indoor flora

It is Sunday morning and it’s that time of the year when we leap forward. I went to bed at a reasonable time last night, but I woke up early, earlier than I normally do on a Sunday morning. I would have preferred to stay under the covers for another hour or so of sleep, but I didn’t.

the purple hyacinth slowly opens up and blooms

It was still dark and I looked out my bedroom window at the crescent moon rising in the eastern sky. Friday morning, I was up at the same time, though being up was a conscious choice, the sky was clear and I could see Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter ibn line with the moon. It was impressive.

It’s been over a month since I’ve posted. The late winter and early spring is always a grind. School is busy and home life is busy, too. It’s also the time in my school life when I see the hard work that my students and I have put it begin to blossom.

Several weeks ago, I was greeted with the quote below during my morning routine of the Five Minute Journal.

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” Anais Nin (1903-1977) Cuban-American author

It was Presidents Day (2/19) and I planned to write that day – it was a holiday and I was off from school. But, I didn’t finish the post or really start beyond typing the quote and saving the file on my laptop.

That was almost three weeks ago. It seems like the other day, a blink in time.

Much has changed in that 20 days. The days are longer and warmer, though today is cold and the temperature is closer to freezing than I would prefer. But Earth is awakening from its long winter slumber.

For Valentine’s Day I gave my wife a couple of potted daffodils and a potted purple hyacinth for the kitchen window. The indoor flora began as mere buds but began to open and bloom and spread their sunshine. The hyacinth not only blossomed but spread its fragrant scent. The two plants bloomed for a couple of weeks before being set aside for replanting in the spring.

a daffodil strains to open, but a couple have broken free and the snow is melting

Yesterday, I was outside patrolling the snowless backyard and I noticed several signs of outdoor flora. It’s early yet, but the crocuses are blooming. The daffodils will follow soon, too.

Like the flora, we all take risks in growing. It would have been easier to stay in bed this morning, much easier. But, there is much to do and I accomplish more awake than I can when I am asleep. Often, we need to take a risk, forge through and to put aside what we want to do, in order to accomplish something greater.

Like the buds which are pushing their way above ground seeking sunshine, warmth, and energy – today is going to be a great day. I know it and I can feel it, so I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, pushing myself forward, one step at a time.

What’s blooming in your world?

9 thoughts on “indoor flora

  1. Well Well Clay, I only just now came across this post – I must have had the usual problems with WP and overlooked this. I also was travelling France a bit for a short week, Hero Husband and I were pre-celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary, which is TODAY. At the time on March 20/21 1998 this date ‘fell’ on a Fri/Sat (in Switzerland, we do the wedding pact in two separate events, so on the 20th we had our civil wedding, on the 21st the church wedding – and I hope that finally I’ve got a date my HH can remember!)…. Luckily we had – just today – a glorious sun-filled spring departure and we celebrated with a bottle of bubbly and a modest meal half-way outside, in our veranda (or wintergarden, or lean-to or conservatory or whatever you call it in your country). It only outside of the kitchen, but its filled with blooms, perfumes, (rubbish related to gardening and garden work), colours, candles – it was magic!
    Greetings to you – I have to put the heating higher now because the ‘hot spell’ def is over…. two days ago we had another 3-4cm of snow, unheard of here!

  2. “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” I like this. Publishing a book is a lot like this. Take the risk.

    Spring is trying to come to Mississippi. Trees are blooming but the daffodils aren’t quite sure what to do. One day it’s warm and beautiful, the next day the temperature drops 25 degrees and it’s foggy and cold. My azaleas are risking it and starting to open up.

    I say in 2 more weeks, we’ll be good to go to full-blown spring.

    Happy daylight savings time! Have a fantastic week!

    Patricia Rickrode
    w/a Jansen Schmidt

    1. I wish I could take credit for the eloquence, I can only take credit for the timeliness of my spreading the word and even that was random, too. The sun is shining, the birds are signing, and it’s going to be glorious day. Peace.

    1. somehow, time gets away from me at this time of the year…true it is cold, but the sun is out and that makes all the difference, especially on the western side of the house. Last night I grilled hamburgers – traditionally a summer staple, but they tasted amazing. Spring arrive with the equinox tomorrow at 11:15 AM CDT. Marking my calendar. Have a great day and enjoy the week ahead.!

  3. Yes, the snowdrops, first glimpsed on January 1st are still at their best. Crocuses are doing well, and early daffodils too. And today we saw two lambs, so newborn that their mother was still licking the blood from them. New life indeed. A good way to begin the week.

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