Singing Along the Journey

gardens

Contemplating the unexpected…

I owe the phrase of this title to my friend the Rev. Kathy Guin. Sometimes, others can see so much better than I can, even when I know that I see something. Sometimes it is through the eyes of others that we actually can see what we are doing, and a little bit about why we do it. I was just surprised by the presence of a light, dainty, pink rose after weeks of a Washington-style heat wave. I mean, I was only able to write, "As the hottest stretch of summer continues, all over the neighborhood, the roses have decided to bloom again...this little one is mine, on a…
Read More

For the beauty of the earth…

I always think that I have planned my garden well, that I have spaced things nicely and given each and every plant enough space to do its own thing. And then comes the end of June and the full sun of a DC summer. And the rain, there is so much rain sometimes (like this year). And silly me, I forget that those growing conditions turn plants labeled as "growing to 12 inches in diameter" into plants that would cover a small car with their height and width. I planted new rose bushes this year, and I was oh so sure that I had taken everything into consideration. And yet,…
Read More

Do you think I planted enough…

Daylilies. The final word in that sentence is daylilies. And maybe roses. I'm not sure if I planted enough of either. I've just returned from more time in the mountains of the western part of Virginia, and I returned to a flower explosion. I like that. Yes, I probably planted a few things too close to one another, but hey, I can always move them in the fall. And no matter how carefully I scan the planting guidelines, I never get the distancing right. That is mostly because nothing ever grows to the size stated in those guidelines -- most plants get at least two times bigger than specified! I…
Read More

The dew is on the rose…

This morning's walk was awash in roses. Seems early, but grateful for the beauty everywhere in this season of goodbyes. I never used to understand it when my teachers got a little dewy-eyed around this time of year, but now I do. We are in the process of saying goodbye to yet a second graduating class who had to dig deeper than many thought possible to stay focused and to complete the work before them. So yes, I'm a little weepy this morning, but the roses help a bit. Roses to you all.
Read More

Honoring beauty in a season of change…

Unlike most days, today my wandering had a destination. Since the weather predicts heavy wind today, the tulips on my walk will take a beating, I'm sure, and I just hadn't paused to honor their beauty. We don't have many houses here on the Hill that have space to do justice to tulip growing, but this one does. It seems to me that the tulips are the one flower that has held steady to their bloom cycle this year, so many other things have been early that it seems all the beauty is rushing in at once. Other things are changing too...there are people walking to a destination rather than…
Read More

A two-fer…

This always looks like one tree sharing two sets of beauty to me. Maybe it is or maybe it isn't, after all, I'm not a botanist. But I see individuality in community, and each making a respectful place for the other. And dogwoods. Just more dogwoods.
Read More

Beauty always wins…somehow

And today's lesson for Easter season. The beauty of Creation will not be denied. Humanity can trim and shape and mold and decide, but beauty, in the form of life and growth will not be stopped. Yes, we can ignore it at our own peril. But Beauty goes on without us. We must learn that our role is to witness not to control.
Read More

April 29, 2020: A Rose is not a Rose

And this morning, I offer you my first rose. I have been puzzled, as I walk, by the difference in timing of the flowers all across the garden displays in my neighborhood. Everything is at least a month ahead this year, yes, but not to be too obvious, a rose is NOT a rose, is not a rose….if you know what I mean. Some have been in full bloom since before Easter. Others, like mine, are just beginning to show their beauty.     In honor of my new pink beauties, I’m going to strive to follow my mother’s advice and bloom where I’m planted. May some new bud of…
Read More

Contemplating the unexpected…

I owe the phrase of this title to my friend the Rev. Kathy Guin. Sometimes, others can see so much better than I can, even when I know that I see something. Sometimes it is through the eyes of others that we actually can see what we are doing, and a little bit about why we do it. I was just surprised by the presence of a light, dainty, pink rose after weeks of a Washington-style heat wave. I mean, I was only able to write, "As the hottest stretch of summer continues, all over the neighborhood, the roses have decided to bloom again...this little one is mine, on a…
Read More

For the beauty of the earth…

I always think that I have planned my garden well, that I have spaced things nicely and given each and every plant enough space to do its own thing. And then comes the end of June and the full sun of a DC summer. And the rain, there is so much rain sometimes (like this year). And silly me, I forget that those growing conditions turn plants labeled as "growing to 12 inches in diameter" into plants that would cover a small car with their height and width. I planted new rose bushes this year, and I was oh so sure that I had taken everything into consideration. And yet,…
Read More

