Chapel of Hope Stories

Dear Reader:

“Boo Y’all” might seem strangely out of place at the end of May instead of October but Cindy Ashley’s napkins (she found for me last fall) fit perfectly with the blog readers’ get-together.

I (Boo) was so happy to welcome all of y’all yesterday and last evening. The only blog readers who made an appearance for the morning “tour” were my Dingle “Sistahs.” *Be thankful evening group that Doodle came bringing homemade lemon squares. They melt in your mouth.

It ended up being a Dingle reunion of sorts….catching up with each other and getting the sistahs to help me identify more plants/flowers like “hot lips.“. We had  iced tea and dessert and just talked and laughed. It was near noon before we sadly broke up the fun.

A little before four the doorbell rang and it was Cindy Ashley….she had a morning and evening engagement and wanted to know if she could squeeze a tour in mid-afternoon. Too funny. I told her I had just typed her name and her napkins were the name of the blog….a God Wink.

AS we looked at various things she suddenly pulled out a beautiful glass dragonfly and put it on a hook in the garden. Thank you Cindy. She also helped me get some solar lamps ready to put in the garden….so everyone thank her later…. she probably prevented anyone from tripping!.

“And then there was light”  Thanks Cindy! (Both came on last evening!)

Here are some candid, fun shots of coin tossing, flower giving, dessert eating, and such wonderful shared stories. Some of the stories behind certain flowers had such poignant stories/messages. Since the clock is ticking away and I will soon lose my glass slipper if I don’t finish the blog….I will save the flower stories until tomorrow. *There is something else I need to share before I close.

Everyone made a wish at the fountain (Sue Anne and Gin-gi made two wishes…a penny for each hand…they weren’t taking any chances.)

So until tomorrow….my wish is to continue living the simple life I have been granted among friends and family. Nothing more, nothing less. My life is beautiful every day.

“Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh

* Yesterday morning Doodle told me about the loss of James (Jimmy) Shieder. I was completely stunned…From comments Mev had recently made in response to certain blogs I understood times had gotten tough, but I just didn’t realize how tough.

Lassie had the obituary notice on her Iphone and shared it with us….it was so loving and tender we all fought back tears. It was absolutely perfect…everything you want to say in a few words.  (The Gettysburg Address of obituaries) Here are just a few examples to explain how the reading affected me.

Surviving is his wife and best friend of 48 years, Mevelyn F. Shieder; from their love story came four daughters: The obituary goes on to list them and then adds: He also leaves behind the nine jewels in his crown, his grandchildren.

How beautifully poetic is that….Your wife is your best friend, four daughters emerge from your love story and Jimmy has nine jewels in his crown, his grandchildren. The Romantic poets couldn’t come close to this last message from James Shieder.

Mev, I just want you to know that your Facebook messages of celebration of life and the time you had together have moved so many people, including me. You are my hero!

Dear Reader:

Last night I tested batteries and lights for the garden lanterns and began placing them around as darkness descended. Soon, however, I realized that the sky looked like it was shining a giant flashlight on the yard and garden…..oh that big beautiful moon….do pray it is just as magnificent tonight.

It was shining on the fountain…Ernie had cleaned out the fountain a few weeks ago for me and I washed the pennies and other coins in bleach….under the moon beams they looked like gold fish. It was then that I found the first coin that I threw in the fountain. A penny with the year of my birth on it….and thanks to Fred Edwards (four other pennies) depicitng the birth years of my grandchildren.

I thought of my first penny I threw in the new fountain in 2014 (with the fountain purchase) and my wish…. the grandchildren were definitely part of it and then good health….in fact all of the wish, to date, has come true.

Anne picked up some new 2016 pennies for me at the bank to give out today so all your wishes can be fresh and in the moment for this year and wherever that takes them in the future.. They are bright, clean, and shiny.

The idea of wishes and throwing coins in the fountain to make our dreams come true goes back to ancient days. Here is a short excerpt about this tradition in longevity.

Article: Why We Throw Coins in a Fountain:

People have been throwing coins into fountains seemingly as long as there have been coins and fountains. The tradition all started with water. Water, of course, is vital to sustain human life. While many people in the developed world today have clean, drinkable water readily available from their kitchen taps, this was not always the case. Potable drinking holes in many regions weren’t the easiest things to find. Thus, where clean water was available, many early European tribes believed that such areas were a gift from the gods.

The idea that drinkable water was sent from the heavens remained even as wells and fountains were built. Often, a small statue of a god could be found next to early wells and fountains, turning them into a type of shrine.

As you probably already know, presenting gifts to gods is an ancient practice that was usually meant to appease angry gods, or to act as a payment for a request or prayer. In the case of fountains and wells, people would toss in a coin while sending up a prayer—an early version of making a wish.

