February

Things are looking pretty bleak right now. Not that they haven't for awhile now but it suddenly feels like the unraveling of society at large has leapt into hyperdrive. Seems like there are so many horrible things happening I can't  even put words to my thoughts and feelings about it all. Makes doing a small thing like making pretty flower arrangements seem silly and inconsequential. You know, like that saying about rearranging the patio furniture on the titanic? I am trying to remind myself of the power that comes from finding beauty in everyday things; finding beauty in unexpected places where maybe nobody else would think to look. The hope that can be found in alchemizing the flowers and textures that I find on the side of the road or in the yards of my friends into intricate meditations on the endless fascinations that can be found in nature. I want my arrangements to inspire wonder,  bring joy, some small respite from everything that's currently spinning out of our control. Beyond that I want to encourage other people to do this work too. Get outside and bring some of that wonder indoors with you! Now is the perfect time to bring blooming branches inside! Tulip magnolia and forsythia will burst into bloom with the indoor temperatures and who couldn't use a little of the hope that comes with the promise of spring right now? I think we all could. I don't know who needs to hear this besides me right now but hang in there, it will be ok, the flowers will still bloom; Spring will come.