Saturday, April 28, 2012

If April Showers Bring May Flowers....

What will a massive painful April Snowstorm bring?
The damage was unavoidable as mother nature had lured
the unsuspecting blooms to embrace the oh-so-early
warmth and sun...

Branches and blooms fell prey to the snow and wind.
Despite my hours spent shaking limbs free from snow
Despite my efforts in the aid of my rooted friends
some were, despite all assistance, harmed.

I choose to think they'd have been harmed more had I
not done what I could ~ but 'tis heartbreaking still to witness
the joy of Spring set back by Winters' willfulness.
Difficult to see times' growth undone
With a wrenting tear none can repair...

Yet Spring, Winter, Trees of Pink (and I)
know Spring will have the last word
(eventually)

As they say in my beloved New England
Spring comes
"wicked slow"
to some parts of the land...

 

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Simple Work Full Soul


There is an elemental soothing
a renewal of the inner being
found within comparative simplicity
(hence my term simple work).

Sans computer, sans software
beyond the reach of text or tweet
hand to flour, milk and egg
(hence my label simple work)

Glorious, straighforward, free
water, yeast, loaves rising free
unfetterd by technology

The oven warms, the towels are draped
my gaze is drawn to window-scape
the field fresh turned
the crows approve

For these few hours time is stopped
it hovers in overlap
it could be any year in this old farmhouse
this old kitchen, with these timeworn bowls

For a heartbeat of history
I am connected, interlaced in purpose
with each of the women before me
who have stood
here
looking out this window
in this kitchen
hands covered in flour
with the tic-tic-tic of their oven warming.

Blessed be, simplicity
your joys, all but lost to haste
are under-rated

**Wheat and basic white breads in my image of recent bread baking**
Text & Images by IDF 2012

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Handkerchiefs Of Happiness

Every segment of life holds its own particular triumphs & tribulations.
Progress hard won, distance gained & ground claimed is sometimes lost.
The warp and weave of time, writing yet another page of
who we were, who we are, who we will become....

One of joys I revel in now, here at this point in my journey
are what I've come to refer to as
handkerchiefs of happiness
Small tangible or visual or heartfelt treasures
that tuck safely in a pocket or picture or corner of
the heart....

When I was small, my grandmother ever and always carried
a perfectly folded, painstakingly ironed handkerchief.
Each was beautiful in its own way, made of
beautiful floral fabric or edged in detailed delicate lace.
They were light as air, translucent as a cloud, cheerful as sunshine
 and the epitomy of gentle womanhood.

Even when she and I would head to the fields to weed or
pick peas or strawberries she would have a 'hanky'
tucked beneath her dress belt or in her pocket.

Oft times I'd discover a flower or rock or clover - a treasure
I was anxious to carry back to the farmhouse
(even as a wee one I was a saver! lol)
But with picking or weeding to be done in the fields
it was easy to misplace and lose small treasures.

So early on grandma would wrap my 'treasure' in her
beautiful handkerchief, to safe-keep it till our work was complete.
As I grew older, I'd do the wrapping but the hanky was
always hers. Crisp, fresh, smelling of line-dried-breeze.
Ironed. Always ironed.
Perfectly folded and beautiful.
Perfect. Beautiful. Like the days in the fields, the chatter, the memories.
Nothing yet everything being woven into my soul
amid peas and berries,weeds, treasures and lace.

Thru my life, my Mum continued the teaching, the lesson
the importance of finding joy in small ways, places, moments.

To this day still, a tiny treasure found on a walk, a moment of time
frozen in a digital picture, the emergence of a flower ~ any small
joy becomes a handkerchief happiness to me.

The added layer of joy now is that I appreciate  fully, in a way
no child can, the depth of contentment each small happiness
brings...

Below are some imges
of my most recent 'handkerchiefs of happiness'
&
I'd love to see some of yours
(if you'd care to share)
In fact, how about a
'handkerchiefs of happiness bloghop'?!?
PS the sunflowers are a bit of Spring baking I did, as I
love to bake (cooking not so much, lol) I was pleased
with the outcome, loving the way they look!
(and they were quite yummy too) :-)