The Clouds Parted

I love looking up at the skies.  I envy the birds that fly up among the clouds.  I imagine that I could join them and move among those beautiful scenes.  Perhaps it is because the sky is ever changing.  Perhaps it is because it reminds me of heaven. . .

The Woods Called My Name

I was nine when we moved from the city to the "country".  In actuality it was the suburbs but our neighborhood was undeveloped and we had acreage as did our neighbors.  Behind the house was the "woods" as we called it.  It became our place to play.  Each season fascinated us and found us out exploring.  For me it was as if I had found myself.  My love for the outdoors began there amongst those trees.

The Gardener

Our yard is in a constant state of flux.  We have created in some ways a monstrosity with so many flowers.  The spring flowers start in February when the Snow Drops bloom.  It isn't until the end of March or early April that the star flowers, crocuses and daffodils peek through.  And that is just the start of the annual parade.  We have a perennial garden that has so many seasonal flowers we find it hard to remember what will pop up next so we are always surprised.  And on top of that, we keep making changes.  This one spreads too quickly.  Get rid of it.  Then we add a new one we saw at the store.  I'm not sure exactly what our plan is any more.  We are addicted to flowers!

Snowflakes Fell Today

My husband and I enjoy snow.  We look forward to it.  We fight over who will shovel the snow.  We build snowmen.  We like the crisp, dry winter air.  It feels good to be out in it.  We are among the few who can say we can hardly wait for the first real snowfall.

The Beauty of the Earth

In the Doctrine and Covenants it reads, "But they reside in the presence of God, on a globe like a sea of glass and fire, where all things for their glory are manifest, past, present, and future, and are continually before the Lord."  I hope that is all symbolic or figurative of something because I happen to absolutely love our planet just the way it is and hope for an eternity in which to enjoy its beauty.  It was on a recent trip to southern Utah that I was reminded just how beautiful it is.

Wee Friends

We live close to Kensington Metro Park in Michigan.  There is a trail by the nature center where over the years the birds have grown accustomed to being hand fed.  It is magical to say the least.  I think of St. Francis of Assisi and the beautiful photos of him surrounded by birds.  He is known as the patron saint of animals, birds, and the environment and is quoted as having said,  “If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.”  There is a story told of him that goes like this: "It is said that, one day, while Francis was traveling with some companions, they happened upon a place in the road where birds filled the trees on either side. Francis told his companions to "wait for me while I go to preach to my sisters the birds." The birds surrounded him, intrigued by the power of his voice, and not one of them flew away. He is often portrayed with a bird, typically in his hand."

And so it is at Kensington.  The birds line the trees on either side and are delighted to see you hold out your hand to feed them.

Blue Skies

I must admit that as much as I like watching ocean waves and campfires, I have probably spent the most time just watching the sky.  The sky is always with us and it is ever changing.  It is never the same.  You can look in the  morning and watch the gradual dawn of light with its tendency to paint the clouds pink.  Sunsets are amazing; the colors blazing in the sky.  But summer afternoons when you lie on the grass and watch the clouds is about as good as it gets.  Isn't it amazing how much fun can be had for free?

Tide Pools

These photos were taken on the northern California coast when my husband and I served as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the California Santa Rosa mission.  Our son, Brad, came to visit and we headed for the coast.  We are each fascinated by the natural world around us and it was a wonderful day for exploring the tide pools. 

 

Landscaper

My husband and I love to go walking in parks - any park will do.  Just to be outside is so therapeutic.  Our backyard is in stiff competition as we have tried to create our own little park right here.  This poem combines these two places that we enjoy so much with the wonder of God's creation.  Isn't the world marvelous?

Autumn

Autumn doesn't last.  One day the trees are all afire with color and you think "Tomorrow we'll take a ride and enjoy them."  But that night it rains and the next day the leaves lie on the ground.  They have fallen from the weight of the water on them.  Just like that, you missed it.  Perhaps autumn was given to us to remind us that many things in life don't last.  Children grow all too quickly and they are out of the home and on their own.  Parents grow old while we watch but never see.  Each phase of life must be enjoyed while it is there.  It really is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

The Redwoods

When I was in the fifth grade, our music teacher taught us a song named "I know a Green Cathedral".  We memorized it and sang it in a program for our parents.  I have always loved that song.  But as happens with so many songs, it got lost in the recesses of my memory for a  very long time.  Then in 2006, my husband and I were called to the California Santa Rosa Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  We drove all the way to California not knowing what was in store for us.  Soon after arriving the locals began telling us of things we must see and do while we were there.  Seeing the redwoods was on the top of that list.  And so we found ourselves one day at the Muir Redwoods National Monument just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. After a short walk, we found ourselves in the midst of these giants and all at once I knew what that song from so long ago meant.  Here I felt what the composer had been saying as the words and the melody came back to my mind.

I know a green cathedral,
a hallowed forest shrine.  

