Crazy Bouquet

Can you imagine a flower bouquet 

just on the brink of blooming? 

Imagine cutting and arranging a bountiful armful of 

almost-but-not-yet beauty.

Nearly-open sunflowers would complement daylilies, still zipped shut.

Almost unfurled fern fronds and barely blue hydrangeas could keep each other company.

Would it be crazy to give the gift of beauty 

without enjoying its fullness first?

To pass the highest enjoyment over to the recipient?

Well, that would be an extravagant gift, and yes ... 

maybe a little crazy.

 

Come Inside

"Come inside, my dears. It's going to snow in the morning. 

I shudder to think what piles of wet snow would do

to your glorious ruffles.

Those fragile stems were never meant to 

bear the weight of wet winter.

So come inside and stay a while. 

It's warm and bright ... almost like being outside."

Disaster to Triumph

It's wedding week, friends!

It is utterly ridiculous that I'm sitting here writing. 

Absolutely ludicrous that I was out this morning with my camera.

But the sun was lighting up the blooms and I had to step outside.

Relaxation and weddings don't usually go hand-in-hand, do they? 

Especially when you're supposed to deliver flower arrangements 

for your son's rehearsal dinner that look like THIS 

and this is what you have in your garden.

And you know what? 

I'm so thankful!

Because of the failure of my own peonies and the 

extravagent generosity of a dear friend, 

the rehearsal dinner arrangements will feature these:

What appeared to be a disaster, resulted in a triumph. 

It's a theme straight from the Book. 

Consider Gideon's loss of an entire army, followed by a victory with only 300 men.

Sarah, barren and shamed for decades, gave birth to the forerunner of the Messiah.

Samson, brought to the lowly position of a blind slave, becomes Israel's avenger.

Do you have "disaster to triumph" life stories? 

I'd love to hear about that.

Cuttings

I had hoped to put up a 'cuttings' photo once a week when the spring finally really came.

But the best laid plans and all that, you know - stuff!

Here's one to enjoy, even though none of these flowers are in bloom any longer.

Peonies (pie-knees not pee-on-knees) star in this show with Wine and Roses weigela and a few stems 

of the blue false indigo (baptisia) mixed with speedwell.
The combination is almost patriotic!

Oh the creamy dreaminess of a peony bloom!

***

Side Note:

My Bible reading this morning was in Mark, chapter 13. 

I think Mark might be my favorite gospel, although I hate to commit to picking one. See verse 33 through 37 for the big message which Jesus does not hesitate to repeat and emphasize:

STAY AWAKE!

(keep watch / stay alert)

I have to admit in the business of everyday summer life, I get spiritually sleepy. 

Isn't it odd that while extra BUSY I can be SLEEPY at the same time? 

Imagine a frantically animated sleepwalker and you might get pretty close.

The Mary/Martha Lesson is applicable here, I think, if I may mix Bible stories within such close quarters and not offend. Martha was busy, busy, busy doing, let's face it, necessary stuff, yet the Lord said Mary was the one who chose the "good portion". 

So I've knocked myself in the head over here. I've shaken myself back to a higher state of alertness, and I'm making more time to sit at the feet of the Lord.

Join me?

Cuttings

Last week's garden renderings - 

Beautiful for one day, and that's about it.

Poppies don't like being cut, frail fripperies that they are.

And snowballs are just messy, dropping petals and other bits.

The iris kept their pastel heads high and saved the day, still nice long after the poppies 

and the snowballs had crowded the kitchen garbage can.