……………..

This past weekend was quite the mixture of life’s ups and downs. Brooke fell down her side steps Friday and really busted up her leg and hurt her knee…(it was her other leg from the earlier accident at the wedding.) Libby has to wait until Tuesday to hear how all her tests came out, and Jackson was told she really needs knee replacement. I am definitely going to have to throw a coin in the fountain today/tonight for each of  my Ya’s….wishing good health.

And speaking of good health/or lack of….Saturday night Rutledge was playing on the sofa, lost his balance, fell and hit his forehead over his eye on the corner of a television table.

Walsh took him to the hospital and it was decided that the cut wasn’t deep enough for stitches, instead they put some kind of “glue” on it to help it heal back. I don’t know who was more tired upon leaving the hospital…Walsh or Rutledge. Never a dull moment with little boys.

It will probably take a little longer for Walsh to recover than Rutledge….sheer exhaustion.

When I stopped by yesterday Rutledge had almost forgotten about the incident… he and little brother Lachlan were rough housing again…it’s what little boys do.

There is a horse farm across the entrance turn from Walsh and Mollie’s home so Mollie took the boys over to the see the horses and the boys ended up getting to feed one horse. Sunday was much better than Saturday!

Yesterday was also Eva Cate’s dance recital….this year’s theme was Arabian Nights -the last time we had a blog reader’s gathering was to celebrate me “out-storying” Scheherazade with my 1002nd blog entry. And now here we are again….God is so good.

Eva Cate was funny….it was like she chose one dance move and let it be her beginning, middle, and finale signature dance step. While the other little dancers stared down at their feet trying to remember which foot went where….Eva Cate just smiled out at the audience and did her pinwheel move over and over and over with an occasional twirl for good measure…..she was having fun and that’s what it is all about! Just precious…she was so excited about receiving her dance trophy.

I brought her six white roses and then John and Mandy and Carrie brought flowers too….she was quite the star.

Eva Cate has been wanting a trophy for a long time to take for show and tell and now she has one….success at last!

Jakie couldn’t figure out why Eva Cate put a feather in her hair and suddenly everyone was pawning over her….would it work for him too? (Thanks Kaitlyn and Tommy for keeping Jakie…I know he was much happier with y’all than at a dance recital )

So until tomorrow….Yes, life has its ups and downs and just maybe the magic moon gate’s fountain will bring extra good luck to all who make a wish and toss their bright shiny penny in the water tomorrow. Like Eva Cate…no matter if we miss a few dance steps (or in your case Brookie… side steps)…the whole idea in life is to have fun! Looking forward to seeing all who can scoot by today….

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

While cleaning out a crate of “stuff” (junk) yesterday….a long slender piece of wood got stuck in the holes of the crate. I tugged and pulled and finally the “stick” came flying out with something long and orange behind it.

It was the original stake/nylon orange tape Anne used to outline the possibility/ dream of a garden path in my backyard.  An historical marker to place right at the front of my gate for everyone to see before they start the garden walk tomorow.

To me this was a good omen….another God Wink appearing just at the right time at the right place. Thank you God!

From a dirt path in September of 2013, outlined with orange tape my garden has grown. And so many of you have contributed plants, flowers, advice, help, and just plain (“roll up your sleeve”) work in the garden. For this I thank you….The Magic Moon Garden is “OUR” garden.

“Mistress Becky…Oh so happy

How does your garden grow? 

With lots of flowers end to end

And lots of help from friend to friend!”

I really will be in the garden tomorrow morning and tomorrow evening….so just park anywhere along the street, especially in front of the empty lot/fence and my front yard. Walk down the second driveway (by the fence) to the backyard/garden and we can put pocketbooks, etc. either on the deck or I will run them inside and put them up.

We will have light refreshments-located on the B&B side of the house….plus there are chairs and benches in and around the garden, table/chairs on the deck….lots of places where you can take your refreshments outside if you prefer.

Coming from the town of Summerville….stay on 17-A (S. Main Street) Go straight through 5 Points, come around the curve and about a half/mile later… look for the Cooper Tire Bldg on the right….coming up (immediately) on the left is the Miler Country Club Sign (rather obliterated these days with political signs) Turn left on to Country Club Blvd and I am located on the second street to the right…100 Rainbow Road. (located on the right side of the road)

So whether you stop by in the morning (9-11) when the “dew is still on the roses” or tomorrow evening (7-9) “when the twilight tells the garden good-night” dress comfortably, wear a floppy hat if you have one around, (optional) and welcome, welcome, welcome!