Do you think I planted enough…

Daylilies. The final word in that sentence is daylilies. And maybe roses. I'm not sure if I planted enough of either. I've just returned from more time in the mountains of the western part of Virginia, and I returned to a flower explosion. I like that. Yes, I probably planted a few things too close to one another, but hey, I can always move them in the fall. And no matter how carefully I scan the planting guidelines, I never get the distancing right. That is mostly because nothing ever grows to the size stated in those guidelines -- most plants get at least two times bigger than specified! I…
Read More

The dew is on the rose…

This morning's walk was awash in roses. Seems early, but grateful for the beauty everywhere in this season of goodbyes. I never used to understand it when my teachers got a little dewy-eyed around this time of year, but now I do. We are in the process of saying goodbye to yet a second graduating class who had to dig deeper than many thought possible to stay focused and to complete the work before them. So yes, I'm a little weepy this morning, but the roses help a bit. Roses to you all.
Read More

Honoring beauty in a season of change…

Unlike most days, today my wandering had a destination. Since the weather predicts heavy wind today, the tulips on my walk will take a beating, I'm sure, and I just hadn't paused to honor their beauty. We don't have many houses here on the Hill that have space to do justice to tulip growing, but this one does. It seems to me that the tulips are the one flower that has held steady to their bloom cycle this year, so many other things have been early that it seems all the beauty is rushing in at once. Other things are changing too...there are people walking to a destination rather than…
Read More

A two-fer…

This always looks like one tree sharing two sets of beauty to me. Maybe it is or maybe it isn't, after all, I'm not a botanist. But I see individuality in community, and each making a respectful place for the other. And dogwoods. Just more dogwoods.
Read More

Beauty always wins…somehow

And today's lesson for Easter season. The beauty of Creation will not be denied. Humanity can trim and shape and mold and decide, but beauty, in the form of life and growth will not be stopped. Yes, we can ignore it at our own peril. But Beauty goes on without us. We must learn that our role is to witness not to control.
Read More

April 29, 2020: A Rose is not a Rose

And this morning, I offer you my first rose. I have been puzzled, as I walk, by the difference in timing of the flowers all across the garden displays in my neighborhood. Everything is at least a month ahead this year, yes, but not to be too obvious, a rose is NOT a rose, is not a rose….if you know what I mean. Some have been in full bloom since before Easter. Others, like mine, are just beginning to show their beauty.     In honor of my new pink beauties, I’m going to strive to follow my mother’s advice and bloom where I’m planted. May some new bud of…
Read More

Contemplating the unexpected…

I owe the phrase of this title to my friend the Rev. Kathy Guin. Sometimes, others can see so much better than I can, even when I know that I see something. Sometimes it is through the eyes of others that we actually can see what we are doing, and a little bit about why we do it. I was just surprised by the presence of a light, dainty, pink rose after weeks of a Washington-style heat wave. I mean, I was only able to write, "As the hottest stretch of summer continues, all over the neighborhood, the roses have decided to bloom again...this little one is mine, on a…
Read More

For the beauty of the earth…

I always think that I have planned my garden well, that I have spaced things nicely and given each and every plant enough space to do its own thing. And then comes the end of June and the full sun of a DC summer. And the rain, there is so much rain sometimes (like this year). And silly me, I forget that those growing conditions turn plants labeled as "growing to 12 inches in diameter" into plants that would cover a small car with their height and width. I planted new rose bushes this year, and I was oh so sure that I had taken everything into consideration. And yet,…
Read More

Do you think I planted enough…

Daylilies. The final word in that sentence is daylilies. And maybe roses. I'm not sure if I planted enough of either. I've just returned from more time in the mountains of the western part of Virginia, and I returned to a flower explosion. I like that. Yes, I probably planted a few things too close to one another, but hey, I can always move them in the fall. And no matter how carefully I scan the planting guidelines, I never get the distancing right. That is mostly because nothing ever grows to the size stated in those guidelines -- most plants get at least two times bigger than specified! I…
Read More

The dew is on the rose…

This morning's walk was awash in roses. Seems early, but grateful for the beauty everywhere in this season of goodbyes. I never used to understand it when my teachers got a little dewy-eyed around this time of year, but now I do. We are in the process of saying goodbye to yet a second graduating class who had to dig deeper than many thought possible to stay focused and to complete the work before them. So yes, I'm a little weepy this morning, but the roses help a bit. Roses to you all.
Read More

