Besides writing this summer, consider the practice of close observation, especially through photography. You can try a picture a day.
I often think about A.R. Ammons (my favorite poet) and his famous quote: “Anything looked at closely becomes wonderful.”
Back in the early days of Live with Flair, I found so much delight in taking pictures of acorns, snowflakes, flowers, and even grass. I looked closely at pinecones and bird nests and clouds. Everything started to feel wonderful. Close observation became an enormous part of the day and a way to build well-being.
Today, I venture out to check on my ground cherry. What a marvelous plant! It grows these lantern-like pods that house a tiny cherry that will grow about the size of a small grape. The lantern will turn yellow, dry out, and drop to the ground, and that’s when you can eat the delicious berry (technically more like a tomato) inside. They are sweet like pineapple but also taste like tomatoes. This makes them great in salsa, on pizza, or just as a snack. I keep a bowlful in the kitchen always.
(Sometimes I’m impatient, and I shake the branches to urge an early dropping of the cherries.)
What I love about this plant is how I grew it from the seed of a ground cherry last year that I carefully isolated, dried, and stored.
It’s a glorious world when you think about the fact that ground cherries are here for our nourishment and delight. Thank you, God.