Sometimes this feeling sets in— as if that whole field of flowers is gold and wine and perfect. Some feel that way when spring unfolds its leaves and petals and sunshine flows and we listen to the cadence of downy reds, drumming their way ’round an old tree trunk. Others think—as the peepers gather and … More The Nature of Peace
“but nature always gets the last word, and what it says is usually untidy by human standards. But I find all states of nature beautiful, and because I want to delight in my garden, not rule it, I just accept my yen to tame the chaos on one day and let the Japanese beetles run … More “Gardeners may create order briefly out of chaos,
we are its guardians.” — Dejan Stojanovic * * * Lynde Point lighthouse, Old Saybrook, CT; photo by Mary O’Connor © 2014
“We become like mushrooms, living in the dark, with poop up to our chins. If you want to know only what you already know, you’re dying. You’re saying: Leave me alone; I don’t mind this little rathole. It’s warm and dry. Really, it’s fine. When nothing new can get in, that’s death. When oxygen can’t … More “If we stay where we are, where we’re stuck, where we’re comfortable and safe, we die there.
“…delphiniums in shades of blue and lavender, poppies, lilies in all their splendor… The sight is breathtaking and pulls your soul in close to the peacefulness we all crave.” — Barbara Parsons Barbara wrote these words to picture a world for which she yearned while serving time behind the walls of a correctional institution. The image … More Reawaken through flowers
U.S. Poet Laureate Stanley Kunitz said in his 98th year that all he wanted to do was write poems and be in the garden. He wrote of his tendency to brush against the flowers while walking in the seaside garden of his Provincetown home, anticipating the fragrant eloquence of their response. * * * Photo … More “…when you walk past a flower, whether it be in somebody’s garden or on a vacant hillside, the flower will always smile at you. The most polite way to respond, I’ve been told, is to cheerfully return the smile.” — Japanese proverb
“Its tongue speaks through our feet, our ears, our heart, every miniscule stretch of our soul. Its voice is one of dreams, of hope. … Music is a language that is always present, if only in the blood of our veins and recesses of our memory. If we are quiet, we will hear it in … More Music is a language all its own.
“They search life and search their soul. When you’re searching, you’re suddenly a lot more open to the world around you, to the possibilities, to things you never thought about before.” ― Cecilia Ahern Photo credit: Mary O’Connor © 2014
wrapped up in faded yellow fur, and as such, he commands affection long after he is outgrown.” — Pam Brown Created by soft sculpture artist Tammy Hendricks in memory of her great nephew, Bentley, this cuddly teddy bear brings back moments of comfort and love by making memories tangible. Tammy hand-painted Bentley’s footprints on the … More “A teddy bear is your childhood…
the colorful “eye” markings of the peacock’s showy tail feathers add the meaning of courtship to the language of sweet spots.
Life Is Full of Sweet Spots 