Category Nature

Green Grass Moments

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Green Grass Moments

Green Pastures.jpg

In early summer (when we have been lucky enough to have rain) the fields are tall and green. It almost looks like the cows can hide in the weeds.

There is something magical in watching the grass and weeds dance in the wind. As I enjoy the breezes that blow my hair back, the frolicking foliage makes the day so much more grand.

The old adage of greener grass on the other side of the fence feels true here.

As I walk down our gravel drive and take in the view of the cows, trees, and grass, the field seems to be a softer, more peaceful place. My crunchy footsteps on the rocks sound like rude interruptions to the scene. I move to walk along the fence row, but even the swoosh of my feet in the grass seems too harsh for the pastoral setting.

Maybe it was God’s way of telling me to stop and take in the sights and sounds that were being provided. So I stopped, looked, and listened. I could hear the cows move, and moo, and munch on the grass. I could hear the birds calling out to one another. I could hear the distant hum of the fans in our barns, cooling the turkeys. A bunny ran, and stopped down the driveway to check me out, and then went back on his little bunny way. The neighbor’s rooster crowed. It was a terrifically rural moment. Continue reading “Green Grass Moments” →

Perennials – anniversary of beautiful things

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Perennials – anniversary of beautiful things

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I really enjoy the perennials in my flower beds. Not only are they beautiful but they are dependable.

Each year I can count on them to show up just when spring and summer are taking off, and I know that their colors and fragrances will attract the buzz of bees and the flutter of butterflies.

When they bloom, I celebrate another year of wonder in the miracle of their growth.

Similarly, I celebrate the anniversary of saying “I do” to my husband. Today we celebrate ten years of marriage. Like my perennials, I am always amazed by the beauty and dependability of our love for each other.

No, we don’t always flourish in agreement. Yes, we sometimes fail to sprinkle one another with compliments or quality time, but we do always find safety and happiness in coming home to each other and joy in watching our children and lives together blossom.

Today celebrate the miracle of something that is dependable in your life.

Enjoy the sensation of an embrace or kiss. Be reassured by the ability to count on their presence. Feel the flutter of the butterflies in your stomach from the excitement of confidently knowing they are a part of your life.

By: Melanie A. Peters

Happy Anniversary, sweetheart!

 

first blooms

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first blooms

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First blooms on Joseph’s Coat rosebush

These blooms are particularly special to me because they are on my Joseph’s Coat climbing rosebush. Next to this bush stands a statue of St. Joseph (a gift in remembrance of my husband’s Grandpa Joe). When I planted this bush last year, it was nothing but brown branches. By the end of fall it had sprung a few green branches and leaves but showed no sign of bringing forth the multi-colored flowers that I had seen on other Joseph’s Coat bushes.

When these blooms open, they will possess petals of yellow, peach, and pink. They will grow a rainbow in each flower. They are one of the miracles of plant husbandry and science. Now I just have to keep them alive. 🙂

My Joseph’s Coat roses are like so many of life’s situations. We hope and pray that the opportunity to flower will be there, but we have no idea what it will look like when it gets here or how big it will be or how beautiful it will become or how hard it will be to care for. Continue reading “first blooms” →

Box Turtle

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Box Turtle

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Our racing turtles Elsa (bottom corner) and Fasty Big Guy (top) in their box with lots of strawberry stems, grass, tomato, and tree bark (for decoration).

Each spring our daycare celebrates the letter T by holding turtle races. My children are obsessed with these races. They nearly run me off the road every time a turtle is spied along the roadside with their desperate cries of, “Stop, Mommy, we need that turtle. He looks fast.”

We capture multiple turtles each spring. (We “lose” at least 1 each year because someone forgets to put it back in the box or the decorations added to the turtle’s environment provide a perfect escape route.) Our turtles are always returned to the wild after the races are complete, and I like to think they don’t bear too many emotional scars from the affections of my children.

Capturing and caring for the turtles for a day or so before the race offers plenty of lessons in kindness, compassion, and responsibility for my kiddos. They also have a chance to learn about nature and how our choices impact the environments of animals like the turtles. They are very aware and show tremendous consideration for how the turtles feel and towards their return to their natural environment.

Often I feel like one of those box turtles. My surroundings are commandeered  by something bigger than myself and I have little or no control of what is going on in my world. Sometimes the box seems way too small for me and other times I am not sure which way is up.

I really, really wish I could have a shell to hide in sometimes too.

Here is the happy part of my box turtle metaphor. I am controlled by someone bigger than myself. Someone who has an infinite understanding of what I am going through and a clear vision of what I am meant to do with my life. He knows what is best for me and will guide me to the ultimate finish line. If I continue to plod along, doing the best I can, I will get where I need to be and accomplish what I am meant to do. My world has been designed with a greater good in mind and provides me with limitless possibilities to live up to my potential.

So my message for all my fellow turtles out there is keep going. Don’t let the smallness of a situation hold you back. Look for those decorative escape routes (like the tree bark in the photo above 🙂 ) or remain steadfast for opportunities that are coming your way. Don’t spend too much time in your shell, you might miss all the world has to offer.

It’s a big box out there, little turtle!

By: Melanie A. Peters

 

 

 

Mayella Ewell’s Red Flowers

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Mayella Ewell’s Red Flowers

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Caring for my flower beds and potted plants today, I couldn’t help but reminisce sadly as I pruned the plants on my porch. They are a vivid red and reminded me of the red flowers cared for by Mayella Ewell in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.

The red flowers in the novel were the only beautiful things in Mayella Ewell’s life.

