Thursday, April 29, 2010

I have never had so many good ideas day after day as when I work in the garden.
~John Erskine




At 6:30 Wednesday morning I picked an armful of lilacs to bring to work. My fingers were stinging from the frosty air as I cut the woody stems and stuffed them into a pail of water. It was a beautiful morning and even though a fine film of frost lay over everything, the clear sunshine and vivid colors couldn’t help but lift the spirits.


Something that always strikes me on cold mornings when the temperature is below freezing is that even lilacs have no fragrance. An hour after being placed in the warm offices the lilac scent is heavy throughout the building. For me, the fragrance is the best thing about lilacs. They are lovely to look at but noting compares to walking into the garden on a spring afternoon and smelling that teasing scent on every stray breeze.



Perhaps one of the most appealing things about gardening is that simple chores free the gardener's conscious to float out over a strange array of subjects. Outside in the fresh air, the mind is swept clean and tends to wander down seldom used thought paths.




I have some happy news. My father finally came home from the therapy center Tuesday. I can’t tell you how much the family worried about this event. We weren’t sure he was up to living without skilled help and supervision. At Cor Mariae, Dad seemed so helpless and frail, but home on his own turf, he has made a miraculous change. He was in and out his back door a dozen times just sitting in the sunshine and walking slowly along the edge of his woodland garden while one of us told him what was blooming and tried to make word pictures he could ‘see’ in his mind.


Thank you everyone for your good wishes and kind comments about Dad while he was so sick.


27 comments:

tina said...

That is happy news for sure that your father is home! Amazing what a body can do when it has to. Your lilacs are heavenly. I bet all your coworkers were visiting your desk to smell them!

Barbee' said...

Marnie, your blog and photos are beautiful and interesting. I don't always feel like commenting, but I want you to know how much I enjoy your blog. I wish you could clone that fierce hunter of a cat you have there. I could use two of him. My yard looks as if it has been plowed due to all the mole activity, and plants are being "pruned" by all the baby rabbits.

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

Hi Marnie, Isn't it crazy how early lilacs are blooming this year? I still have this cold and envy your sense of smell--I mean, at least you know for sure you're NOT smellkig something, lol.

Gardener on Sherlock Street said...

Thank you for sharing the lilacs. Their scent is the best! Isn't it amazing what "home" can do for a person. Hope your dad continues to do well.

Rose said...

This is good news, Marnie! I'm glad your father is doing so much better; I know when my father finally came home from the hospital this past February, it was the best therapy of all. A few weeks ago I called, and he was out chopping down some overgrown honeysuckle:)

Aren't the lilacs beautiful this year? I have to stick my nose in their blossoms to sniff them every time I walk by. I agree that one of the things I love about gardening is that peacefulness, the chance to let your mind wander while going about something as mundane as weeding. It's great therapy.

Tammy said...

Marnie,
Such good news about your father. I know that has to lift the spirits of your family. Lilacs were beautiful here this year too. Their scent was heavy on the air and much enjoyed. I just got done reading the Night Killer by Beverly Conner. I enjoy her books, although at times they are a little too jammed packed with characters and multiple 'situations' and might be a tad farfetched. Ha But I enjoy the setting and the plots.
Tammy

JC said...

Love your Lilac photos. And, yes I can smell them from here.

So glad to hear that your Dad is home. When I was in the rehab part of my hospital stay ... all I wanted was to go home. Ended up that they did let me go home a week early. Didn't need my at home care as long either. Home really does do a body good ...

Heather at Dusty Bay said...

Wow, your lilacs are fabulous and your pictures are always amazing - enjoy your day!

Chloe m said...

I am sure you are very pleased about your father. That surely is good news!

Lilacs are one of my all time faves of the spring garden. Mine won't bloom until June!

Darla said...

I'll have to enjoy the fragrance of the lilacs through you. They are very pretty. Wonderful news about your Dad.

Anonymous said...

Ooh I bet they smell heavenly. What I wouldn't give to be able to cut a huge bouquet myself. :)

Cheryl said...

Marnie....lilacs are such a gift. There perfume like no other bloom. My neighbours lilac hangs over my garden fence....she allows me to pick as much as I like. I love to bring it inside and appreciate the scent moving around the house.

So pleased to hear about your father. Daughters and fathers are always so close. Lovely you ae able to walk and talk with him. I do hope each day he is at home, he improves .........and he can enjoy many more years.

BeadedTail said...

Wonderful news about your dad! I'm so glad he's doing so well back at home!

I just love the smell of lilacs! It's probably my favorite scent of spring!

Dee @ Red Dirt Ramblings said...

I am so glad to hear he is better. That vision of him walking the garden while you "saw" for him brought tears to my eyes. My mother was very sick last year.

I love, love, love lilacs.~~Dee

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Hi There, I am so happy to hear about your Dad. Being at home is what they want. We hear that all of the time from George's Daddy. He said that he would be dead in 6 months IF he had to leave his home. I think he truly believes that.

I love the smell of lilacs also.... Hope your weather warms up up there soon.

Hugs,
Betsy

Southern Lady said...

I love the lilacs. I do not have any, but hope to add some to my garden this fall. I am so happy to hear that you dad is better and at home. I imagine that he will contine to imporve greatly at home. Carl

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Nothing can heal the body and soul as well as being at home and smelling the boutiful scents of spring. Nothing better than being in teh garden and the breeze fills your nose full of lilac scent. mmmm

beckie said...

Wonderful news about your Father, Marnie. I know you must be so relieved. The smells of hos garden will give him much pleasure and I am sure he can see in his mind the blooms.

I'm so glad you took your lilacs to work. They make a great cut flower and as you say their scent fills the air completely letting others enjoy as well. When I took mine in, I had many visitors at my desk throughout the days. :) I love the darker one-what is it's name?

Susie said...

I'm so glad to hear about your dad. That's wonderful news!

Your co-workers must of loved you bringing in the lilacs.

Dawn said...

Mmmm, I wish computers had smell-a-vision.
That's great news about your dad, we do so much better healing/being and mending at home, it's where we are the happiest.

walk2write said...

I'm so happy for you and your family that your dad is doing better. Home is the best place to be to recover. I wish I could smell those lilacs. They are gorgeous!

Kathleen said...

Fantastic news about your Dad, Marnie. I'm so glad the outcome was so positive. I'm sure he's thrilled to be home too.
It must have been lots warmer there than here ~ our lilacs are no where near ready to bloom. Your photos are so gorgeous and wonderfully generous of you to take them in to work and share. There really isn't much else that compares to their scent. It is SO heavenly.
Have a great weekend.

sweetbay said...

I'm glad to hear your dad is doing so much better, that's wonderful!

I wish lilacs grew down here as well as they do up north. They grow like weeds on the limestone in Indiana where most of my family is from.

troutbirder said...

Good news for you all around abpit upir dad. Am anxiously awaiting my lilacs to bloom in about a week I would guess.

Manuela@A Cultivated Nest said...

That's happy news about your Father!

Your lilacs are just gorgeous! How I miss them. They really don't grow well in Georgia. I do have one bush and it did get THREE blossoms on it this year. Mainly because we had an abnormally cold winter. It hadn't bloomed in several years!

Manuela

Gayle said...

The lilacs are blooming and your dad is home doing well. Life is good.

oldcrow61 said...

OMG! They are gorgeous. I can almost smell them.