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A Joyful Noise

flowers

The sweet rewards of an insatiable curiosity

November 20, 2019 by Melodye Shore

It is possible, I suppose that sometime we will learn everything there is to learn: what the world is, for example, and what it means. —Mary Oliver

I share Mary Oliver’s delight in exploring the unknown. Today, for example, I’m reveling in all there is to learn about this plump, juicy pineapple guava–an exotic fruit that I just now tasted for the very first time. Wow, is it ever good! It’s similar to a kiwi in size and texture, and it tastes like a tropical smoothie. A sweet indulgence, born of curiosity and mindfulness.

I planted this sapling in my backyard garden two years ago, during the autumnal equinox…

It was a miracle, really, to watch these beautiful flowers bloom in springtime, and then transform themselves into edible fruit.

…and if I’m lucky, it’ll produce more fruit every year to share and savor.

Posted in: autumn, Autumnal Equinox, backyard, Fall, flowers, garden, harvest, Mary Oliver, pineapple guava tree, writing Tagged: curiosity, flowers, fruit, mary oliver

Lessons from a Swallowtail

July 3, 2019 by Melodye Shore
Swallowtail

This Swallowtail visited my garden, earlier this week. It perched itself on a nearby Pentas Nova, oblivious to the camera slung around my neck and the pruning shears I carried.

It lingered for a long while, basking in the sunlight and sipping nectar.

I snapped a quick photo and then observed quietly from a distance.

I was mesmerized by the slow, steady rhythm of its beating wings and the seemingly infinite patience it demonstrated as it unfurled its proboscis and drew it up again, probing for food in one flower and then another. A metronome of the natural world, its tempo was unaffected by the take-offs and landings at the bird bath adjacent, fluttering palm fronds, and the swirl of activity at the goldfinch feeder.

And in those singular moments, I was a student again, learning life lessons in nature’s classroom.

Posted in: backyard, be still, Butterflies, flowers, garden, gardening, meditation, Nature, nectar, Swallowtail Butterfly, writing Tagged: flower, meditation, Pentas Nova, Swallowtail

Summer Solstice 2019

June 22, 2019 by Melodye Shore

Be like the flower, turn your face to the sun. –Kahlil Gibran

On Summer Solstice and every day, I’m wishing you the bright warm glow of sunshine on a field of day lilies, and the sparkly magic of fireflies in the moonlight.

Posted in: flowers, Summer, Summer Solstice, writing Tagged: day lilies, day lily, flower, kahlil gibran, summer solstice, yellow

Nevertheless, she persisted

January 16, 2019 by Melodye Shore

I’ve coddled two climbing roses for almost 5 years, now, and have been rewarded with about as many blooms. I almost gave up on them, truth be told, because they don’t didn’t seem all that happy in my backyard. But they’re finally taking off: arching outward and growing taller. We’re growing on each other, you might say. Behold the Zephirine Drouhin–a bright spot of color in the pelting rain.

Posted in: flowers, garden, gardening, Hope, Inspiration, Nature, rose, writing Tagged: backyard garden, climbing rose, garden, hope, inspiration, nevertheless she persisted, persist, Pruning back roses, rain, rose, Zephirine Drouhin rose

A well-tended garden

March 31, 2018 by Melodye Shore

A well-tended garden is the sign of a happy heart. That’s what I think, anyway.

daisy, shasta daisy, flower, white flower

It welcomes visitors of all kinds,

rabbit, bunny, garden

and swings wide the gate to our most delicious memories. Juicy secrets, too.

tangerine, orange, garden, citrus

It heralds Spring’s arrival, and the turn of every season.

purple flower, Violet Churchu, Iochroma cranium

It’s where the seeds of our wildest dream take root, burrowing deep before they flower.

My own garden isn’t tightly curated, as you might guess. It’s a quasi-random blend of colors and textures–a joyful noise, like this blog, where order and chaos co-exist.

It’s at once a playground and a sanctuary–

garden, statue, angel, bird, garden statue

home, at the intersection of Elegant,

amaryllis, flower, garden, red flower

Everyday,

citrus, lemon, meyer lemon, raindrops

and Every-bit-as-beautiful.

goldfinch, lesser goldfinch

It makes my heart sing, when you drop by for a virtual visit! If it shows signs of neglect sometimes, it’s not because I’ve forgotten it–or you.

We’re sometimes called to tend a different garden for a while–it’s the rhythm of life, isn’t it?  In this case, I was temporarily sidelined by an injury. I can’t wait to feel the grass underneath my feet again! But even from this distance, I can watch the hummingbirds feed their hatchlings. And as the milkweed sprouts new leaves, I can recreate, in my mind’s eye, the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly, from caterpillar to chrysalis.

boot, foot, cast

I wanted to plant bulbs and flowers on Easter weekend, and to gather the first rosebuds of the season.

“Not yet,” my doctor said. So I’m resurrecting my blog instead. Moving ever forward, in joy and without judgment …It’s the gardener’s way.

hummingbird, backyard, allen's hummingbird

So tell me: how does your garden grow?

