On Such A Sunny Morning

My favourite thing these days is sitting on the front step in the morning.

Eating breakfast

Enjoying my hot cup of coffee

Doing my devotions

Discussing the day with Brent

Examining the growth of our plants

And this morning we had the added bonus of chatting ever-so-briefly with some church friends on their way to kindergarten-- --Well, the kids were. The driver/mum was just delivering them. :)

I think the time between about 6:30 and 8:30 is the best time of day during the summer.

(And yes my toenails are embarrassingly pink)

Garden update

This morning, when the sun was shining so brightly, I got up with great intentions of doing some yoga before work...but it was a morning to be out in. So, I dug manure into the zucchini bed and the place allocated for the peppers. I planted eight marigolds, and six zucchini plants. And watered the whole works in with plant-starter fertilizer. Our tomato has its first blooms. Our scarlet runner beans are finally recovering from frost damage. The whole world smells like Mayday blossoms. And the sun is still shining brightly.

Plants and Music

I find I have to search out and be mindful of cheerful and joyful things these days. It's easy to remain caught up in my cloud of gray sadness and wonder about what-ifs and should-have-beens. But if I count my blessings and measure plant growth, it forces me to dwell in the now and the dependable future.

So, without further ado:

Yesterday a friend dropped by with a tomato plant. What better gift for aspiring vegetable gardeners? We spent some time discussing the pros and cons of fertilizer, how to build a coldframe with a thermostat and the probability of Calgary remaining frost free for the rest of the season (I would say chances are not great). Nevertheless, we're going to plant the tomato out and take our chances.

And in addition to a happily accepted plant, we're so blessed by the friendship of said tomato-givers, with whom we have a symbiotic plant-babysitting relationship as well as a mutual appreciation for things growing, green, outside, natural, rural... (and the list could go on). I am always astonished and blessed by kindred spirits.

Today our four new albums came. So far we're listening to the Once soundtrack. It's the perfect balance of melancholic and joyful for my mood right now. Then we're going to listen to Jimmy Rankin of Rankin Family fame. Slightly less melancholy but still far from fluffy or bubble-gum cheerful. The world is a serious place. And again of friendship. At the same time as our cd parcel, we received a card from friends I've known as long as I have memories, who just wrote to say they cared. We are indeed blessed.

May Planting

Our Garden This Year, in List Form: Seeds: - Spinach - Beets - Scarlet runner beans - Swiss Chard [yet to come] - Nantes carrots Transplants: - Scarlet Runner beans - Sunflowers [yet to come] - Peppers - Zucchini - Forget-me-nots - Basil - A happily-received tomato - Marigolds Growing: - Rhubarb - Tulips - Shasta Daisies - Jacob's Ladder - Lupins - Yarrow - Lamb's Ear - Columbine - Lemon Thyme - Day lilies - Tiger lilies - Lily of the Valley - Campanula - Delphinium - Irises - Rudbeckia - Painted Daisies - Dianthus

Not Quite Snowing

Monday May 18th and we have rain-that-thinks-snow-might-be-a-good-option. But the rhubarb is growing in its red and green glory. God knew what he was doing when He gave us spring and green growing plants. They give us hope.

Five Good Things

1) We put in a cd order for FOUR new albums that should arrive by the end of the month. Ray Lamontagne, Leonard Cohen, Jimmy Rankin and the Once soundtrack. 2) My rhubarb plant finally made its above-ground appearance the day before we left for California and is now looking healthy and strong. 3) We have four cheerful tulip blooms in the front flowerbed. 4) The new Star Trek movie was great. I could have gone right back into the theatre and watched it again. 5) The sun was shining very brightly when we went for a walk this morning.

Guiding Me

I woke up with this song in my head last week. Not that I don't believe there's a God. I sure as heck do. But he describes well a gritty dark but honest perspective; one that is very familiar to me right now. David Gray is one of those singer/songwriters who knows where it's at. Him and Leonard Cohen and Martyn Joseph come to mind right now. Ain't No Love Maybe that it would do me good If I believed there were a God Out in the starry firmament As it is that’s just a lie And I'm here eating up the boredom On an island of cement Give me your ecstasy I'll feel it Open window and I'll steal it Baby like it’s heaven sent This ain’t no love that’s guiding me Some days i'm bursting at the seams With all my half remembered dreams And then it shoots me down again I feel the dampness as it creeps I hear you coughing in your sleep Beneath a broken window pane Tomorrow girl I'll buy you chips A lollipop to stain your lips And it’ll all be right as rain This ain’t no love that’s guiding me This ain’t no love that’s guiding me No it ain’t no love guiding me No it ain’t no love guiding me No it ain’t no love guiding me This ain’t no love that’s guiding me This ain’t no love that’s guiding me On winter trees the fruit of rain Is hanging trembling in the branches Like a thousand diamond buds Waiting there in every pause That old familiar fear that claws you Tells you nothing ain’t no good Pulling back you see it all Down here so laughable and small Hardly a quiver in the dirt This ain’t no love that’s guiding me

¹⁰ Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; ¹¹ not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; ¹² rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; ¹³ distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

On Such a Summer's Day

Beautiful morning: We were up at twenty after six to make an airport run. The sun was shining and the birds were singing. And we stopped for coffee and breakfast on the way home. It's going to be a great day. Good news: the streetsweeper came [Brent informs me it's actually called a street cleaner]. Now our street is clean and shiny and much easier to bike on. But really, the reason it's good news is that I think the streetsweepers are pretty cool looking machines. I'd run one. Dilemma: my beans. They've decided to grow at the rate of...a bean? So they're nine inches tall now and I don't think I can neglect them in the house for a whole week while we're gone. So I was thinking I should risk planting them outside on Saturday (when it's supposed to be plus 15 out). I run the risk of killing them, but based on their present rate of growth, if I did kill them, I could always just grow new ones. Count-down: California-dreamin. T minus two days. And then tidal pools, sunshine and fresh fruit. Oh yes, and Disneyland. This morning we dropped E&B off at the airport so they could go ahead and make sure it's safe for the rest of us.