Telling the Truth

connecting the dots of my life

Tag: early Spring flowers

March 25, 2019

Spring madness?

Hope and despair
Layer themselves
Between beats of my heart

‘Retirement is like that’
I could but won’t say –
Determined to make
Peace with what is
Beyond and within
My control

If not This
Why not That?
My mind spins
Out of orbit as
Early Spring lures
Me beyond myself

Retirement was about more than leaving my job at the seminary. It was about my health and well-being. I desperately needed to make a clean break.

For several years I was fine. Not being there was more than good for me.

Now it isn’t so good. Don’t get me wrong. I have no desire to relive seminary politics, long-term planning or endless reports.

Nonetheless, I sometimes yearn to ‘be there.’ From 1983 until I retired in 2011, our seminary dished up a lively, sometimes contentious community of international and national students, mixed races and classes, and mixed church communities. I owe students and colleagues a huge debt of gratitude for helping grow me up into the woman I am today.

So why this yearning now? I love the church I attend. It can’t, however, give me the kind of community I experienced at the seminary, and still need.

Here’s the deal: I want to hang out at the seminary with anyone who shows up. Why? So I can practice being a stranger and welcoming strangers or near-strangers into my life. Even for a few fleeting minutes.

Maybe it’s nothing but Spring madness. Still, I like the idea and I’m already plotting ways to try this out.

Happy Monday!
Elouise♥

©Elouise Renich Fraser, 25 March 2019
Early Spring Photo found at Gardenia.net

8 Comments
April 18, 2018

Longwood Gardens in April | Photos 2

This sleepy momma is sitting on her nest taking a mid-afternoon snooze. She’s next to the Longwood Gardens Lake, not far from her sleepy mate. He looks like he might fall into the water any minute now.

I took an opportunity to have a little lake-side sit-down myself, near the  geese and a lovely dawn redwood tree. I’m in the white sunhat. The other woman is having a snooze with the geese.

Now we’re walking on toward the back entrance to the flower walk. First, some baby ferns being born. Then a photo of bare tree roots that have been on top of the ground for years, holding up a dead trunk. They’re now a study tree for children doing a study tour of the gardens. I think it’s a statue of honor for all us oldies out there who just keep hanging on!


The flower walk was almost deserted. It’s early tulip, hyacinth, pansy, narcissus and daffodil season. Even though it doesn’t look lush, it’s full of early spring color and new growth.

 

 

 

In just over a week our daughter and her husband will arrive for a visit. On the agenda: a drive out to Longwood. We can’t wait to see them again. Portland, Oregon is a long way from Philadelphia.

This visit to Longwood was a welcome break from getting our attic ready to serve as a guest bedroom. I’ve decided cleaning out and repurposing an attic is sort of like having a baby when you’re too old to have a baby. Only this time, D did most of the heavy lifting, for which I’m grateful.

I’ll post some photos of our attic renovation later this week. It’s looking good!

©Elouise Renich Fraser, 18 April 2018
Photos taken by DAFraser, 13 April 2018

18 Comments