A Garden Walk

As I've said before, gardening is a love of mine. Spring and early summer brings out some of the best of that triangle of soft earth and compost that harbors my array of the annuals and perennials. I also have a small table and window box to fill every year too! These gerberas are one of my favorites - and the bunnies too! I have to make sure they are up off the ground far enough or the daisies are chewed off at ground level.






I like the greens in the garden too, and these are some of my favorites! The texture and colors are crisp and cool on blisteringly hot summer days.






My clematis likes to play hide-n-go-seek on the trellis, and so do I when the sun's hot. I hide in the shade of one of our huge trees for a time of cool.



I think that the peonies in my garden are my favorite because they are so
delicate and hearkens back to what I remember of my Grandmother's garden.

Gardens for me are a place of work, beauty, and rest in the summer time. I look forward to planting and enjoying them every year.

Thanks for taking a walk down my garden path!

Song's that Inspire

I'm upset about things that are happening in my life and when I'm upset I tend to turn to music to ease the pain. With my ethnic background that usually means I need a ballad, or a fast jig to get my heart back on track. Being Irish often means melancholy is a friend, but thank goodness never a very close one. Music has always been a source of peace and encouragement in times of trouble and my kids were often falling asleep to songs by the Chieftains, Clannad, or one of the Irish American groups from around the country.

Today there are so many good Celtic or Irish groups right here in the States and I have to say I enjoy many of them. There are songs that sooth, and those that bring on a strong sense of who I am, but whatever I like invariably ends up on my iPod today. (In the past I have been known to create by own compilation tapes to listen to, or sing along with over and over again.) I don't know when I discovered that for me music could be a force to gain strength from in any emotional moment, but I'm glad I learned of it's power in my life. I can find peace, strength, or even simply a sense of where I am in my jumbled up world on a daily basis.

Today, I need a song's power and peace because I don't feel very powerful, or very peaceful either. But for me, the songs that ring true are the songs that say that if we stand together, "shoulder to shoulder," so to speak so we can gain strength from each other's energy.

One such song has been in my heart repeating over and over lately. It remind me that I may feel alone, but I'm not. I guess you might call it my rallying cry right now, but it is also one that is the song that in the game of rugby stands strongly for a country that has separate nations but the same team that faces that sport's world. "Ireland's Call," by Phil Coulter is a real uniting force. And right now it's mine too. (http://www.irishlegendsrugby.ie/anthem.php)

Only a Few Steps Away...

We all know that the economy is pushing people to take vacations closer to home, shorten the time away, or simply not take one at all because of the costs involved.

So why not try something totally radical? After over a year of writing about exploring my little part of the world for a local paper, I began asking people what they knew about their home area, and what I'm finding out is many have no clue what really is available to explore, hike through, or discover in the areas where they live.

Here's an idea...don't take a simple "one tank vacation" but start to become intimate with where you live. Almost every area has greenways where there are pieces of wild beautiful land that has been set aside for hiking and exploring the animals and plants that are native to your area. There are probably miles of places there along rivers and lakes that you never knew existed.

Not interested in that kind of discovery? Well, how about digging into history in the museums or historical houses in your town? For those who are as crazy as I am there are always the musty archives that hold a wealth of dusty newspapers and written histories along with a bevy of pictures, drawings and painting to give almost a complete picture of life from an earlier time. Hey, it's almost like stepping into a time machine!

Why not begin your own personal journey and find out about a whole "new" place. It might just be around the corner from where you live.

The Play's the Thing...

The Tony Awards are on tonight. I am a real lover of the theatre, and though I've never seen a Broadway play or musical, but I have seen many locally created productions. I love what theatre can do to take you away on a trip of the imagination, or teach real truths of our world and the people who surround us.

I have to admit that one of my favorite musicals of all time is nominated for a Tony. South Pacific is one of those timeless musicals that reminds us about how painful it is when discrimination and intolerance is a real part of every day life.

But the best part of theatre for me is it stimulates thought and conversation that can change a person's point of view, or maybe even a community's.

Tim Russert, a Good and Dedicated Reporter

I will always remember Tim Russert for his soft voice, tough questions and sense of family that was evident in his respect for his father and family. I have from the beginning enjoyed his style as well as his attention to detail in reporting, but what stood out for me was his primary focus in life, and that was family. Though he was one of the best political reporters and analysts in the business of government news his real everyday man persona helped us to realize that he wasn't simply an image on the TV screen but very real person, and a very good journalist.

I have followed his reporting for years. His in depth, to the point questions throughout his career have made him a force in journalism today. But I discovered another man in the book, Big Russ and Me which he wrote to honor his father's hard work and his focus on what was important - family. Within those pages I saw a man who had in many ways a childhood much like my own. His natural optimism came from hard times and a willingness to find that brighter side in all he did. I will miss his smile, his care for everything political and his willingness to not be the center of any interview. Instead he did his reporting and interviews as a gatherer of the information in a careful and decisive manner. He made it almost easy to understand American politics, as well as believe it wasn't all bad.

Our prayers are with his family and NBC where he guided so many. The hole his death has created will not be filled anytime soon.

Words....

It's the sleepy, rub your eyes time of night, and here I sit gazing at a glowing screen that shifts colors as I page through the various sites I frequent daily. I think I am more than a bit too addicted to this little box and tower that stands on my desk, but I love to write, and so I expand my words from one side of this electronic world to the other.

Why do I write? A difficult question...but one I have to answer each time I sit here before the magic box to create in my own personal colors and images that all come out in black on white.

I write because the thoughts keep coming, because I need to empty my mind to be able to capture that elusive thing called sleep on any given night of the week. But mostly I write because I love the sound of the words as they bang out on that keyboard where the letters have all been rubbed off from use, and have returned back onto my own fingers to return and race around my mind only to find a new way to explode out again in those sights and sounds splashed on another page...again, tomorrow.

Breathe in Life

Mondays are usually the most hated day of the week. Here in Michigan this Monday has been gray, misty and like the mood of the day, dark. But the soft quiet that comes with these gray days reminds me of why I like this usually unlikeable day.

For me, these gray days hold a beauty and quiet serenity you really can't find in the bustle of the rest of the week because it is a start - a new beginning and no matter the weather there is much to take in every moment, and actually experience the surroundings in your yard, as well as the path you take on the way to your job.

Slow down and take a breath for this new day and new start we all have each and every week of life.

Storms and Nasty Weather

Weather. Here we have been inundated by some nasty storms over the past 24 hours. Rain high winds and hail have kept many people in and glued to their TVs. We got over five inches of rain yesterday - the most I've ever recorded here and we've lived here for over 30 years! I keep calling friends and family to make sure everyone's okay, too. (Thank goodness!) We live in sand mostly so the flooding hasn't been an issue here.

Life is made up of storms like these. They can be frightening and we never know how they will affect our little corners of the world. I'm fascinated by these weather events, but the after effects can be terribly devastating. We had many trees down, and roads totally washing out, but the long term repercussions can affect life all around us.

Here's hoping these nasty squalls, thunderstorms, and downpours don't make life miserable for everyone.