Good morning Friends ~ I am feeling much better even though I still have the occasional cough and sneezing bout and running nose. My energy level is back up and the weather is cooling down somewhat, in the high 80's this week. Hurray.
Yesterday morning DH and I both worked outside, me trimming, weeding, raking, etc. He was moving and rearranging iron pieces he's collected over the years. We were still sweating, but it wasn't as bad as it has been all summer. We both look forward to cooler weather so that we can get some outdoor things done around here, one of which will be repainting our little cottage again. :-) We have a 5 gal. bucket waiting to be spread on the walls. I love to paint, and hopefully my right arm will co-operate as it's not the same since our accident 11 years ago, and with age bothers me more. I'll just do as much as I can at any given time, and enjoy the process. Maybe I'll even start this week. :-)
Yesterday afternoon, after lunch and a nap, I got online and checked out some country properties in GA and SC. We would love a country place, so I check places out every now and then just to see what is out there. Sometimes I get a tad depressed, because at the moment it isn't possible for us to move, other times I feel so thankful for what we have, and am ashamed for being discontent. I can't even keep up with cleaning our little cottage, yet I look at little bigger places, around 1200 sq ft. Larger living spaces and pieces of property mean more upkeep, and at this age, I've got all I can handle. Yesterday after being online, I got up from my chair here in my sweet little space, and walked out into the scullery , kitchen, and was really thankful for our haven. DH has a really nice workshop, we have storage sheds, and I have gardens. The 4 lane busy road out front and the neighborhood make us crave the country. But, when we pull into our driveway off the busy road, we enter our own little haven from the crazy world that we live in. We breathe a sigh of relief and thanksgiving.
I thought of the book 'Simple Abundance - A Daybook of Comfort and Joy' by Sarah Ban Breathnach. A book DH bought me years ago, found at a thrift store, because he thought it looked like something I would enjoy. I have enjoyed it through the years and have quite a few things marked and underlined.
Here is a selection that I was reminded of yesterday.
"Today, no matter where or how you live,
look upon your home through the eyes of Love.
Walk around the rooms and offer thanks
for the walls and roof that safely enclose you and yours.
Pause for a moment to consider
all who have lost their homes through death, divorce, debt, or disaster.
Be grateful for the home you have,
knowing that, at this moment,
all you have is all you truly need."
Wishing you all a great week,
wherever you are,
whatever you are living in,
whatever you are doing.
May you feel God's love, peace, and strength surrounding you at all times.
Below are a few blooms from this past week.
Caldwell's Pink or Pink Pet
Mexican petunias
The next two are the Love rose.
Louis Philippe or Florida Cracker Rose
Dwarf Poinciana
Blackberry Lily blooms
***
"I have learned,
in whatsoever state I am,
therewith to be content."
St. Paul
***
Zone 10 ~ s.e. FL
19 comments:
I do so love your thoughts and
photos here today. I also love
and enjoy our home and all that
makes it ours. The selection
from your book is beautiful
and, as always, your flowers
are exquisite.
Love & Prayers,
Sandy
(Praying your arm feels much
better and stronger.)
I have the same book. I keep it right here by my computer...I have read it all, but it's a book that you can read every year. I saw the author on TV years ago, when the book came out and I knew that I had to have it.
Balisha
Your cottage and gardens are so lovely and such a great escape from the hustle and bustle that surrounds you. I always love seeing what's blooming at FlowerLady's place. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and your gardens.
Oh, what a special post! I am glad to hear you are feeling a bit better, thank goodness!
I am truly blessed with living in the country on the farm I grew up on, though many people have said they couldn't live in one place their entire lives. Our little house needs work too, but we keep putting our energy into the garden. We went on some new home showcase tours to get some remodeling ideas last spring, and all I could think of was, "How would I keep 2500+ sq. ft. clean??!" I would much rather work in the garden than clean my house (and it shows...blush)
Thank you for the gentle reminder to cherish the life we have. And I need to find a copy of your book!
I'm glad to hear you're feeling better and the weather is finally cooling off!
Our house needs painting too, but since it's a two storey we can't do it ourselves. Too bad because I would have loved to.
Beautiful and interesting post. Your photos are exquisite.
Nice post, we always need to see what is right in front of us. luv, Gina
I am happy to hear you are feeling better and getting some work done outside.
Think very seriously about moving. I know you want to be away from the highway but remember the more space, the more work. I think your charming cottage and garden is just about perfect!
I have just spent 2.5 hours cleaning some flower beds, now a total of 4.5 hours....probably twice that to go....I am furiously thinking of how to eliminate this work!
