Happy Halloween

Have a Happy Halloween!

October!?

It's certainly amazing what can happen from the beginning of October to the end! The beautiful fall weather has left and winter is upon us.

Simplicity

artwork by Robert Duncan

We've been learning this hymn in choir. I love the words, what a lovely message.

'Tis a gift to be simple,

'tis a gift to be free,

'tis a gift to come down

where we ought to be,

and when we find ourselves in the place just right,

'twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gained

to bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed,

to turn, turn, will be our delight

till by turning, turning we come round right.

I personally feel this song is teaching me to be humble, to bow and to bend to learn, to turn myself toward others and serve in simple ways~ and things will come round right.

Love to the Girls of the Harvest Boutique

           "The essence of the beautiful is unity in variety"

                                                                                                  William Somerset Maugham

I have had the opportunity to be a part of the Harvest Boutique this weekend.  What a lovely experience to work with some beautiful ladies.  I would like to give each one of them some blooms from my garden. All of these girls are talented and unique in their own special way.  They are all just spilling over with creativity, and yet there is no rivalry going on.  Just support for each other and lots of love!  Help with each other's displays and excitement when someone made a sale.  I have never been so grateful and proud to be associated with my daughters and nieces, and the darling friends they brought in with their products.  We couldn't have done anything without Kathy's beautiful home.  So thanks to you all for letting me be apart of the fun.

"To be creative means to be in love with life.  You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it."   ~Osho   And I might add,  a little more stitching, quilting, crocheting, sewing, candy making, picture taking, flower making... You girls certainly love life and are enhancing its beauty through your creativity!  Love to you all, Polly

Harvest Boutique

All the flowers from my garden are packed and ready to be taken up to the Harvest Boutique. Can't wait to see all the lovely things brought by the others involved. It will be a great way to get a little Christmas shopping done.

2061 Mahre Drive near the Canyon Resort

Watch for signs!

How my Dad influenced me.

I read an article by Ann Cannon yesterday. She wrote about how a friend who had a difficult life carried on with resilience. The answer was that she had a good dad. She had a good mom, but having a good dad was a double blessing. No one had to convince her that she was as good as the guys, she already knew it. Because of her dad she could hold her own in a room full of men. And she wouldn't even know she was doing it,  it was second nature to her. Ann goes on to ask, "how do you raise a daughter like that?"
Her answers are: Tell her she's smart. Take an active interest in her schoolwork. Listen to her when she expresses an opinion. Make eye contact. And it doesn't hurt to tell her she's pretty, but let "smart" trump "pretty". Laugh at her jokes. Tell her your stories. Pay your daughters as much attention as you do your sons. The list goes on.

I had just such a dad. He talked to me, and gave me such confidence that as I grew he listened whether he wanted to or not. He told me I was beautiful when I smiled, which made me want to smile alot. He told me I could accomplish anything I set my mind to. He took me to work with him from the age of 12 and taught me how to work, and the importance of work. During those years of working with him he told me stories of his life and lessons he learned.

When I was young my dad coached church basketball. At a very young age he taught me how to take stats during the game. It was my job to sit close by the bench, so during time out, and and half time he could look over my stats to see how the team was doing. I never missed a game. I learned the game of basketball. I felt a part of his world. I felt important and included.

How grateful I am for a dad who loved me enough and was smart enough to teach me to believe in myself. To give me self-confidence. To teach me the value of work.

To love me.

Thanks dad.

Harvest Boutique

I've never had such a year! Here we are in October when I am normally cleaning my garden up and putting my blooms to bed for the winter and I just keep picking more and more every day! I guess I was really good at dead heading or something?!? They just keep coming ~ and, oh the colors. Look at these beautiful cream roses...and that little yellow one, I just couldn't resist pinning it to that knitted black hat.

This darling had to go on a head band.

My garden is not forgetting that Christmas is only a few months away. The golds, greens and can you believe it? even red plaid? who would have thought~ that new fertilizer I'm using is really something!!!!

Come and see all the great treats at the Harvest Boutique, a week from today in Park City.

I Continue to Learn

I have a friend. As we have walked and talked our way through 30 years of friendship, we have discussed many things. The state of the world, religion, our children, ourselves, just why things are the way they are. The answer that we continually come up with is "we just don't get it." I guess we just aren't that smart. But we continue to love, laugh and learn. I think learning is the key here...

