Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Tend Your Own Garden

In spite of the cicada singing this morning, and the fact that

my geraniums,

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mandevilla,

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and hibiscus are blooming in joy

(thanks to me protecting them from Irene)

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this morning had that feeling.

You know the one…

where it is just a little cooler in the morning than summer usually is,

and where the light has changed the position it shines through the windows.

All things pointing to the next season coming along.

It has been a glorious summer here in NH.

No complaints at all about that.

But how I wish it was just a little longer…

Oh well, I will try and focus on the marvels of the new season as they arrive.

Fall is kind of wonderful.

This Arty Queen was born in the season after all ! Winking smile

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Here is a bit of art that I managed to do in spite of feeling pretty crappy physically the last little while…

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I finished my August pieces in Jaime’s Creative Sistah Sketchbook

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I am happy with how they turned out – sharing little bits of myself and my August 2011 experiences with the lovely hostess of our Sketchbook project.

It will go off into the mail today.

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Art Journal page – The Gardener, August 2011

As for the physical stuff, the why’s of it are kind of besides the point – maybe allergies, maybe poor eating habits and not enough physical movement, maybe anxiety of the state of the world…whatever…

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The main message I got from the physical discomfort was that I am in desperate need of some self-nurturing and “mothering” care.

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I tend to give a lot more care and love to the people who mean so much to me

than I do to myself, and have for all my life, really.

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I am learning the importance of being my own gardener.

Pulling the weeds, offering good nourishment,

and marveling the beauty of growth.

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I still have a long way to go to get that thumb to green,

but at least, I have heard the message loud and clear.

Now, it is time to start listening to it…

“Kimbo, what do you need ?”

and begin providing it for my Self.

On that note, I am enjoying my low fat, low sugar Greek style yogurt with a handful of All Bran cereal in it, that will be followed by a walk with the sweet Chica-dog.

‘Cause that is what I need today.

Sending big love to you, Beautiful Ones.

Happy Tuesday !

17 comments:

LuLu Kellogg said...

I always love seeing your art!! The colors are always fabulous!

It's nice and cool here so we will have a beautiful day to keep working on the big mess Hurricane Irene made!! I am going out to enjoy the sun whilst cleaning up the yard!

Love,
LuLu~*xoxo

Unknown said...

The pages are BEAUTIFUL... as are you :)

Thank you for this reminder, to tend my own garden. I have been a soul-healing journey into the past these last few days and now it's time for me to return to the present and begin healing and moving forward. Thank you for the gentle push I need to examine what I *need* now. I think I need lots of art and color and good things to read and absorb. <3

rebecca said...

i love that you have chosen passion red flowers and tending your own garden on this bright and holy day.
today i am facing my own challenges and finally signing on to more "staying alive" tactics. isn't it always a balancing act dear friend, isn't it always about walking into the light?

thank you for always sharing yours,
xoxoxoxoxo

Anonymous said...

Yes, take good care. Your flowers are gorgeous, your pages even more so, twinkling like you! Some red leaves on the ground here and a definite cool trend. We can't hold summer forever even if sometimes we wish to.
xox Corrine

Olivia said...

Oh yes, My Queen, don't we all struggle with this? I too want to regain the skill of extreme self-care, and I also need it so desperately. I find myself thinking, "Yes, I will do this or that, but tomorrow, because today I have to.....blah blah blah". Even on those busy days there is always the opportunity to nurture in small ways and to flip to a mental state of self-care with kind and loving thoughts, no? Thank you for this beautiful post and for the reminder, xoO

Timex said...

Please look after yourself. Your art and garden are precious.

Often, we ignore all that is important and in the blink of an eye, we can no longer tend to it.

The Bodhi Chicklet said...

Just one more month, that would be my wish then maybe, just maybe I could squeak through winter with minimal blahs. The energy has shifted again, I noticed it about a week ago and I'm trying to not go "there" and enjoy what is happening right now. Hmmm, let's see, what do I need?

patti said...

Your flowers are full of joy Kim!

Yes, do take care of yourself, cos no-one else can do as good a job of it as you can.

Unknown said...

Well your journal pages are so bright and vibrant it would be hard to guess you are feeling the sadness of the waning summertime :)

EVA said...

What fabulous pages and great thoughts!

My garden is way too weedy these days. Great way to look at it!

Jaime Haney said...

Ah!! I absolutely love it! Rich happy colors and all zen looking. I can't wait to see it, but then that would mean our fun adventure would be over, so I'll wait for it knowing all the goodies I will be able to pour over in due time ;)

I love that you are using what your mother asked you so many times. It really was such a profound yet simple statement. Or really a question, but I like it as a statement. Hope you feel better soon :)

lynne h said...

and i am sending love back atcha, sistah!! xoxo (i think that there is a lot of weeding going on in the universe right now...)

foxysue said...

Just hopped over here by way of Rebecca's blog to say how touched I was by your comment! Reading your post today made me realise how close we all really are despite the distance. I have had the same physical symptoms and so has Robyn in Australia! Both of us on the mend I'm glad to say. Love your journal pages, keep saying I will have a go. Off on holiday for a few days now.

Love Sue x

foxysue said...

Just to clarify (I'm in a bit of a rush), I meant physical symptoms that you have, not Rebecca who suffers so!

Rosie said...

Amen to that, Kim! I have found that my needs are met best when I am surrounded by happiness!! So, my family's happiness is most important to me, it seems... and until the falls caused me to slow down, I never realised that fully.
Here's to nurturing ourselves! I send you a falcon for "fierce" love! xoxo

Sherry said...

I love your wisdom. And there is much in what you said that speaks to me today. I've been feeling "off" for almost a week. Maybe a bug? Or maybe emotional "stuff" as I face both my children moving out shortly to take up their lives at schools far enough from home that they need to live elsewhere. I'm half used to it with one already having done this for 4 years -- now he's doing 2 more years and the other starts his journey on Sunday. I face empty nest and I'm not sure about that...but what you said, "time to take care of you" applies to me as well. It IS my time and I do need to tend my own garden. Thank you for easing some of my discomfort...love you!!! ♥ Here is to us tending our gardens and flourishing!

Anonymous said...

I am glad you're trying to see to what YOU need more and tending to your inner garden, because YOU are much needed here in this crazy, stormy world, as well, dearest beautiful one, you! You're so right about what you said regarding us sensitives picking up on all the fear-mongering that's been going on. I cannot tell you how tightly wound I felt throughout the last week. It was sheer bliss to get to the other side of that and feel the release at the beginning of this week. I'm so glad to hear you're ok, as well. I did think about you throughout the weekend, wondering if this storm was affecting you where you are. I love all the gorgeous journaling you've been up to! Don't ever stop spilling all of this beauty out into our world - we need it so badly!! BIG BIG LOVE!