It’s been a while since I’ve done a gratitude gumbo around here and today feels like the perfect day.
And because it’s May and my mind is tuned into flower/plant analogies, I think I’ll organize my post today in the manner of a bouquet garni – that culinary practice of tying herbs together to flavor stock and stews. The “herbs” that are flavoring the stock of my life this week are: friends, flowers, whimsy, and poetry.
Friends
I am so blessed to have such amazing friends, and each one makes me so glad I’m on this earth sharing the air with them. I love them all, but here’s a peek at a few of them that lit up my week:
- Jo Anna Rothman, who you may know from The Receiving Project, has a huge heart and a giggle to match, and a commitment to honoring her inner voice when it calls her to service. She’s put together a fundraiser incentive to help channel funds to those in need after this week’s devastating tornados. Want to find out more? Here’s the link to her website page.
- I adore Amy Palko – she’s brilliant, funny, seriously tuned in at an intuitive level, and just all around wonderful. Plus whatever she says sounds so much more delicious with that beautiful Scottish accent of hers. This week she helped me shift some energy and fine-tune a biz project I’m working on and I’m over-the-moon delighted. Thank you Amy!
- I received an unexpected large envelope filled with goodies in the mail from my Canadian friend Leanne Bishop. It’s always a delight hearing from her, and getting mail from her is especially great, because frankly Canadian’s have awesome postage stamps. And in the manner of a good mailartist and someone who knows what I love, she packs as many lower-denomination stamps on the envelope as possible, so I get a nice assortment to cull for later use. Thanks! While she no longer has a brick and mortar collage/art-fodder store, you can visit her and her beautiful Ruby Dog on her etsy shop.
Flowers
This has been a week of flower magic around here and I’m so grateful. I’ve gathered vases full of lily-of-the valley; and my bleeding heart plants have popped. How can you not love branches filled with hearts?!
I’m also grateful that it appears my beloved rose tree will be okay, although we’re still keeping fingers crossed and administering lots of love. We had a serious wind storm and yesterday I woke up to find it had blown over. It’s a couple years old and it’s probably not going to get any taller than it is at just under four feet. Just last week I unstaked it, and I was heart-broken I saw it laying on the ground. I was afraid the trunk had snapped. But luckily that wasn’t the case; rather it was totally uprooted. So it’s been replanted and re-staked and I’ll be doing some deep watering with hopes to get its root system stronger and deeper.
Whimsy
- I mentioned here I’m playing with whimsy this month, and this week when it was warm enough to sit out on the front porch, I blew bubbles at all the passing dogs and people, and a whole lot just for myself. This will be an on-going summer project because I’m thinking that the color reflecting properties of bubbles are somewhat dependent on atmospheric conditions. My preliminary observations are that when the humidity is higher the colors are brighter. I think a summer’s worth of observations is called for. Don’t you wish you had my job?
- Let’s face it, llamas are whimsical animals. And we had some visiting for a petting zoo set up in our neighborhood park during a festival last weekend. I apparently didn’t get enough of them, because they’ve made an appearance in my dreams. Yay for llama llove!
Poetry
I’m grateful for poetry – it’s such an important force in my life.
This week, another bit of wonderful mail arrived – a limited-edition little chapbook/artist book of poetry by artist/poet Cathy Cullis, whom I mentioned before here. It looks like the edition has sold out now, but you can take a peek at it here.
Besides being a joy to read and look at, it’s re-kindled my desire to publish my own limited-edition chapbook/artist book. And more zines. And more love letters. And just more all-around goodness. So I’m so grateful for the inspiration as well as the poetry.
So there you have it, my gratitude gumbo. What about you? What’s in your pot? What’s been a blessing or delight? What animals do you consider whimsical? What poets do you love? Do tell, you know I love to hear.
What a fun gratitude gumbo to read Deborah. Last weekend I just planted a new Bleeding Heart. I cannot wait to see it grow and provide me with an abundance of lovely hearts like you have on yours. I hope that your rose tree will be ok and will continue to thrive and grow stronger roots. This is my second weekend at working outdoors in my flower and vegetable gardens. Today my family made me another big and new flower garden while I planted the vegetable gardens. Love this time of the year.
Oh what fun Suzanne – family gardening! This IS such a lovely time of year, and I can never help but be cheered and inspired when watching the magic of plants growing. And yay on your new Bleeding Heart – I know it’ll make you smile when those hearts show up.
oh my goodness those bleeding heart flowers are gorgeous! How can you not be grateful for that right?
Indeed!
I used to have a bleeding heart plant at my first house. I love those! How fun! Our Spring in MN has been sort of fuzzy. I haven’t done much out there yet. I do have some giant allium coming up though. I just planted them first time last year. I am so excited to see how big they are! They have a nice sunny spot so I hope that they will do well. I also am signing up for a CSA this summer. A bit late, but better late than never!
If I had a list of ingredients for a Gratitude Gumbo (and I shall as soon as I finish posting), it would indeed be seasoned by your blog! I enjoy your photos and your style of composition!
I love how you bring other links into your posts.
I am learning from you!
And my bleeding heart…sigh…I am sure it is beneath the tall grass that I have not been able to pull because of our weather.
Oh what a lovely comment Ruth – thank you!
Hope your weather clears and you can get out to enjoy your hidden hearts 🙂
Oh I love allium Amy – those giant balls of flowery wonderfulness just make me smile in delight. And yay about the CSA. I have to say that I consider joining one to be one of the best things I’ve done. It’s always fun to see what goodness shows up; plus it feels like a complete win-win situation on all levels.