So until tomorrow…I hope everyone is having a restful, fun weekend and will start off the week right with a stroll through the garden.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Went to Anne’s house for all the amazing artwork display and it was fabulous! Will have to say that our Dorchester Presbyterian Church family really came through  in support of our congregational member and artist…Anne Peterson! The desserts were wonderful! And the artworks were out of this world! What a talented quartet of artists.

Good times (at the showing) with some of the Presbyterian “Frozen Chosen” Gals!

Here is the painting I chose of Anne’s to buy….titled: “Possibilities”  (It reminds me of the sun shining through the garden early in the mornings… setting it aflame with light and love.)

* I got a surprise call yesterday morning letting me know Ed and Roz Van Alstyne were in town….I met them and the Cuzzels at Five Loaves. What fun we had….I love a surprise get-together. Have fun gang at Isle of Palms this week !

Dear Reader:

When I look out my “blog bungalow” window I get to see the ginger plant Vickie recently gave me. Because I had been told that it would add a lovely scent seasonally to the garden I searched in vain for a shady spot …but no shade exists long enough there..

All my flowers and trees have to be tough….full sun, each and every day. Ginger Plant’s leaves began curling up and turning brown within days of planting. (You might remember I planted it by the deck so guests could enjoy the wonderful aroma of the plant… but it was not to be.)

I walked all over the yard searching for a shady spot and finally realized that the other side of the house, known as “Azalea Lane” in early spring and now *”Wisteria Way” or “Bamboo ByWay” has the least amount of sun and the most shade. *(Either name means hacking away at these two formidable “enemies” constantly… like in the jungles of Vietnam)

So I decided to plant “Ginger” right outside my window. While typing away on my blogs I can raise the window and smell the sweet scent of the ginger plant. I felt a little selfish at first… but I quickly got over it….this plant is for my enjoyment and that’s okay too!

It seems like the word “Kind” and the expressions associated with it,  have made a comeback of sorts. We are constantly hearing or watching “random acts of kindness” on television or hearing terms like: kind words, kind regards, be one of a kind, would you be kind enough...and Ellen Degeneres always reminds us to be “Kind to each other” as she closes her show each day.

(I see kindness everywhere except in politics…but that’s another story and you don’t want to get me going so I will “kindly” let everyone off the hook.)

It is very easy to fall into the trap of being kind to everyone ….EXCEPT ourselves. Like Pogo said, “I have met the enemy and it is me.” Why are so many of us harder on ourselves than anybody else in our world?

In an article from World of Psychology  by Margarita Tartakovsky on developing awareness of the importance of  self-kindness… the author gives this every day example: Sound familiar?

Imagine for a minute that your best friend, partner, parent or child had a horrific day. Maybe they made a mistake at work. Maybe they got very little sleep. Maybe stressors seem to be striking from every angle. Maybe they struggle with sadness or anxiety.

Either way, they’re devastated. What do you do?

No doubt you sprint to console them. You hug them, and ask them what they need. You listen, and empathize. You might even crack a joke just to make them smile.

Now how would you react if the person hurting were you? Would you acknowledge your pain, and figure out how to help yourself? Would you be just as kind and empathetic?

Because this is what self-kindness looks like, said Rosie Molinary, an author and educator who empowers individuals to embrace their real selves so they can live their passion and purpose and give their gifts to the world.

“Self-kindness is taking all those actions, all those reactions and applying them to yourself just as readily as you offer them to others.” It’s about acknowledging the difficulty of a situation, recognizing your efforts and soothing yourself, she said.

……………

The author concludes that we need to be especially kind to ourselves when the going gets tough. We should treat ourselves to a day off from work, a long walk in the park, an ice cream cone, or lunch with friends. Being kind to ourselves means learning to self-soothe like infants…we don’t need to necessarily suck on a pacifier, or carry a  Linus blanket, but we do need to know what will calm us down until we can get a better perspective on the situation that’s bothering us.

Personally I have discovered that looking up at the stars helps dwindle my problems as compared to the vastness of the universe. I usually leave stargazing feeling quite silly about all the commotion I have put myself through…

So until tomorrow….Sneak a couple of cookies for yourself out of the batch that you’re taking on Wednesdays to the DSS, stay in the shower for a long time with the hot water steaming away and don’t stop to chastise yourself for running up the electric bill. Allow yourself a good cry or a “little” pity party every now and then… but always move forward, leaving unkind remarks or actions pointed at you behind. Remind yourself you are stronger and more compassionate for the experience.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Look how Brooke’s little grandson Caleb has grown…he was five months old yesterday. Happy Birthday Cutie Caleb!

*And don’t forget to be kind to yourself and go see Anne and friends’ wonderful paintings this afternoon at her home from 4-8.

Walnut Farms: 131 Scalybark Road

Anne even dressed up rabbit in his best floral finery….to welcome one and all.

