CHANGING SEASONS
What is it about the month of August that gets me to thinking and dreaming about Christmas? How strange, I muse, that when the hot month of August finally arrives I find myself looking forward to the Christmas holidays. Don’t get me wrong on my dreaming of Christmas. I am not a commercial gal who’s just looking forward to the shopping. In fact shopping is the least fun of the Christmas holiday, I think. Maybe, why I find myself looking forward to the arrival of December and the Christmas holidays is because of what Christmas stands for for me. Birth. A new life. A new beginning. Yet when the month of December arrives and Christmas comes and leaves, I immediately find myself wanting spring to arrive and once spring heralds in - I start looking forward to summer and the cycle begins once again.Yes, seasons come and go and the question I have begun to ask is where do I, as an individual, stand as each of these seasons pass me by. I hope that as the years come and go that I am more in tune with the world and the people around me. Am I becoming self-actualized? Oh, wouldn’t that be wonderful. I do know that as the age of fifty creeps closer and closer the things that I once found so important are no longer so high on my scale of significance. I find that I am more interested in the whole life experience and I am becoming more reflective as to my life and what I have accomplished. As the years slip by, I am also finding that I am more satisfied and at ease with myself. Changing Seasons – embrace them, live life to the fullest and always look forward to next year. Zequeatta Jaques - August 2009
THOSE GLORIOUS TREES
I don't know about any of you but I just don't buy into the big bang theory. Give me the concept that there is Something out there bigger than any of us and that this Something watches over us over the Big Bang Theory, anyday. "Ah...," you say as you shake your head in disbelief at my view. "Where is your proof?" "Ah...," I respond with a smile. "Don't look at what we as humankind have wrought. Open your eyes. Really open them and look at all the beautiful creation around you and you shall see your proof."One of those marvelous creations is our wonderful and glorious trees that grace us with their beauty. My husband shakes his head in confusion each fall when I say that I absolutely have to go and take in the beautiful colors of the tree leaves before they float to the ground. "What is it about you and trees," he asks with a puzzled look. I have tried to explain to him how trees affect me, but I don't think that he really understands although he does indulge me my quirk and will go with me and watches with a smile as I exclaim at all the wonderful colors being displayed. Yes, I freely admit that I am a tree hugger. I love any and all trees. Big or small. I sincerely believe that they are one of God's creations that give us life. When I listen to Louis Armstrong's song "What A Wonderful World" his lyrics sum up, exactly, my emotions when I look at trees. If you haven't listened to the song please do. It is beautiful. I have included some pictures from a recent road trip that my husband and I took just so I could see those changing leaves. A few snapshots of the Talimena Drive in Oklahoma. Hope you enjoy. Zequeatta Jaques - November 2009
The picture of the cowboy is my husband patiently waiting for me to finish taking pictures. And the last picture of the church was taken in Mena, Arkansas. A perfect ending for the day I thought.
ZJ
Spring is in the air. How do I know - I have started getting my 2010 Garden catalogs in the mail! I get so pumped up and ready to work in my yard when I see those colorful catalog's lying in my mail box. Last night as I thumbed through my treasure troves, I had to write a list of everything that I wanted to plant this year. Today, and as much as I hate too, I will now have to go back through and mark out at least half of my wish list. I always want many more plants than I will ever be able to take care of their first year planted.
This year, I do however plan to buy at least five more Knock Out rose bushes among my many other flowers and bushes, and one tree that I plan to purchase. If you are a gardener and have never planted Knock Out roses before, you really should. They are so easy to care for and they don't get the diseases that other roses are prone to do. They also bloom all summer, mine did anyway and they stood up to that Oklahoma wind! The only thing that I hate is that Knock Out roses don't have that heavenly rose scent that other roses do. But other than that one small thing, they are a great rose and easy to care for.
For the past two years I didn't have the time to work in my yard like I wanted, however this year I will have the time and I plan to spend every evening in my yard, at least every weekend. Some of you are probably thinking, dang, that sounds like too much work to me. Sure it is work, but when you enjoy doing something somehow the work equation falls to the wayside. Just as the work equation does in my writing schedule. I love to write so when a story is spinning within my head it doesn't seem like work to sit and type out a tale. And when I am spinning a story and the workday has to end, I can't wait until morning comes and everyone leaves for their day so I can get back to my computer.
Zequeatta Jaques - March, 2010
LABOR OF LOVE
