flowers | janbeek

Loving One Another

Posts tagged ‘flowers’

I Love Good Art

“Good art is as close as people get to overcoming mortality.”
Nick J. Wood

How do we recognize “Good Art”?

Nick J. Wood wrote on his WordPress blog, Artfully Bridging The Ages — The Nature Of Art,
“… although the styles of expression change, it is the way it (art) touches the inner-self, the part normally obscured by mundane routine that confirms it as having artistic value.”

Architecture is art as much as creating sculptures or painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. I believe “good art” preserves history in a myriad of ways.

Sewing is an art. I have a quilt hand-sewn by Bob’s mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother in 1933. Talk about history preserved!

Photography definitely is an art. The way it preserves history is evident.

Yes, art takes on many forms; and artists come in every color, age and size. Who decides if you are an artist or not?

Is poetry an art? Nick J. Wood posted this video on his blog. I love the poem and the voice recording it. Listen! You’ll love it, too.

How about gardening? Is it an art? Ask my friends, Lexi Sundell or Nancy Smrka, with their greenhouses… They’ll tell you! Ask Bob as he tends our spring flowers.

What about cooking? Yes, they call it “culinary arts” for a reason! My son-in-law, Andre’ is a chef who creates the most delicious, artistic plates imaginable. (This isn’t one of his… but you get the idea)

Music is an art, too. Through their gift of song and instrument, musical artists live on long after they have left this earth. Karen Carpenter died young. She suffered from anorexia. But she has overcome mortality – her voice lives forever in my heart.

Karen Carpenter
“How Could Anyone Mean More to Me than You?”
“One Love”

I love good art –
art in all its many forms.
And I love artists.
They are so predictable …

Hah! Don’t be fooled. This is a cute little cartoon/meme, but with artists being as diverse as they are, believe me, they are ANYTHING but predictable!

Here is an artist I love. He has a special spot in my heart. He and his wife, Lexi paint, garden, make jewelry, and create art by their very existence. Bernie Sundell is one of the first persons we met when we moved here. He helped Bob select and buy and go to Idaho Falls to buy his drift boat. He tutored him on rowing and casting and catching fish on the Madison and he painted a fabulous picture of Bob that hangs in our dining room. Here’s artist, fisherman, friend Bernie:

And here is the painting of Bob on the Madison River.
Bernie created it after one of their memorable outings.
It’s a beautiful rainbow trout –
but here it’s only catch and release!
Toss it back in, Bob!

Can you see why this painting
touches my “inner self”?
Bob & Bernie will live immortally in it!

Do you have a favorite form of art?
A favorite artist?
Do you create art?
Tell me about it.

Have a Terrific Tuesday.
See ya later.
JanBeek

Category:

art, Fishing, flowers, food, friendship, Love, Montana, photography, relationships

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One Small Act

If you see someone
Who desperately needs your help,
Of course you’ll reach out.

But most people seem
Afraid to really let on –
They hide what they need.

Too proud to reach out,
They act like everything’s fine.
Sharpen your feelers!

Reach out secretly.
It’s like that wine meme I saw:
Make it a fun game!

Hah, I did just that!
But was surprisingly caught!
Yup, laughter is good.

What is one small act
You can do to cheer a friend?
How about a card?

When you mail a card to a friend,
consider inserting a tea bag or a seed packet.

Lord, make me a channel of Your peace…
This is Susan Boyle at her best –
So pure, so sweet, so inspiring.

To be loved – as to love with all my soul –
It is in giving to all that we receive –

Where there is darkness,
Only light;
Where there is sadness,
Ever joy!

Virtual Hugs to you
from me and my daddy!
Hah! I used to have dark hair like his was.

See ya tomorrow.
Thanks for visiting JanBeek.

What’s that “One Small Act” for you today?
Tell me!

Category:

blessings, Family, flowers, friendship, Giving, Haiku, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, music, peace, Poetry, relationships, Serving One Another, Sharing, writing

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Monday Musings

It’s already past noon here. I really needed that Monday morning coffee!! It was a really different kind of Mother’s Day yesterday.

We couldn’t travel to see our son and family in California.
And they couldn’t come here.

We couldn’t fly to see our daughter and family in Switzerland.
And they couldn’t fly here.

We couldn’t even go into the Madison Valley Manor nursing home to give our friends there a hug.

BUT, we could go and see our dear Elaine Forsberg through the window! And the CNA came to the door and took my balloons and delivered them to three dear friends there: Elaine, Phyllis and Kitty. The latter two couldn’t come to the Sun Room to greet us at the window, but Elaine did. Yay!

It’s a sad sign of the times when this pandemic keeps us from the warm hugs that brighten our days. We will never take those hugs for granted again!

As a group of family and friends, we gathered outside the Sun Room window and sang “Happy Mother’s Day” to Elaine.

Elaine’s son and daughter-in-law, her daughter and son-in-law, and a few grandkids and friends braved the gray, cold, windy spring Montana day to cheer her. It cheered us, too.

“Whatever you bring into the lives of others
comes back into your own.”

My mom always told me that.
Did you hear that as a child, too?

That smile was worth a million bucks.

If I coulda done so, I woulda delivered a basket of tulips to each of the Manor residents… and I’d send a basket of flowers to each of you, too. Thank you, my blogging friends, for visiting JanBeek today. I hope you had a memorable, happy Mother’s Day.

