After Damage, Strength
My neighbor calls out a hearty hello and informs me that she planted a plum tree in her side yard, inspired by my own growing orchard. But alas, I report: I tell her that my second plum tree–the one in the pot on the back deck–suffered great damage in the last late snowfall and all […]
Tips on Finding the Pink Lady Slipper Orchids in the Forest
I’ve been hunting for these Pink Lady Slipper Orchids since 2011 when my neighbor showed me where to find them in the Pennsylvania woods behind my house in Park Forest. I find them every year. Here’s what I learned: don’t look for the orchid bloom. The stunning pink bloom has a way of strangely blending […]
So Lush
My friend who arrived to Pennsylvania from out west said the first word that came to her mind was the word “lush.” As the rain gave way to sun just now, the whole world felt lush. What a rich, luxurious life!
Only For As Long As You Want To
What’s great about growing older involves not caring what other people think so much. You do things for the joy of it, not to keep up, put on airs, or prove yourself in any way. It’s a liberating way to live. Today I decided to work in my garden. Nobody made me, and it didn’t […]
The Task: Grow in Divine Love
I love this sentence by Hannah Whitall Smith: “The soul must grow in the apprehension of divine love day by day, entrust everything to its care, and have no shadow of doubt but that it will surely order all things well.” Apprehend. Entrust. Have no doubt. God invites us to entrust everything to Him and […]
Telling the Children
I love to update all the little neighborhood children about the nests, the porcupines, and the bunnies. I love seeing the wonder in their eyes, especially when, just now, we saw the Mother Robin on her nest. She built it right at eye level in a bush by the sidewalk, so when any neighbor walks […]
A Surprise in the Neighborhood
This morning, I leaned about the porcupine hanging out in our neighborhood. My friends alerted us on Facebook and posted pictures of this adorable creature hanging out in their yard. A porcupine! Look at him! I’m so excited to learn more about porcupines. Did you know they thrive in our forest? I’ve lived here in […]
Spring Things Part 2
What You Can Do
The Italian Mama offers great wisdom this AM about changing your mindset when faced with overwhelming tasks. When you think, “I can’t do this. It’s too overwhelming,” ask yourself what you can do instead. Maybe you can’t walk for an hour but you can walk for 20 minutes. Maybe you can’t do this or that […]
Plum Orchard Progress
So far, I have two plumcot trees growing into maturity. I still won’t have fruit for another few summers (at best, next summer), so I’m learning to “take the long view.” Plumcots need to cross-pollinate, so my orchard might not see fruit for much longer as I wait for the next tree to flower. Meanwhile, […]