Pansies and toadstools

What is this dear little pansey doing in the middle of my front lawn?

Is she lost? Drowning in a sea of green? Or maybe she thinks she's a Queen! Sitting high on her throne, while all the little green people wave at her.

Here are some of her sisters, gracing my kitchen table.

But what to do with the many violas (or johnny-jump-ups) I gathered today? I need to pick them regularly to encourage new growth.

Inspired by somebody's water garden, I made my own.......a mini floating garden.

Ahh... here is a better view of the floating beauties.

I suppose they'll sink to the bottom in a soggy mess overnight, but today I'll enjoy them.




What's this? Did you invite that boring looking toadstool to our party?

Naw, I think he's just trying to blend in, as if he belongs here. Strange looking thing, isn't it?

Mid-summer blooms

Star-gazer lily looking all tangled up.Step back a bit.....

Bougainvillea - my pride and joy. I got this hanging basket for half price!

I had to post one pic that wasn't pink! Million bells in a soft yellow shade. Last year I made hanging baskets of this flower. This year it sits in a pot.

Lonely Lily

Looks like the construction crew left one lonely lily plant behind. Yes, this is what's left of the huge clump I tried to rescue a while ago.

Did the workers purposely leave this lily untouched?

Or was it just not necessary to remove it?

I don't know. I sent these pics off to my local newspaper. We'll see if this is a newsworthy story (in our small town, just about anything goes).

As it is, this major road construction is the talk of the town. Roads blocked off, trucks lumbering up and down the streets, dumping loads of gravel at 7:00 in the morning. Ah well, it will nice when it's all done. A bigger, wider main street with bicycle paths.

Wild flowers

Unexpected treasures at the side of the road.
As I was taking the last pic, a neighbour stopped his car to see what I was doing.
"I have a gardening blog," I informed him. No need to go into any formal explanations.

"Hope you find something interesting among the weeds." Off he drove. Evidently not impressed with my roadside treasures.

His opinion is his business. I'm just so delighted to "see" new things through the eye of my camera. Flowers that I would normally just admire for a second or two and then walk away.

It's July and I'm enjoying the summer flowers and warm sunshine. How about you?

Patterns....

What an amazing structure, in the shape of a globe... A glistening globe........

Ah.... come into my parlour, said the Spider to the Fly....

The intricacy of a spider web never ceases to amaze me. The glistening threads, woven together just so. The time and dedication it takes to construct this. And often, with a flick of a broom or the wave of a hand, the life work of this little creature, is carelessly swept away.

Summer here has been cool and rainy. Very atypical for this time of year. But like the Spider, we continue on in our familiar patterns. Weaving our stories...

Thought I would "rescue" some tiger lilies from the bottom of our street. The huge tractors and diggers had demolished some of the wild lilies that were growing in the ditch. So with shovel and wheelbarrow (and hoping the neighbours would not see me), I set out.

Those lilies were so entrenched in the mud, there was no way I could free them. I did manage to pull a very small clump out by hand, but had to leave the rest.

Two of my neighbours passed in their cars. One of them waved. The other ignored me. Wouldn't you know.......on a Sunday afternoon - just when I thought everybody would be out enjoying the day, or visiting with friends.

Then somebody else passed by, rolled down his window "Good Luck!" he called.

Hmmmm - had he tried to "rescue" these lilies too?

Getting out of..

....your comfort zone.
You know how it is. You hear a certain expression, saying or phrase repeatedly for months, sometimes years, and it makes no impression on you.
Then one day, you read that very same expression or somebody mentions it in conversation, and ping! something is triggered inside your brain. Some signal is given to "pay attention". Why all of a sudden is this phrase important?

Well, who knows really. I figure it just means that you are in a receptive frame of mind to learn whatever it is you need to learn.

"Getting out of your comfort zone" is a phrase we hear from time to time. I usually get a distinctly uncomfortable feeling when I hear that. The meaning is crystal clear. Watch out - something is going to hurt.

I was reading an article in the newspaper the other morning - an article on fitness and health. "If you want to make positive changes in your body and level of fitness, you have to Get out of your Comfort Zone."

Hmmm - I don't like that phrase. But for some reason it's stuck in my brain. I bought some new variety of tomatoes. They were brown and looked awful. But tasted delicious! I splurged and bought my bread at the bakery last week. I was not impressed. It tasted like fast-food-french-bread (now I know there is no such thing as fast-food-french-bread, but it gives you an idea of the taste. I was expecting a heavenly, whole-grain, down-to-earth, fresh baked loaf. No way.

