Tuesday, August 30, 2011

House-warming

Was I ready for my house-warming and birthday party? It's taken me nearly two years to be ready. For the first year I was publishing and selling a new book. Somehow I hadn't become settled enough, and there was always more to do. One thing I'd planned was to create a flowering garden in pots on my balcony.
The white hyacinth was just beginning to push out of the soil and into bloom, and the freesias were hanging out their fragrant petals, but that was all - because I was stopped by a broken wrist. 'Never mind, I'll go ahead anyway, and just enjoy the afternoon,' I decided.
But the garden appeared! Two friends, separately, had gone to the Eden Garden tulip day, and each brought me a pot of red tulips.
Another brought a gorgeous apricot begonia to sit inside.

 Others brought daffodils, and bunches of violets.
And cards with pictures of flowers, and a bunch of camellias . . .
And so the garden came to me. I've been drinking in the beauty ever since, and giving thanks for the way in which the presence of so many loving friends has blessed my home.
It's so important to have a house warming. I know it took me a while to get it organised, but it turned out that it happened at the perfect time.
The Irish have a rather nice blessing for such an occasion:
May your home always
be too small
to hold all of your friends.
There was a moment in the middle of the afternoon when I felt that my home was about to burst with joy.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful celebration! I just love those red tulips. Happy Birthday and Happy Home.

Juliet said...

Thank you Ruth. Yes, the tulips are cheerful aren't they?

Marilyn & Jeff said...

What a wonderful house warming and birthday party with friends bringing your garden to you! I do hope that your wrist mends well - and Happy Birthday Juliet.

Anonymous said...

That joy comes bursting through in your post today, Juliet. What a delightful way to have a housewarming, celebrate your birthday, spring, and life. I love to pot up my deck. I have large pot of herbs in one pot; basil, oregano, some nasturtiums for color, and a step from the door so I can snip for cooking. One year I had parsley, which I used as a bouquet on the table when I'd forgotten to get flowers at the market.
Those camellias are beautiful. We don't get them here, either in the gardens or at the markets. I's a joy to see them in your pictures.

Juliet said...

Thank you, Marilyn and Penny, for your good wishes. I smiled at the phrase 'pot up my deck' - herbs and nasturtiums sound a good combination.

anissa ljanta said...

i love all that colour and exuberance...of the flowers and through you. I came across an article you wrote sitting in a waiting room yesterday and enjoyed that offering in that moment. That was perfect too. Speedy healing to your wrist. x

Juliet said...

Thank you Anissa. Yes, the colour and exhuberance of the flowers is still with me, cheering me along.

Lynley said...

What a splendid time of the year to celebrate a birthday and to warm a house.

The flowers with such an array of colours are magnificent.

Colour is healing so soak it all into that bone:-)

Marja said...

Happy you had such a wonderful time. I love you tulips. Must be me being dutch :) Exciting that you wrote a book What kind of book did you write?

Juliet said...

Thanks Lynley and Marja. The tulips are still flowering beautifully.
Marja, if you click 'books' at the top of this page, you'll find book covers and descriptions of all my publications. 'Dancing with the Seasons' is the most recent one. You can also check my website www.julietbatten.co.nz