Look Up, And See Where You Are Going

My husband, Steven, and I walked around Freedom Park this past weekend. It was a beautiful day, and not too hot, perfect to get outside and enjoy a walk. When we arrived at the park, we noticed a fairly large amount of people, many were in small groups and were all staring at their phones. We soon discovered that they were not the only ones staring at their phones. Screen watchers were all over the park. It seemed they might be playing some kind of game. As Steven and I walked along the walkway, we found ourselves having to dodge some of the screen watchers. We became quite agile at weaving around them, but finally, we left the walkway and strolled along in the grass. 

We took a couple of pictures and started a short conversation with a gentleman named King, who was sitting on a blanket reading a book. He was a very interesting man; he emigrated from China when he was very young and spoke with a New York City accent. I so enjoyed learning his story. We also shared some of our story with him. We said our goodbyes and began to dodge the screen watchers again as we made our way back to the car. 

Steven and I were quiet as we climbed into our van and started the air conditioning. As we sat waiting for the cool air to come, we began to comment to each other on our park adventure. Together we decided that it was a commentary on today’s society. A beautiful day in the park, but it seemed that 85% of the people there hardly looked up to see where they were going. Although Steven and I made a very conscious effort to keep our smartphones in our pockets, I admit I checked mine once for the time and once to see how many steps my Fitbit was registering (I have a daily step goal, and I wanted to meet it before we left the park).  I took this experience to heart. Technology is amazing and in today’s world necessary, but for myself, I am going to make even more of a conscious effort to look up and see where I am going. I don’t want to miss seeing something beautiful, meeting a new friend, or hearing a really great story. 

Happy Freedom

Last week was July 4th, the day we celebrate freedom. I enjoy history; mostly I enjoy the trivia that is in history. The little tidbits make it real to me. So I thought I would share a couple of historical tidbits with you. 

• You probably do not know the name Richard Henry Lee, but he is important to American History. He is the guy who made the motion for the colonies to declare independence from Great Britain. That was on July 2, 1776. It was on July 4, 1776 that the Declaration of Independence was formally accepted.
• The Revolutionary War did not end on July 4th, 1776.  It started on April 19, 1775 and ended on September 3, 1785. The war lasted for 20 years. Declaration is just the beginning. If you really mean it, you have to take a stand for it. 

So  there you have it, a couple of thoughts concerning the War of Independence. Oh and here is one more interesting tidbit.

• John Adams felt that acknowledging the Declaration should happen on July 2nd, so when he was invited to attend a July 4th engagement, he declined.

Now you have it, a little bit of our nation’s story. Happy freedom to you!!

Dreaming About Tomatoes

I was dreaming about ripe tomatoes growing in my back yard last night. It really is not so far-fetched, because I have tomato plants growing in my raised beds. The beds are unique because I made them out of an old travel car topper. I disconnected the top from the bottom, drilled some big holes for drainage and to give the worms access (don't cringe, you need the worms), filled it with dirt from the "giant's grave" (you'll have to go back to my earlier blog post about that), and my tomatoes are thriving.

Last year, my tomatoes did great but something got at them before I had a chance to harvest them. This year, my daughter's in-laws gave me four plants for an Illinois tomato (thanks Diane and Chuck) . The plants are growing well in my raised bed and have produced several green tomatoes. One day this week I am going to put some chicken wire around them in an effort to protect them from the birds and creatures that want to keep them for themselves.

The tomatoes I planted last year were heirlooms (Cherokee purple, yellow tomatoes, beefsteak) and some of the half-eaten fruit fell back into the bed and left seeds which have now started to germinate. I have loads and loads of baby tomato plants now, but I don't know what kind they are. I have to wait for them to grow and produce fruit before I know... but I do know for sure they are tomatoes.

That is how my stories work, too — there are all sorts of seeds of thought that I write down on paper and I have to wait for those seeds to germinate and grow to know what I've got. Sometimes I know what I have, but I still have to let it grow and produce fruit before it is ready to go on stage and be shared. Once the story is shared, there is potential for others to grab some of the seeds and they can grow their own stories.

I dreamed about tomatoes last night. What seeds of story are you growing?

My Mother Earth

I have come away to the mountains to take some time for myself. I need it. Being alone gives me some time to think, pray, and consider what my next step should be.

I grew up in the Catskill Mountains so I need to go back to the high places at least once a year to get grounded again. These are not the Catskills, they are the Blue Ridge. They are part of the Appalachian Mountain Range, as are the Catskills, so when I am here I am connected to home.

There is a deep thread that runs through these mountains. It was not placed there by man, but by the Great Creator. It ties me to the trees, the stones, the plants, and the stories that sail on the wings of the winds in the high places. It takes a quietness of heart to hear the stories.

When I leave, I know all of the living beings of the mountain; the trees, flowers, plants, and yes even the stones, will say to me, "We will miss you while you are gone. Come home again, won't you? Come sit in our lap again, listen as we tell you another story, and please share your adventures with us that we might add more volumes to our collection. Come back again, won't you?" I wave and say, yes, of course... the mountains are truly my mother earth.

Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens

The beauty of butterflies; I do enjoy watching them flutter about. Steven, my husband, knows how much I enjoy them and he happened to see that the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens in Belmont, NC, had a butterfly pavilion exhibit.

We went. It was so much fun!

I could try to describe it but I do believe in this case the photos I took can speak for themselves.

Enjoy.