Nothing But The Best

My little tabletop fairy garden is not doing well. In fact, it doesn't look much like this picture any more. The big window over my desk that I love so much doesn't love my plants at this time of the year. While winter is traditionally a dark and dismal time of the year in terms of sunlight, this year seems to be taking the award for most dark and cloudy days in a row without sun. As all the windows in my sweet little studio apartment are west facing, they only get direct light in the afternoon, and at this time of year it is mainly from about 2 pm to 4:30 or 5 p.m. So my little plants are struggling to hang in there. The only two plants that seem to be holding their own are the little bamboo plant I bought on a whim in the autumn, and an as-yet unidentified plant that looks like the top of a pineapple (for all I know it could be the top of a pineapple) that I rescued from a departing office member 8 years ago which is now about 3 feet tall. I suspect it is trying to be a tree but is having an identity crisis as it's stem is way too thin to support its weight. I have it staked and am awaiting its decision.

A friend suggested that I get a grow light to help my plants get through the winter. Another friend suggested that I just break down and get some really nice artificial plants. There are some on the market that look remarkably real and only require a damp cloth to wipe off their leaves for care as compared to the constant feeding, watering and nurturing of real plants. I have to admit that I did give that one some thought. I was even swayed temporarily by the photos online of big, handsome plants with large, green, shiny leaves, giving the room the look and feel of a tropical paradise. However, at the core of my being, where the ever-present gardener lives, her little voice whispered to me, " but oh, dear one, you so deserve the real thing." 

Yes, I do. And so do you. We all deserve the best. No one should have to settle for second best. Mother Nature doesn't give us her second best trees, or flowers, or animals. She gives us the very best that she can create. Why? Because we're worth it. If she thinks so, who are we to argue? We are all deserving of the best that life has to offer us. A fake plant may look nice, but a real plant is a feast for our senses. Besides, nothing speaks to our hearts as much as being a part of the birth and growth of something beautiful.

So this weekend I am going to do a little comparison shopping for grow lights and boxes for my little tabletop garden. I may even treat myself to some herb seeds and get an early start on spring. No more cooking with the dried stuff any longer ... I deserve the best, and so do you!

And so it is. 

The Great Human Myth

For some reason humankind has embraced the idea that they are in total control of their lives and the events surrounding their lives. One has only to look out of the window today in my neck of the woods to be reminded who's really in control. After a weekend of more than a foot of snow and winds gusting to 35 mph, I woke up this morning to a temperature of -7 with a wind chill of -21. If you think you have any control over any of that, you are either seriously delusional or you believe in myths.

There is so much about being human that is totally out of our control. Besides the weather, the most prevalent myth in our society is about aging ... we are all going to get old. Some of us will age better than others. Some of us will wake up one morning, look in the mirror and, much like what I thought when I looked out of the window this morning and saw five foot icicles, say to ourselves: " What happened?" No amount of hair dye, face lifts, and dressing like our grandkids is going to change Mother Nature's most important lesson of them all: things are born, things serve their purpose, things get old, things die. It's not what happens to us, it's how we respond to it. Some of us will let ourselves go gray gracefully, some will not. Some will trade in those three inch heels for comfortable, sensible shoes, and others won't. Whatever we decide, it will make the difference between enjoying the wisdom and freedom that comes with age, or fighting it tooth and nail. In the end, we're all gonna get old. As usual, Mother Nature has the last word on that.

So today I am spending the day in my favorite plaid flannel nightgown with matching flannel PJ pants (thank you, Granddaughter Gabby for this warm and thoughtful gift) and binge-watch decorating shows on TV. If that gets old, I have tons of books and movies to entertain me. In fact, I might just take a nap. I am officially taking a Snow Day. Thank you, Mother Nature, for this gift. Now, where did I put my tea pot?

And so it is.

Finding Your Path

" If you can see your path laid out in front of you step by step, you know it's not your path. Your own path you make with every step you take. That's why it's your path."

~ Joseph Campbell

We finally got enough snow to actually have something to shovel. That is unusual for where I live. Here in Upstate New York, there's usually already several inches of snow on the ground. We've had more rain than snow so far this winter, but February and March are usually the months when Mother Nature makes up for it.

I was watching the folks next door shovel a path from the front steps to the street and around to the back of the house. At the same time, their kids were marching around in the front yard making footsteps in the snow and blazing their own paths. It was an amazing stroke of synchronicity when the above quote fell into my lap a few hours later. It reminded me that sometimes when we travel down a path just because it's free of debris, or, in this case, snow, that doesn't always make it the best path to travel. It is when we blaze our own path through life, one step at a time, one decision at a time, that we can honestly claim it as our own. And as Robert Frost reminds us so eloquently, taking the "road less traveled" really does make all the difference.

Watching the children outside gave me the idea to put on my boots and blaze my own path from the rear of my apartment building, across the parking lot, and over to the dumpster to take out my trash and recyclables even before the owners came and ploweded the lot. It made me feel like a kid myself again, and following my footsteps back home gave me an undeniable sense of knowing that I was headed in the right direction.

And so it is. 

And The Earth Sleeps

When I was a child someone once told me that in Winter, the earth goes to sleep, just like the bears,  until Spring. In my mind's eye I saw all the flowers and the trees curl up and close their eyes, a smile on their faces, dreaming of sunshine and blue skies again. Much later, when I took up gardening and was captivated once more by the magic of nature, I often wondered if there wasn't some truth to that tale. Perhaps the earth does, in part, go to sleep so it can recharge its batteries and indulge in a little bit of extreme self-care of its own. I wonder what it dreams about? 

