Everything Is Possible

It's almost December and we have snow on the forecast again this week. I know I say this every season but how is it almost December already??! Of course I'm not prepared, with most of the garden unbuttoned and untidy right now. Sigh....

This year I'm trying my hand at growing dahlias. I ordered a bunch of tubers to plant in the spring and when I looked back over the order I realized I only got the ones that look like daisies! Then going over my garden plan as a whole, I notice that I am a magnet to the same shape: ~ dahlias, sneezeweed, coneflowers, sunflowers, daisies, all generally the same shape. And I delight in knowing that I'm drawn to these flowers subconsciously.

I've been dreaming about my spring garden too, starting my seeds. I'm rather new at seed starting and hope to improve my germination skills next season but man oh man, is there anything more exciting than watching seeds grow!? I can picture my daughter reading this and rolling her eyes (in a good way) because she has heard it from me in every way possible: "Life Kenzie is pure possibility. Look at this tiny, unassuming seed. Gah! It will become a ten foot sunflower!" I know I'm a broken record but at this point in my life what do I want? Now that I'm laser-focused on midlife and what that means? I want wonder. I want to be amazed. I want my heart to break open into a million pieces at the universe of possibility inside a freaking sunflower seed. 

“This is really why I made my daughters learn to garden—so they would always have a mother to love them, long after I am gone.”
― Robin Wall Kimmerer

Are you feeling the shift of the season in your neck of the woods? I love the ritual of putting on the flannel sheets, loading up the wood pile, and stocking the pantry with enough cookie ingredients to get me through the winter storm season. This is the time of year when I'm thankful for being able to sit by the wood stove, take a gardening book off the shelf and enjoy a cup of cocoa in comfort and contentment. I hope you are feeling safe and warm, and content in your enjoyment of the season too.

And speaking of being warm and safe, here is a favorite photo of Rocket, our first rescue dog. This picture sums up everything you need to know about what keeps him ticking. I blame his counter-surfing on his troubled puppyhood as a hungry underweight stray. Our Vet will attest that that definitely isn't the case now, lol. In the 5 years we've had him, he's successfully stolen more baked goods off the kitchen counter than I'd like to admit! It's hard to stay mad at him, though. When I see this giant dog all curled up small as a postage stamp, dreaming his dreams, with his legs running and his fur warming by the fire, I wonder at all the possibilities for love, connection and 'rescue' that abound in this world.