Apr 20, 2013 |
I love Lowe’s Home Improvement Stores. I especially love their Garden Centers.
I Love Lowe’s
This morning, we drove over to get yard plants. There’s a feel to walking through Lowe’s Garden Centers. The sprinkler-induced humidity. The welcome birds being chased by feral cats. The families planning together. The newlyweds picking their first flower pot.
I love walking through Lowe’s. Away from computers and electronics. Away from televisions and radios and outside interferences. It’s a way to briefly reconnect with reality. Earth. Nature.
I love breathing in the pungent aroma of Privet followed by the fragrance of Jasmine. The color explosion on each display table brings together possibilities I wouldn’t think of on my own.
Garden Centers are my Happy Place.
And now, they’re my Nature Field Trip.
As we walked past tables of flowers I saw a small bird. Only it wasn’t a bird. But it could have been. I was confused. I’d never seen anything like it. I didn’t know they exist. It was like that scene in Jurassic Park when the gates first open and the scientists enter another world. A world they knew about, dreamed about, but the real experience was far beyond any expectations.
I. Saw. This.
Hummingbird Moth
It’s a Hummingbird Moth. And yes. It looks exactly like a Hummingbird. And exactly like a Moth. It captured my attention for a quarter of an hour as I watched it flit from bright flower to bright flower, sucking the nectar and pollen. It wasn’t afraid of the people walking by. It wasn’t distracted by my stretched-out hand. It had one job: to help pollenate the flowers and drink the nectar.
And while I enjoyed my morning at Lowe’s picking up Photinia to plant under the picture window, it’s the Hummingbird Moth I’ll always remember.
Hummingbird Moth
Next paycheck, I think red flowers are on the shopping list. My yard could use a Hummingbird Moth.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Mar 15, 2013
It’s TGIF time. It always seems to work out that when I’ve been blog-absent and finally have much to say, it’s a TGIF post. I like that. Blog and I, we work well together.
And believe me, I have oh-so-much to say. The first is, I’m learning how to not say everything. As a writer, I’m a bit cavalier with my words. That’s not always a good thing. I see a story everywhere, but that doesn’t mean I should tell it. Some stories aren’t mine to tell. Others are mine, but not worth telling. Still more are shared stories, and to be told in different avenues than the Blog. I’m finding a Magic Filter that makes it okay to write… and okay to not write.
I’m making much better use of my daily organizer. Not only am I keeping track of appointments and writing assignments, I’m also keeping track of accomplishments. “Ordered mugs.” “Writer’s Group 10 a.m.”. “ICL Assign #4”. These are only a few of the entries for this month. It’s my goal to have at least one entry each day relating to writing. So far, so good.
Now that the Cookbook is in production and I have an actual inventory, it’s time to work on production of my next project. A Study on the Ten Commandments is a work I’m humbly proud of. The writing is finished, the cover is designed, and yes, there’s a Kickstarter campaign for pre-selling and raising funds for publishing.
Ten Commandments Cover
My newest writing project is half done. Broken Girl and Other Stories of Redemption: A Collection of Parables, Poetry & Prose. I’m very excited about this one for many reasons. Even in my journals, I’ve written creatively. This is a collection of moments in the past two decades as I stretched my wings, flown the coop, and raised my own family. Lessons learned and failings felt. It will also feature photographs from my big brother, Mark. His photography skills are astounding, and last year he gave me carte blanche to use them as I see fit for this publication. I was so happy to call him this week and let him know this project is finally under way.
Broken Girl cover
I don’t know how the entire project will come together, but I intend to use this beautiful photo as the cover. I call it “Desert Beauty” and I’ve used it on my Blog before. Of course, he has such a plethora of nature photos that by the time I’m ready to produce the book, I may change the cover… oh, who am I kidding?! I love this photo and I’ll use it nine ways to Sunday if I can!
Oh, sure, I could complain about my nagging fears and personal woes. But, as I so often used to say, “Everybody’s got something, y’know?” The specifics of my trials and tribulations don’t matter. The history of how I got here is insignificant. All that matters is the goal, and whether I reached for it. That, in itself, is a great accomplishment.
I have much to write over the next week:
- My views on the Vatican and Pope Francis.
- Joshua Tree blooms.
- How to score birthday freebies.
- Philippians 4:13.
- My Morning at the DMV and Why Appearances Aren’t What They Seem.
I may not get to it all in the next week. But you know what? I’m okay with that. Because I’m also learning to not sweat the small stuff… and, as Pastor Tom often says, “It’s all small stuff.”
Whatever this week brings your way, Be Blessed!
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
