Busy as a . . .

The other day I noticed several bumblebees on the few remaining cosmos flowers because, unlike most bees I've seen, these bees were not flitting from flower to flower. They were curled up on the flowers and very still. They appeared to be . . . sleeping.



I'd never seen sleeping bees before, so I did a little research.

Bees do sleep.



Isn't it funny to think that the very creatures humans say they are "as busy as" take time to rest?



Maybe we could learn one more lesson from our busy bee friends and be as intentional about taking time for renewal and refreshment as we are about reaching goals.

The next time you're buzzing around thinking about how busy you are, perhaps you'll remember the bumblebees and take a moment or two to slow down for a bit. I think you'll be glad you did.

Doodling

I was delighted to read that a recent study shows that doodling can be a valuable tool for boosting memory.

When I was in college I discovered the joys of steno pads -- one side for taking notes, the other for doodling. I have continued to use steno pads -- and doodling -- to stay on track when I want to focus on information that is being presented.

For the longest time my doodles have looked like this:


Lately I've experimented with a more flowing style that looks like this:


and this:



This article discusses doodling as a creative process, and this site is for fans of doodling.

Next time you're in a meeting, waiting for someone, or talking on the phone, give doodling a try -- I think you'll like it.

July showers produce . . .

Since July has been quite a bit more rainy than previous months, I have enjoyed walking around my yard to see what has been growing there.

Catnip

The first thing I found as I walked out of my back door was a blooming catnip plant. The seeds are from catnip that I sprinkled on the back porch for the cats. When the porch was swept and rinsed off, the seeds ended up outside where they sprouted and grew.


Mushroom?

While I've seen mushrooms in the yard before, I haven't seen one that looked like this.


Zinnia

As I approached the front yard, I saw this pink zinnia glowing in the flower bed. Most of the other flowers in my yard are oranges, yellows and reds, so this one really caught my eye.

Ebb and flow

While I don't live very near the ocean, I do notice the ebb and flow of life. I frequently see it in the garden. Sometimes it's brimming with flowers, other times with weeds, and if it's very cold or very dry, then there's not much growing at all.


Nasturtiums that were in my garden a couple of months ago have taken their leave of the garden. If all goes well, there will be a few volunteers to welcome the new seeds I plant next year.

As the nasturtiums departed, morning glories and cosmos brought their contrast of color as cool purples and blues mingled with warm, rich orange.

Now the morning glories are gone and marigolds, zinnias and daylilies have begun their summer show.

Life tends to be like that. Activities that take priority at one point fade into the background at another time. Sometimes you return to them, other times you don't. While it may be sad to say goodbye to something that was once part of your life, that's the way of the cycle of life.

When you learn to recognize your personal ebb and flow, you will find that you are better able to plan your activities to match your strengths, interests and energy levels as they occur. It gives a whole new meaning to "go with the flow"!

The hitchhiker

As I turned off the main road on to my street a flash of color caught my eye. It was a butterfly making its way across the street. I carefully moved to the right side of my lane to avoid hitting it.


I didn't hit it, but . . . because my window was open, I suddenly had a butterfly hitchhiker! It rode down the street with me.

As I turned in to my driveway, my newly acquired passenger gently climbed up my arm and onto my shoulder. When I opened my car door, the butterfly startled and flew into the back seat. I caught it and put it on one of the flowers in my garden so it could rest from its adventure.



When I checked later, my new friend had resumed its travels, leaving me with a lovely memory.

A lesson from the garden

As the weather continues to warm, volunteers are popping up in my flower beds. Seeds from last year's four o'clocks, morning glories, cosmos and hyacinth beans are starting to sprout and flower.

It's fun to see who chooses to return and what form they take. The offspring of purchased seeds often return to their heritage. New (to me) colors and sizes appear as plants arise from the seeds of previous generations.

Of course, there are other plants popping up that have to be removed from the bed. While they may have lovely flowers and beautiful foliage, they do not share space with others. They want to take over every square inch of soil. This will not do.

Isn't that the way life happens? The results of things we've done in the past and have forgotten suddenly pop up and surprise us. Sometimes the experience is pleasant, other times not so.

I'm reminded to be careful what I "plant" in my life and to remember to "weed out" stuff (physical and emotional) that might inhibit the growth of the things I want to nurture in my life.