Perennial Hope

"In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer." -- Albert Camus French-Algerian Nobel Prize winning author, journalist, and philosopher.

The preceding quote by Albert Camus has always been one of my favorites but it has never had more meaning to me than it does now.

While the team from Garringer Custom Flooring of Kearney is installing the new floors in the house on 30th Street, my days have been spent sanding and painting the rosettes. plinths, corner stakes, trim and baseboards that will be used to create the window casings, trim and baseboards in the house. 

Do those rosettes remind you of anything?  :-)


Each one of the rosettes, plinths, and other wood pieces will be sanded, painted with a primer coat and then sanded again to a smooth finish before it is installed and painted again.  This is definitely not work for anyone worried about their manicure, getting calluses or having old looking hands.  I've already worn out one pair of workman's gloves.

 This task may seem tedious and boring to some people but for me it has been cathartic and in many ways akin to the Buddhist practice of using singing bowls for meditation. I have found that there is something very rewarding about taking a piece of wood and sanding it to a beautiful smooth finish.  This week has also been a pleasure because I've been working outside and enjoying the view of a perennial garden coming to life.  I love perennial flowers because they are nature's way of reminding us that something that may appear dead for a season can come back to life in the spring. 

This year I missed seeing the crocuses and hyacinths and daffodils that my mom had planted in her yard. For me, they always signaled the return of Spring.  If they had bloomed before I left, I didn’t notice.  While I normally appreciate the peaceful stillness of winter,  this past one was simply dreary,  devoid of peace and seemingly endless.   
Seeing Spring blooms were among the simple joys that I feared had been lost to me forever.  It was nice to be reminded this week that seasons do change.  .

The following photos provide you with a quick tour around the gardens. Enjoy

Peonies

Clematis

Peonies

Bleeding Heart

Cottage Roses

Cottage Roses

Cottage Roses

Bearded Iris

For more photos of the garden and this home restoration project visit: http://photos.pamscoffeeconversation.com

Also, I've recently been inspired to relaunch my other blog Pam's Coffee Conversation. Trust me, it won't be the same. I've changed.   This time I'm be chronicling my foray back into writing poetry and fiction.   Stay tuned.