Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Our garden abundant - life thickens too




Oh these steamy summer days.  Our garden is thriving though, as pictured above.  Enlarge them. especially the mostly green one that also shows the front of our house to see all the tomatoes on the two hanging plants - about 45 of them and one just beginning to redden.  We are quite pleased.  And my beautiful butterfly bush is filled with all types of butterflies - I was able to capture a picture of one as shown above.  Our daisies are so abundant - we even moved a large amount of them to another location along our brook.  Still, they fill in so thick.  The second and third picture of the pinkish flower?  I am embarrassed to admit I don't recall what it is.  Anyone know what kind of flower that is?  Thanks.

And so too, life thickens, realities and truths intensify and grow bigger, some good, some not so much. Our love thickens every moment - our gratitude for our bounty intensifies and the blessings grow bigger and more humbling.  Challenges increase too, mobility issues and pain management and adjustments to limits while maintaining an aura of celebration for all that is still possible. Such a delicate balance.  Summer, as it yields such green and growth and lovely scents of blossoms and sounds of birds and bees and the bull frogs bellowing at night - it also by its natural heat and humidity takes it toll on MS as my muscles struggle for every step, and my nerve endings excite in pain - I am given hope and the faith for new life as I look and feel and hear and smell and even taste the full growth and fertility and virility and beauty of summer.  By design it attacks me and revives me in one moment.

I have learned to redefine what success means. Let me explain by this example.  Skipp and I had a heart to heart about traveling. For me, when I walk from our front door to our car and travel down town and out for lunch I feel so normal and successful and so grateful.  If I stay focused on what I cannot do like travel more than two hours or navigate an airport I will be in a constant of "poor-me".  I refuse to live like that.  There are so many things I can do and at times I long for what I once was able to do without a second thought - those days are gone.  And new days of celebration of what I can do have emerged.  I was reading another blog and a dear friend of mine wrote about her desire to climb a mountain by a river near by.  I commented that for me, climbing a mountain has taken on a new meaning - when I make it up a curb or a step I have climbed a mountain.  Hallelujah!

To finally get to this place of celebrating my reality is life-giving, much like our garden.  Oh yes, the stuff I can't do is like the weeds in our garden trying to choke the life out of the abundance - out of me, -  so I choose not to focus on the weeds, - rather I do my best to celebrate the abundance of freedom and life in my vision. I never forget that the weeds (MS symptoms), are there because I have to tend to those weeds (symptoms),  so they don't take over.  Please don't think that I don't have my days of tantrums and "why me?", because I do.   But most days, after my woe-is-me times, seeing our garden and being loved is the best cure and life-giver to balance me. Soon it will be Autumn - a season of change.
Amen.   





35 comments:

Cindy said...

Hello my dear dear friend. Today a mountain would be the curb. I feel that today. that mountain I talked about will just have to wait for me and for you Chickadee. Your garden looks lovely and I hope you get some peace in your beautiful surroundings. I so just want to reach out and make your days easier. As you said acknowledge all the positives, With the coming of fall hopefully some comfort also. The days you need to scream do, your human, it is normal not to always have good days, and if we say we do well we are probably full of shite. I pray they discover a cure for your MS. sending you love and a great big hug...alway, cinner
my word verification today was sciner...I feel good days are ahead. all toes and fingers crossed.

Wanda..... said...

Accepting unwanted change can be a daunting task at times, best to dwell on the positive aspects of anything....humid summers, slow growing gardens, life's aches and pains, growing older and the moving of married grandchildren.

Glad you see the positive in just being, Gail. I believe the pink flower to be a Pink Stargazer Lily!

Gail said...

HI WANDA - thanks for naming the flower "Stargazer Lily" - lovely. And thank you for being so real and so close to my truth and experience. Your validating words inspire me.

Love Gail
peace....

Gail said...

HI CINNER -
Oh my, yes - I do get some peace from my garden, and within our home and the love and life that abounds. I know you know the struggle of illness such as we have - a daily battle - and yet - there are miracles, like coming to know that hailing a curb is a mountain climbed. Being on this journey with you is amongst my greatest gifts.
Love Gail
peace.....

