Plants With Stories

A garden is a lovesome thing. I took a stroll around my yard early this morning. It was chilly. The leaves, or what was left of them were shivering, and Sophie very sensibly stayed indoors. Those few leaves that are still hanging on are producing some spectacular colors, albiet in small bursts. My yard is in the midst of it's slow progression into a whispering peace. I have been strolling around my yard for the past 8 months since we moved in, trying to discern what is missing, what doesn't feel quite right.

I realized that this is the first time in 25 years that I have lived in a home where the plants don't have stories. The story of the person who gave it to me, like the roses my mother-in-law loved like children, or the velvet dahlias his grandmother was so proud of. The stories of the trips involved that inspired me to plant, or some childhood memory like the smell of grandmas green onions, or the volunteer that came up in the garden of a former house, or the fake geraniiums that I stuck in the ground in my garden in the desert because nothing else would grow.

I love a plant with a story

Childhood Wonder

"We need love's tender lessons taught, as only weakness can;
God hath his small interpreters; the child must teach the man."
-John Greenleaf Whitier




I love teaching K-6th grade fine arts. I anticipate my time with each student with great delight. Children are definitely the freshest, sweetest part of the race. They are magical creatures! They fill my days with joy and good humor and add to my wonder of being alive. It is truly awe- inspiring to rediscover the joy, excitement and mystery of this world that I live in.

Lord,
Please let me see the virtues that children have in their lives, the joy and enthusiasm of looking forward to each day with glorious expectations of wonderful things to come. Help me see the vision that sees the world as a splendid place with good fairies, brave knights and glistening castles reaching toward the sky. Help me see the radiant curiosity that finds adventure in simple things, tree branches worshiping you, the mystery of billowy clouds, the magic of of falling leaves. Please give me the tolerance that forgets differences, the genuineness of being oneself; to be simple, natural and sincere. Give me the courage that rises from defeat and tries again, after spilling paint on a finished artwork. Give me the believing heart that trusts others, knows no fear, and has faith in a Divine Father who watches over His children from the sky. Please Lord, let me become like the little child, that I may find again the Kingdom of Heaven within my heart.