With this being Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent, I decided that it is a good time to get back to the practice of writing my blog with some regularity. There is a healthy discipline in putting my thoughts down in a readable, and hopefully sensible format, both for myself and, maybe even for others.
The word "Lent" comes from an old English word meaning "Spring". If ever there was a winter that begged for the coming of that season of renewal and rebirth, it is this one. Snow upon snow, moved around by wind after wind, followed by cold, clouds, fog and occasional sunshine have tested the mettle of many a hearty soul these past months. Even the toughest of the tough are ready for a break as cabin fever surpasses the common cold as the illness of conversation.
Two weeks ago, a woman who had moved here to the Midwest from her native country of The Philippines, came into our auto dealership to have her car serviced. She commented on the severity of the winter we are experiencing. As I commiserated with her by telling her that it was severe even by the standards of those who grew up in Iowa, I was able to offer her a little hope. I told her that in the 68 winters that I had lived, there has never been one that was not followed by spring at some point. I expected that this one would be no exception.
But when, on this past Monday, I became stuck in a snow drift on our country road and required assistance from our neighbor to get pulled out, I knew that I too was ready for spring. Lent is the season to remind us that change, new life, rebirth is available to us if we only acknowledge our limitations, our imperfections, our inability to "pull ourselves out" of the mess we are in. When we accept being "stuck in the drift", Lent can happen to us again, and new life can spring forth in the depths of our hearts. May this Lent be such a time for all of us.
Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Glorious Spring!
How wonderful is Spring! If I were a poet, I would certainly spin out mellifluous lines about the beauty around me for there is no end to it. But, woe is me, I'm a prose man, and so you are stuck with reading a prosaic observation rather than a poetic one
Last Saturday, I spent the afternoon in the garden with My Love. It is so exciting. We had not been out there since the previous Monday because of the many rain showers throughout the week. What a pleasant surprise! The leaf and head lettuce were standing proudly in their rows. Beans, peas and kohlrabi were stretching up to take advantage of the bright sunshine. Spinach and cilantro added a deeper green to the pattern. Even the onions and corn were far enough out of the ground to be able to distinguish the rows. The only plants not yet up are those that we just planted a week ago.
We spent the time laying down black material between the rows to prevent the weeds/grass from taking over, while still allowing the rain to soak into the ground. According to the plan, this will save us a lot of time over the coming months by eliminating some of the weeding.
At home, we are enjoying orioles, goldfinches and wrens perching on the feeders that the neighbor downstairs has out. They have to fight with the purple finches, as well as the sparrows who want their turn. Of course the robins and black birds are busy searching the lawns for some tasty morsels. Every now and then, a blue jay gets into the fracas to add a note of disharmony.
The flowering trees and shrubs are more full and colorful this year than I can remember. It seems to me that there are so many more of them around than when we lived up here before. Flowering crabs, lilac, Eastern redbuds and many other types are bursting with bright hues and delightful fragrances. It's a pleasure just to drive down the road and experience the collage of colors.
Perhaps we are appreciating this explosion of Springtime more because we have missed it for the past twelve years while living in Texas. The coming of this season in South Texas, while welcome, was definitely less of a contrast with winter than here in Iowa. We are grateful to God for this opportunity to bask in His beauty.
Last Saturday, I spent the afternoon in the garden with My Love. It is so exciting. We had not been out there since the previous Monday because of the many rain showers throughout the week. What a pleasant surprise! The leaf and head lettuce were standing proudly in their rows. Beans, peas and kohlrabi were stretching up to take advantage of the bright sunshine. Spinach and cilantro added a deeper green to the pattern. Even the onions and corn were far enough out of the ground to be able to distinguish the rows. The only plants not yet up are those that we just planted a week ago.
We spent the time laying down black material between the rows to prevent the weeds/grass from taking over, while still allowing the rain to soak into the ground. According to the plan, this will save us a lot of time over the coming months by eliminating some of the weeding.
At home, we are enjoying orioles, goldfinches and wrens perching on the feeders that the neighbor downstairs has out. They have to fight with the purple finches, as well as the sparrows who want their turn. Of course the robins and black birds are busy searching the lawns for some tasty morsels. Every now and then, a blue jay gets into the fracas to add a note of disharmony.
The flowering trees and shrubs are more full and colorful this year than I can remember. It seems to me that there are so many more of them around than when we lived up here before. Flowering crabs, lilac, Eastern redbuds and many other types are bursting with bright hues and delightful fragrances. It's a pleasure just to drive down the road and experience the collage of colors.
Perhaps we are appreciating this explosion of Springtime more because we have missed it for the past twelve years while living in Texas. The coming of this season in South Texas, while welcome, was definitely less of a contrast with winter than here in Iowa. We are grateful to God for this opportunity to bask in His beauty.
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