Finding Pam said...

Gail, I love your beautiful garden. I'm sorry for your pain. You have an amazing attitude. I think that makes all the difference in the world.

You inspire me to no end. Be blessed in all you do.

Peace and love,
Pam

Margie said...

Gail, your garden is beautiful!
I do admire your spirit and courage!
Life has many challenges for all of us in this wonderful life but the way you face those challenges with your positive outlook is wonderful!

I love what you said about "being loved" as the best cure and life-giver to balance you!
I so agree!

Take good care!

Love & joy to you.

Margie :)

Diana said...

Hi Gail,
I understand your feelings on this. You know about my limitations as well so I know all to well about not being able to do things. Hopefully this surgery will change that!
The heat and humidity has done a number on my weeds, like multiply them!! And it's too, too hot for me to work out there so I guess they will have to wait for another time, perhaps this fall. I am hoping anyway.
Your flower is some type of Lily. There are so many I couldn't tell you which one!! But it is gorgeous, just like the rest of your garden.
Keep that positive attitude Gail, we are better people for it!
Love Di ♥

Gail said...

HI PAM -
I am blushing to think that I am an inspiration, but "thank you" for saying so. :-) So glad you came by to enjoy our garden.
Love to you

HI MARGIE -
So nice to see you here. Your kind words mean so much and I know how well you know that love is a life saver and a life giver.

HI DIANA-
So good to see you. I kniow you know about physical limits too. And I know how strong you ar and how you face your challenges. ABd I promise to keep my positive attitude afloat!

Love to you all
Gail
peace.....

Wondering Soul said...

It's so true Gail, you ARE an inspiration and I LOVE the way that you work to redefine meanings and interpretations. It's beautiful and humble and Christlike.

Your pics are as beautiful as your words.

Don't think for a moment that I forget how hard it must be to FEEL those words at times... I have no doubt that they carry even more beauty because of the 'tantrums' and the 'woe is me' moments. Those are all part of the garden of your heart too...

I'm thinking of you lots and hoping that the summer sun rests you instead of exhausts you... and that the beauty to which you cling so deary, lightens and lifts some of your physical pain.

Much love always

xxx

Gail said...

HI WS

oh my, how I ove your words of hope and faith and love and understanding. You inspire me by your courageous journey and I love you.
Love Gail
peace.......

Jackie said...

Hi Gail...I am in awe of your writing ability. You speak from the heart and do it so well. I am thinking of you as you endure those times of pain....and I admire yours and Skipp's outlook...and I hope that your positive outlook will overflow and will be caught by others not as fortunate as you...with the positive thinking you embrace. There are so many problems and diseases that I wish we could find cures for....MS is among them.
I love your flowers, Gail. Great photographs of them, too!
Smiles and a hug to you from Jackie

Wondering Soul said...

That love Gail... It's so mutual

x

Gail said...

Hi Jackie - I am SO happy to see you here, I have mised you so much and was worried too. I went over to your blog but I couod not comment - blogger wouldn't let me. ALso, thank you SO much for oyurkind understanding and appreciation of my world. It is all quite real, huh? :-)
Love toyou and your family
Gail
peace.....

Gail said...

HI Wonderingsoul -
oh thank you SO juch - stay close.
Love Gail
peace.....

Grizz………… said...

My dear friend—you are both a wonder and inspiration to me. You'll never know how much your post has meant to me this evening, even if I am late in getting by for a visit. Your writing, and photos…and the heart and attitude so honestly displayed everywhere. I am so glad and blessed to know you.

I love your garden, and envy you those tomatoes. I also like the Kokopellis by your door. As to the lily—if Wanda says Pink Stargazer, I'd say you can bank on it; I certainly don't know enough about the various summer lilies to have a different opinion.