Where trees in love join hands above
to arch your prayer and mine.

Within its cool depths sacred, 

the priestly cedar sighs.
And the fir and pine lift arms divine
unto the clear blue skies.

 

In my dear green cathedral
there is a quiet seat.
And choir loft in branched croft  

where songs of birds hymn sweet.

And I like to think at evening
when the stars its arches light. 

That my Lord and God 

treads its hallowed sod 

in the cool, calm peace of night.

Blue Birds

We lived in Tennessee for five years amidst some of the most lovely scenery there is.  The Smokies lay a bit off to the east but the foothills spread way over to where we had planted ourselves.  Just thinking back I feel my body relax as an inner smile begins to spread through me.  It was just SO beautiful.  

My best friend Debbie called one day and asked if I was busy.  "Come on down and let's go hike the hills and look for bluebirds", she said.  And so I headed down Spencer Highway to Deb's house and we hiked all around her place.  And yes, we did see a bluebird.  It was a magical moment for me.  I had never seen one before!

Creation

I was reading in the Book of Mormon one day and focusing on scriptures that describe the Savior as 

Creator.  For example, in 3 Nephi 9:15 it reads: "Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the  heavens and the earth and all things that in them are."

As I read these words I was immediately transported in thought to our own garden.  I always feel 

like, when I am in the garden working, I begin to catch a glimpse of the creation.  And so I wrote this poem.

Seasonal Mix

Lynn and I served a mission in Santa Rosa, California from October 2006 - September

2008.  We love our Michigan seasons and knew that it would be different in California but

never dreamed how.  We love Santa Rosa now - it is our second home.  I suppose the

experiences of a mission endear any place to the missionaries who served there.  

But we must admit that we like spring best when the world around us has gone to sleep for a few months.  We are amazed each April as plant reappear "from nowhere".   And so the two pictures contrast the two places:  Michigan where each season stands alone and California where it seemed to happen all at once!

Beauty among the Thorns

We have not been successful at raising roses in our garden.  Our sandy soil extends at least fifteen feet downward and it is very difficult to keep it moist.  Add to that the harsh Michigan winters.  But one year we purchased this sweet and delicate rose from Jackson and Perkins.  Designed to grow in the north, it is guaranteed to restore itself from the roots if it is subject to winter kill.  It has tried admirably to grow for us.  It is quite small - about a foot tall and delicate all over.  But it is oh, so beautiful when it blooms.  We watch anxiously each year for this lovely favorite of ours to arrive and it never disappoints us.   Perhaps because we know how hard it struggles to survive, it is the perfect rose to remind us that  amid the struggles of life, there is a beauty that we must not miss. 

Spring Defined

Every year it is the same.  We are utterly amazed at the transformation of the earth that takes place so quickly.  One day it is a dreary winter landscape and the next flowers are popping up all around.  No other season bursts upon us like spring.  The joy of creation is evident.  Our gratitude for the beauty of the earth overflows.

Snowdrops defy the Weather!

The first time we saw a snow drop we were flabbergasted.  It was a snowy February day and we happened to be walking around our yard, enjoying a cold winter stroll.  There at the foot of our espalier were flowers in bloom.  We couldn't believe it.  What were these brave little plants that were hardy enough to pop forth in winter.  It's proper name is Galanthus but snow drop is much more appropriate.  They bloom anytime before the spring equinox taking their clue from the weather.  This year they bloomed late because they were blanketed in a foot and a half of snow until late March.

Cosmos Dance Along Our Driveway

Cosmos are an old-fashioned flower.  They are delicate and lovely.  You have to deadhead the flowers and so there is some maintenance for the flower bed.  But we chose them for another reason.  The goldfinch love their seeds.  And so we planted them all along our driveway and in the late summer as seed-heads form, the birds come and land on the delicate flower stems.  But the stems are not sturdy and the weight of the birds bends them.  Back and forth they sway - oblivious to their precarious situation.  The goldfinch are happy as they eat with delight.  And we are equally happy as we watch them!

 

Morning Glory

The morning glory is a hardy little plant that once established will twine itself around anything it can find and climb.  I favor the blue variety.  The flower opens early, greeting the morning.  It seems to have a will to survive and often self seeds and reappears the next year.  It can handle poor soil and very little water.  It is just a strong little plant that brightens any place it grows.

God's Palette

We are surrounded by a world of color and each season has it's own special display.  The colors of winter in Michigan are white and black and every shade of gray.  Those can seem drab as winter drags on and on but they serve their purpose to slow our lives and calm our spirits.  Even our February snow drops are white.

So when spring comes with its bright display I am surprised by it's beauty each year - as if I were seeing it for the first time.  The purples and yellows and greens come first as crocus and daffodils bloom.  Then come the tulips and hyacinths with colors of every hue.

I cannot even imagine how much fun it must have been to create the flowers!