It's a bit cloudy and chilly this Tuesday morning in Spring. We should see a bit of rain this afternoon. Today is filled with appointments and paperwork. Up early and ready to tackle the work.
We recently returned from a few days out of town. We haven't traveled much since the pandemic, and this was a longer getaway for us. When we both retired, we made a decision to create a life we didn't need or want to escape from. We did some home renovations, and I created the garden I always wanted. Our home became sanctuary. Jon Kabat-Zinn once said, "Wherever you go, there you are." We took that to heart. We didn't realize how much so until we left. Don't get me wrong, we had a lovely time in the mountains and enjoyed the beauty but by the third day we were both longing for our sanctuary. We are fortunate to have created a retreat where we can sit with our eyes closed, turn on some music, and tune out the world. Our Lenten practice this year has included a Sabbath with no technology. It was a wake-up when we realized how luxurious Sundays became without the interruptions. This is one Lenten practice we will continue into Ordinary Time. I hope you can find the space to look inward and sit with closed eyes and feel your breath go in and out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Move on. Try to shut out the constant thoughts and anxieties. Breath in. Breathe out. Breathe. Amen.
0 Comments
Spring is ready burst forth here in the Carondelet Garden. The buds on the Woodbine are full and just ready to fling open with their beautiful blooms on this first day of Spring. I'm so ready for Spring and the beginning of full-on Gardening season! The potato seeds are chitting nicely in the basement. The onion sets are coming in the next week or so. The weather looks like it might be stabilizing a bit. Yep, Spring is here!
It's amazing to know that those tiny buds will burst forth with flowers any day now. We don't see the flowers, but we "know" they are there. We have faith and believe even though we do not see. We just have faith that the flowers will come. I need a bit of that faith in my life. I need to walk around, in my daily life, in an atmosphere of faith. Seeing God in the face of a stranger. Seeing God in the flowers and trees. Seeing God in all things. Seeing God and noticing that God is here. God's presence is here, now, and God loves me just the way I am. It's the First Day of Spring! The temperatures are beginning to warm up. The sun is shining. I'm praying for the ability to align myself with others. I'm praying to remember that I am called to care for and love others. Love others. Love. Amen. It's March Madness here in the Carondelet Cottage in the Carondelet Garden. Our beloved Women's basketball Billikens have made school history. They are the first women's basketball team to win the A10 Conference. They are also the first women's team to make it to the dance. It's on national television on ABC at noon this sunny, cold Saturday. Let's go Bills!
Lots of Basketball this weekend. I hope you get a chance to cheer on your favorite team. Have you filled out your bracket yet? This #supercoololdcouple have South Carolina going all the way. We love our Billikens but we are nothing if not realistic. Have a fun weekend. Be good and be kind to yourself and others on this chilly late, late Winter's day. That's all the news from the Carondelet Garden. Happy Saint Patrick's Day to one and all. Tis a grand day for a bit of craic!
For as long as I can remember my dad and I would gather ourselves and watch "The Quiet Man" with John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara and Barry Fitzgerald and share a wee small of the "good stuff." He's been gone a good long while now, but we still watch that movie and have a wee dram of the good John Jameson and Sons finest. It's a great memory and, if you haven't watched it, a GREAT movie. The fight scene toward the end of the movie between John Wayne and the amazing Victor McLaglen is worth the entire film. One of John Ford's greatest! One of my favorite old Irish blessings I will share this glorious day: May love and laughter light your days, and warm your heart and home. May good and faithful friends be yours, wherever you may roam. May peace and plenty bless your world with joy that long endures. May all life's passing seasons bring the best to you and yours. Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Spring is Springing around the Carondelet Garden. It's simply a magical time of year. The warmer temperatures of yesterday certainly didn't hurt!
It's errand day for this old Gardener. I'm heading out the door to do the mundane things of life. Renewing car plates, groceries, getting gas, the things that keep us going. Basically, a simple, ordinary day in our lives. It's the stuff that needs to be done. Have a good day. You deserve it! We all need a simple, ordinary day filled with a bit of goodness and kindness. I'm trying to face it with a smile on my face. That's all the news from the Carondelet Garden. Beware the Ides of March. Actually, nothing to beware of with these beauties poking out of the ground and saying, "Howdy!" I love the early spring Crocus bulbs. A bit of light and love on a chilly, very late Winter's day. Spring is just around the corner!
Bil Keane, the cartoonist has a wonderful saying, "Yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future, but today is a gift. That's why it is called the present." The present is here... now. We have it in our hands, but it won't last forever. We can choose what today is. We can enjoy it all and that will be enough. A gift to be treasured. An opportunity to enjoy and savor. I choose to smile and laugh a bit more. Today is a bit of grace, undeserved but given freely. Have some faith, keep the hope alive, and spread a bit of love on this Wednesday in late Winter. Enjoy your present. That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden. Happy 3 1 4 Day! You don't have to be around this old gardener very long before you realize how much I love my hometown. I love my little neighborhood of Carondelet. I love this City and the amazing people who share it with me. We have our problems without a doubt. We have a laundry list of things that need improvement, as does any City of our age and size. The thing about Carondelet and Saint Louis are the amazing people. The makers, the artists, the gardeners, the chefs and restaurants! Oh, my goodness, I would stack the restaurants and chefs of Saint Louis up against anyone.
There is nothing more Saint Louis than reading the paper and enjoying a cup of coffee on the porch. A bit of music playing in the background. Neighbors and dogs walking by. A wave and a hello and sometimes a long conversation that really does solve all of the world's problems. It's a bit chilly this morning but I had to share an old picture. I'm looking forward to some porch sitting soon! I highly recommend hitting the farmers markets, the makers markets, the restaurants and shops of Saint Louis. Drive by the national chains and fast-food places and visit some Saint Louis originals. Saint Louis has it all from A to Z (I really am old... I remember the jingle!) Explore STL! We're heading out in a bit to visit some shops and grab a bite. Hope to see you there! That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden. Winter Pansies are an incredible thing! These were planted back in October of last year and they are still hanging in and blooming. Talk about resilience. An absolutely amazing flower.
That was the plan when we planted them last Fall. The plan was for some beauty and color as we went into late Fall and Winter. We knew the other plants would dry up, but the Pansies would continue to be green and beautiful. I like plans. I like making plans and I expect my plans to work out exactly as I planned. Unfortunately, life doesn't always follow my plan. Things happen and my plans go the way of garbage bin. I forget that just because I make a plan doesn't mean there isn't a bigger plan in place. Maybe, just maybe, a better plan is in the works that is better than my plan. Sometimes, it's just not my turn. Another person's plan is the choice of the day. A good reminder that I am not the only one who matters. It's a cold, cloudy morning here in the Carondelet Garden. A good day to make a few plans. A good day to remember to be resilient when those plans don't work out. A good day to remember that I am not the only one who matters. A good day to remember. A good day. Have a good day Gardening Friends! |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
July 2024
Categories |