The Thoughtful Gardener

Tradition...

2011-12-23T22:37:00.000-05:00

...since 1991. Done, delivered, and hopefully, devoured!

Foraging

2011-12-22T22:13:00.000-05:00

No deep, piney woods to head into...

but an abandoned lot with a multitude of scrub pines will do.

Soak your oasis and occasionally spray to keep the needles fresh.

A Georgia wreath.

Blooming in the Shop

2011-12-09T08:46:00.000-05:00

New botanicals and cards in my Etsy shop!

Also in bloom...

2011-12-08T08:49:00.000-05:00

Schlumbergera (Christmas cactus).

In bloom

2011-12-06T18:52:00.000-05:00

Camellia sasanqua.

Vintage Christmas

2011-12-04T22:46:00.002-05:00

My mother and "Miss Ann", South Georgia, circa 1960 (? ).

What I love---

the white tabletop tree (I think my sister has that table!),

cropped pants, shiny, shiny wrapping paper, white socks and penny loafers.

An old-fashioned, sixties Christmas.

Sneak...preview!

2011-12-03T21:59:00.001-05:00

I have just met my latest deadline for Newnan Coweta Magazine with an article about the language of flowers. And so...I was inspired to create my own tussie-mussie (ugh! Hate that name, but I haven't been able to come up with another.) It is a small, tight nosegay of flowers, leaves, and herbs with each plant conveying a specific meaning. This one is for my sweet sister-in-law to celebrate her engagement. The amazing thing about this little gem is I was able to find all the components blooming in my yard (in December!!), except for the sweetheart roses. BUT to find out the meaning of each plant you will have to check out the January/February issue of the magazine.

Remembering

2011-11-28T23:16:00.000-05:00

So, so thankful this past week for...

cousins, sisters, a long room for a long table,

engagements, camellias in prolific bloom,

forgiveness, football, brother-in-laws,

help with cooking,

woodsmoke,

sons,

a father-in-law who carves, a mother-in-law who says "yes",

ironed linens,

Aunt Merry who brings wine and "stirs" the gravy,

knex, nieces and nephews galore,

a house that flows,

making up with my husband.

Blossoming...

2011-11-02T08:40:00.000-04:00

in your neighborhood---

if you are fortunate enough to live in the South.

Confederate rose (Hibiscus mutabilis).

In Bloom

2011-10-25T23:01:00.001-04:00

Another fall gold...

drooping fairy-like blooms

over my neighbor's fence.

Brugmansia (Angel Trumpet)

In Bloom...

2011-10-20T08:48:00.001-04:00

at the backdoor
and drifting in the windows:
Tea Olive (Osmanthus fragrans)

6:43 Wednesday Evenings

2011-10-12T09:06:00.001-04:00

I pass this captivating display of Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) on my way to the studio for art classes each week...always wondering what it might be like to sleep and eat with an emerald bower twining around me. Next door, these glorious zinnias finally forced me to pull over, take some photographs, and chat with the gracious lady who planted a little spot of joy for all who pass.

Garden Run Amuck

2011-10-10T22:52:00.001-04:00

No time for weeding, watering, or fresh plantings.

No time for dark, rich compost

or even a cursory spray of fertilizer.

No time for dead-heading, pinching back, and pruning.

But there it is anyway.

A garden bursting with life and loveliness.

Surprise feathery, crimson vines running rampant,

50th anniversary black-eyed Susans proliferating,

fall asters remembering to bloom,

and the lavender...floating like a balm upon the fall air.

Help me to see the extravagant beauty

in the untended garden of my life.

Lift the veil and turn my mind from

“inconvenient interruption”

opportunity, blessing, and grace.

Dandelion...

2011-06-06T23:59:00.000-04:00

(Taraxacum officinale)

The dandelions and buttercups

Gild all the lawn; the drowsy bee

Stumbles among the clovertops,

and summer sweetens

all to me.

J.R. Lowell, 1869

Morning Light

2011-06-03T00:17:00.001-04:00

My neighbor's mailbox...

it's at its best when the sun first tips over the pines

ignighting the peeling paint and shadows.

The light hangs there for almost 6 minutes.

Then moves on to illuminate the rest of the world.

Also in bloom...

