April showers bring May flowers!
In this rather warm spell of early April, I bask in the end of winter, while at the same time consider whether winter has really ended. Another concern is that this will be the weather from here on, our climate maligned by carelessness and greed. Spring is my favorite season of the year for the obvious reasons: flowers come back, Hope is renewed. I was afraid I would miss the first flowerings-having had to travel out of the country. Fortunately, I am in time to harvest some jewels of the season: wild violets, redbud flowers, daffodils, and tulips, and wood poppies in the dark corner of my yard. There is even some forsythia still blooming. It feels like I’m seeing old friends after a long hiatus.
So my pressing process begins! I sandwich what I collect in a Microfleur microwave presser. This helps retain color better and allows any elements to age gracefully. I then store them in the pages of acid free books so they’re ready whenever needed. That they stay beautiful is never a certainty, but I consider this par for the course.
My philosophy incorporates enjoying now and letting go of what no longer serves. The fact is that Everything changes (Todo cambia), as the renown late Latin American artist, Mercedes Sosa, sings. As much as we strive for permanence, the reality is that the past is a dream and the future an idea. Having control is really a fanciful concept.
That is not to say that we should forego plans. A plan can be a good guide. I am always aware that life may not follow what I put in place. In that case, I prefer to see what other possibilities arise. Sometimes the outcomes are better than I envisioned, other times they’re not, but in the end I will not have stressed or caused distress. It has taken me a while to get to this way of thinking. Now in my sixtieth year I value the fruits of age and experience.
The flowers are here only in their season. Enjoy and delight in their beauty and intricate fragility. I have trouble controlling my Joy when I look upon them! For this reason I decided to press and then to reproduce images of my designs. I want YOU to enjoy them as well. The Universe has created this beauty. It is ephemeral. It lives and dies with grace. It is this impermanence that makes everything/one special.