A better place

Bring healing to all who seek wholeness.
Help others who silently suffer.
Offer help to those in need.
These are things we can all do.
Making the world a better place.

03211996

My Angel

Open my heart once more
illuminate the world with love
be the source of my strength
my angel there to guide me

03231995

Sliced in Two

I froze
my warmth lost
trying to make you melt
to thaw out your heart
mouth to mouth
brought you no life
it just sliced me in two

03161987

Walls and thoughts

I start my morning in peace and a new determination to exercise more by walking the hills while it's still early. Today, I went down the hill on my own street taking pictures as I went. It is a much different view than snapping shots from the car. I also met the new neighbor a few houses down from me. He was having coffee on his deck so I welcomed him to the neighborhood and introduced myself. He, like me, has relocated from a more crowded area, is an artist, works at home and loves it up here in God's country.

He was fortunate to see his first deer when two appeared in his yard and he was in awe, still. Of course, unpacking will take a while (I should know about that) and finding a place and space for everything.

He has a problem with woodpeckers and the fake owls it was recommended he buy don't help at all. Why am I not surprised! Birds are quite intelligent, I find, as are the squirrels and other animals. He also has an interest in gardening, so we discussed what grows up here and doesn't.

I felt it might help to be welcomed as it made me feel good when three of my neighbors came, at different times, and introduced themselves. Only the neighbors next door come by to chat, others just say hello and passing.

I continued my long walk, going up the long, long, hill on the next street. It became harder going the steeper decline and as I got closer to the top I had to make more frequent stops.

I even got a picture of my own home from a new direction side-by-side with my neighbor's. My little place really looks very private seen from the back, hidden behind my forest of oaks.

In my mind, I earmarked some boulders to retrieve later, which I did on my way home from the post office when I had a car to carry them. I was able to bring home one medium and one smaller bolder and added them to my row at the base of my hill.

I stand on my deck upstairs or down below and view my progress, in my mind imagining where I will put more plants, add the walkway up, set the next terrace of boulders and wonder how I will get them up the hill to place them. Still, I get a sense of satisfaction seeing the small changes I have made already and witnessing the beautiful blooms and carnations and marigolds. Nature is a constant thing to marvel at.

04061992

Ups and downs

The owner of the antique shop called, they've agreed to carrying my card line and will gladly accept the note cards too if they have the same sort of pictures, I assured them they do. The one problem I see is they upped the price to $4.95 each so that they could take a profit of $2.00 per card which is more than 60%. They had originally told me the consignment was 10%, but either they have great faith in the sales or are suffering from greed or need.

I stopped to deliver the cards when I went to the post office, which is when I discovered the change in price although they are nicely displayed at the front counter. I'll leave it in God's hands but will visit some of the other shops, like the flower shop and candy store, as well as the hardware store, and see if they will carry them as well at a more reasonable price. I also want to put out an ad for my graphics and post it in the post office and wherever else they will allow. I also need to get my business cards redone with my correct address and phone number. It is on one of my discs, I just need to locate it.

I enjoyed making more little notecards. I lose myself when I am editing my pictures, highlighting the colors are bringing windows out of the shadows, removing unwanted cable and phone lines and making other small changes and seeing the finished product.

It was a necessity to spend time on the phone with the phone company as months after I returned a phone they sent I am still being charged for it even though I had canceled the order before they even put it in the mail and they claim they could not find any order for. Then I had to call the credit union to straighten out another problem. The third irritation on my list, the asphalt that sunk into the snow over the newly placed septic tank, had to wait as the person I needed to speak with wasn't in. It seems I almost have to take myself out of the state of peace and grace in order to deal with these people and even my journaling becomes stilted and more about facts than feeling.

I'm sure I can build the wood planters, add a framework for trellises and maybe even build a bench to sit on. I walk around the driveway area under a large oak and picture where I would put each planter, the doorway, and the rock planter I would like to build next to the stairway. That will come to life as well. The back area toward the forest I would leave open and I would put out lots of pots of different heights and shapes with a multitude of flowers in every color you could imagine. The beauty of nature is something I meditate upon.