2011-05-17T23:47:00.001-04:00

Magnolia grandiflora

In Bloom

2011-05-14T10:54:00.000-04:00

Boys and girls into...

young men and women.

(Social, Inc. Spring Formal 2011)

Friday evening on Rae's Creek...

2011-04-29T23:10:00.001-04:00

...the best reservations in town.

Happy Weekend!

Spring

2011-04-15T19:20:00.001-04:00

Awake!

For Morning in the Bowl of Night

Has flung the Stone that puts the Stars to flight,

And Lo!

the Hunter of the East has caught

The Sultan's Turret in a Noose of Light.

Come, fill the Cup, and in the Fire of Spring

The Winter Garment of Repentance fling;

The Bird of Time has but a little way

To fly --- and Lo! the Bird is on the Wing.

Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

In Bloom

2011-04-06T22:51:00.000-04:00

Augusta National.

A Few Excuses and a Tiny Preview

2011-03-24T08:32:00.001-04:00

Unbelievably (!), when life becomes full, blogging is usually the first thing to go. Imagine things like meals, school, deadlines, dirty clothes, and research papers taking precedence! But I miss the consistent reflection of the living of life. I love the way images can evoke the memory of the moment lived--like a quick snatch of a song caught in a breeze.

A few melodies from the past month...

An article for Newnan Coweta Magazine on the charming foxglove (Digitalis purpurea).

Another article for the garden issue on a friend, and fellow artist, whose home and garden so beautifully illustrate the melding and outworking of the strengths of marriage between a man and a woman.

A trip with my Second Born and Nephew
to the Georgia Aquarium
followed by an afternnoon of legislation at the Capitol.

A weekend in Macon with the winning Science Olympiad Team.

What do you do to celebrate 95 years?
A lovely lunch planned with 20+ dear friends. I was in charge of the centerpieces.

And always in the midst of everything...teaching and learning...at home and with my 9th grade class.

The luncheon...

A gift of a Cherokee Rose to mark her 95 years. Isn't she amazing?

Finally... the other thing that has been keeping me busy---
preparing for my upcoming exhibit at Sacred Heart Cultural Center.
This is my "gallery" in my home.
In the center is a landscape with my Second Born, Neice, and Nephew
on one of their many walks down the beach at Cape San Blas
. It is flanked by the botanicals that will go into the show.
Whew!

Birding the Georgia Coast

2011-02-10T17:51:00.000-05:00

Winter day on Raes Creek

2011-01-24T21:30:00.001-05:00

"I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape - the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show."

Andrew Wyeth, American Painter, 1917-2009

It's not over...

2011-01-03T22:28:00.000-05:00

Have you ever, in the silence, wondered at the thought

of how it came to pass the wise men chose the gifts they brought?

Frankincense for holy ones, and gold for kings, but myrrh?

Why a gift for tombs they brought on this, the Savior's birth?

(from the carol In the Silence)

A White(ish) Christmas

2010-12-28T01:40:00.000-05:00

Amazing...

a dusting of snow on Raes Creek.

Preparations

2010-12-24T23:12:00.000-05:00

The hour is swept and garnished;

The walk has been brushed and the stair,

The crystal and silver are gleaming

but oh, is the Christ Child there?

Lela Bassford

A Falling Away

2010-12-20T23:50:00.000-05:00

“I am so busy”

I have always disliked that phrase and inwardly shuddered when friends or acquaintances have proudly tossed it about or thrown it down as a gauntlet ( I am busy, busy. I have a Life. What about.....you?) But in the past 3 months I have found myself inanely repeating it as an explanation to a life I haven't been able to control. And with the lack of control came my frustration...then condemnation...and finally desperation.

Really.

That is where I should have been in the beginning.

Desperate.

Because we are all desperate. Desperate for the way, desperate for the love, and desperate for the savior. I had forgotten. How is that possible? I thought I could do it all---teach, clean, laugh, comfort, live, serve, cook, create, love.

This morning, I “accidentally” turned to my devotion in Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest:

"The apostle Paul could let his external life change without internal distress because he was rooted and grounded in God. Most of us are not consistent spiritually because we re more concerned about being consistent externally.”

It was dated November 25.

But I needed to hear it today.

Do you hear what I hear?

2010-09-16T13:57:00.000-04:00

Drifting in with the cool air

the whispery rush of many wings,

a pause,

and then soft flutterings and splashes.

