On Saturday, I made the “early service”.  It was both beautiful and glorious.  It matters little to me, whether it is over field or ocean,  I find daybreak to be holy.  It happens everyday-and always has, but this does not make it ordinary, nor lessen the grandeur of sunrise.  The choir of songbirds do not attend as they did before, and so in their absence, it is mostly silent.

It was so very cool and pleasant out.  I noticed the floss flowers were everywhere.  How pretty and daintily they grow, with their clusters of periwinkle blossoms.  I think all the floss flower needs is a handful of soil, for they grow everywhere they please.  The wind plants the seeds of the floss flower, and they “bloom where they are planted”.  I also noted the grass needs mowing again.  This is no small task at the  sprawling rabbit patch.  Rain is coming and I should mow today, I thought.  At least while mowing,  I can entertain lofty notions.  In the past, I have solved problems as I mow and written poems.  My loyal boxer, Cash will watch me mow, always on the alert, should I stall the engine.

I went in and put a pot of beans on.  I planned to make the popular vegetable burgers for my lunch this week.  The beans need to simmer a good while.  I eventually talked myself into mowing, while they cooked.

The sycamores are dropping the first of their leaves now.  The leaves are the size of a dinner plate.  If neglected, the leaves curl and form layer upon layer, deep enough to hide a small pony.   The grape vines are full this year.  Kyle has picked them several times, already.  The pecan trees are bare.  The chives are blossoming again.  They are the only herb in the garden, earning its’ keep, just now.  I use the blossoms to flavor all sorts of dishes.  The beauty berry bushes are claiming a fair share of the young woods.  What a striking contrast they lend to the countryside, with their branches laden with fuschia berries.  The “autumn joy” is splendid with the mauve spikes of colors.  I disturbed a small flock of butterflies as I mowed.  The phlox remains stalwart as ever.  I did not not solve a mystery today nor have any “big ideas”,  but the day was bright and beautiful . . and Cash said he loved me several times.  He came running when I stopped to move sticks.  Once I got stuck.  He watched me struggle and it made him nervous to see me in that predicament.  He moaned and pranced around til I had freed the mower.  When I caught a small stick in the blade, the mower made a harmless, but unfamiliar sound.  Cash ran and barked at me, til I stopped and dislodged the thing.  Other than that, Cash watched me mow every area, from a safe distance, in the shade of some old tree.

I did not finish mowing in time to see the local news. but the national news said a shift had lessened the amount of impact, here.  My heart goes out to those in the path of the storm.

A few new things transpired this week.  I am learning to play the cello.  I decided a few years ago that one day, I would.  I thought it would be a healthy and pleasant hobby.  The motion of the bow is opposite of the violin and the finger placement is different.  This has proven to be a challenge.  I am forced to think in a new way from the way I have thought when playing the violin,but it intrigues me greatly to do so.  Lyla started preschool.

Now everybody thinks this is grand-including Lyla.  Jenny is doing a part time  internship for school and the the nursery is just two mornings a week.  I do not know why, it has taken me so long to get used to the idea.  It does not affect my life nor change a thing-well, it means Lyla is growing up.  She has a back pack and a lunch box-and “school clothes”.  She already has a friend and a sweet teacher.  I have liked everything I have heard about the school, yet it means something to me and feels very significant.  Oh, it is a tiresome thing to have a very sentimental heart.

Dear Diary, I am glad for the bright beauty berry that fills the woods-and the floss flower that “blooms where it is planted”.  I am glad for mornings . . and I am especially glad for a good dog, that helps me tend this rabbit patch.

 

It seems a lot longer than four days, since I watched Lyla play by the pink ocean water in the shine of a silver moon.  There has been a good amount of details, to tend, since our holiday, at the beach.  There is a hurricane to watch, after all.

Waiting, in general is not a passive state, as I used to think.  There is an art to waiting without desperation.   I have practiced waiting a lot in life and find to preserve my sense of well being,  I remind myself, often, that things happen when they ought to.  Waiting for a hurricane,  takes a lot of  energy in several aspects.  I am storing water and am well stocked with all sorts of flashlights, lamp oil and candles.  I have bought food that doesn’t require refrigeration.  We will use the grill for cooking what we can.  Thankfully, the rabbit patch does not flood.  The creeks will rise and close the road off in both directions,  but in all the time I have lived here, I have never had to even wade in the yard.  Of course, there are the old trees that stand like warriors, all over the territory.  If one goes down on the old farmhouse, I will be “between a rock and a hard place” immediately.  It has been raining off and on for weeks, so with the ground , already wet,  I must consider the trees.