* In Sunday’s blog I will include directions to my house for Monday’s Open Garden Celebration: morning tours run 9-11 and evening tours 7-9. Stop by for as long as time permits for you, dress casual and a fun big garden hat is always welcome!

(I even glued my poor rabbit’s ear back on for the occasion! Dessert and drinks available!!

Dear Reader:

As I was searching through my old electronic files yesterday, I came across an anecdote that made me pause and reflect; The name of the story is:

“Become a Lake”

An aging Hindu master grew tired of his apprentice complaining, and so, one morning, sent him for some salt. When the apprentice
returned, the master instructed the unhappy young man to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and then to drink it.
“How does it taste?” the master asked. “Bitter,” spit the apprentice.

The master then asked the young man to take another handful of salt and put it in the lake nearby. Once the apprentice swirled
his handful of salt in the water, the old man said, “Now drink from the lake.”
As the water dripped down the young man’s chin, the master asked, “How does it taste?” “Fresh,” remarked the apprentice.

“Do you taste the salt?” asked the master. “No,” said the young man.
At this, the master took the young man’s hands, offering, “The pain of life is pure salt; no more, no less. The amount of pain
in life remains exactly the same. However, the amount of bitterness we taste depends on the container we put the pain in.

So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge your sense of self, of being . “STOP BEING A GLASS. BECOME A LAKE.”

……………………………

Haven’t we all heard the advice: “Become bigger than your problem.” It sounds good but  most times this is easier said than done. I have learned, the hard way, that once I have stretched as big as my vertically challenged body can stretch (with no solutions still in sight)…then it’s time to call in the One Entity Who is always bigger than our problem: God.

Aren’t problems always lessened when we talk to family or friends about them and get some advisory options to pursue? Instead of just “me” against the “giant” problem, it is now “we.” What a sense of relief it is to go into combat with friends who have our backs.

Now if we could just understand that God is beside us to guide us….and in us…to hear us….than suddenly we finally understand that  God is everywhere and  we are never alone in facing any obstacles.

I like this “a-ha” moment J.D. Salinger shared once during an interview.

I was six when I saw that everything was God, and my hair stood up tall…. It was on a Sunday, I remember. My sister was a tiny child then, and she was drinking her milk, and all of a sudden I saw that she was God and the milk was God. I mean, all she was doing was pouring God into God, if you know what I mean. ~J.D. Salinger,

So until tomorrow….we don’t need to drink salt from a glass or a lake….we just need to know that God is in everyone and everything…which includes our problems. If we get right with God…no problem!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

* I went to see Rainey Bernhardt yesterday, the matriarch of Dorchester Presbyterian Church, who is undergoing various therapies at the Presbyterian Village. When I couldn’t find her in her room, an aide took me to the physical therapy room and there was my gal.

Rainey was supposed to be untying knots from a long, thin rubber tube….she was struggling so I told her to start at one end and I would start at the other. Dog-gone if that exercise didn’t about do me in….when I finally got the last knot out even the therapists were cheering. Glad I don’t have physical therapy every day…I think I would fail the course!

Rainey is so popular… folks from the church keep wandering in looking for her….including Mike and Dee Lesko. (bringing her a bright gerber daisy.) Look at that smile on Rainey’s face…what a trooper!

I was so embarrassed that my cookies I brought her had crumbled but her roommate happily exclaimed: “At our age crumbs are easier to eat than whole foods…we will just take turns holding the bag up and gulping them down.”

Now there’s a gal with a big container for problems!

***As you begin planning your weekend’s activities ….check out our own Anne Peterson’s THE PRE- SPOLETO: SHOW & TELL. Tomorrow (Saturday) from 4-8 at Anne’s home in Walnut Farms. Four artists are displaying their beautiful paintings: Anne, Helen Beachan, Susan  Baughman, and Donna Boerema. Paintings of all sizes and subject matter will be offered.

Enjoy light refreshments and some munchies. Location: 131 Scalybark Road, Summerville, SC 29485.

Do stop by and see all the talent these gals have in store for you!

Dear Reader:

I remember Uncle Herschel telling me one time:  “There are two ways to be rich, Becky….earn more or want less.” Uncle Herschel was a very wise man.

I spent most of my working life living from paycheck to paycheck and always wanted (not to be rich) but to have just enough to be able to pay the bills, have some money tucked away for the “rainy days” and, most importantly, safeguard a small, secret “stash”  for spontaneous adventures that make one’s soul grow and and body/mind feel completely uplifted.

That dream is closer now than it ever was previously. Who would have “thunk it?” Living off social security and state retirement….more money comes in now than when I was teaching or working as an administrator. Several occurrences followed suit to bring about this joyous phenomenon.