We all tiptoed quietly to the window

to listen

to the flock of brown headed cowbirds

busily bathing with

quiet whirs, rustlings, and plashes.

In Bloom

2010-09-10T23:59:00.000-04:00

A plethora of zinnias---

from seed freely broadcast

in July and virtually untended in August and September.

A magnificent harvest.

Rightness

2010-09-08T23:20:00.001-04:00

"Pan Playing", The Appleby, Augusta, GA, 2010

Garden ornament cannot be underestimated---it could be considered just as important as the garden itself. Especially when it is fabulously aged and tinged with Time. In some cases it is the reason behind the garden, as in Beverley Nichols' book The Gift of a Home:

At each end of the lovely little wall there were two brick pillars. They stood there, perfectly poised, exactly the right height, exactly the right width....They had obviously been built to hold something---carved pineapples, or stone balls, or...or...or Urns.

It was when the word
Urns
came into my head that the garden was
born.

Summer's End

2010-09-06T20:57:00.002-04:00

"Yearning", Lake Thurmond, Labor Day 2010

Now the day is over,

Night is drawing nigh,

Shadows of the evening

Steal across the sky.

(Sabine Baring-Gould, English clergyman and author, 1834-1924)

I hope the shadows fell softly and sweetly on your holiday.

Knowing

2010-09-03T19:00:00.001-04:00

I have been swept away by school preparations for the past two months, leaving my creative life parched. American Literature, Economics, Shakespeare, American government, Physical Science, Latin, Philosophy...it has been unending hard labor preparing to teach the 9th grade class in our Classical Conversations group. The sweet reward is the joy of knowing and once, knowing, sharing.

We don't know what we don't know, but when we begin to know a thing---unbelievably, miraculously God puts that “thing” in front of us again and again, in different contexts showing us connections and relevance. Some things we see immediately and are enlightened, some things remain to be revealed. The seed is planted.

A family funeral this week brought the dry spell to an end. It literally provided a physical break in my eternal preparations for class and brought me face to face with one of my first artistic mentors---my Biology professor and advisor from Converse College. She sensed something in me I wasn't aware of at the time and encouraged me to follow my passions and instincts. Every piece of art I produced while at Converse was a reflection of the natural world, what we would call the Sciences, but is really true Art produced by the ultimate Artist. She prodded me to combine my art and my sciences, but I didn't have a heart for diligence or faith to fly.

Self Portrait, Chemistry Lab, Converse College, 1983

As the hymn Rock of Ages swelled around us during the service, I realized the labors of being a homeschool mother have taught me diligence and given me the knowing—the confidence—to fly. As we seated ourselves, Marc Chagall was quoted: “Great art picks up where nature ends,” and I quickly glanced back at the sea of upturned faces hoping to catch my mentor's eye, wanting to shout “yes...I finally see!”

In Bloom

2010-07-31T22:20:00.000-04:00

A member of the daisy family,

drought-tolerant,

cheery fall colors,

and good for what ails you...

Echinacea, more commonly known as purple coneflower.

Happy August!

See you in August

2010-07-13T08:18:00.000-04:00

I will be away from the blog for a few weeks...

tending, weeding, and watering a few other projects.

A Happy Fourth

2010-07-05T23:29:00.000-04:00

Hope a wonderful Independence Day celebration was had by all! Many grateful thanks to all our military families.

Blackberry pickin'... on the creek.

2010-07-02T21:03:00.000-04:00

The reward for a short, early morning paddle:

a plateful of ebony jewels.

In Bloom

2010-06-29T00:17:00.001-04:00

A rose

that is a bowl of
sweet raspberry sherbert

on a sultry, summer afternoon.

In Bloom: The Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis )

2010-06-23T13:07:00.002-04:00

We heard of it through a friend of a friend. A hurried call was made and a plan formulated to meet in the friend's garden at twilight...

When once the sun sinks in the west,

We gathered, old and young, around the small plot of soil and stared uncomprehendingly at the tall, weedy stalks. The children fidgeted with the tight buds while the adults spoke of the heat and “no rain”.

And dewdrops pearl the evening's breast;

Almost as pale as moonbeams are,

Or its companionable star,

Our friend, the gardener, murmured softly, “There's one”.