Mayella Ewell was the poor, ignorant girl who falsely accused Tom Robinson of taking advantage of her. Her accusation came after she tried to reach out to Tom for affection, but was politely rejected. Her rejection was especially painful because her abusive father discovered the two at just the wrong moment, and after Tom fled the scene, Bob Ewell gave Mayella a vicious beating.

Those flowers were essential to Harper Lee’s characterization of the tragic girl. When asked if Tom had any previous interactions with the girl, Tom told of times that he helped her chop fire wood or do small tasks around their home. He recollected seeing her water and care for the red flowers. They were the one bright spot in the Ewell’s dirt-swept front yard, just as Tom’s visits were probably the one bright spot in Mayella’s day. Continue reading “Mayella Ewell’s Red Flowers” →

White Puffy Cloud Days

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White Puffy Cloud Days

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There are so many beautiful days in the year. Days when the sky is the perfect shade of blue and scattered with white puffy clouds. I remember my high school English teacher talking about white puffy clouds days and about how we should be outside to celebrate them. I always wondered why we didn’t.

As a teacher and a mom, I find myself trapped inside too often on those glorious days. I have been known to say, “Ok kids, we are going on a field trip” or “It’s a white puffy cloud day and we need to write about it” and out we go. This is not popular with all the other teachers or students in my school, but it will be ok.

With my own kiddos at home, I try so hard to take walks or play ball or swing on the swings on these white puffy cloud days. Clearly the day was made for play and taking time to move lazily (like those big ol’ clouds).

If you find yourself looking out at a white puffy cloud day, find a way to be a part of that day. Take a walk on your lunch break. Assign a writing assignment or short outdoor lab for your class. Go on a nature hunt with your kids. Hold hands on the back porch with your sweetie.

Be a part of the white puffy cloud movement!

The white puffy clouds were made to be a part of your world so be with them.

By: Melanie A. Peters

 

Spring fever is a real disease.

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Spring fever is a real disease.

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Itchy eyes, twitchy legs, trouble with concentration, and a desperate need for fresh air are some of the basic symptoms of spring fever. Deeper effects are found in our inability to complete normal tasks, such as writing or grading papers, doing laundry, finishing anything necessary for our employment or education (even though we know it HAS to get done.)

Unfortunately it can also lead to crabbiness and short temper. Last week I had to take a walk with my 7 year-old daughter because she and her classmates were feeling the effects of the spring fever bug. (I might have also felt a touch of it coming on, which resulted in our decision to take a long walk.) My little girl explained to me that the kids in her class were not being nice to one another, and even though she tried to make them be nice, she could not stop them from picking at each other. I listened carefully and remembered well Continue reading “Spring fever is a real disease.” →

April Showers – Refresh Your Outlook

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April Showers – Refresh Your Outlook

The month of April is known for its dramatic weather patterns. Rain storms and showers are the norm and are needed to give the growing season a boost.

For spring athletes the rain can be problematic because it causes rain delays and game postponements. Farmers who need the precipitation are frustrated by rain (after a while) because they are hampered by the mud and muck that makes fields and pastures too soggy to plant or feed OR they are out-of-sorts because there is too little precipitation to kick-start their crops. Teachers wish the rain away because their students need time outdoors to burn some energy.

Today don’t wish away those springtime showers. If you are lucky enough to have a rainy day, be grateful for the nourishing and sustaining drops that fall around you. Enjoy the pitter patter on your roof or windows. Embrace the power of the lightening and thunder.

All of these things are miracles. We would not have those May flowers, if it were not for these April showers. Refresh your outlook and look forward to the rain and all it brings.

By: Melanie A. Peters

Narcissus flowers (a.k.a. daffodils)

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Narcissus flowers (a.k.a. daffodils)

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The Greek myth of Narcissus teaches that we must love someone aside from ourselves.

Narcissus was born beautiful and prophesied to live a long life, so long as he never came to know himself. He lived happy, confident, and free until he was cursed to love someone who could not love him in return. Narcissus was cursed because he refused to love the nymph Echo. He soon came to see himself, for the first time, and fell in love with his own reflection.

Narcissus wasted away on the shoreline where his reflection stared back at him, and in the spot where he died a flower bloomed. Today that flower is called the narcissus or the daffodil.

We can learn a lot from the mythological beginnings of this flower.

png 1 First, it’s better to get to know ourselves early in life (unless Tiresias says you will die upon learning that knowledge 🙂 ). Seek to know who you truly are.

png 1 Second, a willingness to love those who are different than ourselves will earn us greater rewards and fewer missed opportunities (and even fewer curses).  Love those you encounter.

png 1 Third, when we don’t let go of things that are beyond our control, we miss out on the beauty that exists around us. All that remains is a memory of wishing for what we didn’t have. Observe and rejoice in the phenomena occurring around you and appreciate the diversity that our world provides.

Put your energy into loving the marvel that is you. Enjoy the miracles that being positive can bring.

By: Melanie A. Peters

Dis-Clover Love Naturally

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Dis-clover love naturally

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Today many of us celebrate St. Patrick and the lessons he taught. St. Patrick was a terrific visionary. He is credited with divine clarification about the Holy Trinity through his explanation about God’s creation of the clover. St. Patrick explained to the Irish faithful that God, His son, and the Holy Spirit are all entities within the Trinity, just as the three leaves of the clover make it whole. He was also able to explain how God’s love for us is as natural as the ties that bind the clover leaves or the Trinity.

We are all created with a special purpose. We need to seek out the natural goodness within ourselves and the explanations that reveal themselves in the world around us. Disclover love naturally (1)These connections will allow us to have a stronger faith, love, and understanding of just how wonderfully our world is intertwined. Awareness of our connection to all of God’s creations can only enhance the energy behind our intents.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

 

By: Melanie A. Peters