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Posted in: backyard, birds, Blogging, Boot, flowers, garden, gardening, hummingbirds, joyful noise, putting down roots, writing Tagged: blogging, bunny, daisy, gardening, hummingbird, Iochroma cranium, playground, rabbit, sanctuary, tangerine, Violet Churcu

Pruning back roses and putting down roots

January 9, 2018 by Melodye Shore

I pruned my rose bushes this weekend, and stripped them bare. They look so vulnerable now, and I’m remembering with wistfulness their fragrant beauty.

It’s an act of faith, this paring back. But it promotes deeper roots, and encourages branching.

It also speaks to me of possibilities. And you know what that means: a trip to the garden nursery!

Meet Oprah’s Legend, the newest resident of Chez Shore. For now, she’s a just a rootball with a few thorny canes…

Bareroot rose in soil

fresh from a leisurely soak in epsom salts, bare roots exposed.

Bareroot rose, soaking in epsom salts

Over the next few months, she’ll plant herself deep in the earth.  In due time, she’ll  become a leafy beauty. When she reaches her full potential, she’ll be a sweet-fragranced, “ruffled whopper of a show-stopper” according to the grower, with epic 8″ blooms and “petals as big as a child’s palm.” That’s not just catalog hyperbole, mind you.  A trustworthy gardener confirmed it for me.

Oprah's Legend, red rose

Courtesy of Weeks Growers

Hurry up, spring! This, I’ve gotta see.

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Posted in: flowers, garden, gardening, Oprah's Legend, pruning back roses, putting down roots, rose, writing Tagged: garden, Oprah's Legend, Pruning back roses, Putting down roots, roses, Weeks Growers

Thankful Thursday: Blueberry Scones and Serendipitous Encounters

June 29, 2017 by Melodye Shore

Flowers perfumed my neighborhood market, splashes of sunshine on a summer morning.

Tempting…

…but after a long walk on the beach, I had a single purchase in mind.

“One blueberry scone, please,” I said to the woman behind the bakery counter.

She chose the pastry with the plumpest berries, swaddled it with parchment paper before sliding it into a paper bag. Brown eyes twinkling, she presented it to me like a gift.

“Thank you,” I said. Just then, I caught my reflection in the bakery case. My eyes were bright and my cheeks were rosy, but my clothes were rumpled and wet. Hair clung to my scalp in limp curls, tousled by salty breezes and dampened by fog.

“Beach hair,” I said with a shrug.

“Ah, sí!” she said, “I get that, too.”

“Do you go down there on your breaks?”

“No time,” she said, “but my family goes down to Puerto Vallarta in July…”

“Oh! That’s really soon! You must be excited!”

She turned away, wiping invisible crumbs from the counter and blinking hard. “Not this year,” she eventually said. “No money.”

There weren’t any other customers around, and –here’s the real gift–she felt safe in telling me the whole story. Mexico is her birthplace. Her father lives there, still. Her siblings have scattered to the winds, but the family reconvenes in her hometown every year. In beautiful Puerto Vallarta, they shrug off their worries and embrace their cultural traditions. Mañana will take care of itself; for one week every year, they’re able to live together in the moment. 

“But not this year,” she said with a sigh. But then she brightened. “We have great memories though! My daughter is really little, but she remembers…”

I wanted to give her daughter the memories of a life time, but that’s not within my power. “Oh hey, I know!” I scrolled quickly through my cell phone, showed her some recent pictures of Freckles.

She admired his tender brown eyes and giggled at his goofy poses. “¿Dónde?” she asked.

“Not more than five minutes from here!” I said. And then I let her in on my secret. I told her a little bit about Freckles, showed her how to coordinate the tide tables with his haul-out times, and pinpointed his lounging spots on a map.

“Oh, my daughter will love him!”

I nodded. “You, too. We all do.”

She eventually rang up my order, and when she counted back my change, we mirrored each other’s smiles. As new friends do.

****

I slid the scone onto a pretty blue plate–a “happy” for my husband. He smiled, but his forehead was wrinkled with worry. “You’ve got dark smudges under your eyes,” he said. “Go look in the mirror.”

Mascara was sliding down my face, swirled together with saltwater tears. I laughed at my reflection, and I swear, my heart grew three sizes.

Here, another serendipitous encounter–seemingly random, but maybe not.  I don’t claim to understand it, but I am grateful for yet another gift from the sea.

 

Posted in: flowers, Freckles, Gifts from the sea, gratitude, Laguna Beach, Sunflowers, Thankful Thursday, writing Tagged: Bakery, Blueberry scones, ocean, sea water, serendipity, Sunflowers, thankful thursday

Wordless Wednesday: Little Altars Everywhere

June 21, 2017 by Melodye Shore

 

Posted in: cairn, caterpillar, chalk art, Cost Tower, flip-flops, flowers, garden, Lillian Coit Memorial Tower, little altars everywhere, monarch caterpillar, rocks, rose, sidewalk art, Telegraph Hill Tagged: cairn, Coit tower, flip-flops, Lillian Coit Memorial Tower, monarch caterpillar

April Art Challenge: Earth Day

April 22, 2017 by Melodye Shore

I’m settled into my backyard glider, watching the hummingbirds sip nectar from native wildflowers and then zip across the sky.

