Happiness is a place between too much and too little. - Finnish Proverb
Happiness is continuing to desire what we already have. - Saint Augustine.
The above quotes are favorites of mine. The first, a Finnish Proverb, is one that has rolled around in my spirit for years. Not only because I am a Finnish American, but because of just what the quote reflects. Contentment. Though brief, it says it all, speaks right to who I am and is an enduring tenet in my life. “Happiness is a place between too much and too little.”
The second quote, I just heard recently. We headed out to the movies on a Saturday and enjoyed two hours and sixteen minutes immersed in a sublime, sumptuous, gorgeous movie. The movie ‘The Taste of Things’, is mesmerizing and stunning. I won’t give you a review as you can find plenty of them. I’d sure make a point to see it if I were you!
The quote by Saint Augustine was shared near the end of the movie. Hearing it and reading it often since, fills me with a sense of joy, of holding the life we have in such high regard; of the solid warmth of knowing the good things in our lives, of fires that continue to burn within. When we find we’ve no reason to change much and are happy in our own, unique lives. “Happiness is continuing to desire what we already have.”
I’ve not much else to profess about these quotes, but I wanted to share their beauty with you.
It’s magic time in Texas. Everybody and their sister are writing about wildflowers. The past two weeks have brought a bright smile of spring to life, with more on the way. Displays of wild Daffodils and Jonquils are abundant in fields, pastures and on roadsides. Redbuds are blooming in town and out in the country, creating a purply mauve haze, and a row of Bradford pears, poofing out clouds of white blooms, is pure inspiration.
The bluebonnets should be here anytime now, I hear they are already out in Big Bend, the Hill Country, and popping up here and there, east in Rusk. Wildflowers of every color will bring forth oohs and ahhs.
With the meadows greening and blooms abounding on the sides of roads, in pastures, woods, and gardens, this is a most beautiful time of year, in Texas. We’ll enjoy it now, because in August it’s not gonna be all that great!
I was headed out to Emory the other day, driving across a lake on a glorious, cool morning. Fishermen were standing in their boats casting into the still water. Just up the curving road, views alternated between trees and fields. A bright front pasture filled with wild Daffodils came into view and I kicked myself for not pulling over. The kick was hard enough that I watched for the pasture when heading home, and I did pull over and stop to gaze at the field of green, dotted with patches of yellow Jonquils and Daffodils. They pop up suddenly in the landscape, out of nowhere, arriving when the weather still feels a bit cool, and the days just begin to warm up. When we see them and so many other glories in nature, we know spring is imminent!
Roses, perennials and other flowering shrubs and vines have popped out and are mounding up in The Mildscape (my garden), oh joy! The Carolina Jessamine is waving her sunshine yellow trumpets through the window at me. Everything is awakening after winter and starting anew. The spring feeling is fabulous. Hope is affirmed, whatever the circumstance, we can start fresh.
In the last month in The Mildscape, I’ve watched the Peggy Martin Rose as she began to poke out little bits of green here and there, and then a little more, sort of a green haze. Then the canes started going crazy and now she’s fully covered with green canes that fill out more each day. She’s growing right over the trellis, and I can’t wait till she blooms. Garlic Chives and Society Garlic are poking up spiky grassy foliage, the pungent scent wafts up as you walk by. Lemon Balm is rounding up in the brightest green.
I was once an autumn girl. It’s kind of funny, now I’m here in these autumn years, and I find myself always longing for spring. As spring approaches, I eagerly await the best time of the year. Sunlight and warmth fill the days, the gardens grow, hope is easier to come by. New breath fills us, and we are energized. Life feels good, and all that we have - can be more than enough.
Just two years ago, my first Kukka was published in the Blue Ribbon News, a column about the perils of a February ice storm and the Carolina Jessamine that is the earliest bloomer in my garden. I enjoy sharing my world here with you all. Thanks for reading!
