Tuesday, November 1, 2016

More thoughts, a little project and flowers

 

Hello Friends ~ Thank you for your comments.

After reading your comments, I wanted to write some more thoughts on my last post, on the part about dealing with sorrow.

We all have sorrow in our lives, at sometime or other. Whether it be losing a loved one through death, divorce, misunderstandings, loss of a job, home, etc. Or we are in sorrow for hurtful/hateful things said and done, by us, or to us.

We as humans can't help but be sorrowful over events in our lives. The thing is, we aren't to stay sorrowful, that doesn't do us or anyone else any good.

I agree, sorrow can draw us closer to God, it gives us more empathy for others, etc. But if we 'dwell' on our sorrows, instead of moving forward in our lives, we will be missing out on a lot of blessings, and more lessons God has in store for us. Dwelling in sorrow, leads to dispair, instead of growing in goodness and grace.

I don't have my act together, I'm not perfect, I am being perfected. This piece just spoke to my heart and I wanted to share it in hopes that it would help others also. To encourage and inspire.

I have made forward progress in the last 4 years. The other morning when I walked into the grocery store my heart lurched on hearing an instrumental song by Carlos Santana. Someone my dear husband was inspired by and enjoyed playing his electric guitar to with CD's and tapes by Santana. I didn't want to get 'down' in my spirits, and somehow the music just faded into the background, as I did my shopping, and eventually turned into something else. I have cried before in stores from hearing music that meant something to us.

I have ‘sorrow’ for the loss of the 'love of my life'. That just can't be helped. We met when we were 17 & 18 and got married 3 years later. But, I can't let my loss defeat me. I have more living to do, and with God's grace and strength I want to live each day gracefully and gratefully.

------

Now onto some living going on here at Plum Cottage.

I have not had use of my weed whacker since getting ready for hurricane Matthew. I had hurriedly restrung it and didn't do it right, so that the thing just stopped. When I checked it out, I couldn't even find the top end of the string. So, I set it aside, until yesterday morning.

I got it out, grabbed a straight slot screwdrive and a pair of pliers, my glasses, said a prayer and sat down in the little screened porch off kitchen and started to work on it. I had to unstring the string from the bottom, then slowly started restringing by following the obvious arrow and making sure my string was neatly going the way the arrow pointed.  I then strung it through the hole put the whacker back together, plugged it in and voila, it worked and kept on working. YAY!

That was a little triumphant project for me, and I said a prayer of thanksgiving more than once. Now the brick border shows by the caravan

11-01-caravan-garden

and I ‘started’ on the main garden’s main path.

11-01-main-garden

The first two photos below are of Ruby Hibiscus blooms.  This plant is about 10’ tall. It has given me ‘volunteers’ also. The second photo was up over my head and I had to lift my arm up high to point and shoot and hoped it came out ok.

11-01-ruby-hibiscus

11-01-ruby-hibiscus2

This is a bloom from ‘Confederate Rose’. There are other colors of this plant. I just have the yellow variety. This also volunteers.

11-01-conf-rose

This is ‘Thunbergia erecta’. I also have this in white.

11-01-thunbergia-erecta

Here are a couple of roses.

The first is ‘Picnic’ and the second is an unknown, with a sweet scent.

11-01-picnic

11-01-unkn

Ok, that’s it for now. Enjoy each day.

FlowerLady

***

"There is music in the meadows, in the air --
Autumn is here;
Skies are gray, but hearts are mellow,
Leaves are crimson, brown, and yellow;
Pines are soughing, birches stir,
And the Gipsy trail is fresh beneath the fir.

There is rhythm in the woods, and in the fields,
Nature yields:
And the harvest voices crying,
Blend with Autumn zephyrs sighing;
Tone and color, frost and fire,
Wings the nocturne Nature plays upon her lyre."
William Stanley Braithwaite, Lyric of Autumn

***

"Even if something is left undone,

everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn."
 Elizabeth Lawrence

15 comments:

Leslie Kimel said...

Every time I successfully re-string the weedeater, I feel the same way you did today--absolutely victorious! . . . I love your Ruby hibiscus. What a beauty!