The evening primrose opens anew

And we watched incredulously, exclaiming, wondering, as bloom after bloom unfolded...in front of our eyes.

Its delicate blossoms to the dew;

And, hermit-like, shunning the light,

Wastes its fair bloom upon the night,

Who, blindfold to its fond caresses,

Knows not the beauty it possesses;

Thus it blooms on while night is by;

When day looks out with open eye,

Bashed at the gaze it cannot shun,

It faints and withers and is gone.

(The Evening Primrose by John Clare, English Poet, 1793-1864)

June

2010-06-22T16:46:00.000-04:00

Abundance

Home on the Silver Meteor

2010-06-18T22:06:00.001-04:00

Garden to Table

2010-06-17T21:23:00.000-04:00

We planted two fingerling varieties in late February: Peanut and Red Thumb. Both were harvested this week and are perfect for roasting.

Rae's Creek Roasted Fingerlings

about 2 lbs potatoes

3 tbsp good olive oil

2 tsp lemon juice

about 1 tbsp kosher salt

1 tsp pepper

about 2 to 3 tbsp fresh rosemary

5 cloves minced garlic

Slice the larger potatoes if needed. Put all in ziplock bag and mix well. Spread in single layer in shallow pan and roast about 25 minutes at 450 degrees.

Tuesday Club

2010-06-16T13:32:00.000-04:00

I have been leisurely searching for a ceramic garden stool for some time. Most range in price from $100 to $300 and are out of my budget...but I knew one would turn up eventually. And it did. At Ross. For $29.99. At the checkout I noticed I had received a 10% discount for something called the “Tuesday Club”. I looked at the girl, the very young girl---really a mere babe, behind the counter, “What's the Tuesday Club?” As she glanced pointedly at my gray hair she said, “Senior citizen discount.”

Wow.

I was so flabbergasted that I failed to tell the child I am ONLY 48. But I got my stool...and for $3.80 less.

In Bloom

2010-06-15T02:23:00.001-04:00

Fingerling potatoes---time to harvest.

...wherever my ship sailed.

2010-06-13T00:14:00.001-04:00

This year's sailing trip involved a crew of two grandsons with grandfather at the helm.

We rendezvoused at the Savannah Yacht Club and were entertained by tales of the high seas.

"The days passed happily with me wherever my ship sailed."

Sailing Alone Around the World

Captain Joshua Slocum

Summer Project #1

2010-06-11T09:48:00.001-04:00

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."

Theodore Roosevelt

President Roosevelt's words sum up my guidelines on decorating: Make the most of what you're given, don't try to turn your home into something it isn't, turn your "flaws" into "focal points".

We purchased several of these shelves over fifteen years ago and have added more over the years. They come unfinished and in many different heights and widths, but with the same configuration of shelves so they can be mixed and matched according to your wall space. They have held toys, kitchen supplies, tools, sports equipment, sewing materials, art supplies, and of course, books. Here's a narrow version in my son's room:

Four have found their final resting place in our living room. I wanted them to look more finished and give some richness and depth to all our mismatched books, so a beautiful chestnut brown was chosen (Benjamin Moore "Lodge"). In progress:

And after:

P.S. Did I mention they cost only $160 per unit? ...Atlanta Salvage on Howell Mill Road in Altanta, Georgia.

In Bloom

2010-06-09T07:44:00.002-04:00

Gardenia jasminoides

Blue skies...

2010-06-05T07:44:00.000-04:00

...over Rae's Creek.

Life!

2010-06-03T07:40:00.001-04:00

About two weeks ago we were excited to receive the gift of a fig tree. A friend was having some construction done in her yard and needed to remove the tree. It was much larger than we had anticipated and it was “shorn” of all its green when we picked it up, so by the time we returned it to the ground it looked like some strange stick sculpture...that had to be propped up by a cinder block.

We watered.

We held our breath.

And we watered.

And we held our breath.

And...

a tiny bud and even...

a baby fig leaf.

In Bloom

2010-06-01T09:21:00.000-04:00

This little plant has turned out to be one of my favorites. In December I saw it at a local nursery, brought it home, and put it in a large basket with some poinsettias. The tiny white blooms were like snow falling amidst the velvety red. It wintered in my living room in a south facing window producing snowy blooms. With the spring, it moved onto the patio where it has continued to cascade its little flowers. It is 'Diamond Frost' Euphorbia.

