The Strange City

Today we made an early-ish start for the University Hospital 

which lies on the other side of the city from us.

It was a glorious morning of brilliant sunshine after a nippy night

that had seemed to be the first whispers of autumn already.

We took the bus to avoid the hassle of trying to find parking space

at the hospital and as we wound through the streets 

I had that same feeling that comes when you are

in a strange city.

Perhaps you know what I mean?

The buildings look curious and interesting. 

We passed the other side of this, Coventry University Libraries.

The early shadows are sharp and dramatic.

Suddenly it seems if as every person 

going about their ordinary lives is

a cause to wonder.

What sort of life is it they are going about? 

Is it so different from our own?

What sort of home have they left? 

What sort of day awaits them?...

I was pondering whether this feeling of seeing with fresh eyes

was because I've mostly been at home for so many weeks

following my op. when hubby leaned near and said,

"Do you know,

I feel as if we are on holiday in a new place,

looking for our hotel somewhere that we've never been before."

Taken by surprised I wondered what made us both catch that 
sense of strangeness
at the same moment?

?????

This week's Zentangles Challenge from 

/http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/

(click  on and have a go),

is to design a tile within a tile, and thus make a frame.

and here's my attempt

Come to think of it

perhaps it was the framing

of what we were looking at out of the bus window

this morning that had somehow slipped

to affect the way we saw things.

We usually go on holiday in the late autumn 

so maybe something in  the light of this nearly-September sunshine

had triggered a hidden Pavlovian response.

The simple truth is we do really need a holiday,

and the wish was probably father to the thought.

Whatever the cause it made the day, 

(even the visit to the hospital)

feel special.

This fountain is in the Bull Yard, Coventry

On our return trip we stopped off in town to shop,

and sat for a few minutes on the rim of the fountain

in the city centre sipping a drink.

Still wearing my "holiday specs" 

I looked around at the milling crowds, 

with the sounds of their voices 

and snatches of music melding 

with the continuous rush

of the waters behind me,

and simply felt grateful.

God Bless

Zentangle Challenge # 33

I wasn't going to post my attempts at this week's challenge,

from http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/

because by the side of so many

brilliant and inventive tangles on the theme of 

"pendrills" 

I thought mine were rubbish,

but then it hardly seems honest to only show

only those things which give me even a

small buzz of self congratulation.

I have to accept I simply don't seem to have the sort of mind 

that can design a tangle,

so being myself and letting the pen go where it will 

has to be my modus operandi.

(It's the way I do everything to be honest).

What peculiar alchemy is at work 
when we just go on auto -pilot?

Is this a reminder that my fading hanging baskets need tending?

And is this second one just a deep seated love of black cherries,

and the buried memories of

sitting high in the branches of the old cherry tree on my uncles farm and scoffing as many as were within my reach?

Not sure I could scale my way up to that perch today!

I'll rephrase that,

I'm sure I COULDN,T climb that tree today!

God Bless

The Heart Shaped Leaf

I've always thought the leaves of cyclamen are beautiful,

so seeing these sitting in their pool of passing morning sunshine,

on the magical kitchen windowsill* 

as I came into the kichen first thing,

I had to move in to take a closer look.

Then, the illusive trip switch was flipped,

and I really "saw" them for the first time.

From the wonderful precision of the notched edge of the leaves

I saw the miracle of veining,

(which is such an integral part of the beauty),

tracing it's way back to the central heart of the leaf.

The path from the heart to the outside is clear to see.

All those connections from the outer to the inner.

Some running near the surface,

some going deeper.

Simple, yet complex,

in the deep action of the cells and structure

of not only the leaf,

but the whole plant.

How had I not seen it before?

Prov 23:7 says "As a man thinks in heart so he is."

(Need I say that man is the generic term for all of us,

- male or female)?

No matter how we may like to think we appear to others

the truth is, we unconsciously

show more of our nature than we would like.

.

Burns had it about right when he wrote,

"Oh wad some Pow'r the giftie gie us. 

To see oursels as ithers see us!"

Fortunately for us the judgement on our inner heart 

doesn't lie with those

"ithers"

who may well judge us as harshly as we are prone

to judge ourselves.

1Sam.16:7 says

"The LORD does not look at the things people look at.

People look at the outward appearance,

but the LORD looks at the heart.”

It s a great comfort to know that

the eyes which alone can look deep within our true heart,

with it's profound longings,

and strange machinations,

knows and understands us so well,

and stands ready to forgive,

to love,

and to welcome us home 

to His own heart.

 So, when we are feeling a bit ragged around the edges,
or heart sick,  or at any moment, we can be confident to pray,

Lord Jesus,

give us grace to come to you,

and through you,

to know the breadth and length and height and depth,

of the Father's constant and welcoming love,

for we ask knowing this is your own heart's will for us.

Amen.

God Bless 

P.S. The * in the text refers to the "Green Fingers at Last" post in this blog archive.

         For some reason the link back isn't working.

An English Garden

As Blogger seems to be up-loading photos a bit more readily,

I will post a quick tour of our end of July garden, 
to show you what is thriving on neglect and dry weather.

 Hubby has just left
for a bowls match 
and I'd quite like to 
wander around some garden's
myself
this afternoon.

 Much as I love my own little patch, 

it's always a delight to see what 

somebody else is growing.

There are some allotments at Warwick,

that have been renovated and kept

in the Victorian style I believe,

so I may take a trip over there

as I am now fit to drive again.

I think there's a small tea room there as well.

Sounds better every minute doesn't it?

The other option that
 springs to mind is the National Organic
Gardens 
which are even nearer,
and bursting with wonderful ideas for a healthy garden
environment.
They have a really good restaurant too.

Strange how the idea of some little tooth full of refreshment never seems far from my thoughts isn't it?

Pulling myself together and thinking gardens again, 

I love the hot colours of this red crocosmia, pictured below. 

I think it's called Lucifer, 

which is a tad unfortunate though apt.

 

Some more hot colours put together in this planting of
pansies, and geraniums.

And last,

( because in reality Blogger is still acting up,

and I have a painting on the easel 

which might win over going out to view gardens after all),

 

here is a little Welsh poppy 
which seems quite happy where is has seeded itself .

Much like me really.


Wherever you find yourself this weekend,
God Bless.

P.S.  I know some of you post the most glorious macro photos of your flowers, and have more exotic plants to boot, but I hope you've enjoyed  this glimpse of  our little plot.  Do leave a comment it you've got time, because I'd love to hear from you.