Tranquil Tuesday: Hydrangea Happiness

Last week we had a lot of rain. One morning I caught the perfect light on our hydrangea bush. One of the major benefits of my detox has been that I wake up at 6:00 am and am wide awake. I've enjoyed some very tranquil mornings with my camera around the house and neighborhood. It is so important to take just a few minutes each day to be quiet outside and breathe. 

A few years ago I went on a retreat at Bon Secours Spritual Center. When I was walking back from a hike I approached the labyrinth. There was a wind chime blowing in the wind but I couldn't hear the chimes. I thought it was broken and rushed to see if I could fix it. When I got closer I realized the chimes did work, but I wasn't listening hard enough. I wasn't quiet enough to hear them. I wasn't still enough. Sometimes you need to listen a little harder for God's voice. Going into a retreat I never know how it will hit me. This experience has stayed with me for years. I try hard to slow down and quiet myself. That day I learned a lot about myself. I don't need to try to fix everything. It's okay to just slow down on occasion.

I feel like you can see God's light in these Hydrangea blooms. They remind me of God's love. The contrast of the white white against the dark shadows of the green makes me truly thankful for my sight.

Hydrangea like to grow on their dead wood from the previous year. If you cut them back too far they won't bloom. I didn't cut this baby back at all last year proved to be fruitful. I love their lacy pattern and the details in the veins. 

Enjoy this day and try to be quiet for just a moment. You never know what will be revealed to you when you listen and look a little harder.

Thank you Jan Larsen for teaching me the "open shade" trick when taking photographs and finding the light!