I was puttering in the kitchen a minute ago when a potted plant outside caught my eye. The pesky squirrels have been busy gathering walnuts from the tree above and ground near by the plant. In their frenzy they knocked the plant over. Annoyed at the interruption I headed outside to set it right.
As I turned back towards the house I was greeted by the darting and hovering of a tiny hummingbird visiting the patch of impatiens blooming at my feet. Had those squirrels, my arch nemisizes and declared enemies, not bumped into the plant and tipped it over I would not have stepped outside at the precise minute the hummingbird arrived. I stood quietly for a matter of minutes while the hummingbird tasted the sweetness of each pink flower in the bed, flitted on to sample the plants filling the patio, and then headed out to the garden for a dessert of pumpkin blossom nectar before journeying on to brighten someone else's day.
I have to thank those dog-gone squirrels for helping me shift my focus from the annoyances I see in the distance to all the positive little things that surround me in abundance.
Nature
Particularly the hummingbird
And the squirrels--though I recognize that they still believe they have squatters' rights to my garden, and we will tangle again
The anticipation of watching tomatoes grow riper on the vine (slowly) each day
The lesson of patience taught in a garden
Blessed rain that has fallen on our parched earth this week
The deep and restful sleep that can be had during a rainstorm
The tinges of orange beginning to show on the pumpkins
A break in the intense heat and humidity
And the delight found in a plant that unexpectedly blooms in hearts
nice.
ReplyDelete(though tempting to ....er attempt to anticipate each step of the path into the future, it is an order of magnitude more beneficial to be able and willing to recognize the inevitability of the path as it unfolds. acknowledging the magic if you will)
...still gotta try to figure out the best steps to what Castaneda's character, don Juan, refers to as 'the path with heart'.
The path with heart....oh, I like that. I have never read about the legendary Don Juan because I have only heard the character referred to disparagingly when someone is comparing some leachersous man to him. Path with a heart sounds far less offensive than I would have anticipated....or maybe that is what Don Juan would want me to think.
DeleteForgive my commentary-laziness... reading your Reply brought home the confluence of the use of the phrase 'path with heart' and the other, more famous 'don Juan'. Being such a 'fan' of both author and character, I realized I owed it to them to clarify my use of the phrase, 'a path with heart'*
DeleteCarlos Castenda has his protagonist, don Juan Matus, employ this phrase as he tries to instruct his student (the author, we assume, as the books, starting with 'The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge' are written in first person) in the matter of right living. I trust any heirs and decedents of the ' other don Juan will be satisfied with the clarification. (lol)
* "All paths are the same, leading nowhere. Therefore, pick a path with heart!"
It is always the "little things" :)
ReplyDeleteLovely post. Amazing isn't it, how the seemingly insignificant events or interruptions can have a hugely beneficial and pleasing effect...if we are open to them.
And those nudges to notice can come from someone (or something) one generally holds in contempt!
DeleteLovely list. Only the most ill of winds blows absolutely no good whatever.
ReplyDeleteSomething I consistently need to remind myself.
DeleteA beautiful post! I'm glad you had some rain. Everything is so dry here.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you were able to see the bright side of the squirrel's invasion. Hummingbirds love those sweet nectar filled flowers. :-)
Before the rain we were 7 inches short of the average rainfall. Today gave us another long, soaking rain. I haven't heard total rainfall measures, but I imagine we have put a dent in that shortage. It sure has lifted my spirits after such a dry summer.
DeleteWhat is that plant? That is such a nice photo!
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing, isn't it, how sometimes the things that are irksome result in finding something delightful.
I am so frustrated, Kristi. I bought it at a seasonal closeout from one of the nurseries. It was just mixed among an array of succulents. I have no idea what it is, so next year I will just have to take along photos when I go to the garden store and hope one of the staff recognizes it. Both of the blooms are hearts. I don't know if they always are or if God just felt like I needed some encouragement this summer!
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