Remembering

2010-05-31T08:41:00.001-04:00

"We live in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not breaths;

In feelings, not figures on a dial.

We should count time by heart-throbs.

He most lives

Who thinks most---feels the noblest---

acts the best."

Philip James Bailey

English poet 1816-1902

Thank you to those who have acted the best---

those who have served us.

A Commision

2010-05-30T23:26:00.000-04:00

Gardenias for the good Doctor and his wife---

waiting to be picked up.

The joy of gardening...

2010-05-28T22:52:00.000-04:00

is having a bouquet for every room:

Asters and hydrangeas in the living/dining room,

a mass of hydrangeas on the kitchen table,

gardenias by the birder's bedside,

a tiny arrangement of daisies and lavender for the golfer,

and roses with my current stack of books.

My friend...

2010-05-21T20:48:00.001-04:00

the Ladybug.

What if...

2010-05-12T22:47:00.000-04:00

(Yesterday at 5 pm)

(Today at 5pm)

...you had only one day?

Seeing

2010-05-11T22:25:00.000-04:00

Do you know this flower? {smile} I'm smiling because if you live in Georgia I know you have seen it many times. It knows no social constraints—I've seen it languishing along Broad Street in the dirt as well as in a pristine Summerville perennial border. It's name is Spiderwort (Tradescantia) and some consider it a weed...and some don't. It's all in your perspective.

Early Morning Light

2010-05-10T20:38:00.000-04:00

"It's a nice house,"

the strange girl said.

"I like it like that---

so tall and white,

with the tree shadows on it."

Nan,

The Wind Boy

by Ethel Cook Eliot

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T14:16:00.001-04:00

The Mother's Day corsage: a red rose if your Mother is living and a white one if she has passed. I paired my rose bud (I didn't have a rose in full bloom in my rose bed) with rosemary for remembrance and tied it all together with a beautiful pin my Mother gave me at Christmas.

In Bloom...

2010-05-06T23:22:00.000-04:00

on Rae's Creek as afternoon melted into twilight:

Foxglove

'New Dawn' roses

more roses in the rose bed..don't know any names

and honeysuckle.

Mint Juleps and Ice Tea

2010-05-04T07:11:00.000-04:00

Every self respecting Southern household has a patch of mint multiplying throughout their garden beds. And although all the labels and various growers recommend growing in pots because of its tendency to spread, I have never seen mint in a pot. Every Southerner I know just lets it run rampant. But for the past several years I have been unsuccessful in growing any decent mint. Every spring, several peat pots of mint are mixed in with my purchases from the local nursery (my first mistake). Although, these pots of mint literally seem like mere shadows and shades of the mint of my childhood, I dutifully and hopefully set them out in the garden. The leaves are small, thin, and wispy where my remembered mint was thick, large-leaved and sturdy, able to withstand---even thrive in, the hardships of a Georgia summer.

This year will be different. I have learned the mint luxuriating in my memories is Kentucky Colonel. It can be bought at some nurseries, but really is best gotten from a friend. A few weeks ago, I heard of one (a friend) who had Kentucky Colonel growing in her garden and so, when invited to a luncheon in her home I quickly accepted. As I arrived, I spied a bunch in a vase alongside the buffet. Afterward when leaving, I quickly snatched the leaves and rushed home to put the stems in water to root. Two weeks later I'm almost ready to plant...

Kentucky Colonel is as I remembered---very sturdy with thick leaves and beautifully...minty. It is a spearmint (versus a peppermint) bearing the name Mentha spicata 'Kentucky Colonel'.

In Bloom

2010-04-24T21:43:00.000-04:00

Roses...

Cascading over a neighbor's fence...

Tumbling down an old brick wall in Olde Town...

And sitting sedately in my rose bed under the swing.

Another wedding...

2010-04-21T23:08:00.000-04:00

This time I was privileged,

along with my sister and parents,

to host the wedding dinner in my home...

Handmade wreaths were the order of the day---

living circles symbolizing eternity

and echoing the rings placed upon their fingers.

My beautiful sister...

on her wedding day.

Dear Reader...

2010-04-08T21:59:00.000-04:00

Please excuse my absence---

things have been busy here

on Rae's Creek

with the Masters going on next door.