Honoring beauty in a season of change…

Unlike most days, today my wandering had a destination. Since the weather predicts heavy wind today, the tulips on my walk will take a beating, I'm sure, and I just hadn't paused to honor their beauty. We don't have many houses here on the Hill that have space to do justice to tulip growing, but this one does. It seems to me that the tulips are the one flower that has held steady to their bloom cycle this year, so many other things have been early that it seems all the beauty is rushing in at once. Other things are changing too...there are people walking to a destination rather than…
Read More

A two-fer…

This always looks like one tree sharing two sets of beauty to me. Maybe it is or maybe it isn't, after all, I'm not a botanist. But I see individuality in community, and each making a respectful place for the other. And dogwoods. Just more dogwoods.
Read More

Beauty always wins…somehow

And today's lesson for Easter season. The beauty of Creation will not be denied. Humanity can trim and shape and mold and decide, but beauty, in the form of life and growth will not be stopped. Yes, we can ignore it at our own peril. But Beauty goes on without us. We must learn that our role is to witness not to control.
Read More

April 29, 2020: A Rose is not a Rose

And this morning, I offer you my first rose. I have been puzzled, as I walk, by the difference in timing of the flowers all across the garden displays in my neighborhood. Everything is at least a month ahead this year, yes, but not to be too obvious, a rose is NOT a rose, is not a rose….if you know what I mean. Some have been in full bloom since before Easter. Others, like mine, are just beginning to show their beauty.     In honor of my new pink beauties, I’m going to strive to follow my mother’s advice and bloom where I’m planted. May some new bud of…
Read More

Contemplating the unexpected…

I owe the phrase of this title to my friend the Rev. Kathy Guin. Sometimes, others can see so much better than I can, even when I know that I see something. Sometimes it is through the eyes of others that we actually can see what we are doing, and a little bit about why we do it. I was just surprised by the presence of a light, dainty, pink rose after weeks of a Washington-style heat wave. I mean, I was only able to write, "As the hottest stretch of summer continues, all over the neighborhood, the roses have decided to bloom again...this little one is mine, on a…
Read More

For the beauty of the earth…

I always think that I have planned my garden well, that I have spaced things nicely and given each and every plant enough space to do its own thing. And then comes the end of June and the full sun of a DC summer. And the rain, there is so much rain sometimes (like this year). And silly me, I forget that those growing conditions turn plants labeled as "growing to 12 inches in diameter" into plants that would cover a small car with their height and width. I planted new rose bushes this year, and I was oh so sure that I had taken everything into consideration. And yet,…
Read More

Do you think I planted enough…

Daylilies. The final word in that sentence is daylilies. And maybe roses. I'm not sure if I planted enough of either. I've just returned from more time in the mountains of the western part of Virginia, and I returned to a flower explosion. I like that. Yes, I probably planted a few things too close to one another, but hey, I can always move them in the fall. And no matter how carefully I scan the planting guidelines, I never get the distancing right. That is mostly because nothing ever grows to the size stated in those guidelines -- most plants get at least two times bigger than specified! I…
Read More

The dew is on the rose…

This morning's walk was awash in roses. Seems early, but grateful for the beauty everywhere in this season of goodbyes. I never used to understand it when my teachers got a little dewy-eyed around this time of year, but now I do. We are in the process of saying goodbye to yet a second graduating class who had to dig deeper than many thought possible to stay focused and to complete the work before them. So yes, I'm a little weepy this morning, but the roses help a bit. Roses to you all.
Read More

Honoring beauty in a season of change…

Unlike most days, today my wandering had a destination. Since the weather predicts heavy wind today, the tulips on my walk will take a beating, I'm sure, and I just hadn't paused to honor their beauty. We don't have many houses here on the Hill that have space to do justice to tulip growing, but this one does. It seems to me that the tulips are the one flower that has held steady to their bloom cycle this year, so many other things have been early that it seems all the beauty is rushing in at once. Other things are changing too...there are people walking to a destination rather than…
Read More

A two-fer…

This always looks like one tree sharing two sets of beauty to me. Maybe it is or maybe it isn't, after all, I'm not a botanist. But I see individuality in community, and each making a respectful place for the other. And dogwoods. Just more dogwoods.
Read More

