Wednesday, February 16, 2011

The Bridal Bouquet



If all I had done today was to pick these camellias and polished the wood of the place I set them upon and cleaned the face of my favorite madonna, it would have been a lovely day.
It would have been enough.

It was so much more and still is.

Sheets clean on the beds, line-hung and dried. Kitchen floor swept and mopped. Counters cleared a bit. Hallway dusted, swept. Library, same. Jackets and sweaters collected from chair backs, washed and hung up in closets.
Rugs washed. Eggs gathered. Trash taken.

There is more to do and some of it, I will do. All day I have let myself go to whatever task I wanted, being directed not by sense or order but by desire and pleasure.

And as the sun sets I will do the same until I do not want to do it anymore and then I will stop and make a supper for myself, my man in town to play cards.

It has been perfect and I have been content and as at peace as I have been in a very long time.

There are those of us who must have solitude and it is no shame to admit to being one of them.

As much as I love those whom I love, and it goes without saying that there is no end to what I feel for them- to find myself, to restore my very soul, I need days like this.


They are the very dirt which my being springs from. They are the chicken poop that fertilizes my soul.

Mmmmm.....

Chicken Poop For The Solitary Soul.

There may be a book in there somewhere.


Here's a secret- the wisteria has tiny, tiny closed-fist buds.
Shhhhhhh....
The figs as well.

My god, it has been a day of loveliness.

22 comments:

  1. I am one for solitude as well. I need space, quiet and peace so that where I can regroup.

    I am glad your day went as you wished Mary. I only would like you to spread some of your energy my way...I could use it.

    What is for dinner tonight?

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  2. I too love a day like that. I love the simple pleasure of clean floors beneath my feet, and the solitude it takes to create them. Glad you had a quiet, soothing day.

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  3. What a wonderful day, Mary, and your words have a grace for the work.

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  4. Ellen- For dinner- ah! I finished my cleaning and cut up strawberries and rhubarb and added sugar and cornstarch and made a topping of oats and ground almonds and sugar and butter and flax and flour. It is in the oven now. And for the "real" supper- I am boiling tiny potatoes and have leftover venison meatloaf and salad with arugula from the garden.
    Will that do?

    Lora- It was the best.

    Kathleen Scott- Thank-you, dear woman. Have you been out in the yard today in your lovely gardening boots?

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  5. For me, the best solitude is when you have hours, even days at at stretch to do as you please, but you know someone you love, who loves you back, will be coming home at the end of it. That's when my soul breathes deepest.

    Oh, those flowers are lovely. The red sings.

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  6. Angella- Exactly. If cleaning my house was my life I would die of boredom. But knowing that he will be back and enjoy what I have done makes it more of a holy thing.
    And the red- ah, honey. You should meet it in person.

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  7. oh it has been a long day. may i sit beside you in that memory laden kitchen and just drink you in???

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  8. rebecca- Here. I am holding out my arms, guiding you to this chair. Sit.

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  9. Making me homesick. Disney is kicking my ass.

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  10. Oh yummy dessert--- I can just imagine how good it smells. And those beautiful camellias. What bounty. What goodness.

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  11. Ah, I love your book title. It'll sell. Glad you got fertilized a bit today. The flowers are lovely and so are you. I did think of you as I shook my rugs and mopped my floors. It was good to get things done today, while the sun shone.
    XO

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  12. i love the way you describe this and entered it.
    i know just what you mean.
    perfect.

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  13. The flowers are so beautiful...all that glorious color!

    Your day sounds great to me too. I'm really starting to miss my Fridays at home alone. Makes me want to kick myself for agreeing to go to work another day a week.

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  14. I need some solitude more than anything right now. But I feel so guilty taking time from my family after a day of work. So I put 'my' time aside.

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  15. I am a solitude kind of gal too, so I really know what you mean.

    And the chicken poop book - copyright that title NOW!!

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  16. Stephanie- Disney. Well. It's supposed to kick your ass until you give up and hand them your credit cards to do with as they will.

    Rebecca- And more are blooming today.

    A- Indeed! Bounty!

    Mel- And I thought of you.

    Bethany- Thank-you, dearheart.

    Mel's Way- Money is good. Time is precious.

    Angie- You can't give if you have nothing of yourself to give.

    Jill- Ha!

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  17. So glad you had a day of renewal.

    Love,

    SB

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  18. I need my solitude as well. It is lovely here and promises to be a wonderful weekend too.

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  19. I love my solitude. Don't you feel great when all that cleaning's done. And camelia's are my favourite. Love your new banner and profile picture xx

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  20. That last picture was perfect.

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