Time To Cultivate

Cultivation

As spring gets closer (at least in the calendar year) it's time to take stock of what you would like to cultivate outside and get that garden planted. Every year I plant more and more perennials so they can become effortless with care. Of course, accent with annuals is just like accessorizing only in the garden.  Each year I vow to plant more rose bushes, the fussy kind, like Tiny Tea Hybrid roses and the BIG Floribundas. Anyone knows that shrub roses can grow almost by themself without tending to... so I want something different, something that requires A-T-T-E-N-T-I-O-N. What I truly long for is an English Garden look, but have to contend with what dictates and will grown in Northern VA. So each year, I try something new... with hopes to share at least a few bloom delights, regardless.  So as many of us decide is it a veggie garden, zen garden, floral garden, green space garden, it's time to cultivate.

My two news choices are here:   

Convallaria majalis Rosea
Lily-of-the-Valley

Source: http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/new-this-spring-season.html

and

Rose Abraham Darby

Source: http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/66657-product.html

With many gardening sources, you can pre-order anything and it will ship at just the right time of the season to plant, and with plenty of sun, watering and TLC,

VOILA – garden magic cultivation happenings.

However, outside garden cultivation isn’t the only garden needing attentions.

Are you Ready? What's happening with the inner cultivation? Our sacred garden?

There is no time like the present. No enrollment fee, monthly charge, no special equipment necessary. No matter how one feels, we have to get up, get dressed and show up for life. Oh yes, and do the right thing.

So, with that in mind, we have what we need at this very moment, each one of us. What is that? Our mind  (most days of course) and ability to have discipline to focus on the challenges that have been tucked away over wintertime. Who doesnt have the excess baggage of weight yes, but- even heavier -  negativeness that seems to be like a stone around our necks. Isn’t it time to do something about it?

Yes, it’s work…and so is belief in the fact of purposeful inner cultivations- our sacred self of sorts. Thinking when we purposely plan to cultivate our inner self, we no longer look in the mirror and ask ourself “What is our purpose in life”? That can lead us down a real long path of self discovery as it should. However, in short- as I like to make it simple- “ Our purpose is to become the best we can become, do the best, be our best and start over as many times as we have to period.” Our cultivation has to begin at the root of our essence and being (and I’m not talking the plant ball root or the grey roots of our hairline).



Source: http://www.gildedimagesofmaine.com/mirrors.html

Are you Ready?



 Our truths of who our mirror image reflects can’t be found in our mirror image looking back at us. We find it as we continually dig and cultivate our inner self, one step at a time, with guidance, love, perseverance, and God’s hand in the mix for CERTAIN.. We easily cultivate our outside gardens with water, sunshine, love and plenty of prunings when necessary… The inner cultivations require just as much attentions and then some.  

Simply start.  Go look in the mirror and ask:  Are you ready?  Go ahead. Get started.. No waiting for the ground to thaw out. Get cultivating - your inner self, even while your planning your new outside gardens... and both may well be ready for the newness of springtime - to smile, bloom and blossom yet once again at the magical time of re-birth. You will be amazed how just starting, creates an ease to your day, a spring in your step and hope in your heart.

Do you find yourself not even bothering to put on the light when you look in the mirror?  I'd love to hear about it.

Namaste

Early Spring Forecast - Are you Ready?

My Pink Ice Camilla Bloom Outside

 "It'sTerrific Thursdays"!

Hello. Back to my blog after a long absence. Yes, reasons are numerous but what matters most is to start anew by writing on Thursdays, calling it  Terrific Thursday!  Thursday remains my favorite day of the work week, so will be posting on Terrific Thursdays. The good news according to the Ground Hog appearance on February 2, is that spring will arrive early.  R u READY???

Since the Ground Hog has predicted an early spring, it jolted me back into asking

the question am I ready for spring? Most likely, we all are. However, I have not

laid all the ground work as such for it to arrive. I have watched my winter camellia bush bloom from Dec to present, with a false sense thinking winter is still yet a month upon us, with this pretty delicate pink camellia enticing me to believe, yes, it will be early.

What is there then, to ready for an early springtime? After watching the movie "Ground Hog

Day"  numerous times, I am reminded that it’s about    getting “it” Right and only when we get it right do we move forward positively. Otherwise, we, like the character can wake up in the same day with many lessons to still be learned before further progression.  I often feel exactly like that, how about you? So, what are “your” lessons to be learned?

Of course, mine are still numerous, but one has to just commence. I choose a few

of life that need re- modeling without cost; a declutter life makover. This year I decided to focus on the advertisement theme by Special K,” What will You gain when you loose?” Start off by identifying some problem areas… such as habits that no longer have a useful purpose- excesses and baggage.

In kind: food/weight & negative bearing thoughts are the tip of the iceberg that  

come to mind easily.

