Joyful Simplicities

There are a lot of things that come around in June that we don't or can't do any other time of the year.  Maybe you could try some of these!

• Catch lightning bugs or fireflies on the lawn at twilight.  Remember doing this as a kid?
• Enjoy a frosty pitcher of lemonade and conversation when you come home from work.
• Be on the lookout for a strawberry festival, or another type of summer fruit festival
• Remember that ice cream is good for the soul, so grab yourself a scoop!
• Buy a whole watermelon and keep it in the refrigerator for a day so it gets good and cold; cut into large pieces and sit on the porch.  How far can you spit a seed??
• Hang a hammock and lie in it while enjoying a cool summer breeze
• Even if you can't head for the mountains, camp out in the backyard.  Grill some hot dogs, cook some s'mores over a campfire, pitch a tent and pull out the sleeping bags
• Treat yourself to a fetching straw hat!
• Paint your toenails red
• Even if you don't have room for a "real" garden, try growing two or three things in containers
• Plant rosemary for remembrance, and while you're at it, add in some parsley, sage, and thyme

Whether you choose one or all of them, enjoy your summer! 

Life is too short to not take care of your soul

Growing Ourselves

Growing a garden teaches us a lot of different things.  One big lesson is that you reap what you sow.  If you plant lettuce seeds, you won't get tomatoes!  And in life, we get from it what we're willing to put into it.  You learn that growing things in a garden take time, it's the same with our own growth. It doesn't happen overnight when you make a choice for change.  You have to work at it.  

Every time you plant something, you learn things.  Then when you plant again next season, you take what you've learned, and learn some more.  That's how life works, too.  Your experiences are what teaches you how life works.  What you take from each experience shapes you for the next situation that comes along.  Learning things about a garden, or about ourselves, is a lifetime job.  Even now, in my 60s, I'm still learning.  So are you!

When you're growing a garden, you have to nurture and nourish it with water, with fertilizer, with your time and care.  It's the same with your own life, applying self care to your own well being helps you to be able to take care of others as well.  

And the best lesson a garden teaches us is to never give up! 

 

Life Accidents

Life accidents strike without warning.  Usually they're life altering as well.  To paraphrase John Lennon, "life's accidents are what happen to us while we are making other plans."  More often than not, life has a way of hitting us where it hurts most.  

Life accidents have a way of pruning us back.  They come up unexpectedly, with little or no warning, and we're left to deal with life in the aftermath of the life accident.  And they're never something we would want or wish for.  I think the biggest thing about life accidents is how we react to them in the bigger picture of life. 

Four years ago, I was rear ended.  Fortunately I wasn't hurt, but my car was totaled by my insurance company.  In other words, it would take more money to fix it than it was worth.  To them.  But for me, it was a 9 year old car that was paid off.  I wasn't sure I could afford a car payment, but this life accident forced me to re-evaluate things.  After 90 days of the back and forth stuff that goes on when you have a wreck, I finally went shopping and ended up buying a new car.  A really new car with only 2 miles on the odometer!   

It was rough at first, making those monthly payments.  And it altered the way I looked at myself and my money situation.  I learned that I could rearrange a few things and manage to do what needs doing.  In other words, this life accident forced me to change.   

But isn't that the way it is with gardening as well?   We go out and prune a bush, trim a tree, with the expectation that when spring arrives, our garden will flourish with blooms of beauty!  I know it's that way with my mom and her roses.  She has to cut them back so they'll produce new growth when it's time.  And life accidents do the same for us.  We may be knocked off kilter for a time, but if we choose, we will come back even stronger. 

Room To Grow

When it comes to houseplants, sometimes you notice dropping leaves.  You study it a little, maybe touch a finger to the soil, and you conclude that it's not too wet, not too dry.  There's enough light coming in.  You pick up the pot and turn it over and there at the hole where water drains, you can see your plant's roots.   It's become root bound.  There are some plants that prefer to be root bound, but not all of them.  

It's the same for people; we tend to get stuck in a rut, or maybe we've stopped visualizing or dreaming about what our life could be.  Or maybe we can't remember the last time we laughed.  When that begins to happen over time, if you're noticing those signs week after week, then perhaps we're root bound as well.  We need to gently loosen the soil around our souls, find something that sparks our imagination or creativity, brings a smile, or yes, even makes us laugh! 