First…..I must thank Pat Bower and the rest of the educational staff at CSU for sitting me down and explaining why it was so important for me to get my Masters (which ended up as a Masters + 30 for all the renewal credits I had earned over so many years.) A real financial “leap of faith” that paid off, big time, in retirement dividends.

Second… I left the classroom the last four years of my career and took a 10 month administrative job that paid more for more time.

Third….As a retired state employee I got (and get) the best health plan in the world. Believe me…I know because the medicines keeping me keeping on are in the thousands of dollars monthly. I pay only a very small fraction…..perhaps a nice blouse or pair of pants amount.

Fourth: “Little c” came along and eventually provided me with a disability social security pension that was higher than what I would have ever gotten normally. I figured the prognosis the team of doctors wrote back to them must have looked pretty dim because I got my first check six weeks after applying….no fanfare or lawyers or anything…just a check appeared in the mail.

SS must have “assumed” from the prognosis that they wouldn’t be out much money for very long. (I think God smiles with me each month when my social security check arrives!)

In retrospect…every time it looked like a financial disaster was about to crash down on my head….something or Someone always happened along to prevent this from occurring. God was holding my hand back then too…I just didn’t know it. He helped me sidestep every possible, hidden explosive on the field of life’s possibilities.

So  today “less is best.”  A jelly jar of flowers from my garden brings on the same smile that a bouquet of flowers used to cost me at the store or florist.

Speaking of finding beauty in jelly jars and garden flowers, (including wildflowers) …I discovered a  wonderful article. I read about a young lady who is changing the look of  floral arrangements…a “natural woman” I believe.

Her name is Clover Chadwick, which fits perfectly for the theme of her arrangements….she uses everything in nature, including wildflowers. The name of her shop defines her love of natural, organic, free-form arrangements: Dandelion Ranch.

As a little girl she remembered sitting in the back seat of the car and marveling at the beauty of wildflowers growing along the road and in the meadows….always tilting towards the sun. Later…she became a collector of bottles left by the road, or wooden crates, broken pots, tire wheels, and yes… jelly jars. Today these are her containers for her floral arrangements.

Here are some pictures from the magazine Living where I, first, caught an article on her and have since researched and discovered how serenely  beautiful her style of arranging is to the eye. Her containers bring back memories of yesteryear.

I thought my daughter Mandy’s wedding was one of the most beautiful in its simplicity….Joanne King and Ann Baggett  did a wonderful job with the flowers! They had simple little galvanized pails filled with blue hydrangeas and one white rose attached to each row of chairs set up outside over-looking the marsh and creek. So serene! Lesson learned from these two talented ladies: Never compete with the beauty of nature outside…instead use it to enhance a celebration!

*My first hydrangea just bloomed in my garden and it is blue….that is what brought back memories of Mandy and John’s wedding. When I went to take the picture darkness was descending so I took one and the flash came on and then turned off the flash for the next photo…..the beauty of light and darkness and how it changes objects never ceases to amaze me. (L to R) Flash, no flash

So until tomorrow: What a difference the quality of our lives takes….when we finally realize that giving up “stuff” is the best feeling of freedom in the world. Suddenly we feel light as a feather….completely unburdened by the gravity of too much!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

I woke up yesterday feeling so good with a big smile on my face. There was no particular reason for it besides just being happy to wake up to life. Now that I think about it….that’s a really BIG HAPPY SMILE in itself.

These days when I look out at my garden and fence I see the large wooden disk that Vickie gave me and it sums up the delight over my garden sanctuary.

Yesterday I was ecstatic over finding my old Carole King tape-Tapestry.

I found myself singing all the way to Mt. Pleasant and later back last night to those fabulous tunes on the album.

In fact my latest updated items to put in my bucket’s list (got this name from the expression “kicking the bucket”) is to go see Hamilton on Broadway and Beautiful (the Carole King Story)!

And that was the song on the tape (“Beautiful”) that got stuck in my mind yesterday… and I am still half humming/singing it as I type right now. (Be thankful you aren’t within hearing distance.)

I sang the lyrics to “Beautiful” Monday night to Rutledge (captive audience) and then told him how important it is to wake up every morning with a smile on your face and show people all the love in your heart.

He thought about it for a moment but then started giggling….saying he wanted to wake up with a “pout” on his face like his favorite series of books about a pouty fish: The Pout-Pout Fish.

A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER

Deep in the water,
Mr. Fish swims about
With his fish face stuck
In a permanent pout.

Can his pals cheer him up?
Will his pout ever end?
Is there something he can learn
From an unexpected friend?

Swim along

………

I had to laugh when he made his pout-pout face and I told him that memory of his expression would put a smile on my face the next morning….and it actually did!