What‘s to be done?  Start with a clean to -do list, and  get ready to de-clutter your house and mind. Too enormous a task? Start fresh each Sunday with a broken out project list in

categories of what you are will to gain when you loose.  Just take any notebook

paper, and jot down a few excesses of kind. I started with the list below and it’s

Surely no way near inclusive!

Excesses of kind:

Clothing Declutter

Clean out your clothing closet of items no longer welcome of wearing. The shoes that “someday” may not hurt your feet, the items of clothing that you wish you could fit into, but alas; never will.  Nothing feels better than going thru your closet and making the good piles of : Keep/donate/sell = three good Category examples of what to do with them. Arrange the keep pile as you like by type, or by color/and or by season. Someway that you can easily know what you have.

Hint: I arrange of section in my closet of clothing items I wear all the time, i.e.: your
work out clothes, your fav comfy sweater, pair of jeans, pjs. You get it. Right? Once you do this, you realize – boy- I could do with far less.. and it feels great knowing  you don’t have to agonize on what one is going to wear each day. Donate the pile almost immediately after you have set it aside and put it aside in a place where you can’t have second thoughts about it – i.e. “ I’ll go thru it Again, “ just in case”. Less handling it, the better. Once in the pile/box/bag; do not  return to revisit it. It’s already said goodbye to you.

Linens Declutter

Perform a white sale of sort  by decluttering  your  linen closet. Keep the

number of items you need to get thru the week – towels, bed linens, and the like,

but do  not keep the excess of more than you need, since I would guess like me –

you go to the same sheets that really are comfortable. Get rid of the torn/tattered or barely used items of pillow cases, blankets, sheets, comforters, towels, face clothes, etc.. and immediately put them in your pile of donate goods.  You know those unmatched mates of linens? Put them in the pile too. Shelters love getting such items; including animal shelters.

Hint: I always make certain what I do donate is freshly laundered and ironed.

Just as I love to put clean fresh items out, so too are the soon to be recipients of

your donated goods! There is something wonderful about getting a new pillowcase. Every year, I make them for family and friends, both of human kind and animal species.. And

everyone loves them.  So, depart yourself with the excesses of too many linen

closet items. Feel blessed in giving - knowing those less fortunate will enjoy your

items.

Coat Closet Declutter  (along with boots/ hats/mittens, etc.).

Okay -so how many jackets does one really need? I have lived almost all my life

in New England so have more than my share; since the weather is often  “wait a

minute” the weather will change, dramatically. However, in the last almost decade of living in between the north/south eastern coast,  I need less  variety.

Hint: Give away at least one of each type of item.  Since it still is technically

wintertime, your donation will go to someone who is in need of warmth, period.

Remember when we were kids and we use to go out without a coat regardless of

our Mother’s warning? “Take a jacket” – your going to be cold. Well, since I am

well  into the 2^nd journey of my life, I hate being cold; and am happy to know – I

always have a coat, hat – gloves and warm shoes to retreat into when the

temperature mandates such. Feel good knowing your extra warm clothing items

will also cover others that are in need of such warming items! The clothing donations themself- get your feeling good chemical response in your brain on warp speed.! This is a feeling of such delight, it is without reproach.

Food Pantry  Declutter:

Go thru your food pantry that stores your staples; including your stash-

wherever that may be.. you know.. your secret stash.  While committing to loose to eating what your know is not healthy for you with your food,  it has a two fold benefit. We know what is truly best – mostly-. Get rid of what may not work for you- period… and put it aside for your last donation bin of the week… If unsure,  do some research to educate yourself and understand what is a healthy diet for you. Its not always about dieting, it’s about maintaining a healthy life style for life.  The resources are all out there for that

inquiring mind of yours searching for a healthy state of “what will you gain when

you loose”! Remember, ignorance is not bliss in the food department. Like it or not, food excesses have their payback.

Hint: Arrange your food pantry with areas for baking, food types and common

items that you always have in stock. Look at the expiration dates.. .and throw out

by trash day pick up what is expired; as well as I’m done eathing this type of food,

period.   If an item is still within a safe expiration dating, give to a friend, your neighbor of

place it into  a box for donated food staple goods… Call a place to pick

up your donations, or find your local chapters in your area you can swing by and

drop off before/after work all your donations. Again, that feeling of donating is endorphin releasing and liberating.

Mind Declutter:

This is where it starts to get tuff.  Daily and quietly before the rest of your world get’s up – and  before  your thoughts can sabotage you- Power up with gratitude.  If the only prayer one ever said each day was Thank you to the universe, or your higher power,  - that would be enough. Gratitude is the fuel of spiritual thoughts, good intentions and God like empowerment.