This root bound situation doesn't mean we have to quit our job, or leave a spouse.  It just means we need something new.  What about taking a college course?  And if you're a senior like I am, check out the local colleges.  Sometimes seniors can sit in on classes for free!  Maybe you can try your hand at sewing again, or baking goodies.  What about taking up writing?  I think all of us have some kind of novel within us.  

When you work with plants to re-pot them, you can see where the roots are stunted.  With gentle fingers, you begin to untangle them.   Leaf.  Stem.  Root.   or   Body.  Mind.  Soul.  Three in one, Spirit's thread of mystery.   But when you place your plant into a new pot, make sure the new one isn't too big.  You want to encourage, not overwhelm.  It's the same for us:  Don't take on too much,  just enough to lift yourself up, to find that there's room to grow.

Herbal Hopes and Wishes

There is probably more mystery and lore to herbs than any other plants.  Each herb has it's own history, significance, and use for either cooking or remedies.   And when someone mentions herbs the line to a song comes to mind:  Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme!  

When you Google these herbs, you get all kinds of suggestions:  like oils from thyme, rosemary and cedarwood to the scalp improves hair grown in up to 44% of people with hair loss after 7 months of treatment.   The ancient Celts had seven herbs that were valued as sacred.  They were dandelion, comfrey, mugwort, burdock, misteltoe, nettle and the Guelder rose.  Or Burning sage is one of the oldest methods of cleansing a person or space to ward off unwanted spirits.

Herbs are great for growing, they don't take up much space, and growing them in your kitchen window makes them easy to clip and use when you're cooking.  One woman performs a Native American ritual as she collects herbs.  With seeds carried in a sacred pouch, as she gathers from the Earth, she sows a few seeds, saying "The Earth is my Mother, she takes care of me.  The Earth is my Mother, I take care of her."

Even if you don't have a garden, you can sow some symbolic seeds as a gesture to ritualize the new life you are creating within.  

The Green Indoors

Every woman has an idea what her own "paradise" would look like.  And while it should be our goal to create such an area in our own home, sometimes it's just a very small spot to call our own.  But we can bring elements of our paradise into other parts of our homes.   Houseplants are a good way to incorporate a little bit of paradise!   Especially if you invite blooming plants into your home.

Plants are not only aesthetically pleasing, they're also good for cleaning the air.  In my own home, I have a snake plant  (sansevieria); its about 10 years old now.  It's amazing it's still alive!  It's one of those kinds of plants that doesn't take a lot of care, which makes it perfect for me and this dry environment I live in.    I also grow a couple of succulents,  Haworthia Zebra to be specific.  They're planted in two vases that my son, Brian, created a few years ago.  

But whether you're the kind who grows delicate little African Violets or if you plant bulbs and force them to bloom, working with plants can help relieve stress.  Maybe you are the type who has just one or two select plants, or the one who has a "jungle" indoors, it adds just the right touch of "paradise" to wherever your plants are!  

Here's my own piece of paradise: 

Flowers and Blooms

I skipped writing yesterday because writing about some other aspect of gardening has become tedious for me!  I live in the Valley of the Sun - which is also known as the desert.  Growing plants and flowers is a difficult and consuming chore here, and takes up a lot of resources, especially during our very hot summer months.  

One of the ways to combat that, of course, is to grow what's native here.  For me, I really enjoy growing cactus -  it's amazing that these somewhat not so good-looking spine covered things can bloom.  But don't blink!  Because most cactus blooms only last about 24 hours!  They open with the morning sun, and close up when the sun goes down.  And if you're at work, you will have missed it!  But it doesn't keep me from trying! 