Beauty always wins…somehow

And today's lesson for Easter season. The beauty of Creation will not be denied. Humanity can trim and shape and mold and decide, but beauty, in the form of life and growth will not be stopped. Yes, we can ignore it at our own peril. But Beauty goes on without us. We must learn that our role is to witness not to control.
Read More

April 29, 2020: A Rose is not a Rose

And this morning, I offer you my first rose. I have been puzzled, as I walk, by the difference in timing of the flowers all across the garden displays in my neighborhood. Everything is at least a month ahead this year, yes, but not to be too obvious, a rose is NOT a rose, is not a rose….if you know what I mean. Some have been in full bloom since before Easter. Others, like mine, are just beginning to show their beauty.     In honor of my new pink beauties, I’m going to strive to follow my mother’s advice and bloom where I’m planted. May some new bud of…
Read More

Contemplating the unexpected…

I owe the phrase of this title to my friend the Rev. Kathy Guin. Sometimes, others can see so much better than I can, even when I know that I see something. Sometimes it is through the eyes of others that we actually can see what we are doing, and a little bit about why we do it. I was just surprised by the presence of a light, dainty, pink rose after weeks of a Washington-style heat wave. I mean, I was only able to write, "As the hottest stretch of summer continues, all over the neighborhood, the roses have decided to bloom again...this little one is mine, on a…
Read More

For the beauty of the earth…

I always think that I have planned my garden well, that I have spaced things nicely and given each and every plant enough space to do its own thing. And then comes the end of June and the full sun of a DC summer. And the rain, there is so much rain sometimes (like this year). And silly me, I forget that those growing conditions turn plants labeled as "growing to 12 inches in diameter" into plants that would cover a small car with their height and width. I planted new rose bushes this year, and I was oh so sure that I had taken everything into consideration. And yet,…
Read More

Do you think I planted enough…

Daylilies. The final word in that sentence is daylilies. And maybe roses. I'm not sure if I planted enough of either. I've just returned from more time in the mountains of the western part of Virginia, and I returned to a flower explosion. I like that. Yes, I probably planted a few things too close to one another, but hey, I can always move them in the fall. And no matter how carefully I scan the planting guidelines, I never get the distancing right. That is mostly because nothing ever grows to the size stated in those guidelines -- most plants get at least two times bigger than specified! I…
Read More

The dew is on the rose…

This morning's walk was awash in roses. Seems early, but grateful for the beauty everywhere in this season of goodbyes. I never used to understand it when my teachers got a little dewy-eyed around this time of year, but now I do. We are in the process of saying goodbye to yet a second graduating class who had to dig deeper than many thought possible to stay focused and to complete the work before them. So yes, I'm a little weepy this morning, but the roses help a bit. Roses to you all.
Read More

Honoring beauty in a season of change…

Unlike most days, today my wandering had a destination. Since the weather predicts heavy wind today, the tulips on my walk will take a beating, I'm sure, and I just hadn't paused to honor their beauty. We don't have many houses here on the Hill that have space to do justice to tulip growing, but this one does. It seems to me that the tulips are the one flower that has held steady to their bloom cycle this year, so many other things have been early that it seems all the beauty is rushing in at once. Other things are changing too...there are people walking to a destination rather than…
Read More

A two-fer…

This always looks like one tree sharing two sets of beauty to me. Maybe it is or maybe it isn't, after all, I'm not a botanist. But I see individuality in community, and each making a respectful place for the other. And dogwoods. Just more dogwoods.
Read More

Beauty always wins…somehow

And today's lesson for Easter season. The beauty of Creation will not be denied. Humanity can trim and shape and mold and decide, but beauty, in the form of life and growth will not be stopped. Yes, we can ignore it at our own peril. But Beauty goes on without us. We must learn that our role is to witness not to control.
Read More

April 29, 2020: A Rose is not a Rose

And this morning, I offer you my first rose. I have been puzzled, as I walk, by the difference in timing of the flowers all across the garden displays in my neighborhood. Everything is at least a month ahead this year, yes, but not to be too obvious, a rose is NOT a rose, is not a rose….if you know what I mean. Some have been in full bloom since before Easter. Others, like mine, are just beginning to show their beauty.     In honor of my new pink beauties, I’m going to strive to follow my mother’s advice and bloom where I’m planted. May some new bud of…
Read More