Hint: Before you are truly awake and have swung your legs out the side of the

bed, purposely say a personal mantra of thank you with gratitude before the rest

of your mind beckons to you to divert your attentions. By practicing the art of

gratitude, you are aligning yourself with your higher power and putting on the

good armour to greet the world new and make it a banner day. Disperse the

negative thoughts that creep into your mindset as often as necessary to ward off 

the evil battlefield of the mind  with negative talk. You know what I mean. You

hear it enough.!  Interested in reading about such a Battlefield?  Read Joyce Myers

Battlefield of the Mind  http://www.joycemeyer.org/ProductDetail.aspx?id=005694

Quaker up with God intentions and spiritual thoughts,  that will carry you

through  the day.! Just as many people Awake to Quaker up for the healthful

eating with Quaker Oats cereal,  so -you too can do both, fuel for healthy eating & a healthy
mindset.I have always felt, we have so little control… regardless of what we think we have

control over. But yes, control over how we fuel our body/mind/soul and how we

nourish it. Gratitude is a great first course.!

A few lasts words: Be kind to yourself and others. The love and kindess towards one’s self 

and  our fellow man promotes  the spiritual muscle that remains intact each day

to  face our own trials and battles encountered each day. With love, all things are possible.

Some decluttering helps us not live in the past, but live in the present and helps us determine our future. So remember, it all stared out to be a terrific Thursday. Go out there and conquer your world.

Did you have a Terrific Thursday?

Namaste.

Spring Has Sprung- Time to Take Stock

Jefferson Monument, 2010

With Spring's final arrival this weekend, it's time to take stock of what we have accumulated throught out this winter, and what we can be rid of. This goes for not only "Stuff" we continue to collect that brings clutter and more clutter, but also the emotional stuff we "Thought" we would give our attention to during wintertime, but find, we still have issues with.

Nature shows us that inevitably, the change of the seasons, and arrives exactly when it knows how to..  We should take some lessons from the Equinox arrival and spring's planting and warming trend.




Jefferson Monument, Historical Archive Photograph. Undated

 
A few steps to help us Take Stock is to recognize some area's ( I prefer three) that need help. Identify them, create a plan and get started- no time like the present, and it is SPRING cleaning after all- and more than your house could use some help I'm sure!

1) Take Stock of our Food Supply - yes, of what we have collected in our food pantry/closet/ freezer/stash. These are accumulated purchases at the BIG Clubs, like Sam's Club, Costco, Walgreens, Walmart, etc; various grocery stores and the 2 for 1 items great buys. If we haven't used them by now, give yourself one week to use them or toss them. Gather together items by likeness, and look at expiration dates- discarding expired goods and the having 2 of the same thing with both items often opened. Purge the excess. Too much is excessive. Get rid of the extra special items that never made their way into the Bon Apetit or Cuisine dish you planned to make during winter SOMEDAY. If it's been in there all wintertime, and you haven't gotten the inspiration to create it by now, trash it. If the goods are still within expiration dating; donate them. Plenting of school kids come around during the season to put a grocery bag full of items to go out the door.

2) Take Stock - yes, of our Material Possessions- yes, of what we have collected in our clothing closets- and dresser drawers- and other safe keeping items. The old saying, if you haven't worn it for an entire year's of seasonal change of clothes, you probably won't. AND for goodness sake- get rid of clothes that do not fit! Gather them together by size run, color, and grouping- which also includes SHOES. Find a local donation center or your favorite charity to which you can bring your items to. Prior to such;  have your girl friends come over and choose what "THEY" might like first, then donate. It's a wonderful feeling to give something new life to those in need and are deserving. DO not forget to pack up any old blankets, pillows, afghans, sheets and donate them too to your ASPCA or animal shelter. A Pet in Waiting for adoption, requires additional TLC which also includes their own warm fuzzy thing. Just because they don't speak human -ease; doesn't mean they do not need the same love as us mere humans do.! Spring speaks of  re-birth, re-gifting, re-using. 

3) Take Stock - yes, of our Emotional mind-set which may be cluttered with  cobwebs/complaints. Any issues that come to the forefront of your mind that are "problematic", may require more than a passive state of when I get around to it, I will Fix Xy and Z. This also includes the diet you started in January, which has lost it's steam sometime mid February. Learn to become pro-active instead of re-active with problems and concerns still on the burners of your emotional pantry.  Now, mind you- don't start on all the issues at once; you will crash and burn immediately doing such. Sit down- create a list of importance, and choose one to work on; for a week, a month, whatever time frame you give yourself.  Make sure you determine a commitable start and finish, a deadline, with discipline. Otherwise, you'll still have cobwebs and ghosts around for a long time. Worry is a debt that is never re-paid. So make a plan, choose the "issue"; and commence. The key to a successful problem resolution, is of course to identify it, own it and create ways to change it for your own emotional well being. And forget about your expectations of how "others" are suppose to be, or should have been. Expect of yourself with this emotional taking stock, and don't expect miracles from anyone else. Since, by the way, They are your ISSUES, your PROBLEMS, you own them, not anyone else. Stand up; take strength in knowing; you are doing something about SOMETHING that worries you!

Spring Time is time to take Stock, and to look forward to starting yet again new, and fresh, like a spring chicken!  Namaste.