Maybe an afternoon nap

Sometimes a day off on a rainy Monday is a true gift.  My mood matched the weather today so once the lawn was mowed and the gardens weeded and the gentle drizzle of began,  I made a big cup of tea and tucked myself in under a quilt.  With my window open to hear the rain I settled into my self and accepted that today this was all I had to do; drink tea and nap.

Hours later with tea drunk and dreams dreamed I meandered around the gardens enjoying the vivid colours and droplets left by the showers.

Lily of the Valley

Dalia 

Do you ever find it difficult to give yourself the gift of real downtime?  I know I do, I  have a (long) list of chores and when I have a day off I want the satisfying feeling that comes from crossing off as many items as possible.  Today after my nap I woke to a sink of dirty dishes and a laundry basket still overflowing. Does that bother me? Yes, but for today that is going to have to be okay.

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

May you give yourself permission to find a little rest this week,

Sandra

Mayhap ....

"Mayhap", an old English word from the mid 16th century summing up in one word the phrase, "it may hap" or "may it hap" (happen).  What better time to drag out this word and dust it off than on this Victoria Day weekend? (For those not familiar this is a Canadian celebration of Queen Victoria's birthday, May 24, 1819.)

This long weekend also officially welcomes in gardening season, prior to mid-May there is often the threat of frost and so gardeners are usually advised to hold off until the May long weekend to plant.  So it was that yesterday I found myself weeding, edging and generally puttering around my gardens filled with the hope that this will be the year I manage to keep abreast of the weeds and work that will let my flower beds reach their full and beautiful potential.

Forget-Me-Knots - a virtual carpet at the back of  my garden at this time of year

lush foliage and contrasting colours

I envision gently working in the newness of summer mornings easily eliminating a few unwelcome weeds, surrounded by glorious colours, dew tipped foliage and birdsong.  Yes, this will be the year for my romantic garden vision to come to life.  Because, unlike every previous summers when I suddenly found myself knee high in weeds in the sweltering mid-day heat of August surrounded by spiders so large they threaten to carry off my garden spade and flying inspects attacking my neck and ears, this summer I will have my act together, mayhap!!

Bleeding Heart - a gift from my father's garden

What do I base this hope on? Pure whimsy, wishful thinking and day dreams coupled with home decor magazine images of manicured properties, but that is fine because gardens like life don't have to be ideal and perfect to be appreciated and enjoyed.  I can side step the giant spiders and swat at the pesky insects, I can machete my way through the neglected bits of garden until I reclaim them.  I can shuffle plants from sun to shade as I encourage them to thrive and finally I can sit on the stoop with a cup of tea and admire my garden and the garden of my life for all of its beauty and colour, for its raggedy not-so-perfectness and its wild unpredictability.  I can continue to hope and work towards my full and beautiful potential and like my English ancestors I can proclaim that all is well with my soil and well with my soul.  Mayhap!

Thank you for visiting today at My Turquoise Kettle Life.

May all you plant blossom,

Sandra