I've decided that I was put on this earth to learn. Always, never getting to the point where I've learned enough. When I was in rehab, my counselor told me I was successful, because of my ability to learn. I remember how awful it was for me to be there. How horrible I felt at the thought that I could find myself in such a predicament. Yet I felt as long as I was there I might as well listen and learn everything they had to offer. And I did learn.

There are many things in this life that I would have liked to be, that I just wasn't that good at..

I love to paint - even though I am not a painter.

I love to sing - even though I am not a singer.

And so I learn. And as life goes on and gives me experiences, and I say "I just don't get it?" I ask myself, " what can I learn from this, what will this experience teach me? Will I learn to love more completely, or be more compassionate?" I don't know, all I can do is try. Even if my painting isn't beautiful or the notes aren't right on pitch at least I made the effort.

" Everything in life has purpose.  There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from".
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Scream or Do Flips?

 

Do you ever have one of those days? months? years? I think everybody does. We try not to talk about it. Some are more successful than others. I have a friend who has had lots of those days/months/years. But this particular friend always laughs. When he used to live in the neighborhood, and whenever we would get together, for some reason during the evening he would always run and do a flip! He did this whether we were at a neighborhood gathering or a church gathering. We would always laugh and cheer him on. During the summer, we had a fun party and this particular friend was there. He is my age, which makes him 57. Halfway through the evening, we all said "can you still do flips?!"

 

Never to say no to a challenge he got up and did his famous flip! We all laughed and applauded. I think I'll start following his example. Even with a bad back, doing flips sounds better than screaming! (Or maybe screaming and doing flips at the same time) Whatever as long as I'm laughing.

Putting the Garden to Bed

It's getting to be that time of year. The flowers are still in bloom, but they are wilting a bit. Things are looking a little shabby. But the colors are vibrant~in a different way. That beautiful fally way. Where I don't have anything to do with it. The planting, weeding, watering, fertilizing, caring for are done for the year and yet everything looks lovely in a way that I could never achieve. Is it because I stand back and let nature take its course? I have worked hard all summer to achieve some sort of masterpiece in my yard, and yet God provides us with the season of fall when all things come together and it is just how it should be. I can wander around my garden, look at my flowers with the added colors that fall brings and be amazed that I don't have to do anything but sit, enjoy and be grateful. The work is now complete.

As I walked down my path on this fall day, I look at each name engraved on each stone. A name, a date of birth of a child, a dear grandchild, marriage when loved ones joined our family. I have loved, nurtured and cared for each of these. They are colorful, vibrant and unique, just as all my loved flowers in the garden. I look at the individual names and appreciate the differences that each one offers. Just like when I mix all kinds of lovely flowers together to make a bouquet, then stand back to enjoy the beauty as those flowers together make a perfect arrangement. With my family, as in a garden, it is the Fall Season. I have done pretty much what I can and must stand back and allow God, (who certainly knows much more than me) to do His magic. And He will, He always does.
I just need to look out the window.

Crafting Beautiful

"The purpose of the craft is not so much to make beautiful things as it is to become beautiful inside while you are making those things."
-Susan Gordon Lydon

I have enjoyed making these flowers/pendants for our "Harvest Boutique." There is something to the idea of creating. Working with different fabrics, colors, cutting, stitching, creating something pretty out of nothing but scraps. If I can't get my hands in the dirt and grow flowers during the winter, this is the next best thing!

Good Friends

Kent and Betty invited us to go up to their cabin. They are the best at getting people together for a fun time. Never a lot of fuss, just everybody bring something and head on up to the mountains. They open their home, their cabin and their hearts to anybody willing to bring a little food and lots of laughter.

As we walked you could hear chatter and laughing from across the lake. We had people ask if we were a reunion or on some kind of retreat. "No, just neighbors," we would answer. Neighbors who love being together. Although spending just a few hours with this group is like going on a retreat.

Spending time with loved ones, laughing, enjoying the beauties of nature is good for the soul.

Thanks to Kent for always having a bright smile and a "Hi Neighbor."

No matter what hits him he stays upbeat and happy, an example to all of us who are blessed to have him as our friend.