Almost a Meadow

As some of you might remember, I ripped out our front lawn last summer. Over many weeks I replaced it first with a layer of cardboard and covered that with a three inch layer of compost. Almost 1900 square feet of dirt broke down over the fall and winter into spring. 

Knowing that I can hardly plant the entire area in just one year, I put out seeds of poppies (Papaver), California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) and other local wildflowers over one part of the dirt. Other parts I started to plant in late fall with drought tolerant, native plants. I mixed in some native shrubs, grasses and lavender. And then I just let it rest over the winter. 

Soon after the winter rains had started the first seedlings appeared. The only ones I recognized were the California poppies, but I wasn’t sure about many of the other ones. I even wondered whether some of them were actually weeds instead of wildflowers (which sometimes can be the same anyway). Since I didn’t know for sure I decided to just wait it out and see what would emerge out of those seedlings. 

What I finally got is almost a meadow – a beautiful meadow of orange, pink, red, white, lavender and blue flowers. The California poppies dominate by far; I call them the happy flowers. The loveliest surprise, however, have been the papaver poppies. They came along fierce and strong in beautiful colors, some of them bicolor. I discover new ones on a daily basis, and their exquisite beauty makes my heart sing. The flowers don’t last very long, a few days at the most, but their beauty isn’t gone since the flowers are followed by their gorgeous unique seedpods. 

Hopefully they will reseed and show their beauty again next year. 

A Window to the Soul

I’m not sure what’s right; how the best way to handle things is. Is honesty always the best policy or is it best to keep one’s thoughts and opinions – feelings – to one’s self.  I know that in retrospect, I wish I had keep a few feelings to myself and not been so open and honest in a recent situation.  The expressing of my feelings, along with some other group actions and events, played a role in starting a negative chain reaction within a group.

Personal relationships are challenging and fragile; group dynamics…even more difficult. 

A friend made mention of this thought last week, “We are each somewhat like a window, with the ability to see out, but at the same time allowing others to see in.” 

Am I guilty of quickly forming opinions while looking out my side of the ‘window,’ but slow to accept what people see when they look in?  Could I…should I have done more to nurture the now-damaged relationship?

As I write today’s post, I am reflecting on what people see when they look ‘in my window.’ Perhaps doing a little soul searching….

Sweetness in the swelter...

It's coming on Summer,
the season of swelter
and I want to open wide to the wonder
and  s---l----o----w this life on down,
going all fluid and free and fascinated,
to live out my art in vivid color
and drink in thanks from every ripe moment.

I want to wander in the mountains with my camera
and hear again the owl in the woods,
to find some new swimming holes
and dance by the light of the moon,

to dab coppertone behind my ears
and munch cilantro plenty from the soil,
to resuscitate my relationship with the local library
and write a good answer to give
when people say what I "should,"

I want to linger longer outside on summer nights
and get over the bugs,
because you can't have one without the other,
and embrace the storms
and paint my toes turquoise
and get more scars,

to fill my arms with farmer's market goodness
for fresh salsa
and cobblers
and to remember how all I need is already here,
to re-purpose, refurbish and restore
what I didn't notice before,
and when I feel empty
to fill up on thanks
and wear the coolest cotton dresses.

I want to let Summer love me,
to take in the sweetness
and not wish it away in the waiting
for gentler times to come,
to take each shot of courage as it comes
and not miss a moment of living
in all the surviving

and,  yes,  I will love you,  Summertime.


  (Summer here in the South can pound pretty hard on me
while I work outdoors;  my business designing , building and tending gardens
keeps me often doing hard labor and hot flashing in the swelter.
We had a rare cool Spring but the beautiful balmy easy-to-breathe air
has gone all Summertime this week
and I'm swimming in peanut butter while I adjust;

love and light to you,  wherever you are)