Took a long, long walk. After all - I had read this expression in a fitness article. Though tired afterwards, the next day I felt more energetic. Coincidence? Maybe. We'll see how things go.

This afternoon, I put a bottle of cold water, my wallet, and cell phone into a backpack, strapped it on my back, and walked into town. I've lived in Hudson for 13 years and have never walked into town. The reason? Hills. We live at the top and the village is down in the valley. Fun going down, but h*ll coming back up, especially carrying groceries on your back.

I set out along the gravel road (due to construction in the area), my mantra echoing in my brain (Get out of your Comfort Zone). Along the way I admired a gorgeous rose garden (you don't really see it zooming by in a car), a stone wall, and dozens of other gardens in bloom. I watched ducks swimming on the pond (where is my camera??), saw the foundation for a brand-new house on a previously wooded lot, some new For Sale signs, all the while listening to cardinals calling and finches twittering. Took a shortcut or two and before long (almost an hour), I was at the grocery store. Picked up some steaks for BBQ-ing, and some veggies. Not too much. I was mindful of having to haul it all back home.

The way back was harder, as I knew it would be. But it didn't bother me in the least (well, until I took a shortcut through some mosquito-y woods). I took my time, meandering by the shops with their flowers on display. An old-fashioned spinning wheel in front of an antique shop caught my eye, making me think of Sherry at Q's Corner.

Back at the duck pond, I saw a young boy looking intently at something on a rock. I walked over to have a closer look. A huge turtle or tortoise was sunning itself on that rock. It looked so weird and still and big, I thought it was fake. It's body must have been the size of an over-sized dinner platter. I've never seen a turtle that big in our area.

"Do you think this turtle is real?" I asked the boy.
"Yes, it moved it's head," he replied.
Why oh why didn't I bring my camera???
Never mind, there will be a next time. And think of all the interesting things I have to tell hubby. Changes in the neighbourhood he doesn't get to see.

The shortcut through the woods was wet and buggy - very uncomfortable! But I got home just in time to throw some marinade on the steaks for supper, take a quick shower and collapse into a deck chair. After drinking about a gallon of cold water, I managed to compose myself and look serene and relaxed, book on my lap when Hubby poked his head out the door, having just woken up from his afternoon nap.

I'll let you know if I can make it out of bed tomorrow morning!

Ah Changes...

How can we get out of Change? We can't. Plain and Simple. Those of us in our Wise Years have learned (or are still learning) to "go with the flow". Bend and stretch and flex. Rigidity never works. Life is not meant to be static.

It's taken me a while to stop wishing things could be different (well sometimes I still do), but I am learning that Acceptance makes life easier. I am learning to let go.

Granddaughter #2 was diagnosed last year with a digestive illness. I am loosening my grip on this issue. I was furious at our medical system for not being there for her. I was stressed out that my daughter (her mother) did not have my experience and wisdom to handle this the way I would have. However I had to let go. For my own mental and physical health. And to allow my daughter to grow and learn from this experience, the way she is meant to.

I am learning to let go of my youth. I look at my children and wish I was in their shoes. I absolutely loved those years of raising a family, dressing up for parties and social events, going to work and getting a paycheque, not worrying in the least about my body or health. And my parents lived close by. I danced through those years. Not that we didn't have problems. Money was a big one. And I left my marriage after 20 years. But looking back, I only remember the joy.

And looking back to the beginning of my present relationship - I see more joy, more happiness, to the point of bursting wide open. And then I wonder why Hubby and I can't still be enjoying those fruitful and healthy first few years.

What I am learning is that you can't hold on to the good things in life and expect Change to wait for a better time. Ha! I used to try and hold on to summer. Doesn't work. I used to try and hold on to a glorious day. Sunset made me sad.

This blogging community has helped with Change. I now read others' posts about autumn with delight, rather than sadness. Winter is difficult, but the beauty I see captured by my blogging friends cheers me up. Winter birds, snow gracing an evergreen tree or a house, Christmas baking, indoor candles and beautiful table settings - bring comfort to a long, cold winter here. Of course, I also check out blogs in Florida, or the Caribbean, or Australia, or other parts of the world, where I am sure to see magical gardens and gorgeous flowers.

But today it is Summer here, and I will enjoy it to the fullest!