Currently,  the path of the storm is just unpredictable, so we all do what we can and hope for the best.  In the past,  we have lost power for up to two weeks during a hurricane.  I washed clothes as my great grandmother did and hung them on a line to dry.  This took all morning.  We took showers in the privacy of the “Quiet Garden” using a water hose.  This was a hard time for many folks.  Christian and I fared better than most as we wrote poems and played music to pass the time.  Reading was very difficult, but we managed til, the lamp oil was running low.  I hope we do not face these circumstances again, but I can hardly complain, in light of the suffering of others,  I have seen. 

 For now, September at the rabbit patch has felt like a visit from an old friend. Every year, September arrives and  dependably brings relief from the heat and humidity of summer.  Days are bright  -or stormy.  Mornings are golden-or foggy.  Marigolds and chrysanthemums will join the geraniums on the porch. The Autumn Joy,  given to me by Miss Susie, years ago, will deepen in color and the zinnias will fade.  Shade will gradually grow sparse and at some point, trees will give up the secrets of spring, as the robins’ nest will be in plain view. . .and full of old leaves and pine straw.

Soft throws will adorn chairs and sofas in the old farm house. Now, that it is September,  nights are just a tad longer and a tad cooler, too.  This morning, I wore a light jacket to work.  Even the kitchen table bears witness to the prelude of autumn.  Already, I have made a large pot of steel cut oats with a generous amount of cranberries and apples.  The cabinets are stocked with dried beans for supper on chilly evenings.  It will not be too long before roasts smothered in gravy and freshly baked bread is served on Sunday. . .September changes the world at the rabbit patch, slightly but surely.

I sit now, at the morning table as twilight falls over Farm Life.  Everything is hushed, both wild and tame.  The kitchen table , with its’ flashlights, oil lamps and stored up water  is the only sign that the peace can be disturbed.  Meanwhile, the bright moon is rising over the oldest barn and casts a milky shine on the countryside.  The air is as still as it has ever been and smells faintly sweet.  There are only a few stars out, but they are  a fair sight to behold.  The beauty of this night in September, fills my heart and leaves little room for things like burdens and worry.  The moment is comforting like  the love of a mother and as dependable as a steadfast father.  Somehow, all my needs-and more, are met . . . and “hope does spring eternal”  . . .especially, in September, while the moon shines brightly.

Dear Diary, I am glad for September with its’ pink ocean water and the moon shining brightly.  I am glad for the still and silent evenings.  I am glad for the refreshing coolness.  I am glad for the  slight but beautiful change in the rabbit patch that happens in September . . .and the chance to wait, hopefully.

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I left school on Friday and headed for Elizabeth City.  I had not seen Lyla in  almost three weeks, and it felt like longer.  I had  bought a full tank of gas on Thursday, as already some stations were out of it.  I was quite determined to get to the village by the laughing river, before the next storm came through.  . .and thankfully, I did.

 The sky over the village was gray and so was the river water.  This made the village seem quiet and sleepy.  No one was out to see the magnolia still in bloom nor the dogwoods first red leaves.  Lamps burned brightly in the windows of the  quaint cottages, as well as the stately manor homes.  What a pretty picture it made.  The little bridge was already sparsely covered in water, by the time I crossed it .  The large flat rock, that Lyla had wanted to nap on, in July, was hidden under the gray water, like a sunken treasure-and to me it was just that.

It wasn’t too long, after I arrived, that Lyla and I were watching it rain, from the porch.  The constant wind was cool and sometimes blew raindrops on us.  The rain was silver in the light of the street lamps and it fell generously on the “just and the unjust” as it is written.

On Saturday, conditions were the same, as had been  predicted.  This did not stop us from making some last minute plans to go to the beach.  The Atlantic ocean is just thirty minutes or so from Elizabeth City,  and so in good faith that the sun would shine, Will, Jenny, Lyla, Miss Claudia and I  packed a few things and we were off to the seaside.  As it turns out, Miss Claudia is a great traveling companion.  She stopped by a bakery and purchased lemon bars and cheesecake bars before she left Elizabeth City.  On the way, she stopped at a roadside shop that had fresh peaches and watermelon.  There was also a bakery that sold fresh bread and pecan pies.  She bought pear and fig preserves for the bread.  Well, that made a difference, in the state of our affairs. 