Please check back

next week...

when I have some time and space to share!

The Pearls

2010-03-22T20:57:00.000-04:00

The toasts were proclaimed,

the music executed,

the vows affirmed,

and the pearls worn.

These pearls have been handed down generation after generation and wedding after wedding---for the past 145 years in our family. The necklace and brooch were featured in Sally Forth's social column in the Atlanta Constitution, February 20, 1939, when they were worn by my grandmother:

“...the only jewelry she will wear will be an exquisite seed pearl necklace and brooch that belonged originally to her great aunt, who was given the necklace by her husband when she became his bride over 75 years ago.”

This past weekend my cousin wore a tie pin made from a portion of the necklace and the necklace, itself, graced yet another neck in our family.

In Bloom: Atlanta Botanical Gardens

2010-03-19T08:58:00.001-04:00

Van Gogh considered yellow the color of Truth...

Buttercup winterhazel (Corylopsis paucifloria)

Hyacinth

Oriental paperbark "wintergold" (Edgeworth chrysanthemum)

True beauty!

Delayed

2010-03-17T00:49:00.000-04:00

Three article deadlines,

the flu,

a family wedding,

and preparing for Masters---

life has once again taken precedence.

But there are still new surprises

and

inspiration appearing daily...

In Bloom

2010-03-04T23:27:00.000-05:00

Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis)

In Bloom...and almost gone

2010-03-04T01:52:00.000-05:00

Winter Honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima)

February.

2010-02-28T18:03:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, while traveling on SC 25, I was mentally gathering items for this month's still life (see January's here). I had been jotting ideas in my journal all month---things individual and particular to this time (February 2010) and place (the South).

The sun was rising behind me as I drove and the sky melted from deep indigo to a pale wash of cerulean blue. This blue faded into a warm raw sienna backlighting and highlighting the line of trees. Trees that were a mixture of hardwoods with charcoal fingers stretching and reaching, and swaying vermilion pines. Laid out in front of the trees and rushing up to meet the road were stubbly straw colored fields encased in frost. As the sun tipped over the horizon it turned the trees copper and crimson and liberated the fields with light and life.

HERE

on this day and at this time

were the things of February...

echoed in the colors of the landscape:

The leafy greens so prevalent now in the garden evidenced by the pines.
Bare branches and many, many, many nests made obvious by the absence of leaves seen in the branches of the hardwood trees.
Everywhere the twittering, whirring, hopping, and pulling of the beautiful breast of the American Robin seconded by the blaze of color on the trees.
Swelling buds encased in the sheen of velvety layers mimicked by the fields swathed in icy frost.

Vermilion, charcoal, velvet, and copper

Eating Seasonally

2010-02-23T08:50:00.001-05:00

Another bountiful box...

Carrots, Arugula, Sweet Potatoes, Baby Butternut Squash,

Frozen Blueberries, Kale, Cilantro, Flat Parsley,

Broccoli, Celery, Tomatoes.

For those in Augusta who want to know....

Garden City Organics on Broad Street.

Dawn on SC 25

2010-02-21T09:58:00.000-05:00

February 20, 2010.

Thinking

2010-02-18T21:29:00.001-05:00

In spite of the frigid temperatures here, the buds on the trees and shrubs have continued to steadily swell. It is especially evident after a rain---everyday there is just a little more there. On my morning walk, my thoughts are drawn to the bare branches and growing buds---among those buds, is there a rebellious soul...like me? Maybe a flighty dogwood that, thinking she is being individualistic and creative, decides “I will put this task (of growing her buds) aside for a while so that I can grow my roots deep into the warm soil. I think it is probably better, especially since it seems easier and more comfortable than reaching my bare little tips out into the cold air.” Then she leans over conspiratorially to her friend, the steadfast redbud, on the pretense of “getting her opinion,” but in reality the dogwood just wants a confirmation of her own decision. What the poor little dogwood doesn't realize is that by putting aside the tasks placed closest to her, she destroys all hopes of a glorious bloom that season. The short window of time for setting and growing the buds that year is lost...forever.

"We look for visions from heaven

and earth shaking events

to see God's power.

Yet we never realize

that all the time God is at work

in our everyday events

and

in the people around us.

If we will only obey,

and do the tasks that He has placed closest to us,

we will see Him."

