My Sanctuary

Being a storyteller and puppeteer is not just about being on a stage or in a classroom. I am a business owner, and I have to take the time to write, manage paperwork, pay bills, research and do all the behind-the-scenes work that any other self-employed individual must do. The benefit I have is that I can take my office nearly anywhere. 

My garden is my sanctuary. I love to dig in the dirt, plant some flowers and vegetables and share my plants with neighbors. And then I love to sit and enjoy it. The canopy of the maple tree in my front yard provides welcome, natural air conditioning. It truly feels 20 degrees cooler under those leaves and branches. I have a table and chairs under that tree, and during the summer it's a favorite place for me to take some office work. 

Of course, my garden is not just in my back yard, but in my front yard as well. I do my best to keep flowers blooming throughout the season, so the sights change almost daily.  Yesterday morning I needed to get some writing done, so I grabbed my coffee, my pens and some paper and headed to my frontyard table. That's how my office looked yesterday. 

I love being a storyteller and puppeteer, and I love my garden. It makes me happy to be able to enjoy them both at the same time.

Christmas at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

My husband, Steven, and I had a date this holiday season. We went to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden to see the Christmas lights. It was chilly, but it was such an enjoyable time I thought I would share with you some of the pictures.

No more Nandina

Today I removed the Nandina from my garden because I learned that the berries are toxic to many birds. My yard is a certified wildlife backyard habitat and certainly I do not want to harm the wildlife I am welcoming into my yard.

My friend, Debbie Foster, is an expert in many things concerning birds. She owns Parrot Ps and Qs and has the alphabet after her name in what I call, "birdology." (If you need help with anything concerning birds, contact her!) Debbie told me about an article she had read about how the berries from Nandina, also called Heavenly Bamboo, killed a flock of waxwing birds. I researched it on the internet and today the Nandina were removed from my yard.

I can’t say I haven’t enjoyed having the plants in my landscape; they are quite pretty. In the warmer months, they produce cute little white clusters of flowers. Each flower then produces a berry that turns red in the winter. The leaves do not shed, which is also a plus in the Fall when trees are losing their leaves. However, those beautiful berries kill birds.

If I wanted to make a life analogy (excuse me while I clear my throat), what do we keep in our own lives because it looks pretty but really needs to be pulled out by the roots? I have a fellow storytelling friend and I run my stories by her from time to time. She reads them or listens and says, "You need to cut your darlings"! I know what she means. There might be some very unnecessary things in the story that I love, but which just drag it down. That's what happened in my garden — I cut one of my darlings. 

Later on I’ll look at replacing those empty spots in the yard with native plants. But that’s another blog for another day...

Welcome

Hey All,

Welcome!! I am so glad to have you visit my new blog. This will be an adventure for me and I sure enough do hope you will travel with me. 

I'm a storyteller and puppeteer. I love being with people but then I find that I need to have my own space to think and to get away. That place is my garden.

I love the colors that bloom. The flowers are shining faces that listen to my stories and ideas. I wanted to share some of the blooms from my sacred space. My hope is that these smiling blossoms bring you joy.