Jeanne Marie – Page 15 – Women Who Think Too Much by Jeanne Marie

Walking among the flowers,
bending to touch the weeds
they are fragile, blooming at will
sprouting from no planted seeds.
An array of splendor soon to be
fed to the noisy lawn mower.
Weeds, do you know that you are
as beautiful as any planted flower?
Purple, pink, yellow and white blooms
who decided that you were a weed?
While flowers close by are honored
in words and pictures and deed.
You keep on growing, waiting for my notice
instead you’re pulled, torn up and trashed.
Hey, stop swaying, let me take your picture
so for me at least, your beauty forever lasts.
by Jeanne Marie

The first picture is called an Air plant. It grows anyplace it wants to and while often latching on to other plants, branches and wires, it requires no soil. The next five pictures are weeds that grow wild in Florida. Silly Yankee girl that I am, I have nurtured and transplanted these beauties to each place where I have lived in Florida. Yes, the neighbors laughed at me. The last three pictures are of flowers, but since they appeared and were not planted by me at all, blown into my yard from where I don’t know, I count them as weeds. But I treasure my weeds as well as my flowers for which bloom should be called a weed and which bloom a flower? I just love them all.

Florida Hibiscus

I Am Sixty, Part Two: The Oil Stain August, 2013

My friend told me stories about her yearly trips to Sanibel, Florida. After hearing her stories, I was longing to go there, especially after viewing all the gorgeous shells she had collected during her visits to Sanibel with her family.
Sanibel Island in Florida is a vacation destination dream place, but the reality of the ocean’s condition there since the BP oil spill in the Gulf is extremely sad. The sea water is cloudy brown and the shells that used to line the beach have disappeared. The entire shore is utterly devoid of shells except for tiny bits and pieces.
My friend and I searched all along the island’s beaches for three days. We hit every beach on Sanibel Island; plus, Captiva Island and came back with empty sand pails. We did fill a three ounce bottle with tiny shells which we collected at midnight when the tide was out.
The excitement I felt at going to stay at an ocean front hotel to celebrate my 60th birthday was tempered by the still visible damage that was supposedly cleaned up in the Gulf Coast. Why is it still showing its ugly face in the brown ocean waters of Sanibel? When I asked the hotel management why the ocean water was brown and a little sudsy, they told me that the “town” had put something in the ocean a few days ago to help keep the ocean clean. Mmmmm. Really?
When I got home I did some research and found websites manned by Gulf Coast residents explaining the still ongoing pollution residue left behind from BP’s oil spill, the mess from the disbursement solution included. Oil sitting in puddles in their back yards, sea life and plants diseased and dying off.
I did have sand dollars all over my feet and legs when swimming at Sanibel. I enjoyed meeting them and scooped them up by the handfuls, said hello and set them back into the sea.
My friend, standing beside me had none near her, so in addition to being a gecko and butterfly whisperer, I am now a sand dollar whisperer.
Sanibel is still a beautiful island to visit but it was so sad to witness the ongoing damage from the BP oil spill and I was furious when I recalled BP’s recent commercials stating that there was no lingering damage from their oil spill.
https://womenwhothinktoomuch.wordpress.com/2013/08/26/i-am-sixty/
https://womenwhothinktoomuch.wordpress.com/2013/05/25/least-we-forget-i-cried/

Flower Power

There’s No Place Like Home…

Peach Hibiscus

Flowers from my garden, all blooming today…

Lavender and Lace

From My Garden

Make a wish…

Not Perfect?

Friday Night Blues…Remember When

Sundown Lights Up The Sky

Purple Bottle Brush Flowers

Saturday Night

Coming Home

Coming home to Florida from Arkansas in February, these flowers were waiting for me. What a gorgeous greeting!

Yellow, Red and Pink Flowers Make Me Smile…

These were in my garden today and as I thought of all my friends who are cold and shivering, I decided I would deliver these gorgeous flowers to your house. Enjoy the promise of spring!

Today

Women Who Think Too Much by Jeanne Marie

The past looms ever present, but this moment is God’s present to me. I won’t ignore my present by holding yesterday’s regrets in front of my eyes. I cannot change the past, but today, the present is mine. I will create good memories. I will hold this moment, I will laugh and I will play. I will live today, I will love me today and I will appreciate the precious people who love me today. I will share my present with you today. Jeanne Marie