And along with cactus, I also collect rocks.  I like to pick up a rock when I'm out hiking.  Usually it's no bigger than my fist, but I have on occasion gotten some that were large and heavy.  And it can't be just any rock!  There needs to be something unique about them, perhaps a kind of striation, or maybe they're of a certain color.  I have plenty of rocks in my backyard!  And I'll probably add more before it's "complete".  haha

But that doesn't mean I don't like flowers.  When I lived in Ohio, planting tulip and daffodil bulbs in the fall, and watching them burst forth in spring time -- that was the best!  I had about 50 feet along the side of the house and I would load them up with bulbs, just so that I could be amazed come spring time!    And when I lived in California, helping Mom grown her roses was also a fun thing.  She had three that were my favorites: Mr. Lincoln, Peace and Brass Band.   There were others, but these three stand out for me.   Once I started working, just up the road was a small roadside stand where a little Japanese couple sold their flowers.  I  bought 3 carnations every Monday to keep on my desk during the week.   

Flowers bring people a lot of pleasure!   "Just living is not enough ... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower." wrote Hans Christian Andersen.  And I think we would all agree with that.  I like having flowers around me, they make me smile!  

Midsummer Night

Midsummer is celebrated on June 24 ad it's a day that's meant for us to appreciate all the gifts that nature gives us.   And here we are at that point of summer once again.  This is the middle of the year as well, and if you're thinking about changing things up, what better time to stop and evaluate and make some new choices?

In searching out the Swedish traditions of Midsummer, "Legend has it that the night before Midsummers' Day is a magical time for love.  It still is, in a way.  During this night many a relationship is put to the test.  Under the influence of alcohol, the truth will come out, which can lead both to marriage and divorce."  That made me chuckle just a bit!   Believing we had a Swedish family background growing up (that was later changed as we researched our genealogy!) , I like to look up the different customs they celebrate, and this is one of them. 

Midsummer Night is the lightest of the year and was long considered a magical night, as it was the best time for telling people's futures.  Girls ate salted porridge so that their future husbands might bring water to them in their dreams, to quench their thirst.  You could also discover treasures, for example by studying how moonbeams fell.

Ancient tradition says tat if a young woman puts seven different flowers under he pillow on the night to Midsummer Day, she will dream of her future partner.    Like Beltane in Ireland, Midsummer Day in Scandinavian countries was a time to light bonfires and drive out evil.  At one time it was believed that all natural waters had medicinal powers on this day, and people bathed in rivers and streams to cure their illnesses.

No matter your personal beliefs, there's nothing wrong with a little bit of Midsummer magic and madness are good for the soul!! 

A Victory Garden

During World War II , Victory Gardens were planted by families in the United States to help prevent a food shortage.  This meant food for everyone!  Planting Victory Gardens helped make sure that there was enough food for our soldiers fighting around the world.   

To create a Victory Garden, you plan it, you prep it, choose your vegetables and plant them, water well, feed them as needed and keep the weeds down.  After a short while, you will reap what you've sown!  While this might sound quite simple, it's a lot of work.  But then there are great benefits as well!

It's that way with our own lives as well, if you look at the bigger picture.  We still have to make a plan for our lives, and then prep for that plan.  Choose what's needed to make the plan happen, then add in the things that make it possible.  In the long run, you'll have created a life of your own choosing.  

This doesn't have to be a single minded plan for your entire life - you can choose to change or reinvent yourself if things didn't work out as planned.  I've had my own choices in life to make.  I married my high school sweetheart, but when we're young, we don't really know ourselves enough to know what we want or expect from ourselves or in a marriage.  

Career-wise, I studied throughout high school and into some college years to function as an Admin in a corporation.  Those were the days when women took classes like typing, accounting, shorthand (do they even offer that or use it any longer????)  but after a few jobs that were short term, I ended up working for a forklift dealership in the service dept.  And I must have liked it -- I stayed for 22 years!  hahaha  Actually, I used to joke about this being the best job I ever had - I told 10 men where to go and what to do!!!  lol   But seriously, it was a very good job with very good people, and I learned a lot about service and inventory.  Which came in handy for the next job phase, working at Walmart.  

Just like that Victory Garden back in the 40s, what we do, what we plan, can have a big impact on the directions our lives take.  Some good, some not so good, but even the not so good is a learning process.  Sometimes the vegetables we would like to grow don't thrive in our soil.  But that's ok, it's a learning process, and we can make changes as we go.   So go out, and grow!

