Volunteers at the Birdfeeder

Summertime. The sun comes to visit in all its glory. We wilt a bit under the authoritative presence that fills our sky. Children of the sun seem to have grown up around our birdfeeder. They don't wilt. They thrive, and turn their sweet-smelling faces to the heavenly being they mirror. When I dive into them with my camera, I feel as if I'm diving into the sun, and the heat becomes more of a giftand less of an oppression I'm trying to escape. Notice how even the buds reflect the sun - they look like a green fire!

Jan's Orchid

Beyond fortunate, I have a handful of longtime friends from various stages of my life.

One of these is Jan. We met in grade school. In junior high we used to sit on the roof of her house talking late into the night - I swear we even saw the sun come up at least once.

Over the decades we've had times

where we weren't exactly on the same page, yet somehow stayed in touch. The past 20 years or so have been a continuous amazing conversation with paragraphs that are sometimes separated by months and months.

When I had a year of chemo, Jan, a psychologist with a strong spiritual practice, talked to me almost every week, sent regular notes of encouragement, and finally made the trek south with her husband to celebrate my first chemical-free week.

This orchid was her parting gift. It has bloomed several times since then. When I put this in a card it is a prayer for the sender and receiver to also experience the wealth of strength and joy that comes from sharing a deep bond. I especially love to give this in cards to other close friends who are also my lifeline.

During Jan's visit, some of these friends were able to come for ladies tea - it was wonderful to see such strong characters hitting it off! May you have a handful of friends who mirror back to you your best self and who hold your heart when your best self is on sabbatical.

Sister's Garden, Leppla household, Minnesota

A wonderful late spring visit to family and friends in Minnesota led to a lot of gardening and shopping in garden centers. My sister, Elaine and her family have plenty of room to plant, and have lots of beautiful corners in their yard. I have great photos (for family only!) of my strong sister leaning into the tiller and my strong niece leaning into the lawnmower. It is Minnesota after all, where all the women are strong and good looking! Besides the joy of reconnecting with family, there were quite moments prowling around among the flowers in early morning light. These flowers are all very small, singing with color in their corner of our world.

Anniversaries

There are two wedding anniversaries in our family this weekend...

Bridal Veil Falls, Yosemite National Park - Two becoming one, the waters plunging together into a deep pool, seems a wonderful image for the 57th wedding anniversary my parents are celebrating tomorrow. Especially since this picture was taken when their grandson/my nephew, Joshua, and I were on a trip out west to celebrate his graduation from high school and turning 18. That was four years ago, after a particularly rainy season in the park. We were treated to spectacular displays of water on long hikes. Now he's off to the adventures of adulthood, another generation exploring deep waters...

Today is his parents' wedding anniversary - something close to 28 years for them. My sister loves yellow roses and they used them in her bouquet. I've tried for years to make a good picture of yellow roses for their anniversary card. This one is special because these are more like wild roses; they were brightening up the corner of a park in Tallinn, Estonia last June.

Tartu, Estonia

Blue Poppy from the Tartu Botanical Gardens.

Estonians love flowers and gardens. It may be that the depth and length of winter makes summer's colors all the more precious. The botanical gardens were full of people and beautiful blossoms in the mid-summer light.

Kõrgoya

Great Grandmothers' roses have been growing at Kõrgoya for generations - through invasions and Czars, through Nazis and deportations to Siberia. Not quite sure who planted them, but it was a grandmother somewhere up the line, and grandmothers have nourished and treasured them through the generations. The apostrophe is strangely located in this title, but perfectly appropriate! The first time I saw the huge bush that these roses grow on, it had just rained, and I was seeking relief from the long drive from the capital city (Tallinn) to the family farm in Tori, Estonia. Outhouse; rosebush; bare feet on dirt farmed by family since the 1500's. Tears of joy and nurture and healing as eyes drank in the horizon of the distant river.

Mari's Favorite Wildflower: Mari is my grandmother's cousin; they are descended from the same father but different mothers. Mari is a talented poet, a survivor of the "Russian times" and a strong, clear presence with strong arms and a big heart. We don't speak a common language, but as we walked up from the river through the pasture which is full of wildflowers, she was able to clearly communicate that she wanted me to take a picture of this flower, which is an inch wide.

At the Gazebo

The Gazebo at Goodwins was built by my husband for me, and is an attractive sanctuary in the green space just off Peachtree Road. A sanctuary within a sanctuary, a gift of a place where you can put your feet up, breathe clean air, enjoy trees and be refreshed. These little narcissus come up every year for a few days. They are about one and 1/2 inches wide. It is usually late February, and the first burst of color and vibrance announcing spring.