October 11, 2021
Reflections, Day 3
Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”
― Søren Kierkegaard
It was a magnificent Sunday. The temperature was just right and a refreshing breeze wafted slowly through my consciousness. The sun was fall bright and the sky was a deep fall blue.
We had purchased an espresso machine a couple of weeks ago and, as this was a new experience for me, I practiced and experimented a bit to see just how good a small cup of special coffee could be. I have always wondered about how the use of tiny espresso cups fit into the practice, so I paid attention.
What I discovered was a ritual. There are certain small steps in the preparation of a small cup of coffee which seemed to justify the small cup. Sitting on the porch enjoying the small serving turned into a treat that I had never before truly appreciated. I played around with the ritual, made four or five cups, one and two at a time, until I decided that I had it pretty much right. It was a peaceful process, also, slowly and carefully learning a new skill.
As I sipped I surveyed the summer flowers that had done so well this year. They were at their peaks a couple of weeks ago and they are now slowly showing the effects of light that is less intense and increasingly shorter.
I looked back at the fall seasons of my plant growing career and thought of the changes I have seen and the ones I have made. The time is quickly approaching when I will remove the summer annuals and plant some pansies for color. One must have color, don’t you think?
Understanding the garden cycle comes with time and practice.
It takes looking back at successes and failures…
And it requires planning forward to the future garden.
All of which happens in the now.
—john schulz
johntheplantman--Gardening 