The sun was shining brightly on Sunday morning.  After breakfast, Jenny and Will walked to the beach, with Lyla.  It is a short walk, comparable to my walk to the oldest barn on the rabbit patch.  I joined them later.  The beach was not as crowded, as I had expected.  Kites were soaring and umbrellas of every hue lined the shore.  It was a happy scene to view.  Lyla played in the sand and loved the kites.  I loved the yellow butterflies.  They were everywhere.  How beautiful they were fluttering above the ocean.  They looked like confetti, I thought.  When I got back to the cottage, I learned they were  named cloudless butterflies and were preparing for migration to Florida.  Whatever their plans,  I was glad to have seen them on their merry way to somewhere.

After spending the morning on the beach, we opted for a picnic on the top deck. From there, we could see the ocean over the dune, and smell the salt air.  The “Joe Bell” flowers dotted the landscape .  The bright yellow and orange blossoms looked so dainty that it was hard to believe that they could survive on sand and wind full of salt-but they do, dependably.  The cottages along the shore are all shades of blue, from lavender to periwinkle.  There are also pink ones and turquoise, yellow-well almost every color can be found in a short distance.  Trees do not grow so tall and the birds do not resemble the woodland birds, I am used to.  It is such a different world, just a short drive from the laughing river.

Will and Jenny took Lyla to visit friends, after the picnic.  Miss Claudia and I relaxed at the cottage.  I spent some time sitting in the sunshine, much like the habit of  my cat, Christopher Robin.  I tried not to think of anything, except the warm sunshine and the soft cool breeze that was blowing.  It worked-and I nearly fell asleep. Later on, Miss Claudia ordered us plates of  fresh seafood and her first cousin, Vivian and husband Val came.  They have a cottage just a few miles away.  (Vivian reads the Rabbit Patch Diary) I found them delightful and friendly folks.

In late evenings, Lyla and I would walk to the beach to see the moon.  It was an almost full moon, we saw last night.  The sky was pink after sunset.  The ocean followed suit, and for a while, appeared the water was pink while a silver moon was rising.  It was a beautiful sight.  The waves weren’t causing the same commotion they had earlier, but instead, broke gently.  The crashing sound of the waves was now more like  a contented purr.  Lyla ran about in complete freedom, as the only other folks on the beach, were some fishermen in the distance.  We lingered on the shore, til it was dark and Lylas’ hair was full of sand.  We walked back to the cottage hand in hand.  Neither of us said anything.  Holding hands was enough.  Miss Claudia had the porch light on, like a beacon, welcoming us back.  

Sometime today, we will head inland where mockingbirds sing and trees are tall and mighty. . .where fields lie golden and silent.   . .and the leaves of the dogwood are turning red.

   Dear Diary, I am glad for oceans and silver moon shine.  I am glad for the yellow butterflies of September . . and kites with long dancing tails.  I am glad for a world with sandy beaches strewn with shells and . . . tree lined sidewalks where acorns fall .  

 

 

Schools are closed today due to a tropical storm.  I got up early anyway.  It was raining  at daybreak, as it is now.  Lamps will stay on all day at the rabbit patch.  Still, I did not find the early service gloomy, in the least.  I do not mind a housebound day.  Instead, I felt grateful for shelter.  The storm did not seem threatening at the “high and dry” rabbit patch, but I knew the city streets were flooded enough to stop the school buses.  

I put a pot of navy beans on and found an old black and white movie to watch.  Mrs. Miniver, has always been a favorite of mine.  During an intermission, I wrote a poem bidding farewell to the summer.  Kyle, being a landscaper, is home today-Christian too, so this makes for a cozy affair at the old farmhouse. . .and so I made a big breakfast.  . .and made plans for supper.

 By noon, the wind started blowing.  It was just enough wind to get your attention.  The sycamore held on to its’ leaves for dear life, it seemed.  In a fortnight, the tree will drop them without mercy.  I stationed myself at the morning table and watched the wind gusting over the territory.  There was a heavy mist swirling in the cool moving  air.  Cash and Christopher Robin  were curled up together for a nap. What a picture of contentment, they were.  I thought how precious  home and hearth  really are.   

 On such days, I think of my friend, Rae.  Rae, like me, loves a day like this. Rae and I love a lot of the same things.  She and I share a friendship- along with Janet, that has spanned about three decades.  We watched one anothers’ children ramble in the woods,  collect sticks and rocks, and chase chickens-and then go on to become lawyers, dentists, landscapers and more.  Several of them, are parents themselves, now.  We have consoled one another when loved ones were lost.   . .parents and husbands, alike.  Words can not do justice to the ties that bind us.

