Sunday Dinner: Courage

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“We believe in ordinary acts of bravery,

in the courage that drives one person

to stand up for another.”

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Veronica Roth

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“Your strength doesn’t come from winning.

It comes from struggles and hardship. 

Everything that you go through

prepares you for the next level.”

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Germany Kent

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“I love to walk.

Walking is a spiritual journey

and a reflection of living.

Each of us must determine which path to take

and how far to walk;

we must find our own way,

what is right for one may not be for another. ”

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Edie Littlefield Sundby

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“I am the bended, but not broken.

I am the power of the thunderstorm.

I am the beauty in the beast.

I am the strength in weakness.

I am the confidence in the midst of doubt.

I am Her!”

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Kierra C.T. Banks

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“I know that the future seems hard and scary,

but it will get better, I promise.

It’s time for you to move on.

Get going.”

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Asper Blurry

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Photos by Woodland Gnome 2018

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WPC: Inside a Bud

I remember looking at the swelling buds on trees in late winter, when I was a child, and wondering what was inside.

I may even be guilty of trying to “dissect” one or two along the way…

Budded branches from a pear tree.

Like so many things, the insides are a mystery, and the unfolding appears magical.  How could all of those beautiful flowers and shiny green leaves be packed into such a tiny, tight bud?

A newly assembled arrangement of budded branches cut on March 9, a little more than a week ago.  Here the pear branches mix with peach and Forsythia.

The buds of every different tree and woody shrub open somewhat differently.  They all unfold on their own schedule.

Forsythia buds opening after only a few hours inside the warm house.

From earliest Forsythia and Witch Hazel; through Magnolias, Cherries, and Bradford pears; until finally the Dogwoods and Azaleas of April open; the weeks of spring bring us a constantly changing, colorful garden.

Here is a tiny glimpse “inside” the buds of Forsythia, pear, and peach flowers.  Notice how quickly the leaves open behind the flowers, especially in the warmth of indoors.

We have had a mix of sleet, rain, and snow here today.

The ground is white in places, and the deck furniture shivers beneath a frozen glaze pebbled with sleet.  The temperature is dropping out there now, and our Daffodils and Crocus are frozen in their own jackets of ice.

But inside it’s spring.  Our forced branches continue to open and treat us to their beauty, changing and growing from morning to evening each day.  Come take a look inside their opening buds.

Photos by Woodland Gnome 2014

Opening

In Bud

Signs of Spring