Just pray the discontentment will pass. I am going through this also, and wish I could move my home to better digs, but I make it the best I can.
Your home is so darling and remember that once you cross your thresh hold of your home, you can put the 4 lane to rest for a while.
I have sort of the same, only I am between 2 busy roads, a 2 lane to the south and a 4 lane to the north, and I just pretend I am in the country, I look at my neighbor's garden with his trees and just pretend and it truly helps.
Take care and do what you can do, I trying to get things in order to paint inside the house and hopefully get new flooring laid down sometime this early winter.
Take care, hugs
Good advice in this society of consumerism, enjoy what you have!
Your flowers are so pretty!
Thanks,
Rosey
Very nice selection from Simple Abundance, which is one of my favortie all-time books. Sometimes we all need a reminder to keep it simple and to appreciate what we have. Your garden is looking lovely this September.
So glad to hear you're feeling better. My son was hit by a bug on Friday, so it's been a long weekend here at PITV. He's still a bit drug down from it. You sound so like my dad, who has been checking out properties in South Georgia for years and years now. I ask him why on earth he would want to live anywhere but Florida?!! He's lived here his whole life. I've lived in other states and am quite happy to be back home, thank you very much. ; ) Sounds, though, like you are hating your neighborhood (he is too), and that can make things rough. At least you do have a respite. Your garden always seems very private from the photos. We live here in the country, but it feels like the whole world can look into our garden.
FlowerLady: Thanks for the selection of the book! It does make me thinking and appreciate more what we have. Your roses are so beautiful. I envy anybody can grow roses that pretty in Florida. Mine is not looking good after the summer.
So glad you are feeling better and that it is getting a little cooler for you.
Sometimes I get discontent with my home and think I want something bigger. Then reality hits me and I know I would one day never be able to keep it up.It is the time in my life when I need to streamline rather than add more but I can dream LOL!
I love the Florida Cracker rose you have. It is so beautiful.Such lovely buds. The Caldwells Pink is just gorgeous though.
Have a wonderful week.
Dear FlowerLady,
Ah, to be content in whatever state... the proverbial reminder we have what we need. Thank you for the candid thoughts. We do the same thing...looking around at properties a bit further north for a summer get-away. Then I do the same thing... what am I thinking? We couldn't possibly keep up with two places even if we could afford it. Humans. We have a hard time 'getting it' sometimes. Love all your flowers and your little cottage is a sweet place you've created as your very own quiet world.
Enjoy this drier air and yes, soon it will be cooler, too. (I love to paint as well... sounds like a good project to look forward to.)
Happy days,
Meems
I get the bug every so often, too (to move, I mean...) In our case, I wouldn't mind a few less sq. feet but better arranged. Our house isn't large, but our bedroom is up a flight of stairs, etc. We also don't need a yard as large as ours is...
But there are MANY things for which to be thankful. We don't live on a 4-lane, but a busy 2-lane. I have become accustomed to the sound of traffic.
I, too, enjoy the Simple Abundance book. It's about time to pull it off the shelf again. (I never liked her other books as much as THAT one - though I tried...)
Your flowers are just beautiful! It's a little "sad" around my flower beds right now. I'm afraid I kind of ran out of steam.
The selection from the book you posted today is something I really needed to read. We live in a small older home which has the issues that many older houses have. Instead of appreciating it lately I've spent time picking apart every flaw. I'm going to print that out and keep it to remind myself of how lucky I am. Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in what we don't have or what's wrong rather than what we do have.
Your roses are so pretty and fresh looking. I hope you enjoy your cooler weather, which to me sounds like heavenly warm weather. At least the sun came out today.
Hope you feel better :)
Hello,
I love this reminder of how we need to look around us and appreciate what we have. I do love the visits to your garden and cottage. I look forward to seeing more of it this fall. I hope the painting goes well :-)
I am very intrigued by the beautiful flowers you are able to grow in FL--I lost some of my new perennials to the summer's heat and humidity in this first season of KY gardening.
Accomodating to the place we have to live at any given time--and doing it graciously--takes ingenuity and the decision to be appreciative. I think its fine to dream of the home we might have if wider choices were available to us, as long as it doesn't lessen our contentment with where we are.
Your little house and garden and your "musings" are an inspiration.
Hi FlowerLady,
I'm glad you are finding time to be outside. From the photos on your blog, one would not realize you live on a busy highway. I'm thinking you've shown it on occasion, but at a time with no traffic.
I am discontent with our house and yard at times. Since Larry grew up here, he has no plans to ever move. Thanks for sharing the wise words about contentment.
I hope you are continuing to feel better.
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