Even without an agenda, I did manage to complete a few tasks today.  Thankfully, the house has remained orderly, since the huge summer project of decluttering. I feel like I am practicing the art of downsizing already.  I never knew how satisfying it would be, to have fewer possessions.  It is truly very liberating.  . .and I highly recommend it.  

We ate supper early-but darkness fell shortly after.  The wind slowed down and the rain stopped altogether.  There wasn’t a single star to make a wish on, when I went out.  It didn’t matter one iota to me.  I was rested, dry and had eaten well.  The roof did not leak and all of the trees were standing-so was the old barn.   Had I seen a star . . .I would have wished every one in the whole world, could say the same thing.

Dear Diary,  I am glad to have sweet memories  to remember in leisure hours.  I am glad for a home, and all that dwell in it.  I am glad for wind without malice and gentle rains that fall on field and flower  . . .on an ordinary day, in very late summer.

I made the “early service” this morning.  I saw for myself, the birth of the day.  It was nothing short of grand.  . .and it never fails to stir my heart.  For me, the sunrise is a holy time.  I feel like I have been to “the Church in the Wildwood”, as I sang of in my youth, when I see the first light of day. 

When my grandmother lived here, she would laugh when I walked in, from attending the “morning service.  I would come in the kitchen saying things like “I am going to wash the curtains, and paint a garden bench, then I will make a cake . .”  and on and on I would go, as I was just so full of hope for the day.  I have not changed much, since my grandmother passed.  I still have my lofty notions, in the early morning. . .and today is no exception.

After the Early Service

My friend, of almost thirty years,  Janet  was hosting a gathering this morning.  We listened to a presenter talk about essential oils.  Another dear friend, Rae went too.  I have known Rae as long as I have Janet, and so for me, it was an especially happy occasion.  I met two ladies, that read the Rabbitpatch Diary- their names were Judy and Jenny, a delightful mother and daughter.  They hugged me and about made me cry.  It was “the icing on my cake”. After the presentation, we had conversations about living simply and ways to be kind to the earth, as we traipse about in our lives.  It was all quite interesting – and appealing to me.  The earth is everybodys’ mother, after all. 

I am not sure if it was the energizing peppermint oil or “keeping good company”, but I came home and started mowing .  There was a cool breeze blowing , so much that a few yellow and sometimes red, leaves came unfastened  from the trees in the young woods.  Also in the air, were butterflies.  They seem to love the loosestrife, that is blooming.  I saw the  first blooms of  the ageratum, also known as “floss flower” .  If fairies grew flowers, it would be the periwinkle ageratum.  The stalwart phlox blooms now -and will til frost. . .and the lantanas are full of little multi colored clusters.  They may be my favorite.  One single ginger lily has opened and others are promising to follow suit.  My affection for the fragrant lily is unwavering after a decade, now.    Beauty berry is claiming a fair share of the woodland.  Not one rabbit should go to bed hungry because of that.  They can also eat fallen grapes, as this year the vines are full.  The hours passed sweetly as no matter the direction, I glanced, there was something  beautiful to behold.  .  .some picture to tuck in my heart, for a cold night in January. 

Tomorrow, for the first time in a while, I am having Sunday dinner.   I have a pork roast thawing now and plan to have stringbeans and potato salad.  I will fry cornbread as thin as I can make it, and Mama is bringing an apple pie.  Just the prospect of it, makes my heart well up in gratitude.  Few things in life are more satisfying  for me, than loved ones gathered around a table, sharing a bountiful meal.

 When late evening fell, I went out, as usual, to say good night.  The air was very cool.  There were a good many stars out, but you couldn’t see a million.  The stars  that were out, looked as big as I have ever seen them.  The big dipper was right over the barn and the dog stars were over a pine.  The pines whispered softly in the breeze and I thought from start to finish, this day had been generous.  I lingered longer than usual, listening to the serenade of the wind and trees , and gazing at the masterpiece above me, while the lone ginger lily lent its’ fragrance in the air.  I felt like Love was coming at me and through me, from every direction . . and it was beautiful. 

Dear Diary, I am glad for woodland flowers and berries .  I am glad for friends, old and new.  I am glad when the air is full of butterflies and fragrance. I am glad for  the whispering pine trees and stars that shine boldly.   . .and I am glad to know that a single lily and a few bright stars can change the world.

 It is the time when garden spiders spin  and fog hides the morning like a well kept secret.   I am slowly , but surely slipping back into a routine.  Going back to work, means I must adhere to a schedule or else I am quickly , but surely sinking.  Gone are the Tuesday mornings spent feeding wild geese and farewell to meandering by the “laughing river”  in the early afternoon.  Picnics and tea parties, likewise.  I sorely miss lingering over coffee with Jenny in the mornings.  . .but all is not lost.  I have found beauty abounds no matter the circumstances.