Earth Day is tomorrow, I just remembered, and I’m hosting our Art Challenge on this blog.

But first, I will watch the sun slant through the palm trees, and listen to the sparrow’s lullaby. I am a child again, sitting in my Nana’s porch swing and blowing dandelion wishes into a rainbow-sherbet sky.

We’re so easily distracted, all of us. We lose sight of what’s important, ignore our inner longings. Hence, these monthly Art Challenges!

I like best that they invite me outdoors–playful spirit at the ready, all senses engaged.

Like tiny seedlings, our prompts are rooted in the things that matter most.  Our environment, for instance, and the beautiful creatures with whom we co-exist.

We’re a diverse group, amateurs and pros who express ourselves in different ways.  Using a monthly prompt as our muse, we come together in the name of “art.”

These challenges aren’t a competition, by any means. Participation is our goal, not perfection. It’s all about capturing a fleeting memory, exploring our passions, renewing our childlike sense of wonder, and yes! making a joyful noise.

It’s about storytelling, in words and pictures–being transported to another time and place, or finding our way home.

For this art challenge, we’re showcasing our beautiful home, in all its glory.

Let’s get this party started, shall we?  Some artists will lag behind, but no worries: That’s what comes of being members of a global community. Take the tour when you’re able, and then return for another visit!

Gallery of Artists (with links to their Earth Day entries):

Veronica

Tammie

Eric

Nadine

Carole

Christy

Posted in: art challenge, backyard, birds, Carlsbad, Flower Fields, flowers, garden, Goff Beach, goff cove, goff Island cove, Harbor Seal pups, Harbor Seals, Home, mindfulness, Ranunculus Tagged: carlsbad, egret, flower fields, flowers, garden, goff island cove, harbor seals, hummingbird, ranunculus

Jan Johnsen’s “Spirit of Stone,” and an Art Challenge for Earth Day

April 12, 2017 by Melodye Shore

Wow, it’s been more than a year since we started our backyard makeover! We began by replacing our thirsty lawn with drought tolerant, earth-friendly plants—envisioning, as we did, a haven for birds, bees and butterflies, and a sanctuary for us.

Salvia spires, cape fuchsia, lavender and roses…they’re sprawling across decomposed granite walkways now, perfuming the air as they reach for the skies.

Heaven must surely be a garden, or so they say. And by they, I mean me. Most of the time. Songbirds perch on the feeder, singing their little hearts out. Visual harmony, however, is still very much a work in progress.

In this next phase, I’ll expand my color palette—maybe add some splashes of yellow.  I want also to rein in the random groupings, clustering whimsical pieces and grounding the airy (read: unruly) salvia with rocks.

How to accomplish all that? I hadn’t a clue.

That’s where Jan Johnsen’s latest book, THE SPIRIT OF STONE, comes into play. Have you read it? If not, go grab yourself a copy!

In seven, beautifully illustrated chapters, Johnsen offers new and/or freshly interpreted ways to incorporate stones into your outdoor living spaces. Quick confession: I’ve never really understood the notion of hoisting huge boulders into your yard, willy-nilly, or scattering white gravel around your succulents. It doesn’t look…well, natural. But after reading this book, I’ve come to realize that a few, well-chosen rocks will add dimension–maybe also a bit of sparkle–to my flowerbeds.

Courtesy Jan Johnsen, Spirit of Stone

There are important design considerations, of course. Johnsen walks you through the options.  Rock gardens, cairns, stairs, stacking stones, accent pieces and Zen sculptures… she details the possibilities, and then shows you how to bring your favorite ideas to fruition.

I appreciated that Johnsen braided practical advice and deeper knowledge, and that she explored the ‘spiritual’ significance of rocks. Some people attach meaning to their beautiful colors, shapes, and textures. We might also see them as talismans of strength and endurance. As metaphors, they speak to us in ways that flowers cannot. As Antoine de Saint-Exupery said: “A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, being within him the image of a cathedral.”

Courtesy Jan Johnsen, Spirit of Stone

The Spirit of Stone is at once practical and spiritual, and it’s as beautiful as any coffee table book you’ll find. I’m keeping my copy handy, as I reimagine my garden landscape this spring.

And…

Because it ties in so nicely…

The Art Challenge prompt for April is Earth Day, so apropos!

Let your imagination flow like water over rocks, inspired by this global celebration of Mother Nature (with an emphasis on conservation). The rules are simple:  1) Drop a note in the comments for this entry, to let me know you’re interested.  2) Sketch, paint, make photos, embroider, knit, write a musical score, record yourself dancing…. any creative interpretation is welcome! 3) Display your work on your own blog, over Earth Day weekend (April 21-23).  4) Link it here, in the “gallery of participants” I’ll provide in an updated post.

Posted in: art, art challenge, backyard, Earth Day, flowers, garden, gardening, Jan Johnsen, rocks, Spirit of Stones, stones Tagged: art challenge, flowers, garden, gardening, Jan Johnsen, rocks, spirit of stones

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