04011996

Working in the Garden

I'm up really early and watch the pink tinges of dawn lighten to a white cloud streaked blue. The golden marigolds look very chipper from atop my deck and boulder railing has grown significantly. A wee chipmunk darts forward then nervously runs back to hide beneath my car. Finally his curiosity outweighs his timidness and he scurries to investigate the new landscape taking place, sticking his little head between the large rocks that to him truly are boulders. It's like he is saying "check it out, great caves!" There are an unaccountable number of birds as well, in profuse variety and color. As the hill develops, so does their interest.

My neighbor next door also came over while I was planting the roses. she says it is disgusting to be up so early and ambitious. She came back later to check on my progress and told me she had been watching me from her dining room area and gave me her stamp of approval. She and her husband seem to be reluctant to see changes made in the place, as the were friends of the former owners although they seem not to be in touch now that they moved. Getting acceptance from an established area when you are the new kid on the block takes time but they all wave and speak now so I assume I am gradually becoming part of their world.

The yard is full of birds; most of them have adjusted to me and often will stay still and watch me work. At times they all take flight but always return again in a short while. They seem delighted that I have dug up some dirt while planting and peck at it hunting for bugs to eat.

I spent time making more of the note cards while I am waiting to hear whether the antique shop agrees to carry the larger ones. I feel that those who only dash off a note would prefer smaller cards.I also worked on the postcards but am unhappy with the quality of paper (very flimsy) and will have to adjust the settings to print them as they are off line with the paper.

I need to spend time on the house as I have neglected it lately for the yard. I do keep up with the decks everyday so that it is not piled high with empty sells and I have been looking through my gardening magazines for ideas. A secret garden at the end of the drive would be nice, and to build some large wooden planters. They even have instructions for some of the projects.

03191989

Blessings and Home Work

Today I blessed my home with Holy Water, Prayers, and a smudge stick, inside and out, as well as in the mudroom. Having dead birds on the decks and another rat in the wood bin bothers me with its negative energy. I invited God and the Angels to dwell here in peace with me.

I also worked on my rock trellising. I found several boulders on the vacant lot next door but I was unable to dislodge them or lift them. I did gather some smaller ones and added them to the line I have started. A little cement would probably not hurt either. I brought a good-sized boulder up from the back yard to add to the rock wall I am creating. If I added just one a day, in a month I would have put up 30 boulders which could make quite a difference, so that will be my goal.

I plan to continue to add more roses and maybe more carnations as well and to start the walkway up the hill. I need to build a frame of 2X4s for the walkway and I will need a layer of small rocks as a topping so the steps will not be slippery. In the meantime, I need to investigate more about how to do this. I try to picture it in my mind, I am good at visualization from my years of artwork but know-how helps.

I get my love of gardening from my father, watching him shape and prune, and the plants thriving in an abundance of blooms with his guidance and care. I still have to find which are the best plants to grow up here, so far I know roses survive, citrus and avocado trees don't. I know that blueberries should because they grow back east and in Canada and that Wisteria and Lilacs do every well. I don't know where I put my Tulip bulbs and I need to locate and plant them soon or wait until fall.

I want to make a level spot for the barrel on the hill, right now it is taking up a good deal of space on my lower deck. I want to removed the bottom legs from the coat rack and plant it on the hill as well so I can hang plants and bird feeders from it. It would make an interesting conversation piece and there is not room for it in the house.

The railing for the stairway still hasn't been delivered or installed and I have no idea when the handyman will bring it. The pace of getting things done up here is amazing in its slowness but I hope it is soon. Then soon it will be time for deck work but I will wait until closer to summer. I'm still thinking of staining it first and then putting on a protective layer to preserve the wood. The winter snow dried it out a lot and I'm not sure that it has ever been treated before. Of necessity I will be doing a lot of the work myself. My other goal is to get more family pictures framed and hung to put valances in the living room rear windows. Progress may be slow but it is taking place.

03191992