Listening

The Nut Gatherers. William-Adolphe Bouguereau

I'm still pondering the act of sharing. For sharing to succeed it must be received. In The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce, the main character is surprised by his ability to listen. His capacity for stillness encourages people to share their stories. These are often painful, confessional and unseemly. Harold is often confounded but his compassion and comprehension strengthen.  I'm all for personal growth. In semi retirement there is more time for such aspirations. I will work on listening. I will seek out stories beyond my frame of reference. I will strive to be in the moment and set judgement aside.  Has someone shared a story which had a profound effect on you?

 

Sharing

www.treesflowers.com

Recently I received some hollyhock seeds from a fellow blogger. I like sharing through blogging. It builds trust and knowledge and friendships.

Sharing is the mantra of the kindergarten set and they do pretty well.

What happens when we are older than 5?

We share our money by donating to charity. We share our time in group efforts towards the common good. We share our knowledge and skills.

How do we respond when resources are scarce? When ownership or control bestows power and dominance. At what point does using force to get what we want become justifiable?

Would you go as far as giving up personal ownership and join a commune or eco-village? Are the people who do naive or pioneers on the cusp of change? Why do these groups often founder? When it comes down to it, is sharing beyond the scope of the human psyche?

Do we learn sharing or do we learn aggression? Is either part of our genetic code? Can we make a choice?

Little Women

This afternoon my husband is attending a class on safely gathering oysters and clams. The instructions asked him to bring a knife for shocking the oysters. Undoubtedly true from the oysters' point of view. While he spends the day here,

Okeover Arm

I have been dipping into my new book, courtesy of Lesa at Percolating Today

edited by Pamela Norris

In an excerpt from "Little Women" Louisa May Alcott describes the gardens of each sister.

Meg has roses, heliotrope, myrtle and a little orange tree.

Jo experiments, her garden never looking the same from one year to the next.
Beth has sweet peas, mignonette, larkspur, pinks and pansies.
Amy has as many brilliantly hued plants as her plot will hold.

Flower Picture Gallery

Are you more like one sister than another? Or are you like me and see yourself in each description except maybe for Jo. I do experiment but when I'm happy with the result I prefer constancy.

Box Of Sunshine

Recently, I was the recipient of a give away from Lesa at Percolating Today. It arrived in a sunny yellow box, so I knew it was a gift of sunshine.

The book is a collection of garden essays by women writers. The type of book where the writing is so good it makes your toes curl. 

Accompanying it was a note book and coloured pens. Note books are my lifeline, I always have one at hand for jotting down ideas, or websites or yes, I admit it, snippets of overheard conversations. 

I really hoped to get the tin. It is similar to one we had on our kitchen counter for years, the poor thing was worn out and didn't make it into a packing box. I am so happy to have a replacement. 

The tin was all I thought I was winning. Everything else was a complete surprise. Lesa must have ESP. It's as if we shared a lifetime of hopes and dreams and secrets of the heart.

Lesa has the gift of writing as if you really are sat across from her, drinking coffee, in her farmhouse kitchen.

Do you have family and friends who are incredibly special to you? How about making up a little box of sunshine for them? What kind of box would you make?

Read about sunshine boxes at the Happy Money Saver and get free printables too.

Easter Egg Hunt

Last Saturday  Easter Bunny volunteers were at the community field bright and early.

Chief bunny (R) with bunny helper

The Easter goat tagged along

with the sheep.

The grand poo bah was inflated and secured for photo ops.

Thousands of eggs were strewn far and wide.

550+ determined children waited anxiously.

Could there be eggs behind this tree?

5 minutes was all it took to clean the field. Plastic eggs were handed in for loot bags. No tears or fights-good for you, kids. Volunteers went home for a nap, content that good memories had been made.

Congrats to Chief Bunny Patti who pulls this together every year.