 

A Secret Garden

The Secret Garden was published in 1911. I'ts the story of two miserable children who are nurtured by Mother Nature.  As the children bring back life to an abandoned and overgrown garden hidden behind stone walls, its revival becomes an inspiring metaphor for their own restoration.

When you ponder the metaphorical side of this story, we need to find a way to bring it into our own perspective.  I think that overgrown garden is the part of our lives that somehow becomes messy and not taken are of as it should.  We all have those things that we let slide -- for me it's two things:  putting dinner dishes in the dishwasher every night after dinner, and when it comes to self care, I'm not always on top of doing the things girls should do, like taking care of my skin with lotions or potions (or whatever is popular these days!)  Leaving things undone makes things appear much messier than they really are    But taking care of a garden, like taking care of our selves or our home, has big benefits in the long run.  That can lead to many other peaceful moments in our lives when we least expect them.

Both abundance and lack exist simultaneously in our lives.  But if we learn to tend our garden, to focus on the abundant parts, the parts that we lack seem to fall away, they're not longer as important as the good things in our lives -- love, health, family, friends, work, and personal pursuits that bring us pleasure.  Let your passion for life tend your secret garden!  Me, I'm going back out to the kitchen and put away my dinner dishes. After that, I'll slather on some soothing lotion after my shower and take care of me today! 

More Gardening?

In my quest this month, it's been my goal to use each day's entry from "Simple Abundance" as a launching point, a way for me to get back into the habit of writing.  For me it serves two purposes: a chance to use my creativity and also a chance for people to get to know me.  Most of the time, these are with the intent as letters to my daughter and granddaughter, because there are so many things that we never know about another person, whether it's our own family or friends.

But how many entries can I write about gardening?  I was never an avid gardener mostly because I didn't have the yard for it.  And now that I live in the Valley of Sun (btw, it's 118 again today!!)  stuff just doesn't grow like it does in other places.  Don't get me wrong, I do have plants, but they're desert plants.  I like my Red Yuccas - they take very little maintenance and only bloom once a year, so there's not a constant clean up.  

So here's a story about when I moved to Ohio.  We arrived in November and lived through all the winter cold and snow days.  So when spring came along, I thought the thing I should do is to plant a garden.  So I did.  Each day after school when the kids got home, they helped do some weeding and watering.  I'm not sure the kids thought it was fun, because frankly once you plant something, it seems to take forever to see progress and growth. 

But I'll never forget the look on the youngest one's face when it came time to pick a zucchini, or when the first tomatoes turned red.  They were amazed that these were things we could eat!  Right there in the warm afternoon sun, we sliced up a tomato and each of the had a bite.  There is nothing like a warm home grown tomato!!  I don't usually go out of my way to eat tomatoes, unless they're warm from the garden.  They taste so yummy!  

Here's my Dad standing in the midst of my Grandma's garden

Choose to Bloom

 June is the month when gardens that were planted last month have begun to blossom, or already bloomed.  And after our gardens have blossomed, the fruits of our labor begin to grow.  Thinking about that reminds me of the little garden my parents always had in the backyard.  There were tomatoes, green beans and zucchini.  They never ventured far from "the standards" - they tried some different lettuce plants, but those three were always the staple of our garden, the things that grew best and things we definitely used all summer long.  

One year, my brother brought home some bean seeds from school and the parents said "Sure, go ahead, plant them."   To our surprise, they weren't bean seeds but pumpkin seeds!  The plants grew very big and overtook the small garden area, but we did end up with 3 small pumpkins in October. 

We are like those small seeds that grow into plants and produce veggies.  It doesn't happen overnight, but takes a season.  Those little seeds don't fret over change, they just accept that change is part of the plan.  But what about us?  I know that I dislike most changes.  Every time there is a change, it's difficult for me to embrace it and just go with the flow.  I think that's normal, at least for most people.   But can we change that??

The month of June is a good time to think about the changes in our lives, and how we can turn them from the bad thoughts and fears we have about change, and think about the good things that come from change.  It's not always easy to do, and some of us will remain resistant to change for most of our lives.    Just like the garden we planted, or the flowers we're growing, good thing come from change.  And it would benefit us to remember that the next time something in our life changes, to choose to bloom.