My Utmost for His Highest, February 7

Oswald Chambers

Seeing

2010-02-15T14:27:00.002-05:00

“Under the microscope, I found that snowflakes

were miracles of beauty; and it seemed a

shame that this beauty should not be seen and

appreciated by others. Every crystal was a

masterpiece of design and no one design was

ever repeated. When a snowflake melted, that

design was forever lost. Just that much beauty

was gone, without leaving any record behind."

(Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley, 1925)

"My fascination with snowflakes was renewed when I recently read that they are not white. Their brilliance surpasses our own vision. Each one contains millions of tiny, clear, light-reactive prisms. Imagine millions of prisms. What a sight to consider. While these prisms break up the light that strikes them into all the colors of the rainbow our own eyes see “white” instead. With all the mystery of such splendor as snowflakes, I learned that we don't see the half of it. The millions of prisms creating millions of colors in each snowflake are too beautiful to even perceive."

(Samuel J. Alibrando, Nature Never Stops Talking)

Thinking

2010-02-13T19:58:00.001-05:00

Because God

has made us for Himself,

our hearts

are restless until they rest

in Him.

(Augustine)

Happy Valentine's Day!

A Southern snow...

2010-02-12T19:57:00.001-05:00

In Bloom...almost

2010-02-05T22:56:00.001-05:00

Flowering quince: Chaenomelea speciosa

In Bloom

2010-02-03T23:13:00.000-05:00

Forsythia.

Eating Seasonally

2010-02-01T17:24:00.000-05:00

Recently we joined a CSA group(Community Supported Agriculture) in which we receive a box of local produce each week. The beautiful vegetables that arrived in my kitchen this week were: Butternut Squash, Swiss Red Chard, Green Cabbage, Canistel (a persimmon-like fruit), Tomatoes, Watercress, Carrots, Lacinato Kale, and Green Bell Peppers.

Capturing a Moment

2010-01-31T20:21:00.004-05:00

Winter dawn at Phinizy Swamp.

Seeing

2010-01-27T16:01:00.000-05:00

When one door of happiness closes,

another opens;

but often we look so long at the closed door

that we do not see

the one which has been opened for us.

Helen Keller

January.

2010-01-19T07:32:00.000-05:00

Woodsmoke, cerulean sky, and clementines

Blessed to be a blessing.

2010-01-16T20:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I wept for the Haitian people.

It was this photo from my morning edition

of the Augusta Chronicle that did it.

I was riveted by this child's eyes---

they are locked on his mother's face.

I know that look.

I have seen it in my own children's eyes

in times of extreme fear.

But thankfully, it has never been from the fear

of the world collapsing around them.

And I thought of the many children searching

for mothers and the many mothers searching for children.

The verse from Matthew 2:18

(which quotes the verse in Jeremiah)

came immediately to mind:

"A voice is heard in Ramah,

weeping and great mourning,

Rachel weeping for her children

and refusing to be comforted,

because they are no more.”

Today I am asking what can we do? We can pray. Prayer transcends time and space. James tells us “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” And we can give. If you feel called to help monetarily here are some organizations recommended by our church that will use your donation responsibly for the Haitian people:

Mission to the World

Mission to North America

MAP (Medical Assistance Partners)

Good Morning

2010-01-14T20:56:00.001-05:00

With the new year have come
bright, clear days and cold, cold nights.
The coldness seems to have driven
the wading birds up into our end of the creek.
Each morning we are greeted by
Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons, and Green Herons
standing, fishing, and flying.

School

2010-01-13T23:46:00.000-05:00

My First Born participated in a Science Fair over the weekend---making batteries from fruits and vegetables. He commissioned me for a photograph of the fruits and vegetables used in the experiment. I used an age old idea—the “Old Master” still life...

Thinking

2010-01-07T22:07:00.000-05:00

"You don't have a soul.

You are a soul.

You have a body."
C.S. Lewis

In Bloom

2010-01-05T18:09:00.000-05:00

Fatsia japonica.

A Gift

2010-01-01T12:31:00.000-05:00

At times, when life becomes full one has to choose between living it and recording it. December burst upon us on the heels of Thanksgiving with many wonderful opportunities to share meals, spend time, and make memories with family and friends. And although there were many moments to capture I found myself choosing to live in the moment rather than preserve it---thus not many photographs to share. But we always have the memories. I hope you have had a memorable year also.