What I love about Carole King’s songs, beside their memorable melodies, are the lyrics….Each song tells a story, delivers a message that “we can all take to the bank.” The lyrics to “Beautiful” sound like a daily devotional, especially when you add the music!!!!

Beautiful

You’ve got to get up every morning with a smile on your face
And show the world all the love in your heart
Then people gonna treat you better
You’re gonna find, yes, you will
That you’re beautiful as you feel

Waiting at the station with a workday wind a-blowing
I’ve got nothing to do but watch the passers-by
Mirrored in their faces I see frustration growing
And they don’t see it showing, why do I?

You’ve got to get up every morning with a smile on your face
And show the world all the love in your heart
Then people gonna treat you better
You’re gonna find, yes, you will
That you’re beautiful as you feel

I have often asked myself the reason for sadness
In a world where tears are just a lullaby
If there’s any answer, maybe love can end the madness
Maybe not, oh, but we can only try

…………………………..

Now here’s the melody I couldn’t and still can’t get off my mind….(Warning to all who listen… the same will happen to you)….but it will put a smile on your face and a giddy-up in your step today. I guarantee!!!!

carole king – beautiful – YouTube

So until tomorrow…Remember…we’re beautiful as we feel so let’s go out into the world feeling good to be alive in God’s beautiful Creation.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Update on the Open Garden Celebration! 

The Magical Moon Gate fence has been bleached and scrubbed…just for you! And now it is wide open like the invitation I am extending for you blog readers,

Just drop by for a morning tour any time from 9-11 or an evening tour from 7-9 next Monday May 23. (Hoping by then this monsoon week of rain will be over….keeping my fingers crossed. The rain should, however, just make the garden and yard greener and more “gor-rog-ous”… as Eva Cate told me about her princess attire one year.)

Dessert and drinks will make your tour more pleasurable and each person will receive a lucky penny to throw in the fountain…so be thinking of a good wish before you come.

Will send out directions later in the week…but the house is very easy to find. Come casual, shorts, whatever is comfortable, and feel free to plop on a big ole’ straw hat or any kind of garden hat for some fun candid photos.

Just didn’t want May to get away without a chance for anyone to stop by and see the garden who wishes.

• Walsh sent me this photo of Rutledge (a.k.a Bob the Builder) as he played at home with dad yesterday….Love his outfit…it does appear to be missing some pants, however. This “loss” didn’t stop the construction  Walsh assured me.

Dear Reader:

I think the vast majority of us during different stages (or at least one stage) of our existence have lived lives more to please others than ourselves. At least I know that was true in my case.

Whether we chose a college major to please our parents or went into a family business we weren’t passionate about, or simply lost our nerve when we did have a chance to make a 180 degree turn in our life…most of us have experienced that awful feeling, way down in the pit of our stomach,  that keeps whispering to us that our lives aren’t matching up with who we really are. Something important is missing.

We, then,  reach a crossroad where we have to stop our life and do a self-examination. Author Brene Brown (The Gifts of Imperfection) expressed what this looked like with these questions: What is the greater risk? Letting go of what people think or letting go of how I feel, what I believe, and who I am?

In order to let go of a former, preconceived life that no longer works or makes us feel alive, Brown says we have to learn to “cultivate courage, compassion, and connection.”  Each morning we need to think: No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough. At night our inner voice must reassure us: “Yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable and sometimes afraid, but that doesn’t change the truth that I am also brave and worthy of love and belonging.”

When I told mother at the end of my sophomore year in college that I was going to major in history…a very long, pregnant pause ensued. Then it came: “No Becky, you are going to major in history with a teaching degree so you can get a job when you leave college.” End of discussion.”

Normally you would expect me to complain about this maternal demand ruining my life and how I spent so many years trying to find my niche in life…my passion. Sorry…it didn’t turn out that way. Mother, Brer Rabbit, out-foxed me because she knew I was the storyteller and teaching would give me a “captive audience.”

Excerpt from the “Briar Patch”

“Drown me! Roast me! Hang me! Do whatever you please,” said Brer Rabbit. “Only please, Brer Fox, please don’t throw me into the briar patch.”

“The briar patch, eh?” said Brer Fox. “What a wonderful idea! You’ll be torn into little pieces!”

Grabbing up the tar-covered rabbit, Brer Fox swung him around and around and then flung him head over heels into the briar patch. Brer Rabbit let out such a scream as he fell that all of Brer Fox’s fur stood straight up. Brer Rabbit fell into the briar bushes with a crash and a mighty thump. Then there was silence.

Brer Fox cocked one ear toward the briar patch, listening for whimpers of pain. But he heard nothing. Brer Fox cocked the other ear toward the briar patch, listening for Brer Rabbit’s death rattle. He heard nothing.