I get home at a very reasonable hour.  I drive through the countryside, past fields, now gilded in gold- and quiet pastures.  I come home to  a jolly “welcome wagon”.  Cash, my boxer acts like my return is the best part of his day.  Christopher Robin, my very sweet cat,  purrs in contentment.  After they greet me, both run to their food bowl and snack.  I spur into action.  I put on a load of a laundry every day, not long after I walk in the back door.  In this way, I never get behind on the washing.  Next, I start  the supper, planned the day before .  I do a few simple chores, saving the heavy cleaning for the week end.  This time of the year, that includes mowing. In a fortnight, there will be leaves-a lot of leaves, and small fires in the evening.  

This may not be the life, that I dreamed of in my youth,  but it  is a happy one and I am glad for it.  In my youth, I could not have known the satisfaction of  a good evening meal on the table nor the  happiness in having clean sheets on the beds.  I did not think about gardens and flowers.  How was I to know, that what I sought to be clear of,  would call me back so tenderly .  . . that the life my parents had shown me, was so very worthy.  . . that “landing on a rabbit patch”  would render all sorts of riches that were beyond my “wildest dreams”.

I suspect, all of the business, of downsizing- and therefore facing a new season, has certainly been a factor in my pondering.  At first, I felt like I was fourteen again, and life as I knew  it, was changing.  I felt awkward and unsure of how to proceed.  I so love familiar.  . .but now, I dare to dream again, this time with a feeling of assurance.  Life has a way of defining what matters to you, after all.  I tend to want things to “hurry up”.  I am so very curious, by nature.  Yesterday,  I was making an agenda of what tasks lie ahead at the rabbit patch.  I wondered again, when things will change and where will I end up?  It came to me, that today, at this moment, I was right where I ought to be.  Maybe, there is something more to learn or something more I need to receive.  It could be, that there is something more I need to give.  This comforted me greatly  for I know Who holds today  . . and tomorrow.  

Tonight, is especially peaceful.  The air is cool and the night choir is singing in hushed tones.  There is a scarce splattering of stars.  They shine like a kings’ silver-for in truth they are.   Cash and Christopher Robin are dozing by the morning table as I write.  It is a beautiful moment in a beautiful season-I am  certainly in the right place . . and  at the right time.

Dear Diary,   I am glad  for silver stars and quiet pastures.  I am glad for all seasons . . . .  I am glad for my beautiful life.   

 My summer has officially  concluded.  I went back to work on Thursday.  The children return next week.  They will come back with all sorts of tales.  Many will have grown remarkably and some will have lost teeth. . .but for now, teachers are  attending meetings and cleaning the classrooms.  

I came home on Friday evening with plans to start painting the living room, this week end.  I had been home a couple of hours, and was already in soft, comfortable clothes, when my son Tres called.   Now, Tres is extremely analytical, by nature.  He is a researcher, always seeking facts.  He is a devoted and dependable son . . and apt to put together lofty plans at a moments notice.  He called to say he was about thirty minutes away from the rabbit patch and wanted to pick me up for an overnight stay in Elizabeth City.  I leapt into motion as if I weren’t the least bit tired and the living room was not dull at all.  I am a practiced packer by now, so I was ready when Tres arrived.  The hour long trip went along quickly and I thoroughly enjoyed having a visit with Tres without distractions.  When we walked in the kitchen door, Lyla ran to me and tarried in my arms a good while in silence.  All was right in the world, I thought.

We woke up on  Saturday, and made our way to the porch, before breakfast.  By nine am, we knew to expect another very hot day.  The humidity was about unbearable.  Such weather is every bit as confining as any day in January, so we stayed in most of the day.  Around three, a quick shower brought some relief.  When the weather cleared, I went across the street to visit with Miss Thelma.  I carried her a glazed coffee mug with a rooster on it, filled with strawberries.  Miss Thelma is a big fan of pretty glass, roosters and strawberries, so she was quite pleased.  I wondered how long it had been since, she had opened a gift.  She made as much fuss over the bag, as she did its’ contents.  She ate strawberries while we talked.  I was glad to find out that she had a ninety year old brother, in Ohio.  They talk on the phone at six pm every day.  Miss Thelma was very excited about a covered dish dinner at her church the next day.  I have already decided to bring her supper, the first chance I get.  We exchanged addresses and I am looking forward to having a “pen pal”.  The art of writing a letter is all but lost in our modern times and that saddens me.  

