A woman who works with her hands is a laborer;

A woman who works with her hands and her head is a craftsperson;

A woman who works with her hands, her head and her heart is an....

Artist.


Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Shine


All my life - I have loved flowers.
I remember the first time a boy brought me flowers - the grown up kind -
flowers from a florist.
I was 15.
He wanted to invite me to a "Chicago" concert.
But I wasn't allowed to date until I was 16.
He hoped the flowers would impress me - but also my mom. If he brought me flowers, she had to agree to let me go to the concert . . .right?
They were roses.
They were beautiful.
Red. Velvety.
Beautiful.
I was flattered - and we "dated" for about a week.
We did not, however, go to the concert. Mom wasn't that impressed.
Oh well.

Later in life - more boyfriends - more flowers.
Lots of roses.
In fact, a single red rose was the way my husband asked me out for our first date.

Then roses became a significant part of our married life.
They were used to commemorate birthdays, anniversaries, encouragement, I'm sorries, just becauses . . .
And they were beautiful.
Red. Velvety.
And very grown up.
I love roses.
But their meaning has been a bit tainted for me now.
And they were never my favorite - I  loved them for the sentimental reasons attached to them.

Truth be told. . .
If given the choice -
If I were standing in a field of every kind of flower imaginable and could only pick one kind of flower,
there is no question what I would choose.

SUNFLOWERS!

They are, without question, my favorite.
Always have been. Always will be.
Bright. Sunny. Happy. Warm. Proud.
They stand out and tower above everything else.
Sunflowers.

The way they stand tall in the garden, following the sun throughout the day.
They are actually quite magical.

Every year, I plant them in my garden.
And every year, I am deligthed to find extras pop up thanks to the squirrels and birds.
Generally, by the time the beautiful blooms are nearing the end of their life, the squirrels step in.
I smile as the I watch them climb up the thick stalks and chew of the heads.
Then they spend the next couple days gathering all of the seeds.
The birds swoop in to get their fill as well.
Natures birdfeeder.

My sunflowers are not blooming yet - but they will be soon.
And they will be a daily reminder to me to "Shine".

Commercial message . . .
this weekend is the Silverton Fine Arts Festival in Silverton, Oregon.
A beautiful, quaint little community.
If you are in the area, it is going to be sunny and warm. Come meander through the trees and enjoy cool shade and great art, music and food.!


2 comments:

  1. I've loved flowers my entire life too, Laurie. Almost every time I remember getting into trouble as a child had to do with flowers! LOL (Picking some I should not have, venturing off to visit strangers' backyards to enjoy their dazzling displays - I just couldn't help myself!) I used to think that roses were my favorite up until a couple years ago. What I realized was roses were my mother's favorite and I wanted to be so much like her that I decided roses were my favorite too. My real favorite are tulips - I just love them!

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  2. My romantic story with my ex is scarily similar!! You can read about it here!
    http://happytiler.blogspot.ca/2010/07/you-dont-forget.html

    Funny thing I loved the idea of a red rose, but they were never my favorites either! Peony's were, like the pink ones in my moms garden! However I carried one red rose in a white bible down the isle!

    Your sunflowers are beautiful!! What a wonderful job, I just love the black and yellow together!! Sunflowers are the happiest looking flower in the garden!!

    Shine is such a positive message!!
    Thanks for sharing and have a great week!!!

    Hugs Giggles

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