Saturday, September 08, 2018

Belated Five on Friday


ONE

We went on a road trip to visit Rick's family in British Columbia this past week. Although a short visit, we filled the hours with catch up visiting, not to mention sitting in kitchens filled with good food and laughter.

Our trip itself was a delight of varying scenery. From north to south first through urban centers, past fields of hay, grain and corn ready for harvesting, to traveling past the flat, open prairies with the long horizon just a brushstroke between sky and land. From the rolling foothills, hazy in the distance, to large mountain passes, the Crowsnest Pass to be specific. Along straight ribbons of highway to winding roads that ran beside flowing mountain streams, climbing high into the hills and cliffs where the valley was a long way down, especially on the passenger's side and you sure hoped the driver was paying attention.

Such a feast of variety and vastness and magnificence. A camera certainly could never truly capture the shifting vistas but our eyes certainly feasted. They will never quite forget those moments now pressed into memory banks.

Question: Do you feel enlivened in your soul when you are on a road trip? I sure do. My soul always come back more alive and alert and in love with life.




  TWO

"Flowers have an expression of countenance as much as men or animals.
Some seem to smile; some have a sad expression; some are pensive
and diffident; others again are plain, honest and upright,
like, the broad-faced sunflower. and the hollyhock."

~ Henry Ward Beecher


As always, my camera and I were on the lookout for something I could share with you when I got back home. These hollyhocks were a vision of loveliness in my sis-in-law's garden. She told me they have grown in the garden for many decades now and were there when they moved years ago.

Makes a person wonder about the woman (or man) who planted the first seeds, and now here we are enjoying the fruit of their labour all these many years later. I feel something on that. Maybe it's the universal human connection that helps me feel that sense of belonging in this world. And that connection between generations. I think I might have to ponder that further.
  



THREE

“We can stop waiting for life to become perfect and
start working with what we’ve got to make it as
satisfying as we can. We can accept, bless, give thanks,
and get going. Today, we can begin to call forth the riches
from our everyday life. Today we can move from lack to abundance.”

~ Sarah Ban Breathnach, Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy




FOUR

“Be joyful today with a good dose of pretty flowers.” 
~ Emilie Barnes

Such delicate petals. Like tissue paper. Notice how the tightly furled petals of the top bud are a soft peachy pink, yet when the petals open they are a pale buttery yellow. I love nature's creative streak. A glimpse of the Divine Garden-Artist at work. Hollyhocks are an old garden favourite. Yours?




FIVE

“You simply will not be the same person two months from now
after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that
exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law:
the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.”

~ Sarah Ban Breathnach, Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy




BONUS

I feel like I've been given so much this past week. My heart is full. From spending time with Rick's open-hearted and hospitable family to wandering around gardens and art shows and just seeing the world go by through the windows of our vehicle ... it's been a little bit of paradise. Yes, people may ask about the smoke from forest fires, sure, the smoke was there, but we didn't focus on it. There was so much else to see.

On that note, I'm wishing you a beautiful weekend.

Hugs,
Brenda
xox




14 comments:

  1. Oh! I absolutely love Hollyhocks.They take me back to my childhood and Mom's flower garden full of Hollyhocks.I always felt like I was in a forest when I walked among them.Thanks for sharing these beautiful flowers.

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  2. Holly hocks are such a typical Cottage garden flower here. I love them, but have never found them very easy to grow.
    Lovely post Brenda, as always.

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  3. My mind has time to simmer and create on long road trips, and for that I love them. However, I find that once I get home, daily life often takes over and many of my ideas dissolve into nothing. I've learned to let that be okay, and I'm just grateful that creativity flourishes with time.
    I do love hollyhocks, but don't have any in my garden at present. I tried them once, but they didn't do very well. So I admire them in others' gardens.
    The power of gratitude is amazing.

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  4. I do love a good road trip! Your flowers are really pretty.

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  5. I enjoy exploring the “ribbons of highways”. But then, I really enjoy the trip back home, to our front door.

    Your posts are so delightful to read and look at!

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  6. I loved your post today, Brenda. Those flowers are SO PRETTY. Your trip sounded great. How wonderful you love your sweetheart's family so lovingly. Hope you have a SUPER SUNDAY. Hugs. Susan

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  7. Wonderful pictures! A road trip is always good for blowing away the cobwebs:)

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  8. Dear Brenda: I love this post and your road trip sounds lovely. I would love to see your part of the world one day. My trip, many years ago, to Canada was to a beautiful village called Sudbury. Gorgeous country. Back to your post, love all your blooms. The shade of pink in the hollyhocks is so pretty and their blooms look like crepe paper. Also love your quotes by Sarah Ban Breathnach. I have read her books and wish she would write more. I thoroughly enjoy her and she made me think.

    Thank you for this lovely post and the beauty you add to my life each time I read what you have written. Hope your day was grand and that your week ahead will be too!

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  9. Glad you enjoyed your road trip. I know a few people who have driven across Canada (ON to BC or ON to YT). What an amazing way to see our great country.

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  10. How I would love to see your country! But I'm so grateful for my handful of Canadian blog friends who help me see it in every season. These hollyhocks are so sweet, such a charming old-fashioned cottage flower. I tried them one year at our old house and they were beautiful but the leaves looked like lace, they were eaten so by something. And they never came back, maybe because we had so much shade? We need to try them next spring here, where we have much more sunshine.

    Even though I'm a homebody now, I remember feeling the way you did on road trips, especially whenever we travelled up my beloved Blue Ridge Parkway. Then I would come home inspired to make my valley garden as much like those in small North Carolina mountain towns as we could.

    A full heart, that is all good!

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  11. I adore Hollyhocks! What sweet flowers! Glad you had such a nice visit with family!

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  12. Great article..I am looking so forward to your blogcomment and
    I love your page on your post.. That is so pretty..
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  13. nature has the power to heal and sooth...

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  14. p.s. on Sept. 11, 2018 Hi Brenda. Thanks so much for your visits to my blog and for your comments, too.Brenda, I truly appreciate every visit and every comment. Sincerely, Susan

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To My Beautiful Readers,

Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same. ~ Franz Peter Schubert

Thank you so much for leaving your 'footprint' here in my comment box. I do appreciate you taking a moment to share your thoughts today.

Brenda xo