My cousins and I wrote letters to one another when I was a child.  In those days, children did not “idle on the phone” and if you called anyone living just thirty minutes away, it was “long distance”,-and those calls cost beyond the monthly bill. .  . .so we all wrote letters, up til thirty five years ago.

Tres and I did not leave on Saturday, as planned.  Instead we did not leave til Sunday, not long after noon.  Tres had not seen Lyla in a fortnight, and he was surprized that she was talking in sentences.  Whenever Lyla lands herself in any sort of trouble, and especially if she is being scolded, she says with despair “Help me Honey Bee!” When she is hungry and her mother says “Ask  Honeybee for fruit, Lyla whispers “cake” in my ear on the way to the kitchen.  It is wonderful to be a “Honey Bee”.

Sunday was every bit as hot as Saturday.   I missed walking around the village, but it was just too hot.  I seek to live every day in gratitude for the moments it brings.  . .but  it is difficult not to look forward to the first day that is cool enough to don a light jacket.  When the heat that wilts, outstays its’ welcome,  I look forward to autumn.

We left Elizabeth City after three.  It is always hard for happy gatherings to end.  We always wish we had one more day, no matter how long we stay.   On the drive home, I noticed the fields of corn laid golden now and morning glories were growing along the ditch banks.  Somewhere, a farmer was mowing a pasture and the scent of dog fennel and rabbit tobacco hung heavy in the air.  I remembered sitting on the pasture gate, watching Pop mow the pasture, as a child.  I was always melancholy, knowing I would soon have to go back to school, when the pasture got mowed.  I did well in school and had a great many friends, but life at school, paled in comparison to life on the farm. . .and you were never allowed to daydream in school.

When we pulled in the  drive, I saw that the loosestrife was starting to bloom.  My mama gave me this flower before she destroyed her bed of them.  She thought they took too long to bloom!  They do not bloom til August and she considered that late.  It still tickles me to think of that, but I do every year, when the purple blossoms fill up every nook and cranny of the territory.  

Tres did not stay long, as he had a long drive ahead of him.  I pleaded with him to drive carefully, as I always do.  In the evening, a haze muted the sunset.  The sun looked like a peach and was quite lovely.  The haze thickened, so that only a few stars were visible, when I went out to say good night.   . .and the smell of corn, was everywhere.

Dear Diary,  I am glad for sweet surprises.  I am glad for morning glories and golden fields.  I am glad too, for loosestrife-because it reminds me of mama.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am beginning to “sound like a broken record” . . . but, it is raining at the rabbit patch.  It is funny to me to say that, as that phrase may not be understood by younger readers, now.  I did not even go out last night to bid the day farewell.  It was raining .  Lightening flashed and thunder boomed, so I stayed in and made a cake, though it was an odd hour to do so.  Such things are permissible , in the last days of summer break.

I took a few more boxes to donate yesterday.  It baffles me to think of the amount of things that have left the rabbit patch!  In the future, I must avoid thrift stores, unless of course, I have a real need, of sorts.  I will  also avoid stores that sell pretty china and to the best of my ability, book stores.  It has been a difficult, but very liberating experience, altogether.   Peggy, a friend of mine plans to do the same thing and says she will only keep what “makes her heart sing”.  That is the spirit, I think.

While the old farmhouse is tidy, the territory is quite shabby.  The twin broken washers are still in the yard while the grass and weeds grow without shame in the soggy earth.  The roses have also gotten a “second wind”.  They are blooming along with black-eyed susans, rose of sharon and lantanas.  Ageratum is presenting itself with great fervor,  claiming every spare inch of soil .  I love ageratum with its’ periwinkle blossoms.  They are like the violets in early spring, that surprise me on the way to the clothes line.  Violets and ageratum are likely to be anywhere.  The ginger lilies , that I highly favor, are as full of buds as they have been in years.  The flowers are white and far from spectacular, but the fragrance of a ginger lily is unforgettable.

When the ginger lilies bloom , the neighbors will know, for the scent, while delicate, spreads like a wildfire, in the air.  I still remember the first time I encountered the ginger lily.  I was standing on the porch, on  a late August evening.  I could not rest until I discovered the source of this fragrance .  It seemed an impossible mission as the scent seemed to surround me.  Finally, days later, my neighbor, “Miss Jenny”  told me, it had to be her ginger lilies that I was taking such delight in.  She was an avid gardener and her yard was living proof of it. It took me a while to find the precious -and expensive lily, but I did and at last,  I have a nice stand of them in the little garden just outside of the back door. They are in good company with a  few roses, loosestrife, day lilies and a fancy variety of hydrangea that has turned a few different shades of pink, this year.

