Greener Pastures

Green has been on my mind recently. I am grateful for the greenery in the office; it is welcoming contrast to the blanketed snow outside. A couple of months ago, we had a hard freeze and I lost several plants that were in the greenhouse. (Note to self: bring them in sooner. Lesson learned.)  This spider plant looked terrible. Almost all the leaves were dead except for a few little sprouts. 

So, I cut away all the dead leaves and hoped that this beauty (let's name her Sylvia) would make it through. She looked rough for about a month, but I made sure she was in the sunlight, warm and watered.  Eventually, the green leaves grew and the dead ones were clipped away. Now Sylvia is vibrant and growing so fast that she will most likely need to be repotted before returning to the garden this spring. 

Through this journey in recovery and mental health struggles, I feel the way Sylvia looked, painfully growing through the dead leaves (no one said growth didn't hurt) and shedding past debris where it belongs... in the past.

As a result of shedding the debris and the pain, creativity has emerged. Since I cannot go outside and play in the garden, and the poetry book is written (still in process) I have been bringing out old artwork to frame and creating new pieces. I decided to take a personal risk and post them on Instagram and Facebook to see how it would be received, and am surprised by the affirmation. I am grateful to you for inspiring me. Special thanks to Jake Webster for contacting and nudging me to pick up supplies and make art again.  I heeded your advice, dear friend. 

I wanted to share one more green thing with you. The print, "Indy Green" was painted in 2010. I recently found this awesome frame, made from cactus wood, at Mishawaka Antiques. It was only $10 and still sealed in plastic wrap! I found a mat at home. Soon it will be hung in the living room. I love scouring antique stores and thrift shops to find unique frames for new and nearly forgotten pieces of art. 

Thank you for reading; I hope you find greener pastures this week, it is almost February and one day closer to spring.