Affordable Splendor

 Today's topic has to do with home decor - or maybe it's more about making what looks like nothing into *something*.    I remember my first apartment.  It was small and bland.  The refrigerator was very small and turquoise.  Yes, turquoise!   There were very few cabinets to store things in.  The bedroom was large enough for a queen bed, but adding dressers and side tables made it very very crowded.  The closet couldn't have been much either, because I don't remember it.  (lol)   The bathroom was also bland - white porcelain fixtures, white walls and dingy white linoleum.  

For some reason, when I saw the apartment for the first time, I loved it.  And in my mind's eye, I had visions of grandeur!  We bought a couch, had a little TV that was set in the corner.  We had a beat up kitchen table and four chairs.  Because the kitchen/dining space was so small, the table was always pushed up against the walls in the corner.  We didn't make it a habit to eat at the dining table anyways.   I found a rickety DIY wooden plant stand that I used in the living room as shelving rather than holding plants.  It worked well enough. 

In the bathroom, I decided more color was needed to I got some green (yes, green!) paint and using a rectangle shaped sponge, I sponged a pattern of bricks on one wall.  I thought it was FAB!  (This was 1979, by the way)  

Every time I moved into a new home, I always created these visions in my head that somehow never turned out as grand as I imagined them.  Mostly because I was always on a budget.  But I must admit that I'm a rather handy type person and DIY is doable for me.  

What makes us want to live up to these fashionable ideas that are planted in our minds from magazines or DIY shows?  Why do we want to recreate what's been done or what's current?  It's my own opinion that when decorating or redecorating our homes, we should stick to our authentic selves.  We should find a color scheme that pleases us, not going with the current fad.   If I stuck with current fads, my living room would be grey instead of a warm beige-y offwhite called Navajo White.  And I might not have painted the metal lamp in the corner turquoise.  But I did.  And I like it!  It started out as a brown-bronze boring standing lamp.  And now when you walk in, it is a very glossy turquoise!   

Being an amateur (very amateur) photographer, I also did something else that was kind of ... different.  I hung a 36" wide stripe of burlap along one wall.  On it I hung photos that are framed in many different frames that I picked up at Goodwill.  I spray painted most of them off-white, but there are snatches of turquoise in there as well.  It's an overall eclectic bunch of different things, but for me, it works.  And I get to enjoy, and show off, my photographic achievements.  Finding frames was a challenging and yet very fun hunt.  It took several trips to Goodwill.... but I digress.

We should create our living spaces in a way that feels right to us, comfortable to us.  I've had several people remark on my photo wall, and it makes me smile.  People take time to look at each one; most represent a point in my life, a good memory, family, you get the idea. 

So the next time you come across a great find, something that you can make work in your home, don't second guess yourself with the latest trends.  Be your authentic self.  "The most important thing about decorating is the fun of it!" 

(this is about a third of the wall, it's 12 feet long!)

The Scented Home

 The power of scents is incredibly different for everyone.  Because the olfactory nerve is directly lined to the area of the brain that accesses memory recall, mood and emotions -- scent is closely tied to memory.  Because of this, what smells good to you doesn't necessarily smell good to another person.

A lot is said about how your home smells, and we have all have something that help us create smells.  Essential oil misters, scented wax melters, good old Febreeze, or even the old standard Lysol.  Nothing matches the smell of "clean", but these new modern scent products can be good, too.

But what is it that makes one smell better than the other?  It's the association we have between our memories and the scent.  It's like how the smell of fresh cut lumber reminds me of my Dad.  And if I could find a melted wax scent for lumber, I'd buy all of it!  Or the smell of freshly baked bread.  My mom used to make home made buns, and when they're baking, it smells like heaven.  In my own home, I have a wax melter and prefer the scent called "Pacific Coast Highway".  I think the base of eucalyptus brings back thoughts of the Santa Clara Valley where I grew up. 

There are other wonderful smells that we each hold dear -- the smell of fresh cut grass, or the smell of a field of hay after a summer storm.  Here in the desert, a summer rain has it's own different smell, and I've come to enjoy walking out and taking a deep breath full of the different aromas.  Of course, there are scents we probably don't enjoy as well:  a dead skunk can leave your car full of a horrible aroma, the smell of a wet dog, or burnt toast.  If you pay attention to scents, sometimes wonderful memories will flood your mind. 

