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I’m calling this blog post “Saying Good-bye to August in 3 Voices” because there are several sides to me and at times, I even confuse myself as to who’s talking when. This month I’ve been thinking a lot about that and decided to reflect on how best to define my situation to better calm my spirit. In no particular hierarchical order, the 3 voices presented include the gardener/wanna be a farmer voice, the creative expression voice, and the spiritual/meditative/wanna be with nature voice. So here goes.
Creative expression voice speaking: Because I’m in the midst of what’s called the long good-bye to a family member, I’ve made a couple of trips this summer to visit with her. Each time I come back home I’m a bit deflated but reflective. Bringing out my creative side helps calm the spirit. After one of those trips in July, I started on what I’m calling my Warrior II Yogini. By August 6, I’d hand sewed her together, layered the piece, but couldn’t decide how best to start the hand quilting. I asked a fiber artist friend who’s work I admire (https://kiangaart.com) for any suggestions. She said why not outline her body and go with the flow. I loved the idea and the stitching truly flowed with her body. I finished her August 11 with a necklace embellishment.
Gardener/wanna be a farmer voice speaking: Even though it was hot as hell, August started off nicely. The summer garden is winding down but still producing. August 2 brought forth a nice little harvest of okra, probably my last eggplant and tomatoes for the season, and lots of Thai hot peppers. Looks like I’ve, also, been picking the jalapeños too soon because got one real big one in the bunch today. On August 4 it looks like the tomato and eggplant are truly spent out. Zucchini maybe as well but one more is hanging in there. Baby cantaloupes are still growing. Harvest was bountiful with lots of sweet potatoes, Thai hot peppers, jalapeños, okra and 1 little zucchini.
By August 6 and throughout the next couple of weeks I continued to gather Thai hot peppers, jalapeños, okra, and sweet potatoes.
The August 22 harvest of okra is one that keeps on giving. Four jalapeño peppers, 2 green and 2 red, makes me wonder if seeds were mixed as was written in an article I recently read. Picture is taken with background of sweet potatoes in grocery bags curing in the kitchen window. Other picture is of August 21 and 22 harvests combined. The Thai hot peppers were so abundant that I started breaking off branches and picking them separately once inside the house by August 24.
This past Sunday I marveled at how okra flowers are still blooming, and my little cantaloupe patch has rebounded. And on August 31, this last day of the month, my summer garden is saying good-bye with a bang!
Spiritual/meditative/wanna be with nature voice speaking: You can’t see it too clearly, but this beautiful butterfly rested on my screened-in back porch door for a while on August 13. Seeing that butterfly lifted my spirit. Seeing how Emi has commandeered the top of the sofa as a favorite resting place touches me in the same way. Warrior II Yogini found her resting place on August 25 in my yoga/meditation room. Saturday, August 26, was a day of celebrating the homegoing of a very sweet soul, gone to her resting place too soon but we all will travel there one day. After closing out the day with my adopted family and friends, this amazing sunset followed me on my drive home. Sunday morning, August 27, greeted me with a soft cool breeze, much needed reprieve from the blistering heat. My outside mural, two towering crape myrtles and top-heavy hydrangea captured the moment. Last night, August 30, I stood outside in awe, careful to watch out for any nocturnal inhabitants, and watched the super moon light up the sky. And I guess Emi was knocked out by its luminescence.
This morning all 3 voices sat outside with me drinking a cup of coffee, enjoying another cool breeze, reflecting on all my dib 'n dab projects, grateful for another day and saying good-bye to August. Ya’ll have a good one.