From our home to yours

we wish for you the gift of new beginnings.

Happy New Year!

O come...

2009-12-24T11:17:00.000-05:00

let us adore Him!

Evergreens and Hollies

2009-12-09T23:38:00.000-05:00

I love parties where you actually do something.

Last week I attended just such an event:

"Deck the Halls" sponsored by Historic Augusta.

Those of us with tickets gathered at 10:00

at the beautifully restored home of Joseph Lamar.

The front rooms of the house were empty

except for several round tables

skirted in burlap

and covered with seasonal fresh greenery.

The first table boasted potted paperwhites,

small olive and evergreen trees,

and white hydrangeas.

All in gorgeous aged clay pots.

But in the center of the remaining tables

were large baskets overflowing

with cuttings of fresh evergreens and hollies.

Also on the table

was a soaked oasis in a contatiner

for each participant.

While sipping Poinsettias (champagne and cranberry juice)

and meeting new friends

we created our own arrangements.

We all went home

with individual compositions of fresh greenery

to bring the beauty of the season into our homes!

In Bloom

2009-12-07T11:24:00.000-05:00

Camellia sasanqua.

Another Moment Captured...

2009-12-01T19:40:00.001-05:00

Reflections

2009-11-27T08:27:00.001-05:00

I am incredibly blessed

to have these shining faces around my table.

Each one unique with their own special set of

years, talents, beauty, and troubles.

Each one touches me

in a particular place only they can reach.

Each one brings out a special aspect

only they are able to reveal.

And each one an immortal image bearer.

Giving Thanks...

2009-11-25T23:27:00.000-05:00

for Life.

Late Afternoon Light

2009-11-19T20:41:00.000-05:00

Still life in the dining room.

Preparing

2009-11-15T22:32:00.001-05:00

“What is asked of us...

is that we break open our blocked caves

and find each other.

Nothing less will heal the anguished spirit

or release the heart to act in love.”

thoughts of Father Tim,

Chapter 4, A Light in the Window

Jan Karon

As the holidays approach, I find relationships on my mind. I have been re-reading the Mitford series and having just finished the second book (A Light in the Window), I am struck anew with how we all struggle in our relationships--as evidenced by Father Tim and Cynthia. We want deep, meaningful relationships that are celebrated by the holidays--a coming together of hearts and minds. But...our world is broken, and we can't love like we were meant to love...without Christ. I pray that Christ will break the blocked caves, closed doors, and fortified walls of my heart.

Seeing

2009-11-14T07:38:00.001-05:00

"We can all see God in

exceptional things,

but it requires the growth of spiritual discipline

to see God in every detail.

Never believe

that the so-called random events of life

are anything less than God's appointed order.

Be ready to discover

His designs anywhere and everywhere."

November 14,

My Utmost for His Highest,

Oswald Chambers

Seeing

2009-11-08T23:30:00.002-05:00

Fall sunset
on the obelisk chimney of the
Confederate Powder Works.

In Bloom

2009-11-05T18:44:00.002-05:00

Confederate Rose (Hibiscus mutabilis).

A southern passalong,the Confederate Rose, has been blooming in the Augusta area since the beginning of October. The enormous blossoms look like a cross between a peony and a hibiscus and only last a few days. Some forms bloom white and turn pink, while others bloom pink and remain pink.

The leaves are large, as are the tight rounded buds that pop up all over the shrub. Petals are tissue thin, similar to crepe paper, and arranged in a ruffly ballgownish form. Propagate by taking cuttings now and placing them in a bucket of water until spring when you should see some roots, then plant for spectacular fall color and cuttings to share.

November?!...

2009-11-01T17:39:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure if I'm ready!

A Treat

2009-10-31T12:22:00.001-04:00

Fall eye candy...

Have a fun and safe weekend!

In Bloom...

2009-10-30T20:46:00.001-04:00

Mushrooms.

Life from death.

But ask the animals, and they will teach you,

or the birds of the air, and they will tell you;

or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,

or let the fish of the sea inform you.

Which of all these does not know

that the hand of the LORD has done this?

In his hand is the life of every creature

and the breath of all mankind.

Does not the ear test words

as the tongue tastes food?

Job 12: 7-11