Colorado Shakespeare Gardens 5/25/16 by Barbara Carvallo

In a world that grows uglier day by day we still have Shakespeare's gorgeous words, and the Earth still yields the beauty of spring every year without fail. So ease your mind and sooth your soul in the Colorado Shakespeare Gardens on the campus of the University of Colorado at Boulder. Visit and visit again to remind yourself that no matter what the T.V. machine says, grace and beauty still live "where the wild thyme blows, where oxlips and the nodding violet grows."

Garden Friends by Barbara Carvallo

I spent the day in the garden with some friends.

Beltane by Barbara Carvallo

The last snow glistens as tender Tulips and Lilies bend under its weight;
softer days are coming, warmer and kinder winds will low soon.
The world is new now and we the viola and daffodil are waiting
for the time when we will sing our fragrance on the gentle breeze.

May’s tender sun glistens on the pristine mantle of snow,warming and melting it deep into the ground to nurture little ones.The world is new now and we the viola and daffodil are waitingfor the time when we will sing our fragrance on the gentle breeze.

On the cusp of summer the sweetened air grows warmer by the hour;
Tulips and Lilies stretch their lovely arms and look to the sky.
The world is new now and we the viola and daffodil are waiting
for the time when we will sing our fragrance on the gentle breeze.

Beltane the holiday of union and harmony is upon us;
Sun marries Earth and new life springs forth in myriad shapes and hues.
The world is newly born now and we the viola and daffodil open in the light for the time is now and we will sing our fragrance on the gentle breeze

A TEAR OR TWO IN THE RABBIT HOLE AND THEN I LAUGHED by Peno Hardesty

my rock walked on---few years ago-----always there----always telling me to get over it we have work to do-----leader of the fla coalition to stop gun violence-----i still miss his nightly calls--
-did you feed the damn horse---
i did
-good it's late---i'm tired----good night----
-cared enough for all those years to make sure i was safely in the house

my friend is preparing to walk on----we share a love for pink princess phones and mill ponds----she never asked what i was just encouraged me to be who i was

my mentor walked on---few months ago----- always there----i was depressed and sick told her i thought it was time so i sang my song---she said yea i heard you it was the wrong damn song and you sang off key----just fuckin stop it----we have work to do-----she was the fla leader of the american indian movement----she taught me to dance when i couldn't hear the music

i was feeling lonely so i took the old blind pig for an evening walk---beautiful evening-----my mentor and i had talked about making a plant tower out of old plastic jugs---we never got around to it---but when she crossed i made the tower---such as it is----i put in the seeds and the tomato grew----never watered just gave them a cup of coffee every day---my mentor demanded it---we laughed ----the buds were bright yellow strong---beautiful----i only turned my back for a minute----the old blind pig was gone---there he is----eating the last of the beautiful coffee fed tomato plants-----i planted more seed today and sat back and laughed----i knew i was not laughing alone-----

circles mis amigos circles---we are never so far ahead nor so far behind that we do not cross paths and laugh

blessings

Curanderismo, the Healing Art of Mexico contributed by Jackie B. Steele

Grandmother Moon in her fullness is the special time for women who follow Native spirituality to gather and honor her gentle power. Known by many names including Coyolxauhqui, Metzli, Ix'Chel, Neesa, Hina, and Hallai (acknowledging that there other spiritual traditions that have their own ways of honoring this special connection that women have to the moon), hers is the power that moves the tides of the oceans and the sacred life-giving potential of the waters in our bodies. May Grandmother Moon's high spiritual light lead you safely through the darkness, remembering that without the darkness we cannot see the stars. May all obstacles, inner and outer, be transformed into blessings and clear paths for your gifts to shine. —Nana Grace

"I have been given the gift of lunar spirituality, in which the divine light available to me waxes and wanes with the season. When I go out on my porch at night, the moon never looks the same way twice. Some nights it is as round and bright as a headlight; other nights it is thinner than the sickle hanging in my garage. Some nights it is high in the sky, and other nights low over the mountains. Some nights it is altogether gone, leaving a vast web of stars that are brighter in its absence. All in all, the moon is a truer mirror for my soul than the sun that looks the same way every day."

—Barbara Brown Taylor, Learning to Walk in the Dark

Sharing one of my favorite lunar pieces by Lynda Hoffman Snodgrass.

Tulips In All Their Glory by Barbara Carvallo

Tulips are early, mid and late spring bloomers. Make sure you know what you are buying. Today my home and many early spring blooming tulips are covered with snow. Remember where tulips come from - Holland. They don't dislike snow; in fact, they require a certain amount of cold.

Looking out my window just now at my Fairy garden, I see them standing tall, blooms closed and waiting for the sun. Snow is melting quickly and turning to moisture. The mid and late spring bloomers will do just fine.