Sally Kilgore
05 Mar 24
March 2024 - Reprinted from The Blue Ribbon News
As I began to consider this column, I was sitting in front of the Christmas tree. No, I do not leave the tree up until February! The tree came down during the first week of January. Our tree, as for many of you, is filled with memories. Most years it takes some self-convincing to begin putting the house back to order after the holidays, pack away the tree and ornaments. There is one very special ornament on our Christmas tree. Read on.
The B.O.B. (in case you are new or not paying attention, B.O.B. is my husband, the acronym stands for Big Old Bear) and I met a thousand years ago, at an open house for a motorcycle dealership. This is surprising to some folks who tend to see me as having somewhat of a Doris Day type persona. I was modeling leathers - leather chaps and jacket, boots, riding gear. (Please note I wore a black turtleneck and black jeans beneath the leathers!) I was not a model; I belonged to a bike club sponsored by the dealership and agreed to help with the open house. At any rate, we met, and I recall a spark, though I did not acknowledge it at the time. Chris joined the club, and we became good friends. The friendship was a few years in, when we became aware that a spark was beginning to light into more of a flame, and soon we knew a fire was burning. We would become more than friends.
Key to our successful marriage is that we were friends first. We LIKED each other, we held each other in high regard, with a mutual respect. We still do. This is a great basis for a twenty-seven plus year marriage and an even longer love story.
There was a time when starting a life together was uncertain. We purchased a Christmas ornament that was an enameled replica of a postage stamp and decided it was Our first ornament, commemorating the year we knew the friendship had become more. When we got to our first Christmas as a married couple, we began a tradition that we would always hang the stamp on the tree, together, before anything else. We have kept that tradition since 1996. 2023 was our twenty-seventh year to place the stamp on the tree, and every year I become verklempt. Every time. As I pack the tree away each year, the stamp ornament is carefully folded into tissue and placed on the very top of the box of the best ornaments.
For years, The B.O.B. was that wonderful guy who sent flowers for Valentine’s Day, Anniversary, and sometimes for no occasion at all. A practice I much appreciated. However, over twenty years into our marriage, I opened my own floral business and since, he has been too intimidated to send me flowers from another florist. I have since closed my floral business, but he is still hesitant to send flowers. It is probably just as well; I can be somewhat critical of arrangements from other shops.
We have enjoyed many wonderful dinners at fine places over the years, including The French Room, The Riviera (remember The Riviera?) Adelmos, Café Pacific. Even in the early years when Chris was introducing me to fine dining, I was not big on dinner out on Valentine’s Day. We would typically go before the fourteenth. I love a romantic dinner, but my sensible side kicks in. I hate the crowds and the hurried servings when dining out on Valentine’s Day. These years I am often known to simply prepare a nice supper at home, sometimes with tapioca (The Bear’s favorite) for dessert.
I remember a year we both gave each other the same card. This seemed indicative of our compatibility which was strong and has continued through the years. One copy of that card still resides on the front of our refrigerator.
We find as we grow on, the friendship has deepened, the love is richer. As we’ve grown older, our life has become quieter and ever more comfortable. Birthdays and Christmas have been more significant for recognizing our love and life than Valentine’s Day. Hearts and flowers and pink and red cards are sweet. As we’ve grown to this place with each other, Valentine’s gifts say “I Love You” no more than other days.
In 2022, I told The B.O.B. that I did not want jewelry (he likes to say “a trinket”) or even a dinner out for Valentine’s Day. We had been in our new home close to a year. I wanted to choose more trees for The Mildscape. We headed to our favorite nursery and chose two tall holly trees which put out berries for the chilly winter months. We look from our bedroom window in the morning and those red bits amongst all the green and the birds flitting in and out of the branches, bring us a shared joy.
We lead busy and separate lives. There is no one I would rather come home to and lay my head next to each night, nor anyone I’d rather spend time with. Evidence of our love and friendship.
Whether you are new Valentines, old, settled Valentines, or any status in between, I wish you and your special person a sweet Valentine’s Day. I wish you long, enduring days to share together, memories to hold forever. Celebrate at will!
FEBRUARY 2024 - REPRINTED FROM BLUE RIBBON NEWS
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