A Place to Dream

I have written a few times about the garden which greets me each time I enter the building for my summer work. A few have asked me to post a picture or two, a request I am happy to oblige. While it is in no way grand, I don't think that any of my pictures do it any justice. It is just a humble little flower garden, and yet it still seems to whisper adventurous words of stories I've never written nor read and manages to bring me a smile each time I pause to examine a flower or a new view.

Serving as an invitation once I step onto the sidewalk from the parking lot, the sign below beckons to me. Much more than just the message of "Laugh" I hear "Lay aside your cares and concerns. Here is a place of peace and joy." It makes me think of I Peter 5: 7, "Cast all your cares on him for he cares for you."

I think that many people miss the beauty in a thistle, and I, too, was one of them. At first glance, it can seem nothing more than a mess of weeds and thorns, but there is something else there to be discovered, something you must find for yourself. I fell in love with them at Covenant College.

This metal pot of flowers is tucked back in a corner and can only be discovered if one takes the time to wander through the garden looking for hidden treasures. Life is a lot like that.

There is not much that I can say about the flowers below except that I was struck by their exotic beauty.

This little scene brings out the wistful romantic in me. (I'm sure that you've guessed that so much does.) Doesn't it look like the perfect place for a the clandestine meeting of two lovers?


At first, this stone wall emerging from the jungle of bushes and evergreens seemed like a mistake to me. However, I began to see it at a lovely place to rest while gazing at the beauty of the garden, reading a book, or perhaps even having a conversation with a cherished friend.

So many ideas for children's books come to mind when I look at this young boy. I find it a bit odd that he's reading a book on gardening, but perhaps that could be part of the mystery.

And this is the final object that catches my eye before I enter the building. It's somehow wild and orderly at the same time. That's certainly something with which I can relate.

I hope that you enjoyed my little tour!

Simple Pleasures

Today was my first day of summer work. Thankfully, I am only working two days a week this summer, much more time for family and personal projects. As I made my way into the building this morning, I could not help but smile as gazed at the quaint little flower garden near the entrance. During the school year, I use a completely different entrance on another side of the building and almost never see this little garden. However, during the summer, I have the privilege of being greeted each morning by lovely little yellow birds and brightly colored butterflies soaring around and through a wide array of flowers, ferns, and shrubs. Twice during the day I journey to the mailbox and get to walk back through this little garden, each time experiencing a few precious moments of peace and beauty. Ah, the little pleasures of life....

Speaking of pleasure, I love drinking hot tea. Today a kind coworker shared a bag of chai spice black tea with me. For me there's something almost romantic and... literary about drinking a cup of hot tea. In much the same way that a good book transports me to another place and time, hot tea seems to capture my senses and usher my thoughts to faraway lands. Each flavor, each aroma holds a different destination. I go through phases of indulging in this simple pleasure. It seems to me that I somehow become so busy or distracted that I simply forget about hot tea but then somehow I find my way back to my old friend and the romance begins again. In my single days, I would often take a cup of caffeine free tea out on the balcony of my apartment before bed each night and lazily sip away while gazing at the nigth sky and watching my neighbors come and go. Now my evenings are filled with giving the baby a bath, rocking her to sleep, preparing for the next day, and then hopefully catching a few moments with my husband before I wander off to bed. But we all have to find a few moments here and there to relax and find a bit of quiet peace, I hope that mine will include more hot tea!