A bright sunny morning here in the Carondelet Garden in beautiful south Saint Louis. We have partly cloudy skies this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. The high today should hit the upper 40s. Things are looking downright cold this weekend with a possibility of snow, rain, sleet, who knows?
The birds are incredibly happy with me as I have refilled the bird feeders. I've been checking them often as the garden seems to be a frequent stopping point for our neighborhood friends. Their excitement is palpable. We are creatures built for joy. As I turn my face up to the sky and listen to the life around me you can almost hear the world churning with possibility. The garden is reminding us that this is what it does so well. New life, rebirth. The greenness that rises out of the muck. The birds are singing the song of joy. All we have to do is listen. It's a good day for a bit of joy. That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.
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There is a chill in the air outside in the Carondelet Garden on this Ordinary Wednesday morning. The clouds seem to have settled in, but we may see some sunshine by this afternoon as the temps warm up into the low 40s. We may want to enjoy these relatively mild Winter days because baby, it's gonna be cold outside come this weekend. Then again, it is Saint Louis, so who knows?
I've become a bit obsessed with the Hellebores lately. Probably because they have some of the only color left in the garden right now. They are so amazing and look incredible in the wetness of the morning. They give us a bit of hope that Spring will return and none too soon! The planning is ongoing for spring planting. Exciting things to come. Hope is the operative word today as we wait and plan and keep the faith. Be good and be kind to yourself as you travel about on this mid-week day. That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden. A chilly, wet start to the day here in the Carondelet Garden. With the rain, sleet, snow and winds last night I went out to check on my Hellebores and they are not too much worse for the wear. The light rain with a bit of snow mixing in will be the rule of the day here in South Saint Louis. Not a big issue since the temperatures will mostly stay above freezing. No complaints as the old gardener welcomes the heavenly moisture.
We enjoyed watching the College Football Championship last night. My wife is from Michigan, so she was delighted with the outcome! As I was listening to the incredible Fantasia singing the national anthem just before kickoff, I was reminded of one of my favorite quotes from "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker, "I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it." I'm not sure if it "pisses God off" but I'm fairly certain our Creator would be disappointed that we don't take the tiniest of moments to experience the grace and joy provided for us in nature. William Blake once wrote: "Arise, and drink your bliss, for every thing that lives is Holy!" Every thing that lives is holy! What an amazing, awesome thing to believe. It might be rainy, snowy and chilly outside but the beauty of a "Lenten Rose" on a Winter's morning is an awesome sight to behold. A moment of grace on a grey day. I hope you have the opportunity to experience a bit of grace and joy on this Ordinary Tuesday in January. That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden. It's dark out in the Carondelet Garden on this last day of Christmastide. The clouds are thick, and the rains should be moving in by this afternoon. We may even hear a clap of thunder later on. A cloudy, rainy day to start the week.
As we were running about in late November, we stopped at the hardware store for a few items and were struck with the display of Amaryllis. As we opened the first box, we noticed that the bulb had burst into bloom inside the box! How crazy was that? We decided to pick up another and brought it home to discover that it, too had bloomed and was a bit misshapen and not terribly pretty and looking a bit tired. We cut the poor thing all the way back. After putting it into some soil and giving it a nice drink, I thought it was done for the year. I placed it in the growing area in the basement on the off chance it might bloom again. Low and behold! It did. It is a real stunner to be sure. We are so happy we didn't give up on this lovely flower. Don't give up! I guess that is a good theme for this time of year. Keep going and things will work themselves out eventually. "Keep on swimming, keep on swimming!" I can hear Dory singing right now. It's a cloudy, rainy day but the flowers are blooming, and beauty surrounds us. It's a good day for a bit of kindness and generosity. Be good to yourself! That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden. It's a cloudy start to the day here in the Carondelet Garden. I thought I'd share a picture of the outside decorations at the end of December when we had just a bit of lovely snow falling. The clouds should dissipate a bit by this afternoon with the temps struggling to reach 30 degrees.
My gardening has been limited to turning a few compost bins and fiddling with the plants growing under grow lights in the basement. The other part of a gardener's life is the dreaming. What is yet to come? The seed catalogs continue to arrive. I have planted a few sets of seedlings. My hibiscus, rosemary and lime tree are hanging in there. I have a few hanging baskets that are coming back together nicely. Hope is in the air! January comes and there is a tangible feeling of newness again. You can almost feel the days starting to lengthen. Little by little the light creeps back into our simple, ordinary life which helps keep the faith alive. Spring will come. The light will return. It's time to dream a bit, again! Here's to a bit of faith, hope and dreaming on this Thursday in Christmastide. That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden. It's still dark out in the Carondelet Garden on this Wednesday morning. I'm in the basement grow area tending to the plants we are trying to over-Winter. Pretty happy with their current state but continue to monitor and adjust. We should see some partly cloudy skies later this afternoon with highs in the low 40s.
After sequestering inside for December, it was nice to get outside and do a little antiquing and grab a bite to eat. It felt good to be able to return to regular activities again. It was a very nice day for early January in Saint Louis, so that was definitely a plus. It's the middle of the week and we are contemplating the process of taking down the holiday decorations both inside and outside. I have to admit, this is not one of my favorite chores, although Dr. B does the majority of the packing. Outdoor decorations are my job. Then everything gets put away into its storage area until later this year when the process starts all over again. I will miss the lights and decorations! It's a good day for a good day. Be good and be kind to yourself this midweek morning. That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden. It's a sunny yet chilly morning here in the Carondelet Garden on this second day of the New Year. We should have a mix of clouds and sunshine this morning, but the clouds are going to take over by this afternoon. The high today should reach the mid-40s. All in all, not a bad way to start the year!
I'm looking forward in faith this new year. One of the things I've discovered as I settle into this old man status is that the world will always be beautiful if you look for beauty. If I simply take the time to enjoy the clouds fleeting through the afternoon sky. Have you sat and watched the moon rise on a Winter's evening? It can be magical! There is something special that touches my soul when I catch the scent of freshly turned soil. A lifetime surrounded by wonder if we simply take the time to witness it. I've been thinking about time a lot lately. I guess because I've had a bit more time to think about everything. I have no idea how much time I have left. I do know that time moves at a faster rate every day as I creep ever older. The truth is we all know these days are going to give out sooner than we like to ponder. At this age I ponder it often. I am grateful for the time I have and look forward to whatever future I'm given. I plan to take the time to experience the wonder around me. I'm going to enjoy this simple, ordinary life I've been given! I hope you can take a moment to discover the wonder around you on this Tuesday in Christmastide. That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden. A Happy and Blessed First Day of 2024!
In the long darkness of Winter on this first day of January as the new year begins, it feels as if nothing has really changed. Another day, another flip of the calendar. The days are shorter, and the nights are so much longer with still, long months of shortened days yet to come. The reality is that everything has changed. As I look around the Carondelet Garden I can witness the rebirth, not a simple turn of the calendar page, but the deep changes in the soil as new life, sheltered deep in the earth, is just waiting for the new Spring to climb toward to the coming light of longer days. The author of Hebrews tells us that we move forward with the faith of being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. On this first day of 2024, we begin a new year in the deepest of darkness but out of this darkness we, too, reach toward the coming light knowing that the light will shine, and better days are yet to come. A year filled with the faith of things unseen, the hope of new beginnings and the desire to spread love and joy along the journey. Happy and Blessed New Year! |
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