Contemplating the unexpected…

I owe the phrase of this title to my friend the Rev. Kathy Guin. Sometimes, others can see so much better than I can, even when I know that I see something. Sometimes it is through the eyes of others that we actually can see what we are doing, and a little bit about why we do it. I was just surprised by the presence of a light, dainty, pink rose after weeks of a Washington-style heat wave. I mean, I was only able to write, "As the hottest stretch of summer continues, all over the neighborhood, the roses have decided to bloom again...this little one is mine, on a…
Read More

For the beauty of the earth…

I always think that I have planned my garden well, that I have spaced things nicely and given each and every plant enough space to do its own thing. And then comes the end of June and the full sun of a DC summer. And the rain, there is so much rain sometimes (like this year). And silly me, I forget that those growing conditions turn plants labeled as "growing to 12 inches in diameter" into plants that would cover a small car with their height and width. I planted new rose bushes this year, and I was oh so sure that I had taken everything into consideration. And yet,…
Read More

Do you think I planted enough…

Daylilies. The final word in that sentence is daylilies. And maybe roses. I'm not sure if I planted enough of either. I've just returned from more time in the mountains of the western part of Virginia, and I returned to a flower explosion. I like that. Yes, I probably planted a few things too close to one another, but hey, I can always move them in the fall. And no matter how carefully I scan the planting guidelines, I never get the distancing right. That is mostly because nothing ever grows to the size stated in those guidelines -- most plants get at least two times bigger than specified! I…
Read More

The dew is on the rose…

This morning's walk was awash in roses. Seems early, but grateful for the beauty everywhere in this season of goodbyes. I never used to understand it when my teachers got a little dewy-eyed around this time of year, but now I do. We are in the process of saying goodbye to yet a second graduating class who had to dig deeper than many thought possible to stay focused and to complete the work before them. So yes, I'm a little weepy this morning, but the roses help a bit. Roses to you all.
Read More

Honoring beauty in a season of change…

Unlike most days, today my wandering had a destination. Since the weather predicts heavy wind today, the tulips on my walk will take a beating, I'm sure, and I just hadn't paused to honor their beauty. We don't have many houses here on the Hill that have space to do justice to tulip growing, but this one does. It seems to me that the tulips are the one flower that has held steady to their bloom cycle this year, so many other things have been early that it seems all the beauty is rushing in at once. Other things are changing too...there are people walking to a destination rather than…
Read More

A two-fer…

This always looks like one tree sharing two sets of beauty to me. Maybe it is or maybe it isn't, after all, I'm not a botanist. But I see individuality in community, and each making a respectful place for the other. And dogwoods. Just more dogwoods.
Read More

Beauty always wins…somehow

And today's lesson for Easter season. The beauty of Creation will not be denied. Humanity can trim and shape and mold and decide, but beauty, in the form of life and growth will not be stopped. Yes, we can ignore it at our own peril. But Beauty goes on without us. We must learn that our role is to witness not to control.
Read More

April 29, 2020: A Rose is not a Rose

And this morning, I offer you my first rose. I have been puzzled, as I walk, by the difference in timing of the flowers all across the garden displays in my neighborhood. Everything is at least a month ahead this year, yes, but not to be too obvious, a rose is NOT a rose, is not a rose….if you know what I mean. Some have been in full bloom since before Easter. Others, like mine, are just beginning to show their beauty.     In honor of my new pink beauties, I’m going to strive to follow my mother’s advice and bloom where I’m planted. May some new bud of…
Read More

Contemplating the unexpected…

I owe the phrase of this title to my friend the Rev. Kathy Guin. Sometimes, others can see so much better than I can, even when I know that I see something. Sometimes it is through the eyes of others that we actually can see what we are doing, and a little bit about why we do it. I was just surprised by the presence of a light, dainty, pink rose after weeks of a Washington-style heat wave. I mean, I was only able to write, "As the hottest stretch of summer continues, all over the neighborhood, the roses have decided to bloom again...this little one is mine, on a…
Read More

For the beauty of the earth…

I always think that I have planned my garden well, that I have spaced things nicely and given each and every plant enough space to do its own thing. And then comes the end of June and the full sun of a DC summer. And the rain, there is so much rain sometimes (like this year). And silly me, I forget that those growing conditions turn plants labeled as "growing to 12 inches in diameter" into plants that would cover a small car with their height and width. I planted new rose bushes this year, and I was oh so sure that I had taken everything into consideration. And yet,…
Read More

