Garden Party

I have discovered something about me that puzzles me.
Forget the fact that many things about me puzzle my husband...(tis true:)
This idiosyncrasy is odd even to me.

                                     

It is my infatuation with the colour of flowers at a certain season.
For example in the spring when I frequent the nurseries and gardens, I always, inevitably end up choosing white. White flowers always win in my opinion. 
                                    

         I have planted all white annuals more than a few times over the years.

But gardening is the ultimate exercise in learning, and one thing I have learnt about my relentless passion for white, is this. white is not enough.
I must have some colour in my life.
                                               

                                 It's a little like a party without laughter....
                            Or like a greeting without a smile...
                                              or a room with no view.
                                             

               Flowers express, and even though white is timeless and elegant.
                                 colour is diversity. colour is beauty. 
                                                      

                                          Give me flowers in every hue. 
                 Give me laughter, give me life.
                                          

              Exclusiveness in a garden, is a mistake 
                   as great as it is in society.
                                                                     ( Alfred Austin)

                                                                        

Weekend Adventure

Recently hubby and I had a weekend get away to a bed and breakfast inn near Huntsville Ontario.

We made our escape on the motorcycle after our kids had all been safely accounted for and with people we trusted. These getaways haven't been too frequent due to the fact that my vocation as a parent is not one I take lightly. that being said my vocation as wife is equally important.

"Quality time" is my husband's love language , so time away from the demands of home life rate high for him. I on the other hand enjoy being away...(it's simply the packing and preparing that tend to make me drag my feet). 
It is very therapeutic riding on the back of a motorcycle though, with the wind blowing in your face and the jagged ribbon of highway billowing in front, than behind.

                                     

It is a great time to get lost in your own thoughts, view nature from a different perspective and admire pretty homes and gardens.








On the way to our destination we rode through many picturesque, sea side towns...
                                                                  stopped at this one..

                                             

The bed and breakfasts two rooms were  already booked, so due to the fact that we know the owners,:) they let us stay in the boathouse (which they can't rent out officially due to insurance reasons.)

My romantic side was smitten with the boathouse as soon as I saw it. 
Nestled unassumingly beside the water, and filled with rustic charm it seemed to exude both tranquility and mystery.
                         (I may never leave:)

                                      

                                           

                          the winding staircase ...
                                         

                             
                                 enjoying fruit fondue..

                               our room (love the quilts..)

                      

Hubby and I enjoyed our wee get away. The next day we hopped back on the bike and meandered home to life. 

Back home to the duties of the week, the constant upkeep and repairs and demands, that come with an ordinary life. 
The everyday, that after even a weekend away make me realize again,
 that life is a sacred blessing.

                              stopping for a train to pass..


    Happy Weekend, ( have you ever slept in a boat house?)
             ~Lucy~

As Long

There is something about hollyhocks  that I absolutely adore!  Long associated with cottages and a simpler time, these charming blooms evoke whimsy and nostalgia.
This year a good amount of rain and sun have produced showstopping blooms!
Hence a post dedicated to hollyhocks...

                                                    

                                                 
As long as there are   hollyhocks beside a fence in July                                   

And  mothers who sing to keep hope alive.

As long as children play, without thought of tomorrow
Imagination unfurled, unfettered by sorrow.

As long as we pick those flower bouquets,
And place them in vases to brighten our day.

As long as fathers come home after work
To loved ones and laughter and familiar quirks.  

Despair  can be quelled and bad news can't dismay
For we find what we look for at the end of the day

Life can be beautiful, a work of rare art,
A silhouette of the shape of our heart.

As long as there's hollyhocks beside a fence in July
And mothers  who sing to keep hope alive.(L.M.)

Reminder Of The Times

I read this post and had to share. http://oodlesofgrace.blogspot.ca/

The poem on my fridge is yellowed with age.                      

 Fitting perhaps as I contemplate how long I have had it there and the age of my children now. 
I keep it there as a reminder though,of days that were, but still are. Days where I always have a choice, priorities are a practiced art, and memories are ever in the making...


                




 my memory wall..then and now. (even the now is dated)

                                                                             

Yes, oldest daughter is married now. Living out her dreams on a small, country property 30 minutes from here.
Second daughter is a missionary in Toronto. She lives on the 11th floor of an apartment, and the sun sets behind sky scrapers.
Son...almost sixteen, which means he'll be driving soon. His voice so deep and grown up when he called yesterday from that camp way up north, he was at for the week.
"Hey Mom, what are you doing right now?" Made me stop and wonder for a moment how that happened. When did this boy change into a man?
and daughter turning 14 in a few weeks...such a practical helper and yet still such a girl with dreams.
Then there's my baby 11 for a few more months. The one with questions bigger than I can answer at times. The one who I cuddled with on the boat this evening,as we tried to stay warm as the day changed to dusk.

and me their mother...too task oriented at times. (the kind that finds serenity in shining glass.)which is why I need this poem to remind me of what really matters....I hope you enjoy it too!

I know so well the value of neat rooms,
White curtains and the warmth of polished brass,
Wide window sills with plants in coloured rows,
Serenity that comes in shining glass.
But these, O Lord are not important things,
Nor will they leave much mark in days to be;
My children will forget their ordered rooms
In after years, but when they think of me,
May they remember I laughed much, and think 
Upon the way I shared their gaiety,
And how I read them stories from old books
Of brave fair days,and sometimes made them see
A wider world. O make them understand
That always I have deemed it more my task
To be as understanding as I could,
Than keep clean rugs upon a dusted floor.
            ( D. Tresidder)


                                              

                                             

A Gardener's Muse

one of my favorite quotes on gardening got me to thinking and rambling a little....  
                

   "One of the greatest mistakes you can make as a gardener,
                     is to think that you are in charge."

Gardening and parenting can be deceptive. I guess when you consider that Eve was deceived in a garden, it makes sense.
What I am referring to though is the notion that we deserve the credit. (or the blame)
Yes I understand we plant, water, weed, prune. 
Gardeners are always on the look out for ways and ideas that would better the end result.
 We spend hours perusing the perfect plants and ultimate design.                                  But we can never solely predict the outcome. There is far too much we don't know.
There is far too much we can not control.
There is soil conditions and droughts and torrential down pours. 
Sometimes we are simply baffled, because it would seem we have tried everything.

With our children we teach, correct,train, pray.
We dedicate ourselves to this awe inspiring work. One that ultimately ends up teaching us more than we feel we taught them.
Our children are our "flowers"and we want the best blooms possible.
Our children grow up, they are faced with life's challenges and choices.
We understand that their sphere of influence has shifted away from us for a time.
We have learned there is much we can not control.
                                                 

                                          
Then we remember that we are not in charge.We are merely the tools in a far greater design and plan.
When we grasp this there is a deeper reverie for gardens, and in our hearts a wiser understanding.
                                                         

                                                               
                                       last evenings rainbow...

Rather Distracted

              
I keep thinking about doing a blog post, but I keep being distracted...
                                                    by sunsets,

                                                    beaches,

                                                  and fire works.

                             by children who play 

        in late afternoon shadows...

                                                by places to recline...

              and small sanctuaries...

and wings..

and that pile of books.

by gardens

and what lies beyond.

                                           

by trying new things...

(like lavender)

                                                       reflections,

and remembering...

the wedding

So although I have been distracted, 

it has been with good things,

rich, resonating and real.

The stuff of blog posts I guess:)