Potential: The Realm of the Possible

This day the weather dallies with me. A bit of sun and blue sky greeted me upon rising, only to be drowned in a bucket of rainfall, which promptly transformed into floating flakes . . . but only for a moment. Just now, the sun has broken free and bathed the dampened gardens with an iridescence most magical. Plink! Returns the rain. And so it will go throughout the day and week as foretold by the foretellers.

I see beyond the wetness and chill winds to a cozy possibility. With a stewing pot and rising bread, all worries over dinner preparation vanish and I freely indulge in thoughts of warm chocolate pudding baked in a bowl to be ladled out in slabs. Can’t you just smell that gooey goodness? Imagine the smiles as each returns to be greeted by a chocolatey whiff-like-a-kiss at the doorway. I giggle at the thought of such an intangible gift.

These days I delight in musing over the intangible gifts found in a day. At a time when the news flashes doom and financial crises cloud the coffee-shop conversations, I gaze beyond what I can hold and celebrate along with Helen Keller:

The Best and most Beautiful things in the World
Cannot be seen or even touched,
They must be felt with the Heart.

~~ Helen Keller ~~

My heart grows each time I close my eyes and imagine . . .

A neighbor loving a neighbor . . . really
A treasure chest . . . brimming with faith, hope, charity
A life devoted to peace . . . true peace . . . quiet, lasting contentment

A viewpoint without gain . . . only gift
A prayer to last a lifetime . . . and beyond
A contented meal of daily bread . . . fearless of tomorrow’s hunger


A Utopian at heart, I seek the beauty and joy and potential therein of a sun’s journey from dawn to dusk . . . and beyond. The noun “Potential” contains possibility, but the adjective contains power:

Potential – n. Anything that may be possible.

Potential – adj.

1) Having power to impress on us

the ideas of certain qualities, though

the qualities are not inherent in the thing;

2) Efficacious, powerful. (not in use.)

From Webster’s Dictionary 1828

What? Definition #2 for adjective goes unused? WHY? I think we should take back the definition of potential and all its power.

Imagine a cake . . . freshly baked -- tasty with a cup of tea. Now spread a bit of frosting o’er top and my whole perspective changes. I always see frosting as a signal to celebrate, even though butter, sugar, and a hint of tint do not inherently produce a celebration. Just take a simple cake and add the adjective frosted and you get a frosted cake, which leads me to smile and think joyful party thoughts!

So, I see that today has the potential to be more than just a day of pondering the weather or the next meal. With a bit of sweet icing or pudding or . . . it can be a celebration. What shall we celebrate? How about our potential to efficaciously and powerfully spread intangible gifts? Close your eyes, open your heart, and give . . .

Imagine the possibilities . . .

* * *

Every good gift

And every perfect gift

Is from above,

And cometh down

From the Father of lights,

With whom is no variableness,

Neither shadow of turning.

James 1:17

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*Flower bud pictured atop from my Magnolia x soulangeana bush, sporting the potential to explode in beauty and powerful fragrance come warmer weather.

A Promise in the Midst of the Storm

"Oh my!" She cried
As she stepped through the front door.

"Water, water everywhere!"

But rather than scan about
For gopher wood and pitch,

She decided to take comfort
In the rainbow's promise.

I set My rainbow in the cloud,
And it shall be for the sign [that] . . .
The waters shall never again become a flood
To destroy all flesh.
Genesis 9:13,15

From her weekend waltz around the gardens she recalled:

The RED of the flowering crabapple

The ORANGE of the Narcissus Cragford

The YELLOW of the first forsythia bloom

The GREEN of the weeping willow

The rich BLUE of the sky

And the deep VIOLET of the fragrant lilac
Completing the rainbow's spectrum.

Today, with the exception of the blue sky,
All gemtones remained, albeit soggily.
She knew the blue would return
Whence the storm had run its course.

And so she smiled,
Having found her colorful promise,

Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day . . .

Ezekiel 1:28

Sunday Wonder

The Lord is my Shepherd

I shall not want

He maketh me to lie down

In green pastures

He leadeth me beside
The still waters

He restoreth my soul

Psalm 23:2,3

Sunday Comfort

When He giveth quietness

Who then can make trouble?
Job 34:29

A Glimpse . . .

into my world.

Walk up the pathway to my cottage and you will be greeted

By a multitude of friendly little ones popping out to say hello.

Step inside and let the fire's glow warm you . . .

While the smell of freshly baked muffins
Entices you to sit for a spell.

Undoubtedly, we'll have tea . . .

. . . and a nibble from one of Rachel's latest culinary endeavors.

I will blush as you glance around and see
Books sprouting like mushrooms
In this cozy reading spot.

The blushing will become embarrassment
As you espy the cluttered counters.

(I never liked that "bar thing" from the beginning --
I just knew it spelled trouble!)

On into the kitchen you will discover the truth of:
"If you install stainless steel appliances they will come
. . . fingerprints, that is.

Matthew routinely inspects
To assure that the dishwasher functions
Despite the ultra-quiet feature that mums the sound.

(Thanks, son.)

Ah, I see Rachel has been playing with her food again.
(And sharp knives, too!)

I'm afraid you've missed Elizabeth as she attends classes daily 9-5.
Her door sports a Rachel Original proclaiming Elizabeth's Room.

The sweet optimism of my sunny Lydia
Shines from her bedside table,

. . . As well as atop her bed.
(The tiger cuddles with another Rachel creation.)

Just what has Rachel been up to these days?

Well, what does a 10-year-old do
After reading through the AMA Medical Encyclopedia?
She goes into practice, of course!

Herein lies Tigger
Undergoing radiation treatment for pancreatic cancer.
(I have that info straight from Dr. Rachel.) My personal favorite:
The Maternity Ward. : D

Alas, I see our time has slipped away and you must be on your way.
I walk you to the door and equip you with a hug for the road and an invite to return soon. Then I turn and begin the business of tidying up . . .

But I stop when I catch a glimpse of my rescued sprig-of-a-fuchsia (snapped off in an annoying blunder). After a spell in a bath it rooted, then bedded down in the windowsill pot, wherein it has rewarded me with buds upon buds over the course of the winter. Just the other day I noticed it sported three new buds . . .

. . . which have all too soon became blooming beauty.

Realizing how quickly time passes . . . I sit down for another cup of tea and pick up a book, only to be interrupted by a sweet young one with a question. I smile and wink at the bud in the window. Thanks for reminding me.

Glance around and enJOY your day, sweet friends. ; )

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Happy Pancake Day!

We feasted on these beauties for dinner -- Rachel's delicious buckwheat pancakes. We also enjoyed a platterful of my personal favorites -- Bill Granger's ricotta hotcakes. We ate and ate and ate and ate . . . Jams, applesauce, lavender honey, and the requisite maple syrup graced these delicious disks as we feasted to the tunes of Al Hirt and his famous Dixieland flair.

As Gary forked the last pancake onto his plate I recalled Pooh Bear's sage advice:

When having a smackerel of something with a friend,

Don't eat so much

That you get stuck

In the doorway trying to get out.

I would have done well to remember that before eating SIX pancakes!

Hope you enjoyed your Mardis Gras or Shrove Tuesday or Carnivale or Shrovetide or FAT TUESDAY.

Mine was definitely FAT TUESDAY!
: D