We're all so busy in our lives outside our home that when we finally do arrive home, it's nice to walk in to be surrounded by things that are familiar, warm and reassuring.  Our days at home can be full of fragrant moments once we savor the romance of scented rooms.

Secret Anniversaries

 June is a month of many things, including anniversaries, especially for those lovely June brides.  But among wedding anniversaries there are other kinds as well.  We all have other kinds of anniversaries as well.   For me, I have a few secret anniversaries of my own.  Not in June, but that doesn't change anything, they're just as important to me.  

For example, one boyfriend that didn't work out way back in 1979 ..... *sigh* ... well, one secret anniversary that I celebrate is his birthday, October 4th.  I usually raise a glass to the good memories, wish him good health and good cheer, even though he probably doesn't even know I do this.  I remember the details of where we went, things we spoke of.  Once I even met his parents and we all watched The Charles Manson Story.  Sometimes that makes me laugh out loud because my own parents wouldn't have watched that!!   I remember after about a month of dating, I came over to find him replacing the kitchen tiles to make the place look better.  And the only time I've ever drank coffee was at an all night diner with him.  We sat there for hours talking about everything, sipping coffee,  and not wanting it to end.   These are my memories, my way of acknowledging our relationship and what we once had.  No matter what my future was like, he was an important part of that time of my life, and I appreciated all our moments together.

Other obvious anniversaries are the ones for the people we've lost.  My Dad in December, my son and my sister in July, even my best dog, Sadie, in November.  I like to think of Dad the way I remember him when I was a girl.  He was always fixing things, he could fix anything we brought to him.  My son was my handyman, willing to do whatever was needed - or worse, whatever wild hair I got when it came to doing things to the house.  I'll never repaint my back fence- it's full of different colored stripes because that was my wish, and he helped make it happen!   It's important to remember those people who touched our lives, to remember the good times and what they meant to us. 

Secret anniversaries of the heart aren't restricted by the passage of time.  Thomas Wolfe said "I am a part of all that I have touched and that has touched me."  I've always believed that, and taken it to heart.  When family comes for a visit, I always have some kind of project to do.  Having them be a part of my life here is important to me.  

There is never enough time to commemorate what we cherish, unless we pause to observe the secret anniversary of our heart.  So take those moments, those secret anniversaries, to remember, to reflect, and if there's still an opportunity, to jot a note or a text letting those people know you're thinking of them.

 

A Summer House

 Elsie King Moreland wrote in American Home in 1934, "Changing the furniture around is to a woman what taking a vacation is to a man..."     Have you ever thought about changing your house with the season?   We all seem to do it naturally when the Holidays roll around.  Soon there are cozy blankets or pillows about the living room because when it's chilly outdoors we tend to want to hunker down and get cozy.  But what can you do with your summer transformation?

Most of us naturally put away the extra cozy blankets and pillows, the holiday stuffs are back in their boxes, but we can go a step further for those summer months.  Put away things that are bulky.  Leave the floors bare.  Knick knacks that need to be dusted often, or worse, need to be polished (like silver or brass) can be tucked away as well.  

What about putting a cover over the couch?  Fabric remnants can be picked up for less than usual price, or you could shop a local thrift store for a white bedspread or table covering to throw over a couch or chair.  Drape an end table with a piece of bleached muslin.  Put a basket of dried flowers on the fireplace hearth.  This will give a summery feel to your room with little money invested in the look.  

Seashells you've collected, some driftwood or twigs are natural and can lend the look of summer as well.  And of course red, white and blue are always traditional summer colors.  What about tossing a few towels in these colors over your outdoor furniture for a festive look?  Beach towels are often the perfect size and relatively inexpensive to create that new summery look.

Not all of us can afford a vacation in the country, or a lengthy stay at a beach house, but that doesn't mean we can't give our homes a little bit of that vacation feel on a budget.  Creating a "summer house" starts with a state of mind.   Just one or two things can make a big difference!