfect sense.

As I matured and adjusted to the many seasons of womanhood, a mighty bond formed between me and my mother. I guess you could say I left home a stranger, but returned as a friend. Today, as I’ve been doing now for more than a quarter-century, I seek out Mother’s wisdom on a regular basis, and I rely on her prayers. She rewards me with words of encouragement and heaps unmerited praise upon my head.

In this great circle of life, I’m not sure about a lot of things, but one thing I know: If I have any good in me at all, it is largely because of the goodness of my mother.

***

This article first appeared in Beaumont Enterprise. All rights reserved.

In the Garden

Well, well, well. It's been a week of blood, sweat, and tears, shall we say, but the backyard garden is now spreading joy to the homeowners.

Someone once said that every garden is "an enchanted one."

Indeed. Especially when it is your own.

Large or small, the garden should look both orderly and rich.

~ William Morris, Hope and Fears for Art

I feel closest to God in my garden.

The poetry of the earth is never dead.

~ John Keats

Nature is the art of God.

~ Sir Kenelm Digby

Blossoms all around me sighing ...

~ Maria Gowen Brooks, "Song of Egla"

The most beautiful flowers flourish in the shade.

~ Japanese proverb

I've learned that I cannot be truly sad while tending my garden.

***

Join me at the following parties:

Inspiration Friday

Fridays Unfolded

Vintage Inspiration

Home Sweet Home

A Package at the Door

Look what the UPS man brungeth!

I don’t remember if I shared or not that the girl has two stories in another Chicken Soup title, but if I didn’t, I’m sharing that piece of news today. I had forgotten all about it until the boxes arrived. No matter how big or small the publication, I'm always grateful to God for His favor, and for blessing me with the gift of writing, and allowing me to share my words with others over the last 25 years. I never take it lightly, nor for granted.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Married Life! will be released on May 29th and contains 101 inspirational stories about the ups and downs of marriage, a subject I know quite a lot about, after 31 years with The Man.

And guess what? You can read both of my contributions right here on my blog. One of the stories was taken directly from a blog post (The Day I Ran Away from Home); the other was in the newspaper first, then shared in a blog post (It Took Teamwork to Build It).

So, bloggers everywhere take note: If you want to be a published writer, why not start with a Chicken Soup title? I’ll cheer you on from here, and that’s a promise.

Two stories in a book = two boxes of books = a book giveaway at some future date. Stay tuned!

***

The Spell Has Been Cast

In joy or sadness, flowers are our constant friends.
~ Kozuko Okakura

This will probably not be their forever home, but for now, they sit prominently on the patio table. I haven't bought them in years, due to less-than-ideal places for them to grow, but they remain my favorite. It's amazing what a bucket full of impatiens can do for your spirits. They cast a gentle spell over me, and I'm quite helpless to stop it.

Today found me at the nursery—a rather dangerous place for me to go alone, but I practiced self-discipline, for now, at least. I returned with a few beauties. Tomorrow, Lord willing, I will be back at it, outdoors, sprucing things up, planting and watering, humming as I go.

***

If you enjoy gardening as much as I do, you will love the book titled, The Gardener’s Bedside Reader. It’s a hardcover book, filled with magnificent full-color photographs, and 24 gardening essays. You may recall that I blogged a little about the book back in 2010, but I still haven't shared the story of how I came to be an unlikely contributor to this anthology (it was a God thing). Maybe one spring I will do just that.

Until next time, sweet friends, press on.