Today, I found myself wishing that Spring was here already. Autumn and Winter used to be my favorite seasons when I lived in New Jersey. For a reason that truly eludes me, Spring and Summer have become my favorite seasons here in Virginia. Sometimes, we find ourselves thinking or wishing for the next “season” in life instead of living and being present in the season we are in. I truly believe that each season in life has something to teach us, whether that season is challenging or one of many blessings.
Many times, we rush through life unaware of our present season instead of living our best time in it. We are always thinking of a future season that may or may not materialize because none of us is guaranteed another day or even another second. We go through life making plans, worrying about the future, and ignoring all the good that the season we are in brings with it. We say things like, “time is money,” or “time is of the essence;” however, in trying to capture time, at the same time, we are letting it go. Call it the pursuit of happiness or the pursuit of wealth, or any other thing that we might spend our entire life going after, when we look back, it is all that – a pursuit through time, always wishing for another season.
“To every thing, there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV
It is the little things that make life sweet. If we only waited for the big things, the big successes, the big surprises, or the extraordinary things to be present, living would not be as sweet and meaningful. The little things that we sometimes fail to notice or take for granted, usually in the pursuit of something bigger, are the ones that take our breath away when we are present enough in living to notice them. An unexpected bloom in winter, the sunray illuminating the face of a child, the play of light and shadow in the woods at dusk … these are countless, unlimited moments that sweeten one’s day, when we care to notice. A big achievement brings joy, and a sense of pride and satisfaction, but it is the little things that remain after the big moment has passed. It is these little things and moments in life what refreshes a weary soul, sweetens a hectic day, and appease a restless spirit.
There is a crisp in the air, the birds are leaving, squirrels are starting to look busier, and leaves are changing. All of this speaks, Welcome Autumn! Inspired by all of this, I decided to welcome the season in a simple way.
A favorite cup of coffee (photo by M.A.D.)Hydrangeas from the garden (photo by M.A.D.)A tradition (photo by M.A.D.)Indulging scents (photo by M.A.D.)The porch (photo by M.A.D.)Oranges, reds, and yellows (photo by M.A.D.)The warmth of Home Sweet Home (photo by M.A.D.)
The pine trees are starting to give their presents, and I collected a wheelbarrow of these. I decided to spread the pinecones all over the front garden. Another bunch fell after that, possibly one or two more wheelbarrows full. We will put them to good use. Unfortunately, this year deer ate many plants, but I love to see them around, especially, the baby deer jumping and chasing crows. The crows are not afraid, they seem to play as well. A lovely sight.
A wheelbarrow full of presents (photo by M.A.D.)Pinecones made a lovely mulch (photo by M.A.D.)
Hope you enjoyed the photos, and that it inspired you to welcome the season as well.
“Then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil.”Deuteronomy 11:14
I like to walk very early in the morning. The temperature is cool and there is certainly a calmness around. I do my walking in town. The country road I live in might not be the ideal place to take a walk that early. Cars fly by and on many occasions my hair has been blown back by the wind left by a fast-passing car, too close for comfort. Main Street is quiet early in the morning. Businesses are still closed, and people are just about ready to start the day. I encounter a few runners or people walking their dogs. There are few cars heading to the daily destination. I mostly hear birds singing and the noise of a few other summer critters. By the time I am done with my exercise, something magical happens, as if taken from a final scene of “The Langoliers (Stephen King).” The town starts waking up. Soon there are more cars on the road, and the noise level starts rising slowly. Businesses start opening their doors, and employees arrive. People chat briefly on the street. Slowly, the town awakens to another day. As if by magic, the town is alive. There is something sweet and beautiful about that moment, the blessing of another day.
Chatham, Virginia dresses up for Independence Day celebration. Homes and businesses are decorated for the competition. Flags and red, white, and blue everywhere celebrate patriotism and love of country.
Recently, I turned 60. For some reason, this birthday felt different, an important milestone, a rite of passage. I had a small get together at home to celebrate the occasion. I honestly can say that I don’t know how time went by so fast; yesterday, I was 20, today I am 60. Do I feel old? Not quite, but there are a few things that have changed physically. Maybe I am not able to ride a skateboard anymore, and for certain, as of lately, days feel shorter. A mind trick? Maybe.
That day, I asked for birthday advice and here is what I got: don’t eat sugar, walk every day, go window shopping (my husband), and enjoy life every single day. At first, it seemed like the words of wisdom I was expecting did not come through; however, after thinking about it a bit more, it was really good advice. Some writers tend to become a bit isolated, sedentary, and develop or nourish a sweet tooth; for me, this was good advice.
The days that followed, I pondered and reminisced about all the years gone by, and as expected, many questions came to mind, especially “what ifs.” Some decisions I regretted, some were smart, and many other could have gone better. There have been good times and not so good times. Times that could have broken my spirit but did not. Times of blessings, and times of hope, times of disappointment, and also regret. As written in the Bible, there is a time for everything under the sun. Could I have done better? Sure, I could have, and this is true for every person on this planet; no one is perfect.