Do you think I planted enough…

Daylilies. The final word in that sentence is daylilies. And maybe roses. I'm not sure if I planted enough of either. I've just returned from more time in the mountains of the western part of Virginia, and I returned to a flower explosion. I like that. Yes, I probably planted a few things too close to one another, but hey, I can always move them in the fall. And no matter how carefully I scan the planting guidelines, I never get the distancing right. That is mostly because nothing ever grows to the size stated in those guidelines -- most plants get at least two times bigger than specified! I…
Read More

The dew is on the rose…

This morning's walk was awash in roses. Seems early, but grateful for the beauty everywhere in this season of goodbyes. I never used to understand it when my teachers got a little dewy-eyed around this time of year, but now I do. We are in the process of saying goodbye to yet a second graduating class who had to dig deeper than many thought possible to stay focused and to complete the work before them. So yes, I'm a little weepy this morning, but the roses help a bit. Roses to you all.
Read More

Honoring beauty in a season of change…

Unlike most days, today my wandering had a destination. Since the weather predicts heavy wind today, the tulips on my walk will take a beating, I'm sure, and I just hadn't paused to honor their beauty. We don't have many houses here on the Hill that have space to do justice to tulip growing, but this one does. It seems to me that the tulips are the one flower that has held steady to their bloom cycle this year, so many other things have been early that it seems all the beauty is rushing in at once. Other things are changing too...there are people walking to a destination rather than…
Read More

A two-fer…

This always looks like one tree sharing two sets of beauty to me. Maybe it is or maybe it isn't, after all, I'm not a botanist. But I see individuality in community, and each making a respectful place for the other. And dogwoods. Just more dogwoods.
Read More

Beauty always wins…somehow

And today's lesson for Easter season. The beauty of Creation will not be denied. Humanity can trim and shape and mold and decide, but beauty, in the form of life and growth will not be stopped. Yes, we can ignore it at our own peril. But Beauty goes on without us. We must learn that our role is to witness not to control.
Read More

April 29, 2020: A Rose is not a Rose

And this morning, I offer you my first rose. I have been puzzled, as I walk, by the difference in timing of the flowers all across the garden displays in my neighborhood. Everything is at least a month ahead this year, yes, but not to be too obvious, a rose is NOT a rose, is not a rose….if you know what I mean. Some have been in full bloom since before Easter. Others, like mine, are just beginning to show their beauty.     In honor of my new pink beauties, I’m going to strive to follow my mother’s advice and bloom where I’m planted. May some new bud of…
Read More

Contemplating the unexpected…

I owe the phrase of this title to my friend the Rev. Kathy Guin. Sometimes, others can see so much better than I can, even when I know that I see something. Sometimes it is through the eyes of others that we actually can see what we are doing, and a little bit about why we do it. I was just surprised by the presence of a light, dainty, pink rose after weeks of a Washington-style heat wave. I mean, I was only able to write, "As the hottest stretch of summer continues, all over the neighborhood, the roses have decided to bloom again...this little one is mine, on a…
Read More

For the beauty of the earth…

I always think that I have planned my garden well, that I have spaced things nicely and given each and every plant enough space to do its own thing. And then comes the end of June and the full sun of a DC summer. And the rain, there is so much rain sometimes (like this year). And silly me, I forget that those growing conditions turn plants labeled as "growing to 12 inches in diameter" into plants that would cover a small car with their height and width. I planted new rose bushes this year, and I was oh so sure that I had taken everything into consideration. And yet,…
Read More

Do you think I planted enough…

Daylilies. The final word in that sentence is daylilies. And maybe roses. I'm not sure if I planted enough of either. I've just returned from more time in the mountains of the western part of Virginia, and I returned to a flower explosion. I like that. Yes, I probably planted a few things too close to one another, but hey, I can always move them in the fall. And no matter how carefully I scan the planting guidelines, I never get the distancing right. That is mostly because nothing ever grows to the size stated in those guidelines -- most plants get at least two times bigger than specified! I…
Read More

The dew is on the rose…

This morning's walk was awash in roses. Seems early, but grateful for the beauty everywhere in this season of goodbyes. I never used to understand it when my teachers got a little dewy-eyed around this time of year, but now I do. We are in the process of saying goodbye to yet a second graduating class who had to dig deeper than many thought possible to stay focused and to complete the work before them. So yes, I'm a little weepy this morning, but the roses help a bit. Roses to you all.
Read More

