Yesterday I wrote about being sad about the coming of Easter and how I would have to find a new way to create my own celebration. This morning I was talking to my dear friend Claudine in Belgium via Facebook Live in Messenger, so lovely to talk face to face with a dear one so far away. As we talked I was admiring Claudine’s “Easter Tree” made of a big vase of cut branches from which she has hung Easter eggs and little yellow chicks. It is so adorable. And hers is lit up too. She encouraged me to make one of my own and, with her encouragement, I did just that.
I went out into the yard with the pugs and cut branches from one of my overgrown loropetalum bushes. They were the only thing I had available to cut. Unfortunately they are not as strong as the branches Claudine used and they droop under the weight of the lights, in fact I had to use my green twisty garden wire to hold the lights to the branches and the branches to each other so they wouldn’t just fall completely over, but I was delighted with the bright pink lights, a gift from my dear friend Jim in November who gifted me with 2 boxes of pink lights because I have written about having pink lights here in my studio before the fire. Now I have pink twinkly lights in here again. And the lights have several different settings so they are twinkling up a storm, kind of twinkling up and down the branches in constant movement which just tickles me no end.
I don’t have any eggs to hang from it but I have to go to therapy tomorrow and now that my little Easter Tree is up and twinkling I’m wondering if I might just make a trip to the Dollar Store to get some plastic colored Easter eggs to hang from it? Or maybe I can find some colorful paper flowers to attach to the branches? Perhaps one day I can get some of those little birds from the craft store to attach to the branches? Maybe they will converse with the real birds that come to the feeders just outside the windows? My spirits have picked up just watching the pink lights twinkle. I would never have done this without Claudine’s encouragement, or without the pink lights from dear Jim. It reminds me of the Beatles song “I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends.” I do indeed, and there’s more.
After yesterday’s blog post several friends wrote to me in the comments to encourage me to at least start gardening in pots on the deck, to just start small. It is scary, and the deck is dirty and in sore need of painting, but I was encouraged to look past that and just begin. With the help and encouragement of these dear ones I will give it a go. And my dear friend Katya wrote…
“…draw a garden, paint one, an extravagant garden of every flower and butterfly and gnome or goddess figure. gees maitri. you are a painter. paint your garden! life imitates art. one day the garden you paint today will manifest in its own way in your landscape…”
It set me to thinking, to wondering if that could be possible. It scares me a little because as I’ve shared I am not “an artist,” I simply draw these wobbly, cattywompus Ladies of mine. I’ve never tried to draw or paint other things like gardens and such, but might it be possible? In my own wobbly, off-kilter sort of way? I think I’m going to try. I’m not sure if I will be brave enough to share it here but I just might. I will give it a go today and see what happens.
Today is a better day. I have been struggling but I’m alright. Just now I am looking out past the pink twinkly Easter Tree to so many birds coming and going at the feeders I am in awe. No, things are not as they were before the fire, but there is life here. I have to find my way to create a new kind of garden here, a few pots, a dream in my sketchbook, yes, this is how I will begin again.
Thank you dear friends, all of you, for being here with me, and sending me the notes and the gifts and the love. I feel you here with me. I will share this with you along the way…
The Experiment ~A 365 Day Search For Truth, Beauty &
Happiness: Day 1 ~ Introduction To The Project
“Do or do not. There is no try.”
Yoda
Dear Maitri, I love the picture at the top of this blog. Is this your Easter Tree? If not, will you post a picture of it so we can see it?
You mentioned that you are not an artist. Yes you are. What is an artist? One who creates, right? You create! You create a lot. Maybe one of your ladies can create the garden for you. What about a garden collage? Get pictures off the internet and make a garden collage. That is artistic!
I am glad you are feeling better and I am so looking forward to seeing what else you are going to create.
Much Love, Jean
Jean, yes, that is my “Easter Tree” with the pink lights on it. I know it is not a real “tree,” it is a makeshift bunch of branches to hold the lights but it’s what I’ve got. 🙂
And oy, I have been trying to do a little garden scene, I’ve tried pastels, I’ve tried watercolors and I just made a mess and gave up. I will have to find a way to approach it that feels comfortable to me. I haven’t found it yet. Tomorrow is another day.
Right now I am very much in the one-day-at-a-time sort of place just babystepping along but that’s okay. One way or another baby steps gets the job done!
My daughter is coming over tonight, I’m getting ready now, this is my happy time when she is here. I hope you have a happy evening honey…
Hugs,
Maitri
Dear Maitri, what a lovely blog post. You’re making new memories! I love your Easter Tree, the pink lights are so pretty. I’m really looking forward to your new little garden, you’ll be able to enjoy the flowers from your studio.
Sending you hugs and so much love! xxx
Thank you Jenny! One day at a time I am figuring things out. And yes I am just delighted with my “tree” which I know is just a collection of branches but the pink lights are delightful. Right now everything, as I just said to Jean, is all babysteps, but that will move me forward, and any kind of forward motion feels good right now.
Hugs right back to you Jenny honey, I hope you have a lovely evening… 🙂
Enjoy your evening and your Easter tree, Maitri. It’s lovely to read that you’re feeling better today. Here’s to many, many more of the same 🙂
Thank you Moira, I love my little “Easter Tree,” though it is just a cluster of branches it is perfect with the twinkling lights, and the lights are so delightful because they are not only a beautiful pink but there are several settings and this current one is as if dancing quickly up and down the branches. It is magical. And oh! My daughter has just arrived to spend the evening with me. It doesn’t get any better than this! 😀
Oh, Maitri, I love your ladies and have ever since I discovered your blog. I still have tiny white lights from the holiday season and a glittery tree that twinkles so beautifully from the lights. It’s my thing. I will keep them up as long as I want, just because I like to. I realized last night that I am giving myself permission to do my own thing. You’d think after almost 70 years my life would have been serene and tranquil but I’ve not ever felt the kind of freedom to just be. But I’m getting there. Realizing I am unique as are you.
This afternoon, I drew MY very own first lady…just to loosen me up. I sent her to my Facebook page if anyone wants to see her. Her name is Primera, Spanish for First, in the Spring (Primavera in Spanish).
Oh Marge! You’ve drawn a Lady! I can’t wait to see her. I’m not sure where your Facebook page is. Can you message me at Facebook so I can find it?
And you absolutely are unique and special and magic! We all are, that’s the thing. And I love that you have a glittery, twinkly tree. And at almost seventy isn’t it about time you do your own thing? You GO Marge, I’m so excited for you and so delighted that you share this here. Be sure to message me so I can celebrate your Lady with you.
Sending you a big big hug! 🙂
Maitri
Your cattywampus Ladies, your snuggly puggles, your incredible writing…sounds like a lot! And now you have an Easter tree. You rock, my friend!
Thank you so much dear Cathryn, you are so kind, and yes, it is a lot indeed. And my darling Rachel just left, she was here and we watched a documentary that I loved and knew she would too because she’s a psychologist and works with children with autism. The documentary is called “Dina” and it’s about this adorable, quirky couple who have autism but get married and have such a sweet relationship and quirky bunch of friends. It’s so touching. So yes, today was lots of pug love, and my kind of lopsided Easter “tree” with sparkly pink lights, and my darling daughter. It’s been a good day, and I’m so glad you are part of it.
Much love and a warm hug dear friend…