Writing to Catch Up

Archie Buie, my father

So it’s very past time to write in this blog, to update my readers, to get words on paper/screen again. First, my father is doing much better than we could have expected a few weeks ago. I am VERY thankful for that, for your comments here and the fact that I have learned a lot through this experience; not only about my dad and his amazing ability to “bounce” back, figuratively speaking, but my ability to adapt. It was a scary time for awhile there facing the loss of the one man I’ve known literally all my life. I spent much time contemplating the world without him in it. I guess you could say I was given a “test run” on this part of the life and death process.

I found much solace in nature during this time. I ended up finding many plants for the garden my husband and I started before I dashed off to North Carolina. The foliage, the rich colors of the flowers all helped me find a sense of peace and order in the midst of the chaos my emotions were going through at the time. My father has now recovered enough for me to feel good about coming home. He won’t ever be as he was, but he still “is” and I’m happy. He is too, especially because he’s back to fishing! I’ll visit him again at the end of July or beginning of August and I am okay with knowing there is no way to know what will happen next or when with him. Life. It is very good right now.

As if to affirm that, the flowers and plants that are now at home in our new Memorial garden are thriving. They continue to provide the calm and peace I needed so much while up on North Carolina dealing with my father’s failing health. They remind me of him and his strength, his love and his amazing blue eyes, still full of his essence. They remind me of the ever-changing aspect of life.

Now I’m off to write something else. More posts will come soon, as I’m eager to expound upon a few subjects now that I’m back at the keyboard again! Must say I missed it.

Of Writing and Gardening

Evangeline's Miracle and Gardenias from my garden.

 As you can see I haven’t written on my blog in awhile. There are of course numerous reasons for this, but being honest, the biggest reason is because of the weather. What does the weather have to do with blogging? I love to garden. When I say that, I mean planting, tending, enjoying flowers. My dad says he can’t believe I “waste” all that time, energy and money on something you can’t even eat!

Hibiscus: from French amies.

Star of Texas Hibiscus from down the road.

What I did this last Memorial Day weekend was just that, I “wasted” a lot of time on plants I won’t ever eat. But I truly love flowers and plants. My husband and I started what we call my “Memorial” garden. I’m so excited I can hardly stand myself. It is a memorial garden in that all the plants in it have people and stories attached to them. Some came from my sister’s garden or my dad and mum’s, some from a neighbor who had a small nursery in his back yard and had to close it due to health issues, some from friends in my garden club, and some from friends who live in faraway places that I’ve visited. Some people collect shells and rocks from around the world. I collect plants. Not that I have a huge collection, but what I have is special to me. I think of the person or place each one came from when I work among them.

Too many to name here!

I spent all of April paying attention to my other love, writing, as in blogging and working on my WIP (work in progress). I had time, energy and good (not too hot) weather in May to be outside sowing my plant stories so I took advantage (while still giving time to my WIP of course) of that opportunity.

I think a Ginger Lily.

To be Memorial Garden 5-2012

Gloriousa from Mr. A. King

Baby Hydrangea!

This idea of memorial plants led me to think of the novels I’ve written and how each one of them has a memorial in them, be it place, scene, words or characters. Writers are often asked how much of a story is “biographical” and I think that each story has a little bit of its writer in it, even if it’s only “voice.” Interesting to me also was that each one of my stories has issues I have to “weed” out and tend, that I have to nurture and feed. Like gardening there is “grunt” work and the pleasure afterwards, if one is lucky, to see the blossoms that are the fruit of the labor. For me, gardening and writing go hand in hand.  Even as I feed and nurture them, they nurture and feed me.