The Third Act

magic in the garden

To be fair, almost anything that happens in the garden is magic.  How a seed grows into a plant, blossoms, fruits, dies and goes back into the soil?  Wow.  But that's always there.  Some mornings, it's just the energy of the garden that makes the magic palpable.

Although the temperature is rising into the 90s today, this morning was still relatively cool.  The sun was shining, flowers blooming and it all felt so refreshed.  Was there anything in particular I could point to, that made this morning feel more magical than most?  Not really.  That feeling came from within...maybe it came from my relationship to the plants.  I don't know, but I loved it, I cherish those moments and will never tire of them.

A little later in the morning I managed to get the lawns mowed.  Now it's too hot to be outside.  The evening, however, may bring more fireflies which I was watching last night.  It's that time of year!

 

 

 

 

poppy progress

They make me so happy, these bread seed poppies.  I find every stage of their growth fascinating.  They were the first seedlings to come up in the garden...it might have even been late February.  Although slow growing those first few months, they really took off about a month ago.  When I stand in the garden, I'm pretty much eye to eye with some of the blossoms, which puts them at near five feet.  The petals don't last longer than a few days on the flowers, which makes them kind of ephemeral.  By late June, they will probably be on their last leg, leaving me with dry rattles of seed pods.

 

 

 

 

quiet time

This past week has been busy for me.  I say "for me" because for most other people it probably wouldn't have felt any where near as intense.  It was all good stuff.  Still, my energy was turned on in a way that isn't typical.  Introvert...need I say more?

So this afternoon is quiet time.  It's a time to process the good stuff, particularly the stuff that was inspiring and educational.  It's Sunday, so maybe even a nap in the cool of the house on this warm afternoon.  Let me count how many books I have to catch up on as well!  It's definitely a time to reflect on my blessings and feel gratitude.

 

 

 

 

Hallelujah!!

The sun has finally returned.  The poppies are popping now.  It's interesting to have watched the buds patiently wait all week to open.  This morning as I lifted the blinds, I saw that little blob of purple on top of their stems.  I rushed through my shower so I could get dressed and go out to take photos.  It was too exciting to put it off.  Yes, this is my life and the things that motivate me...what an odd old woman (I claim unapologetically).

 

 

 

 

milkweek blossoms

tagetes lucida

rosa rugosa bud

 

Friday...(yes, it IS actually Friday)

Okay, to show you just how muddled many days without sun make me, yesterday's blog post was entitled "Friday".  Such lovely souls who actually read my blog were too polite to correct me!  Anyway, it's corrected now.

Today is actually Friday, with just a teeny tiny bit of sunshine coming through.  Tomorrow there will be more.  The rain should be gone (at least for a day).  I'm thankful for no intense storms, no tornadoes, no hail and only a little wind.  Can't really ask for more than that.

It was actually a stressful week for me, with appointments and responsible adult types of things to take care of.  I made it through, as I tend to do.  I never expect anyone else to understand my idiosyncrasies...the world looking in would scratch their head at what causes me stress.  That's okay.  I'll be good to me...I'll give myself understanding and work to calm the parts that want to be judgmental.

The garden has soaked up all the precipitation.  The sun tomorrow may tease some of the poppy buds to open...and won't that be glorious?!

 

 

 

Thursday

I think the last time I saw sunshine was Monday.  It's been cool (although warming up today), gray and wet.  The rain has been good for the garden, but now some sun would really be great.  The afternoon may provide some rays, which would be much appreciated.  It has oddly felt like northern California.  I think that's happened a few times since I've been living here...conditions that harken back to a familiar place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

purple

The larkspur and nigella in the garden are adding lots of purple color to the beds.  I'm somewhat impatiently waiting for the bread seed poppies to bloom to see if I get pink ones, purple ones, or (best yet) both.  The little buds are stretching out their necks and I keep offering words of encouragement (because, of course I do!).

Given how dark it's been for about three days, with no sun and good bit of rain, many of the plants and flowers are just holding steady.  Tomorrow could have some sunshine breaking through...fingers crossed.  The temperatures will be climbing to near normal as well.  It's weird, given the conditions outside, it almost feels like northern coastal California!  I will appreciate the sun when it makes its appearance again.

 

 

 

change

The weather has gone from sunny, dry and hot, to gray, wet and very cool.  It's about 30 degrees lower than it was on Sunday.  I'm not complaining...it was too hot too soon and the garden is very grateful for the good soak.

Change, the only inevitable really.  It's also one of the trickiest things to be comfortable with.  Generally speaking, I like things I can count on.  And generally speaking, I do know that "count on" is relative.  A big part of my personal evolution is to keep on learning flexibility.  I don't always do a fantastic job, but I keep it in mind and do my best.

Speaking of doing one's best...  I was chatting with a friend yesterday and we were both ruminating on our individual life challenges, particularly where the body is concerned.  I said how I would like to see more women my age speaking their truth about living in an aging (and complex) female body.  I want to laugh about it, feel supported and understood...with the understanding that I'm doing my best.  I want to balance healthy practices with occasional indulgences.  I want to feel less weird (although, yeah, I would be happy with "less" because I still appreciate some of my weirdness).  I want to be at peace with the fact that bodies and all other living things are designed for entropy, that the idea of youth with its many standards is really not realistic nor healthy.  I will keep eating well, practicing my spirituality, creating and moving my body, but a point is going to come at which everything will be harder...and that's okay.  Maybe that decline is actually a feature that moves us towards release.

 

 

 

mornings

My morning routine during the spring and summer is to get up, use the bathroom, and go from room to room opening the blinds.  I always stop at each front window and look down at the garden.  I check to see that there's nothing significant missing and take in the general vibe of the plants.  Today I sat on the guest bed for a few minutes, looking at the elder blossoms just outside the window.  I feel immense gratitude for what I have to work with and how it works with me.

 

 

 

 

infused oils

I strained and pressed my first batch of infused oils, using the method taught by Kami McBride.  Wow, what a difference!  I originally learned to make comfrey oil by using wilted leaves in a double boiler, gently heating the oil and plant matter.  I would get a lovely green (especially if double infused), nutty scented oil.  And while it was good, it was nothing like the green I get using dried plant matter, powdered and heated with friction.  The heat is less intense so the oil doesn't smell cooked (which was pleasantly yummy but also probably made the end result less shelf stable).  The calendula oil made Kami's way gave me similar results, offering a rich, grassy/floral scented oil.

I look forward to using both these oils for my skin.  The comfrey oil I'll be experimenting with on my achy tendons, for which it's also purported to be helpful.

There's lots more to learn from the course I'm taking online.  However, I couldn't wait to try making a couple batches!