17 May 2009

Consolation


Nature is a good consoler

The day Sven died I started to replant all my newly-sown plants into bigger pots. I started out in frenzy, needing something to occupy my mind but soon slowed my pace down. It was something very comforting in gently, gently placing the little baby plant in the pot and ever so lightly tucking it in, it’s new soil almost like a blanket. Foxgloves, lupines and sunflowers are now growing in bigger pots and I even put some new seeds in the old ones – sweet peas! I did wet a plant or two with my tears but I think that’s good fertilization don’t you?

Foxglove


Lupine


Sunflower

Today I visited a place that has taken natures consoling effect a step further. I visited Alnarps rehabilitation garden. It’s a beautiful place where people with burnt out syndrome, depression or minor psychiatric diseases can heal their mind and soul by working or just being in the garden. I heard a very interesting lecture by the physical therapist working there telling us how research has shown that we have “ natures soothing effect” in our genes and that peoples reactions to nature as a healer is similar in all parts of the world. So now I have a scientific proof that my feelings when planting my plants yesterday where just right!


A resting place

Davidia involucrata - Dove tree
In Sweden it`s called Näsduksträd - hanky tree. Good when feeling sad and tearful


My dear Hubby came home from a short trip to the US yesterday. He is a great consoler too. And of course bringing a new gadget……may I introduce the new family member Sonny – the robotic vacuum cleaner! My daughter and I named him Sonny after the movie I Robot! He is SO sweet, humming around the house cleaning and after hours of relentless cleaning he “drives” over to the docking station for a “meal” of electricity! Amazing! Now that is a gadget I like! I jokingly asked my husband if Sonny would wet-dry the floor too. Do you know what he answered? Nope, the one doing that was too expensive!


Meet Sonny!


Take care
Jeanette

6 comments:

Gerda-Thyra said...

Jösses, vad du har sått mycket frön...och lupiner, som jag bara ÄLSKAR!
Vi inväntar snickarhjälp, så jag har nästan inga blommor alls just nu... bara lite i krukor och byttor, får bli mera sedan när allt är klart!
Kul att du tittade in till mig, det var länge sedan... och det var länge sedan jag var på besök här hos dig också!
Att utöka familjen med en Sonny-robot måtte vara underbart... synd bara att han inte kan våttorka golven... fniss...
Koftmönstret kan jag fota och maila över till dig om du vill!
Scannern är trasig, men jag tror det går bra att fota också. Jag gör ett försök imorgon eller i övermorgon.
Koftan ska stickas i dubbelt lingarn, men jag fick tag i samma färg i bomullsgarn också, så jag blandar en tråd lin och en tråd bomull, så blir det inte SÅ DYRT... blev ändå skitdyrt: nästan 900 kr för garn, mönster, stickor och knappar!
Ha det bra!

LiLi M. said...

Great post again Jeanette. This is about the circle of life too and that your mind can easily linger on when doing work in the garden. That you cry doing that once in a while is good. Crying eases the physical pain that you have when you loose a dear friend like you did. It takes of the rough edges. At first the pain is so hard that you feel it before you wake up. But after a while it's getting better. Good to hear that Mr. Gadget has the ability to console you too, and of course Sonny. Was there a time that you were happy without your Sonny ;-). I bet soon comes the time that you cannot imagine a life without Sonny. Take care dear friend, thinking of you, hugs LiLi.

Anna Stilla said...

Dina plantor har nog fått en själ. Du har fört över mycket kärlek och värme till dem kan jag tro.

Jeanette, den första bilden är underbar. Får jag berätta om min association? En av mina fovoritböcker (eller favoritfigurer) genom åren är Anne på Grönkulla. När hon blir hämtad av Matthew på stationen och sedan när de åker hem så passer dem en allé med blommande körsbärsträd. Den bilden har liksom bitit sig fast i mig och jag önskar få uppleva den på riktigt någon gång.
Jag är kär i japanska körsbärsträd och om jag någonsin ska köpa ett hus så ska jag plantera mängder av dem.

Kram
Anna

Eleanor said...

My thoughts are with you during this difficult time, and I can see you are healing well.

I'd love to see photos of the seedlings as they grow!

Carol said...

Very thoughtful post.

Mandi said...

love all those new plants...great ...but I love Sonny even more....got to get me one of his buddies....