Our daughter, DeAna (who lives in Switzerland), called on FaceTime yesterday. She and her “Mother-in-Love” Denise were having a glorious Mothers’ Day. My son-in-law, Andre’ and three grandsons made a fabulous dinner with a beautiful dessert for their mom/grandmama and even cleaned up all the dishes afterward!

DeDe and Andre’ are going through some tough times right now. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken away their jobs. They are weighing some difficult decisions about their future. I keep them in my daily prayers. Thank God for the Internet so we can stay connected.

Ty and Monika called us on one of those social media apps (FaceTime or WhatsApp …) and we had a wonderful chat. Their lives are kinda topsy-turvy right now, too. I hope you were able to talk yesterday with all the people who matter most to you, too.

It must be especially difficult for people like Phyllis’ daughters, Lisa, Avis, and Julie. Phyllis is one of my dear friends at the Manor Nursing Home. Her daughters are scattered states away from their mom – – – and unable to visit her right now. My heart goes out them.

There was a beautiful blog written about that very subject yesterday:

Audrey Kletscher Helbling, Minnesota Prairie Roots

The title of her post was: “Gratitude for Mother’s Day photos & the love of a rural Minnesota care center staff”. It was a lovely tribute to the care givers who are such a treasure!!

Take my hand, dear friend.
Let’s share and muse together.

What is on your mind
this Monday?

See ya later.

Category:

Aging Gracefully, blessings, Family, flowers, friendship, Giving, health, Life's Challenges, Love, peace, relationships, Serving One Another

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What the World Needs Now

What the world needs now
Is just a huge dose of love –
Oh, a few more things…

So many bloggers
Are giving us great ideas
About the world’s needs.

One thing is for sure:
We are all very needy.
What is it you need?

The world needs sweet love,
Not just one, but everyone.
What else do we need?

During this Coronavirus , we need to reach out.
Be the hands and feet of God on earth. He needs us to give:

food – to remove malnourishment
laughter – to remove anger
tissues – to remove sadness
rest – to remove fatigue
a clean bath – to remove dirt
chicken soup – to remove sickness
play – to remove boredom
conversation – to remove loneliness
prayer – to remove hopelessness
flowers – to remove dreariness

See how these flowers
Brighten the space where they are?
Share what you can give!

Even if all you have to give
is a smile,
Do not underestimate its worth!

What can you do now
To reach someone in kindness?
Make the world better!

I’m off to leave a pizza on a friend’s doorstep,
ring the bell,
and dash away.
See ya later!

Category:

blessings, flowers, food, friendship, Giving, God, Haiku, Living in Harmony, Love, music, Poetry, prayer, relationships, Serving One Another, Sharing

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The Change

It was a snowy, blowy day –
How the wind blew!
How the trees shook!
How the temperatures dropped!

It was a calm and blue-sky day –
How the icicles hung!
How the snow sparkled!
How the birds sang!

It was an emerging, awakening day –
How the earth breathed!
How the buds swelled!
How the world smiled in relief!

Spring is here!!

Praise God!
The daffodil tells us
The welcomed change
is here at last!

Have a Beautiful spring day.
Thanks for visiting JanBeek.

Tell me how the changing seasons affect you.
I love hearing from you.

Category:

flowers, Haiku, Love, Montana, nature, Poetry

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Remembering May Poles

The Way it Was

When I was a child at Bonita Elementary School in Crows Landing, California, May Day was a very special occasion. We always created a May Pole around the flag pole at the front of the beautiful, two-story brick building. We dressed in colorful clothes and practiced days in advance to be sure we knew how to weave the ribbons properly. Parents came to watch as students assembled in the front of the school. The band played. The principal spoke, and teachers did special art projects in the classrooms.

I especially remember Mrs. Horwedel, my 4th grade teacher, who had us go out into the fields near the school and pick wild flowers. Then we made paper baskets, filled them with the flowers, and created unique cards.

They weren’t as pretty as the one pictured here, of course, but we thought they were! Some of us took them home to give to our mom. Others hung them on a doorknob of a friend’s house as they walked toward home. (You hang it, ring the doorbell, and run to hide). It’s a surprise! A few decided to hang them on the door of a favorite teacher’s classroom.

Today’s World

In today’s world, there are few schools surrounded by fields with wildflowers, and buying flowers is too expensive. So, the tradition of the May Day baskets has pretty much gone by the wayside, right?

But May Poles didn’t cost much. Just a few bucks for some crepe paper or ribbon strips, and time to practice. I think it’s a shame that in most places we seem to have forgotten this day’s history and we have failed to preserve it.

History of May Day Celebrations

According to Wikipedia, “May Day is a public holiday usually celebrated on 1 May or the first Monday of May. It is an ancient festival of Spring^[1] and a current traditional spring holiday in many European cultures. Dances, singing, and cake are usually part of the festivities.”

Moving Forward

Let’s get back to dances, singing, and cake! Let’s reinstate the celebration of spring. Let’s recreate the May Pole. Let’s make it a part of our “new normal” once this VOVID-19 pandemic allows us to go back to our schools and hug our neighbors. What do you think?

I hope your day was a happy, memorable one.

What are your favorite May Day memories?

See ya tomorrow.
JanBeek

Category:

art, children, flowers, friendship, Giving, holidays, Living in Harmony, Love, Memories, relationships

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Just Blossom

Spring’s around the bend
It just turned the long corner
Yes, hooray, it’s here!

Some seek the ocean
Some will stay inside the house
Others will garden