After more pondering and soul searching, I adjusted my life map, and with God’s blessing, I am looking forward to the next chapters. One thing that came up from all that pondering was a new outlook and modus operandi. I will approach each day with this question in mind: what can I multiply today? Whether it is words, knowledge, steps (fitness), money, acts of love and kindness, or other time-worthy endeavor, I would love to multiply something each day.
I thought about the constants throughout my life. After all, I have experienced so many changes throughout the years, in all areas of life. I could see the constants and appreciate them more so: the love of God, the love of my husband, family, and friends, my pets, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches; my love for these will never end, ditto for pizza.
My sister made this gorgeous cake. It was exquisite, as are all of her cakes. It was divine. Photo by M.A.D.
On that day, I wasn’t the only one shedding what doesn’t fit anymore. Photo by M.A.D. – a snake’s skin.
To all of you, a toast to living. And may,
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”Numbers 6: 24-26
Finally! We have been postponing working on the grape vine project or planting due to some rain. Last weekend we were able to tackle all this. We bought the necessary materials and plants, and now, everything is in place. Last year, deer ate all the grapes because the vine was intertwined on the veggie garden fence and easy to access. We cut and cleaned it up during the winter to see if we could do something that would make the vine a bit less accessible inside the veggie garden. However, the vine started to grow fast again, shooting new growth everywhere, before we could start training it, and the weather did not help. My husband came up with the idea of getting three metal stakes and wire and placing these on the ground inside the veggie garden and making four rows of wire so the vine could grow. It was a quick project and under $50. I don’t know if the deer would be able to reach it or jump the fence; I hope not. This is what it looks like.
Photo by M.A.D.
This year we are planting tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, onion, strawberries, and I still have to get a raspberry bush. The blueberries are already on their delicious way. Lettuce has already grown from seeds that fell on the ground last year. I already collected some.
Photo by M.A.D.
Overall, the garden is looking good this year, thanks to the rain we have been getting. Every year, it looks better as plants mature. We trimmed some bushes, moved some plants around, and repotted other. We added some fresh mulch, cleaned up the sitting areas, and replaced some chairs. Aside for cleaning and repainting the grill (we had to wait for the birds to leave the nest inside), we are ready to welcome Summer. We have a few projects planned already; I will share some here.
Although we had a mild winter, for some reason, it feels a long one. We had a bit of a cool down this week, and even frost overnight. I am glad that I did not jump ahead and planted any veggies, otherwise the timing would have been wrong.
In life, perfect timing seems to be an important issue, more than money or drive. How many times people have had all the money and resources, but it was just not the “right time?” Whatever the project or venture, it did not come to fruition. Immediately, we tend to label it as failure, and even label ourselves as such. What was important for us were results. We forget quickly about the journey, all the effort, work, and focus we put into a project. As if that doesn’t count at all. We only see that we failed. Simply put, results were more important than the journey itself. By disregarding our journey, we forget the lessons learned, and sometimes, the lesson is more important than the result we were hoping for, but we fail to see it because we are too focused on the outcome. After all, we labor hard for something, right? Most people do. We trade something for something else. Time for money, money for things … In the meantime, we forget all that we learned, and how it shaped us. Because we are so conditioned to trade something for something, when we trade our hard work and effort, our mental focus, even emotional energy, and something does not materialize at the end, we blame and label ourselves as failure, and even punish ourselves deep in our hearts. We end up feeling frustrated, tired, lost, and another mental game starts. We think that there must be something wrong with us because we start comparing ourselves to others who have obtained the results we wanted and worked so hard, even sacrificed for, but never materialized. Once we jump into that rollercoaster, our self-esteem is (naturally) going to suffer; then, our trust and believe in ourselves are lost.
What is perfect timing? Many define it as being in the right place at the right time, other people as a kiss from Lady Luck. I define it as learning to be quiet enough that I can see the picture, appreciate the lesson, and wait for the direction that God has for me. I view perfect timing as God’s timing, separate from my human perception of how things should be and end. Learning that has made a difference in my life and how I define success and failure. Perfect timing is God’s speed.
Faith moves mountains. Jesus said that (Matthew 17:20). It is truth for Christians, or it should. Why is it so hard to believe what seems impossible? Maybe because of our human nature. We tend to focus on the problem more than the outcome. Faith is defined as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) That seems to go against our human nature, yet we have all the capacity for hope and conviction. It is in our darkest hour that we put that truth to the test. Our mountain suddenly seems insurmountable compared to our conviction at the moment; however, hope can only grow, and grow bigger than a mountain. Our assurance doesn’t come from our own human effort, but from the One who said that a little faith moves mountains.
“Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”Matthew 17:20-21
Whatever our mountain, let’s climb it with hope and conviction, eventually, it won’t be in our field of vision; it would have moved from the horizon.
Inkspeare 