Then Brer Fox heard someone calling his name. He turned around and looked up the hill. Brer Rabbit was sitting on a log combing the tar out of his fur with a wood chip and looking smug.

“I was bred and born in the briar patch, Brer Fox,” he called. “Born and bred in the briar patch.”

And Brer Rabbit skipped away as merry as a cricket while Brer Fox ground his teeth in rage and went home.

………………..

I must admit I was in a rage myself when I hung up from that long ago conversation with mother (Teaching! She’s got to be kidding me!”)….but as luck would have it…mom was right…teaching was/is my passion because I could story-tell social studies. I had grown up in the “briar patch of storytelling” and it was as familiar to me as breathing.

At some point the risk of losing ourselves feels far more dangerous than the risk of letting people see the real us. Brene Brown refers to this transformation as a “Wholehearted Revolution…a small quiet, grassroots movement that starts with each of us saying” My story matters because I matter.” 

“Little c” gave me the opportunity to write…and it’s true…I felt brave and afraid at the same time…but the little voice in 2010 said to me “This is it Becky, what you’ve been waiting for….write the blog and change your life.” I did and the voice rang true. Today I still feel brave, afraid, but most importantly I feel very, very alive.”

So until tomorrow….Let’s all be brave and afraid at the same time…because if we are feeling these extremes then we are gearing up for the change in our daily routine that will bring passion back into our lives.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Guess who stopped by yesterday? Honey! Ernie and Lance were just finishing up cutting the yard and I got to show Honey the garden… all cut and clean…with a new mandevilla in it that Honey gave me.

*** I was planning on having the OPEN GARDEN celebration this week until I heard the weather reports….so am tentatively thinking next Monday might be the day for a morning tour and an evening tour-hopefully one or the other will suit everyone.. Will keep you updated as the week unfolds and hopefully the weather improves.

*Walsh and Mollie celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary last evening and they too went to eat at the Oaks (like John and Mandy) and had a wonderful time just enjoying downtown Charleston. I kept the boys and once again it was a beautiful afternoon/evening.

Dear Reader:

Wasn’t yesterday the most beautiful day yet? It was a “Zippity do-Dah” day!

I couldn’t stay inside yesterday afternoon, so I just started wandering around the garden, yard, and then neighborhood….for once not worried about watering or planting…just enjoying the day. After all it was Sunday…a day of rest…a day to relish the outcome of the planting, watering, and weeding toils that had taken place all week.

It was while I was strolling that one of my neighbors, Faye, flagged me down and we started talking. She invited me over to see her beautiful plants and floral settings… and especially her impatiens. I discovered that we are a lot alike….we like whimsical and unusual items throughout yards and garden areas. (Enjoy a small piece of the tour like I did.)

Vickie and I love that the lot next to me and across from her has never been sold…it belongs to Faye and we keep telling her how much we appreciate her holding on to that lot….like Vickie said…it adds a sense of “country” to the neighborhood.

As Faye and I were walking back across the vacant lot I commented on the beautiful oak tree that stands in the empty lot like a faithful guardian overlooking its home. Faye said it is one of her favorite places on her property.

I then stopped and looked at my house/yard/garden from the oak tree and got a whole different perspective of my home and land from a different angle.

I experienced another “A-Ha” moment. All I had to do was simply walk over to the empty lot less than a 100 feet away and my house/yard/garden looked completely different…yet nothing had changed except a new angle of perception and perspective.

One of Mark Twain’s most memorable quotes to me is: “The two most important days in your life are the day you were born, and the day you find out why.”

As far as I know my physical birth day was pretty uneventful…. I never heard mother complaining about how many hours of labor she endured prior to my arrival or anything like that….I simply arrived. So that leaves us with the second most important day….the day you find out why?

Actually that “day” turned out to be the beginning of a process of awareness that took place over time. I wish I could pinpoint the exact date but it didn’t happen like that. It started at the end of May eight years ago, the night before my first breast cancer surgery when I “heard” God’s Presence telling me to “Hold His Hand.”

To me “holding hands” is one of the most pivotal benchmarks in a relationship….there is something so binding, comforting, uplifting and strangely intimate about holding hands. It makes one feel like it is now “us” against the world….just not me “winging” it alone. Holding hands spells security and says “I will be there for you…Everything will be alright.”

And that is exactly what God has done for me…He has never let go…but instead God just has held on tighter when the going got tough and the trail got rocky.The only times He has loosened His grip has been 1) to push me up to the mountains and into St. Jude’s Chapel of Hope and 2) to help me write the blog, (even some days, I feel like He is writing it Himself and I am just along for the ride)… as my fingers scurry over the keys trying to keep up with thoughts that are coming faster than I can type.