Honoring beauty in a season of change…

Unlike most days, today my wandering had a destination. Since the weather predicts heavy wind today, the tulips on my walk will take a beating, I'm sure, and I just hadn't paused to honor their beauty. We don't have many houses here on the Hill that have space to do justice to tulip growing, but this one does. It seems to me that the tulips are the one flower that has held steady to their bloom cycle this year, so many other things have been early that it seems all the beauty is rushing in at once. Other things are changing too...there are people walking to a destination rather than…
Read More

A two-fer…

This always looks like one tree sharing two sets of beauty to me. Maybe it is or maybe it isn't, after all, I'm not a botanist. But I see individuality in community, and each making a respectful place for the other. And dogwoods. Just more dogwoods.
Read More

Beauty always wins…somehow

And today's lesson for Easter season. The beauty of Creation will not be denied. Humanity can trim and shape and mold and decide, but beauty, in the form of life and growth will not be stopped. Yes, we can ignore it at our own peril. But Beauty goes on without us. We must learn that our role is to witness not to control.
Read More

April 29, 2020: A Rose is not a Rose

And this morning, I offer you my first rose. I have been puzzled, as I walk, by the difference in timing of the flowers all across the garden displays in my neighborhood. Everything is at least a month ahead this year, yes, but not to be too obvious, a rose is NOT a rose, is not a rose….if you know what I mean. Some have been in full bloom since before Easter. Others, like mine, are just beginning to show their beauty.     In honor of my new pink beauties, I’m going to strive to follow my mother’s advice and bloom where I’m planted. May some new bud of…
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Contemplating the unexpected…

I owe the phrase of this title to my friend the Rev. Kathy Guin. Sometimes, others can see so much better than I can, even when I know that I see something. Sometimes it is through the eyes of others that we actually can see what we are doing, and a little bit about why we do it. I was just surprised by the presence of a light, dainty, pink rose after weeks of a Washington-style heat wave. I mean, I was only able to write, "As the hottest stretch of summer continues, all over the neighborhood, the roses have decided to bloom again...this little one is mine, on a…
Read More

For the beauty of the earth…

I always think that I have planned my garden well, that I have spaced things nicely and given each and every plant enough space to do its own thing. And then comes the end of June and the full sun of a DC summer. And the rain, there is so much rain sometimes (like this year). And silly me, I forget that those growing conditions turn plants labeled as "growing to 12 inches in diameter" into plants that would cover a small car with their height and width. I planted new rose bushes this year, and I was oh so sure that I had taken everything into consideration. And yet,…
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Do you think I planted enough…

Daylilies. The final word in that sentence is daylilies. And maybe roses. I'm not sure if I planted enough of either. I've just returned from more time in the mountains of the western part of Virginia, and I returned to a flower explosion. I like that. Yes, I probably planted a few things too close to one another, but hey, I can always move them in the fall. And no matter how carefully I scan the planting guidelines, I never get the distancing right. That is mostly because nothing ever grows to the size stated in those guidelines -- most plants get at least two times bigger than specified! I…
Read More

The dew is on the rose…

This morning's walk was awash in roses. Seems early, but grateful for the beauty everywhere in this season of goodbyes. I never used to understand it when my teachers got a little dewy-eyed around this time of year, but now I do. We are in the process of saying goodbye to yet a second graduating class who had to dig deeper than many thought possible to stay focused and to complete the work before them. So yes, I'm a little weepy this morning, but the roses help a bit. Roses to you all.
Read More

Honoring beauty in a season of change…

Unlike most days, today my wandering had a destination. Since the weather predicts heavy wind today, the tulips on my walk will take a beating, I'm sure, and I just hadn't paused to honor their beauty. We don't have many houses here on the Hill that have space to do justice to tulip growing, but this one does. It seems to me that the tulips are the one flower that has held steady to their bloom cycle this year, so many other things have been early that it seems all the beauty is rushing in at once. Other things are changing too...there are people walking to a destination rather than…
Read More

A two-fer…

This always looks like one tree sharing two sets of beauty to me. Maybe it is or maybe it isn't, after all, I'm not a botanist. But I see individuality in community, and each making a respectful place for the other. And dogwoods. Just more dogwoods.
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Beauty always wins…somehow