What would we all dream about if we could curl up under a warm blanket, with a fire roaring in the hearth, and sleep away the cold and darkness of winter? Would we dream of waking up to a world that was clean, fresh and new? Would the darkness of the season, as well as the darkness in the hearts of men, be gone as well? Would the world be filled once again with the hope of a fresh, new beginning, or with any hope at all?

Sometimes it's hard to imagine that kind of a world, and during the darkness of winter it is even harder. The love and joy of the holidays that just passed seem to disappear under a blanket of "business as usual," just like the earth outside our windows lies buried under a blanket of snow. So what can we do to wake up? We can turn on the light. We can turn up the light. Just like putting in a stronger light bulb in your lamp to make a room brighter, we can turn up the amps on our spirits. Let your hopes and dreams be seen. Don't bury them under a blanket of hopelessness and despair. Let your own light help light the way for others. Even on the darkest night, the moon still finds a way to shine so we can see our way on the path.

This winter, instead of hibernating and dreaming of Spring, let's wrap a warm coat of courage around us and tell Winter to "bring it on!" And don't forget those new boots and mittens you got for Christmas. The metaphorical snow could get deep, but you got this! 

And so it is. 

A Green New Year's Eve Party

I'm not one for New Year's Eve parties. I was married to a musician a long time ago and had to spend every New Year's Eve sitting at a table surrounded by very loud, very drunk people I didn't really know while my husband and the band were up front playing. When the kids came along I was more than happy to stay home and have a quiet night in. 

If I had to pick my very favorite New Year's Eve, it would be one night when I was living in the country. We were blessed by a crystal clear night and a sky filled with stars so bright they lit up the night. At the stroke of midnight I went outside and place one hand on the massive trunk of my favorite tree, and with the other hand, raised a glass to toast the earth and every living thing on it, and to make a wish that the New Year would be a kind and abundant one for everyone. I think I felt closer to God and Mother Earth that night than any night before or since.

If you've been following my blog for the last few years you know that I am not one who makes New Year's Resolutions. I make promises, both to myself and to others. One of the values I hold the highest is that when you give your word, you keep it, even if it's to yourself and even if, after you've given it, you wish you hadn't. It's not always easy and I'm not always on track every single minute of every single day. but I do my very best, know when I'm not doing my very best, and try again. 

So this year on New Year's Eve I will sit with my journal and write down all the promises I am making for 2019, set the intention to keep every one of them no matter how hard, and, weather permitting, I just might go outside and see if I can find a tree I can put my hand on (I hope the neighbors won't think I'm tipsy if they see me holding on to a tree but, seriously, how many folks are looking out of their windows at midnight?). And maybe, just maybe, God, and Mother Nature, and I, can usher in a wonderful, blessed new year!

And so it is. 

All I Want For Christmas

I woke up this morning to a light dusting of snow. The little stand of fir trees that line the driveway next door look all ready for Christmas, as if Mother Nature had tip-toed in during the night to decorate. All the roof tops have a coating of snow as well. From where I sit, I can see every chimney all the way down the block. They are calling for more snow showers tonight. I hope Santa has his best snow boots ready for the trip . Some of those rooftops look pretty slippery to me. 

I was going to look back over all the other Christmas blog posts I've written over the last 6 years since Flower Bear's Garden's beginning, just to get an idea of what I'd already said. It occurred to me as I was scrolling through the past that the message really never changes: peace, love, compassion, good-will towards everyone. It's not about what you place under the Christmas tree, it's about what you lay down at the foot of the manger: hate, greed, indifference, and hopelessness. It's about asking ourselves what gifts we shared with the world this year - not necessarily financially but the gifts of ourselves, like time, attention, caring, standing up for what is right and supporting others who do. It's about saving our world and everyone and everything in it. It's about living the spirit of Christmas 365 days a year. And if, when we find that we came up a little short with sharing our gifts this year, it's about making a new list ... and checking it twice ... to see where we can be even more "nice." It's also about remembering that if we don't put ourselves on the receiving end of that list, no one else gets what they deserve either. 

May you all have the most blessed and beautiful Christmas ever, and may you receive all the love and goodness your hearts desire. 

And so it is ... Merry Christmas!

The Gift Of Hope

Sharing another post from Christmas past, this one from two years ago. It speaks to our world today even more than it did back then. Enjoy!

There is a picture hanging on the wall of my bedroom that has hung in every bedroom of every house or apartment I've lived in for the past 25 years. The picture is called In Disgrace, and it shows a little girl of about 3 standing in the naughty corner with her loyal puppy sadly at her feet waiting for her to be reprieved. It was given to me by my youngest daughter, now 43, who spent a good deal of her young life in that same position, only her puppies were imaginary friends. Her favorite line to her pretend puppies was," I hope she doesn't forget us here."

Hope is powerful. As long as we have hope, there is no one and nothing that can stop us from believing that there is another way. I have to admit that of all the gifts  I have written about this month, this one was the hardest to do. It is hard to hold on to hope when all of the news is so bad. Every day when we turn on the TV or log on to the computer we are greeted with another tragedy, another horror, another example of man's inhumanity to man. But somewhere in the back of my mind is a saying passed on to me during some crisis in my life that came to me as I sat down at my desk this morning: "As long as the sun comes up tomorrow, there is always hope ... and the sun always comes up tomorrow, so there is always hope." I would add to that a line from that wonderful movie, The Last Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: "It will all work out in the end, and if it hasn't worked out yet, then it's not the end."

The sun will come out tomorrow, and with that gift, we can do anything. Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday filled with love, joy, and the hope for a better world for everyone. It's time to start writing a new story.

And so it is.