The Courage of the Seed

This passage from "The Book of Awakening" kind of fits my mood today...

THE COURAGE OF THE SEED

"All the buried seeds

crack open in the dark

the instant they surrender

to a process they can not see"

 What a powerful lesson is the beginning of spring.  All around us, everything small and buried surrenders to a process that none of the buried parts can see.

And this innate surrender allows everything edible and fragrant to break ground into a life of light that we call spring.

In nature, we are quietly given countless models of how to give ourselves over to what appears dark and hopeless, but which ultimately is an awakening that is beyond all imagining.  This moving through the dark into blossom is the threshold to God.

As a seed buried in the earth cannot imagine itself as an orchid or hyacinth, neither can a heart packed with hurt imagine itself loved or at peace.

The courage of the seed is that once cracking, it cracks all the way.

This entry made me sit, draw a deep breathe and give grace to what is trying to awaken in me.   Spring is for renewal, shedding of old skin.   This, to me, is a metaphor to listen to what my heart is telling me.

This may very well lead to unseen beginnings underground..

We are all new seedlings at this time and can blossom into whatever we imagine. A new lease on life...

(I took these pictures with my Nikon and processed them with pic grunger app)

(On a side note...my dad is finished with his 48 radiation treatments!  His doctor informed him that everything looked great, to come back in 10 days, if everything still looked good, he was good to go!  Talk about a new lease on life!! I am beyond thrilled and very proud of my dad for handling a stressful 3 months with such grace, humor and dignity.  I am proud of you dad!)

An old working ranch

 Back in January, I had the pleasure of visiting my friend's ranch that has been in his family for several generations.

This sweet couple work tirelessly organizing the old cars, trucks and farm implements that dotted the fields.

They are restoring all the buildings on the ground, even this little house that was home to a ranch hand

The little house still has dishes and water dippers in the kitchen area

More farm implements

Our sweet tour guy..

More farm implements...

and trucks...

I love this old blinker on one of the old trucks

more farm implements......

The watchman...

This is just a few of the photos that I took of this amazing ranch.  This young couple loves this ranch and it shows in the loving way they are restoring every inch of the place.  You may recall a post I did on them a few months ago..Gaddy Farm

Thanks Sam and Shelbie for letting me visit your home!  As the oldtimers used to say...you are good folk!

Garden Flowers

Since I have so many handles left over from making silver spoon necklace,  I thought I would put them to good use...

Silver handles, old water faucet handles and vintage brooch

Silver handles, clock face with found button and lots of old keys

Silver handles, one stamped "Bloom"

clock face with an old rhinestone pin

Silver handles one stamped "Bloom"

old washer and an old rhinestone button

(My favorite!) Silver handles with a 

beautiful vintage blue rhinestone brooch

A smaller silver handle flower with an

old gold rhinestone brooch

ok, maybe this in my favorite..

Silver forks with an old water faucet handle

with an old rhinestone button

but I am kind of partial to this one too..

great old red water faucet hand with a big

crystal  button

I weld all the "petals" together, add the center of the flower and weld all that onto a zinc rod.  They are ready to shine in the garden!

I am working on the bowl of the spoon as petals that will rotate when the wind hits them..stay tuned for photos!

I have these for sale at Witherspoons Antique Mall in Granbury,  Angels with Attitude in Glen Rose and Sugar Moons in Hico.  If you are ever in Central Texas, you really should visit these amazing shops. Each one is full of amazement!

Hope everyone has a happy day!

xo

Cindy

Z is having a giveway!!

RUN to this blog!  My funny, sweet, crazy, smart, beautiful friend Z is having a great giveaway! You do not want to miss this.  If you don't follower her, you are really missing out on pure entertainment, inspiration and words of wisdom....

Old Grey Mare

The grass is greener???

This is our bull, Brutus...

Big, strong, handsome.

This is some of his girls

Fat, happy and "accommodating"

All Brutus has to do is eat, chill out and "accommodate".

But Brutus has a wandering eye...and this doesn't go unnoticed by his girls.

Brutus has decided to check out the neighbors pastures.

Their pasture isn't green and lush, the girls are rather scrawny and scrappy...but they are young!

The lead girl sounds a warning to Brutus...

and gives him the stink-eye..

"You better not cross that fence...

or else....

Brutus took heed and stayed put...

good boy...