And today's lesson for Easter season. The beauty of Creation will not be denied. Humanity can trim and shape and mold and decide, but beauty, in the form of life and growth will not be stopped. Yes, we can ignore it at our own peril. But Beauty goes on without us. We must learn that our role is to witness not to control.
Read More

April 29, 2020: A Rose is not a Rose

And this morning, I offer you my first rose. I have been puzzled, as I walk, by the difference in timing of the flowers all across the garden displays in my neighborhood. Everything is at least a month ahead this year, yes, but not to be too obvious, a rose is NOT a rose, is not a rose….if you know what I mean. Some have been in full bloom since before Easter. Others, like mine, are just beginning to show their beauty.     In honor of my new pink beauties, I’m going to strive to follow my mother’s advice and bloom where I’m planted. May some new bud of…
Read More

Contemplating the unexpected…

I owe the phrase of this title to my friend the Rev. Kathy Guin. Sometimes, others can see so much better than I can, even when I know that I see something. Sometimes it is through the eyes of others that we actually can see what we are doing, and a little bit about why we do it. I was just surprised by the presence of a light, dainty, pink rose after weeks of a Washington-style heat wave. I mean, I was only able to write, "As the hottest stretch of summer continues, all over the neighborhood, the roses have decided to bloom again...this little one is mine, on a…
Read More

For the beauty of the earth…

I always think that I have planned my garden well, that I have spaced things nicely and given each and every plant enough space to do its own thing. And then comes the end of June and the full sun of a DC summer. And the rain, there is so much rain sometimes (like this year). And silly me, I forget that those growing conditions turn plants labeled as "growing to 12 inches in diameter" into plants that would cover a small car with their height and width. I planted new rose bushes this year, and I was oh so sure that I had taken everything into consideration. And yet,…
Read More

Do you think I planted enough…

Daylilies. The final word in that sentence is daylilies. And maybe roses. I'm not sure if I planted enough of either. I've just returned from more time in the mountains of the western part of Virginia, and I returned to a flower explosion. I like that. Yes, I probably planted a few things too close to one another, but hey, I can always move them in the fall. And no matter how carefully I scan the planting guidelines, I never get the distancing right. That is mostly because nothing ever grows to the size stated in those guidelines -- most plants get at least two times bigger than specified! I…
Read More

The dew is on the rose…

This morning's walk was awash in roses. Seems early, but grateful for the beauty everywhere in this season of goodbyes. I never used to understand it when my teachers got a little dewy-eyed around this time of year, but now I do. We are in the process of saying goodbye to yet a second graduating class who had to dig deeper than many thought possible to stay focused and to complete the work before them. So yes, I'm a little weepy this morning, but the roses help a bit. Roses to you all.
Read More

Honoring beauty in a season of change…

Unlike most days, today my wandering had a destination. Since the weather predicts heavy wind today, the tulips on my walk will take a beating, I'm sure, and I just hadn't paused to honor their beauty. We don't have many houses here on the Hill that have space to do justice to tulip growing, but this one does. It seems to me that the tulips are the one flower that has held steady to their bloom cycle this year, so many other things have been early that it seems all the beauty is rushing in at once. Other things are changing too...there are people walking to a destination rather than…
Read More

A two-fer…

This always looks like one tree sharing two sets of beauty to me. Maybe it is or maybe it isn't, after all, I'm not a botanist. But I see individuality in community, and each making a respectful place for the other. And dogwoods. Just more dogwoods.
Read More

Beauty always wins…somehow

And today's lesson for Easter season. The beauty of Creation will not be denied. Humanity can trim and shape and mold and decide, but beauty, in the form of life and growth will not be stopped. Yes, we can ignore it at our own peril. But Beauty goes on without us. We must learn that our role is to witness not to control.
Read More

April 29, 2020: A Rose is not a Rose

And this morning, I offer you my first rose. I have been puzzled, as I walk, by the difference in timing of the flowers all across the garden displays in my neighborhood. Everything is at least a month ahead this year, yes, but not to be too obvious, a rose is NOT a rose, is not a rose….if you know what I mean. Some have been in full bloom since before Easter. Others, like mine, are just beginning to show their beauty.     In honor of my new pink beauties, I’m going to strive to follow my mother’s advice and bloom where I’m planted. May some new bud of…
Read More