The Outdoor Bucket

I love all the seasons. Spring and blooming things. Summer and sunny days. Fall and turning leaves. Winter and cozy firesides. If pressed for a favorite, I couldn’t choose. I love them all equally …. and best.

My infatuation with blooming things starts with early spring crocuses and doesn’t stop. Earlier this week I noticed the brilliant orange and purple combos showing off. This happy little coneflower wanted to be trendy, too.

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I think it’s showing off just a little, both colors in the same bloom.

Walking the Hairy Beasts last night I noticed a few more of the field flowers are “out.”

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I love how the outdoor bucket is shaping up!

Spring is springing!

The first little blossom on a brisk, sunny day! #gospring

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Sliced-up centerpiece

I  discovered this brilliant idea on Pinterest several weeks ago.

Last Tuesday we needed a simple centerpiece for a Board meeting at the office. Here’s my version:

I used one orange for this arrangement. I used a second orange (sliced) by itself in a smaller, square vase. The unanticipated bonus: fresh-cut orange smells lovely! Next time, I might try adding a lemon or lime to the mix for additional color.

File this away in the to-done! bucket 🙂 Woo hoo!

Frost on happiness

Shirk-um-stances Rerun

Last week, I noticed the iris on the north end of the house is trying to bloom.  In December. I mused about boundaries, limiting influences, and living out one’s assigned purpose. Here are my first take-away nuggets:

ignore the circumstances—do what you do
The iris is seemingly shirking its circumstances. It’s not allowing boundaries (the blooming season) imposed by some outside force (time of year/weather) to shift its focus from its core function: to bloom. It might not be quite the right time, but that iris is ready! And in the meantime, it’s producing a little unexpected joy.

change is not an option
In some fashion or another, and whether we choose to accept it or not, we must change daily. On the micro level, our skin cells regenerate. Hair grows. We age. Life happens. If we only operate within pre-defined boundaries, we risk missing great adventure.

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Lately I’ve been working on our organizational 3 year strategic plan. This exercise has forced me to be more objective and view it from the outside– the good, bad, and ugly—and be honest about what can be changed and what must be managed.  And I’m seeing two trends. We have some areas that, as the proverbial quip goes, “aren’t broken.” Yet I’m also seeing huge areas of opportunity. And in those areas of opportunity, we need to accelerate embracing the new way of doing things, even as we design on the fly. We need to start blooming now, or we may just miss it altogether.

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It’s unexpected to see this determined little iris in the midst of Christmas cheer. But just because something is unexpected, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be celebrated.