Sequel to "Ripe Figs"

Summer was at an end and Babette was longing for some company. She remembered that Maman-Nainaine has promised her a trip to the Toussaint to see Tante Frosine when the chrysanthemums were in bloom.

Daily she strolled in the garden, tending to the dark green plants and looking for signs of bloom. Sighing, she came away disappointed. She felt the restlessness come upon her and she pondered Maman-Nainaine's patience. Perhaps, she thought, patience was learned over time, like the changing of the season's took time.

Time seemed to pass slowly, but one morning -much to her surprise and delight - orange blooms covered the garden. Babette thought that the beauty of the flowers was well worth waiting for.

The next morning -when Maman-Nainaine came down to breakfast in her usual stately way- Babette presented her with a porcelin vase full of chrysanthemum blooms. "Ah," said Maman, " "I see that the chrysanthemums have bloomed early this year." "Oh," said Babette, "I think so too."

"Babette,"said Maman, "we shall leave for Toussaint within the week." 'But the next visit shall be from your cousins and Tante Frosine when the holly is in bloom."

Wandering

When I first read Dominique Browning's editorial Wandering, my first reaction was to ask myself why anyone would choose to be homeless.
As I read the editorial a second time, I realized that home can be a state of mind. We are at home in what we are doing, or where we are at the present time.
According to Webster's Dictionary the words "at home" means, "relaxed and comfortable", "at ease","in harmony with the surroundings", "on familiar ground", and "knowledgeable".
The dove mentioned in the first paragraph of the editorial made her home in the trellis on his balcony. This is probably where the dove felt safe and secure at the time. Next nesting season she may choose a new location that makes her feel the same way.
The wanderer in the story was at home in his wandering, doing good deeds for others in every place he went. He was at home in his wandering. But in the end the wanderer confesses to having a warehouse full of things he collected from every place he was. Even he had thoughts of putting down roots someday.
In conclusion, my thought is, that even though home may be where the heart is, we all dream of making a permanent home.

What's In A Name?

Have you ever wondered what your name means, or the origin? I recently looked up the meaning of my name and discovered that it is actually French in origin, not Irish like I was told. My name does, however, appear under Gaelic and Hebrew.
My name is Maureen and it means "dark" in both French and Gaelic. It means "uncertain, bitter" in Hebrew. This meaning could apply to anyone. We all have dark moods, or feel uncertain or bitter at times.
I decided to look up the meanings of my children's names to see if the meanings of their names suited them. It was interesting to note that their names are also Gaelic or Hebrew in origin. Sharon is Hebrew for "The Plains." In the bible it is referred to as "The rose of Sharon." Sharon must have been a place and the rose was possibly the one thing of beauty among the plains. Doesn't every parent feel that their daughter is a rose?
The name Bryan is Gaelic in origin and means "noble, strong." This meaning also could apply to many people. I do, however, feel that my son is noble in character. He has also had to be strong in times of trouble.
The name Evan is originally Hebrew in origin and there is a Gaelic meaning listed also. The Hebrew meaning is "God is gracious," and "fair." The Gaelic meaning is "swift." God was gracious to give me a son that I did not plan on. He is also fair complected. But again, this could apply to many people.
It was interesting to learn the origins and meanings of my family's names, but I don't believe that one name or another is particularly suited to a person. I feel that no matter what name I had given my children, the meaning would have applied.

Our Fine Feathered Friends

I have always admired birds. Even as a child I was envious of the way birds could soar, and wondered what it would be like to have that kind of freedom. I used to swing as high as I could on the swingset and feel a sense of joy and freedom. I liked to think that I was experiencing what a bird feels in flight.
Every morning I like to sit outside on my deck and watch the birds. I put several bird feeders in my yard as well as four birdhouses. Pretty soon I noticed a variety of birds in my yard. In my observations I have noticed that the majority of species get along well with each other. They share the food, and more than one species will sit on a birdfeeder together.
I have watched the comings and goings of male and female partners building their nest together, taking turns sitting on the eggs, or the male bird feeding the female bird while she is sitting on the nest. I have witnessed the male and female raising their young together. They even encourage their little ones to take flight when it is time to leave the nest. Then they teach their offspring how to hunt for food and other survival skills. birds.
We could all take a lesson from birds. Male and female stay together, raise their childern together, and are kind to each other. If we all behaved this way our world would be a nicer place to live in.

Spring Garden

Every Spring I daydream about planting a vegetable garden. I think about all of the things that could go wrong. The hungry squirrels, rabbits, and birds in my yard might eat the plants and produce. I may be too busy-with work and household chores-to tend to the garden. I decided that this year, I would start a miniature garden on my deck.
I purchased a cherry tomato plant, two pepper plants, and a bag of potting soil. My deck gets an equal amount of sun and shade throughout the day; so I placed the potted plants where they would benefit from this. On the days that it didn't rain, I watered the plants.
The pepper plants died, but the tomato plant is thriving. Everyday it seems to have grown an inch or two. This could be due to the recent week of rain.
Yesterday I noticed that the tomato plant was covered in yellow blossoms. Hopefully, nothing will go wrong, and I will have plenty of cherry tomatoes to eat and share with my family.
I have decided to plant a miniature garden on my deck every spring. There is less work and worry involved this way.