Friday, May 6, 2016

Who Am I?

                I am a lifelong bookaholic...


Daughter, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, wife, cousin, niece, sister-in-law, friend, Christian, Zen, seeker...

writer, poet, reader, diarist, giver, lover, book reviewer, book collector, collage artist, jewelry maker, doll maker, crafter, crocheter, nature photographer, gardener, Moonchild, doll collector, artist, cook, baker, herbalist, seamstress, quilter, bird watcher, Hummingbird caretaker, music lover, tarot reader, I Ching student, rune reader, dream interpreter, tree planter, cat-rescuer, homemaker, notary public, bookkeeper, legal secretary, blogger...and more, so much, much more... I've spent all my life learning and growing.  I've taught myself 90% of the things I know:  the arts, crafts, gardening, photography, etc. through reading books and trial and error.  A new friend recently said to me about gardening:  you must be a Ninja to garden because you'll kill more plants than you grow.  I knew this from my own accidental Ninja kills, but I loved the way she worded it.  Many people give up after the first few plants don't sprout or bloom or are eaten by bugs.  Never give up!  Gardening is a metaphor for all of life...

Being a Mother has been the most rewarding, challenging, exciting, frustrating, creative thing I've ever done.  I have no regrets about the sacrifices I made to raise my children.  Mothers must put their children first...they didn't ask to come here, we brought them...we chose to give them life... They are our own beating hearts... Being a grandmother is the second most rewarding thing on earth.  Grandchildren are our future...they are life begatting life...and the epitome of joy.

Life is not about merely standing still (although there is a time to stand still), but about growing, experiencing, discovering, laughing at yourself, forgiving yourself, loving with all your heart and soul and being broken...then picking up the pieces and carrying on.  An old proverb says, "Fall seven times; stand up eight."  It's my motto along with, "This, too, shall pass."  

Wishing all you mothers out there a very Happy Mother's Day!!  xo, Marion

              My baby Moonflowers...just starting to vine

Gerbera Daisies, revived with organic sea kelp, a super fertilizer.

My Canna in the late afternoon sun.  Magical!!!!!!!



4 comments:

Kelly said...

You inspire me, Marion.

Tell me again how to treat my herb plants if bugs are eating little holes in the leaves (basil, greek oregano, cilantro) - something about a little dish soap in water? Considering I harvest, rinse at the sink, then immediately consume, I don't want to use Sevin or anything else chemical.

erin said...

smiling ear to ear. love this poem! smart trees. smart bushes.

i hope it was a happy mother's day for you, marion. (it was pretty fine for me. nothing unusually special. except that my kids are home with me now and so everything is special.)

Marion said...

Kelly, I lost my recipe, but found this one online...I'd reduce it to a gallon!!! I used Dawn, tobacco tea and hot sauce in my mixture, strained and put in a cheap spray bottle. I think you have aphids and this will kill them. I never use poison in my yard, either, especially on food!! Here's one to go by.

Q: My husband would like a recipe for making his own bug killer to use on tomatoes, potatoes and hostas. He would like a spray on pesticide if there is one available. Thank you so much.

A: There are many variations of this floating around in print and on the web, but here is another good all around recipe for repelling bugs:
1 cup liquid dish soap (or Murphy's Oil Soap or baby shampoo)
1 cup tobacco tea (3 fingers of chewing tobacco in a nylon stocking and soak it in a gallon of hot water until the mixture is dark in color)
1 cup antiseptic mouthwash
1/4 cup of Tabasco Sauce (or substitute chopped hot peppers)

Mix these ingredients in a 20-gallon hose end sprayer, filling the rest of the sprayer with water, and spray your plants. You can also reduce these measurements down to proportions that suit a hand held spray bottle. Slugs and snails love hosta, but they detest crossing sharp surfaces because it causes them injury. Prevent them from climbing up hosta plants by sprinkling eggshells or diatomaeous earth around the base. Round sandpaper disks also work well for this purpose. Cut a slit in used disks and wrap them around stems.

Marion said...

Erin, I'm so happy your children are with you and that you had a good Mother's Day. I had a nice day, too. Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate you!!! xo