Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Splash!"My Most Beautiful Thing"

Splash! Does that make you think about summer, diving into the pool? Waves hitting rocks? Kids in a bath tub? Today I am taking the splash. But guess what? There is no water needed.

Today I’m taking part in the My Most Beautiful Thing Blogsplash to celebrate beautiful things – inspired by Fiona Robyn’s new novel, The Most Beautiful Thing. Bloggers from all over the world are taking part and writing or posting pictures of their most beautiful things today. Find out more here and see everyone else’s blog posts here.


Trying to think of one thing is not easy. Other than the people in my life (which are the best and always at the top of the list), there really isn't anything tangible that I would consider my most beautiful thing. There are so many beautiful things each and every day--a cerulean sky filled with white fluffy clouds (though not much of that in my neck of the woods lately) or the warmth of the sunshine on my face (also not much of that recently). But if there isn't much sunshine, then there is time spent inside cooking brownies with my daughter or snuggling with my husband. There are rainbows and the scent of spring flowers after the rain. There is mail from old friends, bringing memories of earlier times to mind. That one beautiful thing, the thing that stands out, changes daily. Today it is this. My bleeding hearts have made an appearance.

          And Spring arose on the garden fair,
          Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
          And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast
          rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.

                      —Percy Bysshe Shelley


Perennial flowers are amazing. Year after year, even after harsh winters, they grace us by blooming again. Springtime. A time for new beginnings. For many people, the rebirth of Spring is inspirational. They compare those long months of winter, short days and chilling air (lot of snow depending where you live) to the rough times in life. The budding and eventual blossoming of flowers reminds them that we can all weather life's storms. For others, well...they just like to see or smell the pretty flowers. Such is the joy of a child in a Spring garden. A little girl might like the color of certain flowers, might enjoy picking them to give a lovely bouquet to her mother or someone else she loves. A child might appreciate a flower for its fragrance. I remember visiting my grandmother when her Lily of the Valley were in bloom. They lined the whole side of her house, all the way to the back porch. The scent of Lily of the Valley still takes me back to that old house, to memories of days spent there with her.

We had beautiful weather in March in my area of Germany. There were days it was so warm that people got their shorts and t-shirts out of storage. The trees and bushes began to bud. Our forsythia bush was in full bloom. Then April came and as is often the case, the weather became bleak and wet. So on a grey day like today, discovering that my bleeding heart plant had opened its buds, beautiful pink hearts hanging on the stems, made my day. A splash of color despite overcast skies. Also, the hearts remind me of all the people I love and those who love me. My husband. Daughter. Parents. Family. Friends. They mean the world to me. So these flowers are more than just flowers because they symbolize so many things.

That's my most beautiful thing today. Tomorrow it might be the kind act of a friend, a long walk with the hubby hand in hand, a giggle marathon with my daughter, the songs of birds as I wake in the morning or even just the taste of a really good cake. Anyone want to bake me a cake?



Who knows? Tomorrow it could be a lady bug like the one I found in my planter by the dining room window last Saturday. Isn't it adorable? It isn't often I find a  "reverse ladybug", one with red spots on a black body. I enjoyed its visit.

One thing is for certain, there will be something. There always is. No matter how good or bad a day is, I always try to single out one special event or thing to appreciate and be thankful for.

Is there anything you are thankful for today? Feel free to share in the comments section. I'd love to hear about your day. And as for tomorrow....I'll guess we'll just have to wait and see what comes our way. Though a bit of cake might be nice.

18 comments:

Unknown said...

Beautiful post. I bought some perennials today!

Linda H. said...

Thanks, Fiona.

Can't go wrong with perennials :)

Linda H. said...

thanks, Becca.

Laurie Kolp said...

Linda- I love spring, too... and the flowers are so beautiful. I agree in that we should find things to be grateful for each day.

Linda H. said...

Thanks, Laurie. Autumn is actually my favorite month but I do enjoy watches the flowers slowly wake up from their long nap. Can't wait until my lilacs open up and I can smell their sweet scent.

I know you are a grateful person, and you are a great friend. I am thankful for that.

Tami said...

I put my toilet paper on backwards and you find a backwards ladybug. I think we were meant to be friends.

Linda H. said...

Well, that sounds logical, Tam. :-)

Glad we've stayed friends after so many years. (even if you are a bit backwards yourself...wuuuuhaha! Just joking...you know I luv ya.)

Michelle said...

Beautiful post Linda! :) I love it! Lucky you - my bleeding heart is not blooming yet!

PSC said...

What a lovely posting Linda! I really enjoyed this! Glad I tripped over it via facebook. Was thrilled to see my bleeding hearts broke out in bloom this past week too -- such beautiful flowers, with happy memories attached. :-)

Linda H. said...

Mik, yours will open soon.

Thanks for stopping by.

Linda H. said...

Thanks, PSC.

From PAD to Prompted to Facebook to here. Thanks for stopping by.

Enjoy your hearts.

Christine "Chrissi" L. Villa said...

lovely post! what am I grateful today? I'm grateful for the string of raindrops on our awning. It reminds me of all the little things that mean to me. :-)
it's wonderful to read each one's most beautiful thing. Thanks for sharing.

Chrissi

Ella said...

This was a beautiful post and you are so right, hard to pick one thing!

De Jackson said...

Beautiful, Linda, from ladybugs to giggle marathons. Life is SO about the little things. Love this joy of thankfulness. Wonderful.

Sarav said...

Hi Linda, I'm a little late to the party, However I think there's always room for one more at the tabe of gratitude and beauty :-)
Flowers are a perfect subject for beauty, mine always make me smile, even on a not so wonderful day. Family, friends and ladybugs. All great reasons to splash around :-) A very lovely post, thank you for reminding me of all the beauty :-)

Heidi said...

What a wonderful blog post. Love your pics. Have a great week!

Susie Clevenger said...

It is now almost summer...spring here was short. There is so much in the everyday to be thankful for. We often miss it for all that buzzes around us or we think we need something grander to be thankful for. So much pain has gone through my life in the last few years that I am so thank for a completely ordinary day!

Anonymous said...

Hi,Linda!

I so enjoy reading your blog that I’m nominating you for the Versatile Blogger Award. Some people prefer not to accept blog awards, and if you’re of that thinking, I hope that this nomination still brings new followers and friends to your blog.
When you have a moment, pop over to http://miskcooks.com/2012/06/19/the-versatile-blogger-award/ for details of your nomination.

~Misky