Susan said...

Well said, Lorraine. Our loved ones who have passed would also want us to be happy and enjoy life. Hope you are enjoying the nice fall weather.

Cathy @ My 1929 Charmer said...

The loss is something that we always carry with us. I loss a daughter at a very young age and she is with me me everyday. There is one song in particular that can make me cry as soon as I hear the lyrics begin. But, as with life, we must go on and know one day we will be with them again! Gardens can get away from us so fast as I look out my window and see I need to get a weed whacker out there.

Rebecca said...

Trimming sure does make a difference, doesn't it?
Things look a little shaggy around here. Gary DID get the lawn mowed/mulched. This does away with the fallen leaves. Temporarily!
My 90 year old father helped us pick up a huge crop of walnuts last night. They make a big mess in our yard! They're heavy, too!
Your flowers are SO beautiful (as usual) and you know how much I like seeing the caravan. It NEVER disappoints me!

Ruth Hiebert said...

Oh my friend,I can hear your heart.Even when we want to and need to move forward, there are times when the sadness is overwhelming.Your yard and gardens must be a source of encouragement for you.

Nancy J said...

Lyric of Autumn, those last lines are so beautiful.

Stacey said...

Lorraine, you may not have it all together but you have it in you to inspire others. ♥

Terra said...

Nice reminder from Elizabeth Lawrence to all of us busy people and especially we gardeners, to take time to enjoy.

BeachGypsy said...

Another beautiful and uplifing post, Lorraine. Wowzers!! the photo of the big red hibiscus is so big and pretty, love it!!! So proud of you for fixing the weed eater, great job!! I dont' think I would have the patience to do that...I would throw the whole thing, LOL!! Have a lovely day my friend!

Celestina Marie said...

Hi Lorraine, Do you know what a dear blessing you are and great teacher sharing lessons of the heart? You are my friend!!!!
Love the ruby Hibiscus. Stunning color. So glad you were able to fix the weed wacker. Not an easy fix I know!!
Blessings for a nice rest of the week. xo

Debbie - Mountain Mama said...

What a lovely post, Lorraine - isn't it something how music touches your soul in so many ways?

Judy at GoldCountryCottage said...

Hi Lorraine. Those are such beautiful quotes and poems at the bottom of your post. We do have to go on and let the love in our hearts dictate the rest of our lives. Sometimes, I know, it is not an easy thing to do. Your flowers are just beautiful and congrats that you put that old week wacker back together. I have never tried, but don't think I could get it done..Happy Wednesday..Judy

Simply Deb said...

You may not remember me, but we've known each other for a long time. I think we first met on Gardenweb, then I had a Florida Gardening forum on MSN Groups where I also did some graphics, and seem to remember you doing some too. We may have even exchanged seeds once upon a time.

I know how grief can affect you. My father and husband died within two months of each other in 1986. I never remarried, although I came close once. I still mourn them. Every year around October (the month we found out my father had terminal cancer), I start to get sad and it gets worse in February (when my husband died) and lasts until April (when my father died). Sometimes I can't figure out why I'm so depressed, then I remember.

Maya Angelou said something once that stuck with me for all these years. She was talking about her mother's death and she said "Grief never goes away, but it erupts less often." How true that is! I still break down in tears crying for my daddy when things are particularly hard for me. He always knew how to make me feel better.

A wise man told me not to ever feel guilty about mourning long after people think you should have stopped and "gotten over it." He said when you cry for someone you loved who is gone, it's because and angel is touching you with their wings. That is so comforting to me.

I want to invite you to my blog, The Consummate Gardener (http://theconsummategardener.com). I'm in Gainesville in N. Florida now and love it so much up here. Hope to see you there soon.

Much love,
Deb

Dewena said...

Music can be so powerful, can't it, evoking so many emotions. I hope that the music your husband loved will someday bring sweet comfort to your own heart.

I loved reading the poem at the end and agree completely with Elizabeth Lawrence--I've always admired her writing.

Valerie Cottage Making Mommy said...

Time helps.