May 11, 2008

Sunday afternoon....

Well, mission sort of accomplished. I've spent this morning and afternoon sorting through the landslide of flowers that hit my head and the "fan" yesterday. I found things I hadn't even known I had....for instance, I found deep, purple lilacs that I pressed in either 2003 or 2004. Remarkably, a lot of retained their color. I, also, found some Jacob's Ladder pressed around the same time....unfortunately, it didn't fare very well as the lovely blue were faded.

I really need to get a better way to organize -- both my flowers and papers (paints, and miscellaneous, as well). I have file cabinets, but they are packed full of old flowers and foliage that, for some reason, I can't bear to part with. A lot of them are from a long-ago, and better time. When I see them, it pinpoints me to where I got them, and how happy I felt. Many are from when my Mom had 40 acres in NE Iowa (that would be in the 1980's). It seemed like everything grew there (well, not tropical, of course). I used to go all over the place to where I knew things grew. There was a ravine that had weathered rock formed into stairs. The trees would filter light and it was like an outdoor cathedral. Hepatica and Rue Anemone grew wild there, as well as various ferns. It felt like I was the first white person who saw it.....Indians had been there, as well. There was a burial mound on Mom's property, and the first flowers of spring -- Pasque flower -- grew there. All that land seemed so enchanted.

It's been another chilly day, but at least, it isn't raining. Things are still pretty saturated, though. Usually, by May, it is in the 70's, but the weather guy said it would be a short spring, quick leap into summer, and then back into winter again. What a bummer!

Hope everyone has had a good weekend!

Love to all