Thursday, August 9, 2007

Flowers etc.


The purple flowers are starting to come back. I was afraid they wouldn't.

When we first brought home the hanging basket, it was thick with purple and pink blossoms, a beautiful addition to our front yard. It was an impulse buy at the farmers' market that morning. But we needed some color in the front yard.

It's been a hot, dry summer. Our front yard faces west, as well. Almost every year I buy a beautiful colorful hanging basket. I seem to have problems keeping the flowers blooming.

This year was no exception. It wasn't long after we purchased the basket that we left on vacation. The basket looked scraggily already when we returned. I've been nursing it and watching it, and clipping out the brown places ever since. Finally, some color is returning. Just purple though.

I noticed a little orange spot in the midst of my one lone tomato plant. When I reached for it, though, it turned out that something had eaten a hole in it. There are a few more small round tomatoes forming, so I still have hope. We'll eat tomatoes yet.

When I bend down to check for tomatoes, I can smell the basil in back. It's the one good thing I did, I think. I planted the basil right in back of the tomatoes.

There are still a lot of wild places left in our yard, unkempt, overgrown. There are places where I should just take a shovel and dig everything up and start over. And there are trees, little wild saplings all over, that I have to pull up. Some old tree is desparately trying to reproduce itself -- all over our yard. There's a lot of chaos in our yard.

At church, B has taken a turn for the worse. I still remember the day in the hospital, when they were waiting for the doctor. We were scared, but we were trying to be hopeful, still. I remember B's strong hand, which said so much more than all of our words. It doesn't seem that long ago we were impatient for the doctor.

I went to a meeting today for pastors and church leaders. We were told about a study that showed that public support and investment in infrastructure declines as racial and cultural diversity increases. This is exactly what has been happening in my state, and it seems ugly. We don't want to invest in each other because we no longer all look alike.

At our Bible study on Wednesday evening, people said that the bridge inspectors have been getting death threats.

Meanwhile, we are preparing for a baptism. The new mother was told some time ago that she would never be able to have children. "What do they know?" we said. He was born three weeks ago.

There is a lot of chaos in my yard. There are many things that still need to be fixed.

But there are a few purple flowers, one tomato plant and some sweet basil. I still have hope.

8 comments:

Barbara B. said...

yes, chaos in the yards... thank goodness for flowers, etc.

thanks for another thoughtful post

Rev SS said...

"We were told about a study that showed that public support and investment in infrastructure declines as racial and cultural diversity increases. This is exactly what has been happening in my state, and it seems ugly. We don't want to invest in each other because we no longer all look alike" ...

This syndrome also plays a large part in the decline of mainline church methinks .. and that's even sadder.

And, I too, still have hope ... thanks to God's faithfulness.

Elaine (aka...Purple) said...

The same paragraph that Serena quoted, also struck me. It seems we are becoming a very anxious culture and society.

But purple is indeed a hope-full color. May it bring a smile to you today.

Lindy said...

We don't want to invest in each other because we no longer all look alike.

Is this because we have made God in our image, the great big human Barth warned us about? If we can't see the otherness in God, we sure won't be able to see and appreciate it in one another. When we fail to see otherness, we fail to see God.

I think having chaos in your yard is very hopeful. Remember Aristophanes's tale of Chaos and Eros? What a wonderful garden you might get from a little chaos!

Have a great day!

Lindy

LoieJ said...

Maybe the dominant group assumes that the "other" don't want to invest in infrastructure. Or maybe the dominant group has made it harder for the others to get better paying jobs, thereby paying more taxes. Or maybe the group that was there historically hasn't wanted to provide good education for the newcomers to learn about the wider world.

I don't doubt the study. But I've also seen things that suggest that there is more division along the lines of wealth/lack thereof than along the color lines.

I hope our mutual Gov. has some change of heart regarding taxes.

June Butler said...

Diane, if Christianity is about anything it is about hope in the face of hopelessness. That's sort of a mantra of mine. New life springs forth when we least expect it.

A word for those who grow tomatoes and don't like pesticides. Plant marigolds near the tomato plants. Many pests don't like marigolds.

But the birds are another thing altogether. We have bird feeders and bird baths, and the birds love our tomatoes. My husband usually leaves a few tomatoes that the birds have already attacked, hoping that they will leave the rest alone. Our tomato crop is long finished down here in the bayou country.

We hang half-baskets along our fence, and they still have a few hearty flowers in the midst of the heat, but they are not what they were in the spring.

David said...

Our tomato season is also long since past. We plant in March and by mid to late June they are about spent.

Flowers are another story all together. I have been fortunate this year. My flower beds have been absolutely wonderful. Can't say why. it has been a very dry summer, but hey, I'm not arguing.

Hot Cup Lutheran said...

hope - hope - hope. yep the world, the church, everything it seems is chaotic and yet when the chaos was there in the beginning... God's Spirit moved over it and something changed for the good. So... I keep thinking & hoping for God's spirit to move over so many places...