I know summer is tough on your MS. Just do what you have to do to get by as comfortably as possible. As to traveling, a two-hour range can be worked around; there's a lot to be seen and done within that circle. You can make it work and find the joy therein rather than rail at the limitations. I'm not climbing literal mountains anymore, either…but I love your idea of redefining "mountain" into a doable possibility.

Again, this is a wonderful post. Please take care…

Gail said...

HI GRIZZ - I am SO SO happy ypu came by. I truly was waitin g for you to arrive. I SO appreciate your validation and kind words to me and your joy in sharing in one another's worlds. :-) If you zoom in on the picture that shows the front door there is a sign just to the left of the door and it reads "WELCOME TO THE PEACEFUL GATHERING PLACE". It once hung outside and over my office door at work.,. :-)
And yes, Wanda knows her flowers, so Stargazer lily' it is! :-)
I love you Grizz
Gail
peace.....

Poetic Soul said...

Your garden is spectacular my friend, I could just pull up a chair and stare

Gail said...

HI POTIC SOUL -
so nice to see you here. And come on over, any time -pull up a chair and enjoy the view. I will serve you lemonade or wine or whatever.
Love Gail
peace.....

Just Be Real said...

Perfectly timely post for me dear one. Thank you for sharing. Lovely photos as well. Blessings to you Gial.

Andy said...

Brava, Gail.
Sure, everything in the garden isn't a rose - but what would life be without variety and change. Embracing the change is the important thing.
And I think you know that my philosophy is that one should be grateful for what one has. Hang on to that for there are always people who are worse off than you.

Your garden looks lovely, btw. :-) It's the one thing I miss here - a garden. Ah, well, maybe some day?

Gail said...

HI ANDY - so good to have you come by. :-) Glad you like our garden. It brings us much joy. ANd I her ya about the fact that others are worse off than me - some days though, knowing that doesn't help. Some days.
Love to you
Gail
peace

Gail said...

HI JBR -
so glad you came by and glad this post was good for you. :-)
Love to you
Gail,
peace......

Rose Marie Raccioppi said...

Dearest Gail,

Your garden green and with bloom in full array ~ such beauty gifts me this very day... and so I sit and reflect a while ~ and there we be sharing a smile...

Loving it all.
Rose Marie

Gail said...

ROSEMARIE
your presence ever known, ever felt, ever appreciated, ever needed, ever loved.
Love Gail
peace.....

Anyes said...

Such inspiring words, Gail! Lots to learn from even if the size of the mountain changes for everyone, climbing it sure feels good. Hugs xo

PENolan said...

Beautiful flowers and a beautiful post. All very real.

Gail said...

HI TRISH - thanks for your "rea" wprds about "real" stuff. I know you get it girl.
Love you

HI ANYES - yes, we all have ot adjust what a 'good and successful clumb' means. So nice to see you my friend

Love Gail

peace

p

Just Be Real said...

(((Gail))))

Rebecca said...

Great post & attitude, Gail. So many lessons & joy come from our flowers & gardens, don't they?

"My" lilies are a little different from yours. Sometimes "mine" are called Naked Ladies, Surprise Lilies, and a few other things.

Today I'm calling them Hallelujah lilies (for reasons I posted about on my Life & Godliness blog).

Gail said...

HI REBECCA-

I love the name "hallelujah lilies" :-) Perfect.
So nice to have you come by.
Love Gail
peace......

Shen said...

Hi Gail - I see you haven't posted for a while. Just checking in to see if you're okay.

Hope all is well.

Gail said...

HI SHEN - oh my, thanks so much for checking in onme. I am okay, yup - summer i hard on MS but I am managing one day at a time. I am around - kind of low key but around. no worries love.
Love to you always my friend
Gail
peace.....

Just Be Real said...

Came back by to use one of your pictures for my desktop. So lovely. Blessings to you Gail.

Gail said...

HI JBR - oh I am so honored -which one did you choose?
Love to you
Gail
peace....

Just Be Real said...

Hey Gail, I took the Dream picture. As that for me has a lot of meaning now. Blessings.