The morning glory vines are climbing every thing they can.  If they can not find a suitable post or unsuspecting bush, then the vine will sprawl like a ground cover.  In September, their “true blue” blossoms herald the approaching days  of autumn, in a cheerful fashion.

Fog blankets the countryside til late morning and sudden showers are likely to pop up at any given moment.  It is impossible to predict the right time to mow the rabbit patch, especially since it requires a fair amount of a day to complete. It is  often after noon, before the heavy dew has dried on the grass.  Wet grass clogs the mower and lies in awful clumps, long after the mowing.

 It seems shocking to me, as it does most years, that it is time to start back to school.  Hours and days pass without consistency.  If one is busy or having a grand time, then time is fleeting.  Gloom, worry  and idleness seem to extend hours.  The way of how time passes, seems to depend on circumstances. 

This past summer, for me  the hours were greatly varied.  I had to come to terms with where I am in my journey.  I am almost sixty, my children are all grown up and I live in a big old house , on the remnants of a farm.  I have a grandchild, that I adore.  I have learned a new way to love, because of her. I would rather be spending time with Lyla, and my future grandchildren than mowing all day.  I would rather see my sons more often and cook for my parents than stack wood.  In light of all of this, I have decided to “sell the farm”, long before I am desperate.   

There truly is “a Peace that passeth understanding”.  I know  this first hand, for I have felt this Peace.  Like a loving and loyal  friend , He has stood beside me and  has not allowed me to falter, whether I was packing books and china , cleaning a barn or whiling away time on the banks of the “laughing river”.     

So, seeds were sown this year, though their destiny remains a mystery.  Somewhere,  sometime, they will sprout.  By all means, I will continue The Rabbitpatch Diary,  for beauty and wonder does not limit itself to a single territory. . .nor a single season.

 

For days, rain has fallen on the rabbit patch.  The sun managed to bring a golden glow to the early service, and that was lovely.  It was a quiet time as not even the mockingbird sang.  The air was as still as it has ever been. I thought “Silence is golden” this morning.

After coffee, I went straightaway to the storage unit, which is on the property.  This is where Christmas decorations and  boxes of trophies my four sons earned in decades of soccer, are stored.  There are a lot of other things, too.  This is the same barn that housed the second broken washing machine.  I sorted through boxes and found some useful items for donation.  There was a new toaster amongst other things.  I quickly had a collection suitable for donation. I can only work in short spurts there, as I am apt to find something I have attached   a memory to and stop to cry, a bit.  I have always been sentimental.  The hardest job ahead of me, is removing the rack of my paternal grandmothers’clothes.  They are in pristine condition and ought to be in someones’ closet.  I attempted this a few days ago without success.  I know for certain, that my grandmother would chide me for such foolish behavior-and it does seem sinful, to withhold such nice things, that another may need.  Yet, when I hold the dress she wore to Christians’ baptism or a sweater she always wore at Christmas, I lose all sensibility and weep.  There isn’t a bit of logic in this, except that I am very, very human with a very tender heart.  Kyle and Christian are no better candidates for this than I am and if they cry . . .well, I will “take to the bed”.

In the Afternoon

By noon, everything had been collected and loaded.  I had worked mechanically and made good progress.  When, all was said and done, I realized how easy it had been to give the pretty china away, after all.

Kyle rode with me to drop off the many boxes.  It is a short ride down country roads to the church, where I sometimes donate.  In late fall, the church hosts the biggest yard sale in eastern North Carolina.  The money raised is used to put on an outdoor drama that is quite impressive.  There is no admission fee and folks come from out of state to see it.  

The countryside told a late summer story, as I drove through it.  It was illustrated with warm colored grasses wearing crowns of seeds.  The leaves on the trees were a dark green, unlike the light jade leaves in June. The still air rendered the trees stoic statues , on this day.  Here and there bright yellow wildflowers bloomed and many of the wild southern vines sported plum colored leaves. These are the clocks I abide by.  . . and they say it is late summer ,  

 It is supposed to rain today and the next several, as well.  I start work on Thursday.  Thankfully, the tasks left to complete at the rabbit patch are manageable.  Of course, I plan to cook and to finish Alcotts’  “Calico Bush”.  If all goes well, there will be an old classic film to watch.   . .or several.  I am debating about whether or not to paint the living room.  Of course, it is a large room . . . with a high ceiling.  In addition to a mild case of impetigo, fire ant bites and scratches from some hateful thorns,  I will probably return to school with paint in my hair, too. 

