Taking Chances

by Terri

 “Necessity is the mother of taking chances.” ~Mark Twain

Well, I have to admit that title sounds a lot more dramatic than this post is going to be, but taking a chance is exactly what I did.  Let’s go back to the beginning.

First of all, I love peonies!  I mean LOVE them! Every year when they arrive at Trader Joe’s, I buy as many bouquets of them as I can in the 3-4 weeks they are here. I know some of you are lucky enough to be able to grow your own peonies but I think trying to grow them here in the desert would be an exercise in futility.

So each year I am running back and forth to Trader Joe’s every 4-5 days buying a new bouquet. Then last year I heard about putting a bunch in the refrigerator. The thought was that I could buy two bouquets,  put one in a vase in the house and one in the refrigerator and when the first bunch wilted I wouldn’t  have to run back to Trader Joe’s for more, I could just bring in a bunch from the outside refrigerator.  I know right now you’re thinking, “Does this woman have a life?” But I always convince myself that it’s worth it because, after all, it’s only a few weeks out of the year. But the thought that I could buy two bunches and keep one in suspended animation until the first had wilted and not have to go quite so often to Trader Joe’s, well I decided it was worth a try to see if it worked. Peonies, as I am sure you are aware, are the most gorgeous flower to photograph! 

So when the peonies first came into Trader Joe’s this year, I bought two bunches and put one in a vase on my kitchen table and one in water in my outside refrigerator.  The experiment seemed to be working! The bunch in the outside refrigerator stayed in tight little buds while the bunch in the house continued to open. After five days, the bunch in the house was starting to drop petals and I knew it was time to say goodbye.  I went out to bring in the bunch from the outside refrigerator and was aghast to discover that they had frozen!  Yes, in the refrigerator!  The water they were in was frozen solid and the round balls of peony buds were hard as rocks!  I was so disappointed!   But I don’t give up easily. I decided to take a chance and  bring them in, “defrost” them and see.

Here’s what happened:

Yes!  They were really none the worse for wear, believe it or not! They opened and bloomed as if they hadn't spent the last five days in solid ice.  I’m sorry I was so upset by the freezing of my precious peonies that I didn’t think to take a photo to show you, but I think you can imagine what it looked like.

I think I’m still a little in awe that I could make such an error in judgment (I think my refrigerator needs to have the temperature reset!)  and still have it turn out okay. When I first saw them frozen solid, I was tempted to throw them in the trash, but I decided to take a chance and see what happened. 

And it got me to thinking: sometimes things can look hopeless but if we are just willing to take a chance and see what happens, we can be pleasantly surprised. Taking chances can be scary, especially for someone like me who tries so hard to know what’s coming down the road at all times. But when you stick your neck out and take a chance, the reward can be so worth it.  I’m going to remember this little peony story the next time I’m presented with the option of taking a chance and I just might take it.

“Yes, risk taking is inherently failure-prone. Otherwise, it would be called 

sure-thing-taking.”  ~Tim McMahon

 

Are you a risk taker or someone who plays it safe? Obviously this was a small risk. If it didn't work out, it was just $6.99 down the drain. But it made me think about stepping outside my box of predictability and taking a few risks now and then. 
How about you? 

Music of the earth . . .

by Kim

"Flowers are the music of the ground
from earth's lips spoken without sound."
- Edwin Curran

A seed is planted, it sprouts, and a plant is born.

It continues to grow with the nurturing help of the sun and water and the nutrients in the soil. Stems will rise above leaves and the roots will reach further into the soil.  And as it continues to grow, a tiny bud will begin to form. The bud will continue growing until it matures enough to start opening. And as it begins the process of opening, petal by petal, its personality will finally be revealed. But at some point, it will lose its luster and the petals will fall.

A flower is born, a flower dies.

We, are like flowers. Each one of us a different color, shape and size. Some are playful, or mysterious, and while some are bold, others tend to be soft, like a whisper. We are all beautiful in our own right, but unfortunately some will go unnoticed altogether.

We, are like flowers. Except that we don't judge flowers. We accept them just the way they are, flaws and all. Although we don't call them flaws, we call it character.

We too, are like the flowers . . . we too are the music of the earth.

And each one of us holds the same importance in regards to making that beautiful music. We need to be careful though, that we don't make the same mistake as Pythagoras by discarding the fifth hammer. Because it is almost always the ones we least expect that are responsible for the harmony. They are the secret to the entire sound of the music precisely because they aren't perfect.

A seed is planted, it spouts, and a plant is born. With a few essentials, we all have the possibility of blooming, and we should remember that it takes all of us to make harmony possible.

Here's to a musical day,

Kim xo

20 Ways to Enjoy Spring

by Leigh

Twenty Ways To Enjoy Spring

1. Take time to sit outside and engage all your senses.
2. Soak in all the color that you see from foliage to flowers to the green grass.
3. Fill up your bird feeders and bird baths and watch them flock to your yard.
4. Eat seasonally and buy locally.  
5. Start a butterfly garden.
6. Dine al fresco.
7. Do what you normally do….but do it outside.  In fact, I'm writing this blog sitting outside!
8. Cultivate a garden.  It doesn't have to be anything large.  In fact, you can include edibles in with your ornamental plants.  Or try something simple like a container garden on your back porch.
9. Get crafty.  Perhaps it's time for a new wreath for the front door or time to paint a bird house for that Maple tree in your backyard.
10. Go for a walk.  Don't think about how many calories you are burning just go for a leisurely stroll.
11. Spring cleaning always gets us in a springtime state of mind.  
12. Open up your windows and breathe in the fresh air. 
13. Visit your local nursery and see what catches your eye.  Maybe it's time to try a new perennial that you've heard about recently.
14. Visit your local farmer's market.
15. With Earth day approaching, research some ways you can be kinder to the environment.
16. Go to the zoo.
17. Check out a bird book and see what visitors you have in your yard.
18. Get your hands in the dirt! 
19. Collect your kitchen scraps and start composting.
20. Take time to observe what's happening in your yard.  Maybe it's time to move those Irises that have multiplied in the last few years.

Spring is a time for new beginnings and flower beds are always changing.  What you started with five years ago is evolving and growing into something new.  Perhaps you can find some Milkweed and other great pollinator attracting plants and see what butterflies, bees and moths show up.  And while you're outside start snapping photos of those beautiful flowers.  Our theme for April is flowers and we can't wait to see the Flickr gallery and Instagram fill up with big, beautiful flowers!  Show us what's blooming in your neck of the woods.