So the “Second Most Important Day of my Life” is every day as I sit down in one of Poppy and Dee Dee’s old folding wooden chairs , smile with anticipation, throw a High Five to God, and begin to write.

This is my daily designated time with God…co-authoring the blog.

My blog is never going to win the most popular blog on the block award, or beat any records for a numbers game, but it allows me to share a part of me with all of you. More importantly the blog centers my day and it gives me the reaffirmation, understanding, and self-acceptance of  knowing  my place in this world…“Hand-holder and Co-Author of my life.”  

So until tomorrow…Make a small shift in our life and then watch how miraculously our life changes in the purpose and  direction we are to go live life to the fullest.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Libby, this scripture is just for you today!. As soon as I saw it I knew God had directed me to the right place for the right Word….You are not alone ….we are all praying for you today and tomorrow… throughout all your tests and trials.

John 16:33

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Dear Reader:

Even though the remarkably talented Pete Seeger wrote (what some music critics deem) the most influential folk song from the sixties (“Where Have All the Flowers Gone“)…it was the equally talented trio of Peter, Paul, and Mary whose beautifully blended voices blew the song right off the charts in the early 60’s.

My problem isn’t ‘Where have all the flowers gone?‘ (Many-in my garden)… it is ‘Where have all the butterflies gone?’ 

A friend from church, Michele, sent me a powerful anecdote from a daily devotional concerning butterflies and struggle. Suddenly I found myself struggling to even find one little butterfly anywhere around….(just not in my garden) to take a photo for this entry.

Then it “hit” me that I hadn’t seen any butterflies in days now, maybe weeks. In early spring they were everywhere but recently have completely disappeared.

I decided to have some fun with my neighbor/friend, Vickie, about this dilemma. The text went like this:

Me: “Vickie, do you have all the butterflies locked up in your garden-There are none in mine.” 

Vickie: “No darlin.’ They don’t do shade. Just wait, they will find your secret garden.”

Me: “Ever since I planted all those butterfly plants and bushes they have disappeared-I had lots of them earlier in the spring-“nada” now. Apparently they don’t like the sun either.”

Vickie: “They will be back, probably busy making babies.”

Me: “Or…maybe they all followed the monarchs and are still nursing hang-overs in Mexico?”

…………………..

I think Vickie and I would probably fail Sherlock Holmes “Deductive Reasoning” test. If anyone else out there (come on you science teachers) knows where the butterflies have gone…please let me know. They are missing out on some of their favorite foods.

When Michele sent me this story from a devotional she had recently read…it tickled a few memory neurons that implied I had heard it before. However, with so many friends and family members struggling with all kinds of issues lately… I thought it could come in helpful while searching for answers for those tough questions in our faith like: “Really God! Again? Can’t you find someone else to share all these major crises (medical/financial, emotional) with….spread the misery around equally, as well as, the joy?”

Do Not Lose Heart
by L.B. Cowman, from Springs in the Valley

*(Devotionals Daily)

One day a naturalist, out in his garden, observed a most unusually large and beautiful butterfly, fluttering as though in great distress; it seemed to be caught as though it could not release itself. The naturalist, thinking to release the precious thing, took hold of the wings and set it free. It flew but a few feet and fell to the ground dead.

He picked up the poor thing, took it into his laboratory, and put it under a magnifying glass to discover the cause of its death. There he found the lifeblood flowing from the tiny arteries of its wings. Nature had fastened it to its chrysalis and was allowing it to flutter and flutter so that its wings might grow strong. It was the muscle-developing process that nature was giving the dear thing so that it might have an unusual range among the flowers and gardens.

If it had only fluttered long enough, the butterfly would have come forth ready for the wide range; but release ended the beautiful dream.

So with God’s children: how the Father wishes for them wide ranges in experience and truth. He permits us to be fastened to some form of struggle. We cry out in our distress and sometimes think Him cruel that He does not release us. He permits us to flutter and flutter on. Struggle seems to be His program sometimes…

(*Personally, I feel my faith tested the most when I watch a loved one struggle with seemingly endless amounts of problems. It is much easier to be the one struggling than the loved one watching another’s struggle… while feeling helpless to make it better.)

I remember finding this short video that helped me ( a visual learner) understand the importance of the cross we bear. Powerful!

The cross we bear – YouTube  (1 minute/20 seconds)

So until tomorrow….Give me the strength Lord to carry the cross You have chosen for me and to keep the faith while watching others struggle with theirs….to support them by simply loving them unconditionally.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Take a couple of more minutes and re-live the melody: “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?”

Peter, Paul, and Mary’s 25th anniversary concert

Peter, Paul and Mary – Where Have All the Flowers Gone – YouT