Dear Diary,  I am glad for silence and golden light. I am glad that the earth reminds us to be still and  I am glad for a grandmother, that lived-and loved well.  

 

On Friday Morning

The sky is brightening as I write this.  The “early service” was especially quiet this morning.  A mockingbird sang a solo.  It was the only sound in the countryside.  Christopher Robin sat quietly, almost reverently, beside me, while the little bird sang.  Light fell gentle, like a wafting feather, on the rabbit patch. Last night, there was a pink circle around the moon, I remembered.  It is going to rain today. 

Yesterday, I painted another closet.  It made such a difference in the guest room, that I couldn’t resist doing the same for the linen closet.  I continue to accumulate things to donate.  I took two boxes yesterday to a near by church.  It is quite easy to share, when you don’t need or really want something.  In fact, I am happy to be rid of the most things, I have given away.  How easy to be a “cheerful giver” in my circumstances. I was cleaning out the kitchen cabinets, when I came upon my “dessert china”  It is in a beautiful floral pattern, suitable for an autumn occasion.  I came upon it in a thrift store years ago.  I did not purchase the set off, but instead admired it for months,  The store owner noticed and gave me the history of “dessert china.”  It seems, in the fifties, women were apt to have a notion to make a cake or pie.  Friends were invited to gather  for coffee and dessert.  An Article in ” Good Housekeeping”  confirmed this.  I fell in love with the idea.  I bought the set, then and there.  This all happened about ten years ago.  I have probably used it a half-a-dozen times.  There it sat, occupying an entire cabinet.  Still, I bartered with myself about whether to keep it or not.  (I have a weakness for books . . and china.)  I thought of something a dear friend told me, once.  She said “Think that sometimes, we are meant to enjoy something for a while, and then to pass that opportunity, on to someone else.”  I took comfort in that truth, and so I mustered the courage to wrap the china carefully, for someone else.  It dawned on me, that maybe this was really, the first item, I had “given”.  It felt quite different, than donating the extra blender.  Right there, in the  humble abode of the rabbit patch kitchen,  I learned something of great value.   

In the afternoon, a kind neighbor came by with fresh okra and other vegetables.  She came with best wishes for my progress.  She did not want any credit for her generosity-but she is the one who grows beautiful flowers.

It was raining today, shortly after the “early service”-just as the moon said it would.  I decided to get my many spices in proper order.  Since I love to cook, I have large quantities of spices stored in mason jars with pretty labels . . .of course this task  led to the cabinet beside it ,  where teas and coffees are stored. 

I am hoping today, the washing machine, delivered yesterday will get hooked up.  I never let my laundry pile up.  There are now three heaps of it! It disheartens me to see it-so I just don’t look at it.    I do not glance to the left of the back door, either, as that is where the two broken machines are sitting in the yard. ..and right by a yellow rose bush and a patch of elegant ginger lilies.  

It is  just past noon now, and still  the rain falls steadily. Ever so often thunder is heard in the distance.  It is a friendly sound, without a bit of malice.  Whenever, there is a day such as this, I remember my grandmama  saying “I love you like rain”.

In the Afternoon

By four o’clock, I had eliminated the need of five cabinets in the kitchen- and a pot of soup was simmering for supper.  By four -thirty, I had also washed a load of clothes.  Oh how sweet the event of every cycle, was to me.  Maybe, “the third time is a charm” after all.  My next goal, is to get the two sitting in the yard, off the property.   

The soup was especially good.  I think the fresh okra, from the lady who grows beautiful flowers, flavored it nicely and paired well with the fresh corn, another main ingredient.  Even a pot of soup reflects the season.

I went out tonight, to a very dark territory.  The light left in the same manner it came . .  . without fanfare.   I love when light changes, no matter in what fashion.  I felt I was standing in a jungle as the frogs and crickets were carrying  on so.  The night choir was in perfect rhythm .   It seemed like the trees were singing.  How many members of this choir are there, I wondered.  It was quite mesmerizing, standing there in total darkness with the steady beat filling the air-I expected to go in to a trance at any minute.  I said good night , just in case and went in.  I had clothes to wash clothes, after all.

Dear Diary, I am glad that greatness can show up anywhere. I am glad for the lesson about giving , shown to me, in the rabbit patch kitchen.  I am glad for kind neighbors.  I am glad for rain . . . and I am glad for nights when it seems like the trees are singing.