"In this sticky web that we're all in, behaving decently is no small task." -- Novelist Stacey D'Erasmo

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Best Foot Forward

     I must admit I have an ambivalent attitude toward nature. Of course, I want to see us save the rain forests. And I love the cute animals and pretty flowers -- especially the daffodils that harbinger the warm weather to come.


     But I don't much like house flies and mosquitoes; I don't want squirrels or skunks in the attic. I used to like deer, but that was before I had Lyme disease. And I certainly want no part of the Coronavirus.

     To avoid being exposed to the Coronavirus, like most people, I've been self-isolating at home, looking for things to do. But there's no reason why we can't go out for a walk, as long as we practice "safe distancing" from other potential carriers we might meet on the path or sidewalk.


     So the other day I decided to look on the bright side, to put my best foot forward, and go for a walk into town. I tried to focus on the beautiful side of nature, which is not hard to do in the springtime. The first thing I noticed was the forsythia in my neighbor's yard.


     Myrtle was peeking out from under the winter leaves.


     Lots of people had beds of little yellow flowers blooming in their front yards. I don't know what they are, but they sure are pretty. 


      One older home had a front yard lined with hedges that were just budding with tiny red flowers.


     I had to go in for a closeup of these pretty pink and purple flowers.


     At the First Church of Christ Scientist a row of Andromeda bushes lined the driveway.


     On the way home another of the daffodils caught my eye. I guess the daffodils are my favorite. I hope you, too, can enjoy some nature, wherever you are. In the meantime, be safe, be well.

19 comments:

gigi-hawaii said...

Pretty flowers in your neighborhood. I love those yellow daffodils, too.

DJan said...

Nature is my sanctuary and keeps me sane during these very uncertain times. Thank you for this lovely post, Tom. :-)

Linda Myers said...

Good for you, Tom. We get to try new things during this most interesting time.

Carol Cassara said...

We are doing the same at our house, Tom!

Suemn said...

I love the spring flowers and tulips are my very favorite although daffodils are a close second:) I've been buying potted tulips in bloom at Trader Joe's for the last few weeks and keeping them in the house as it's still too early for spring flowers to bloom here.

Janette said...

I feel so blessed that spring has sprung- even if it makes me sneeze!
We seek to hear nothing but what we can do in a positive manner.
I would say that we have already moved from denial to anger to bargaining and now whipsaw between acceptance and depression. The flowers and walks help. I don't think my car has ever sat in the garage for more then a day before!
The most difficult part for me is trying to warn my family in the Southwest that they are about a week behind us. There is so much they could do to be more ready. Yesterday, I decided they will just have to live the stages as well. It is hard to watch.
I am fortunate that my ties to my children are strong. We are all in this together, 70 or 500 miles apart. I have reconnected with several of our single friends- daily emails at this point.
Keep those flowers coming Tom!
I appreciate them.

Arkansas Patti said...

Spring really is leaving its mark with all the color and beauty. Kind of nice in these trying times to just enjoy and forget for a while.

Barbara said...

I don't think I've seen the Andromeda plant before. Very interesting. I will have to keep my eye out.

Kay said...

Thank you for the beautiful reminders of nature's beauty to combat the apprehension of today.

Rian said...

Tom, I think you're right on - about taking this time to see the beauty in our world. I find it odd that this killing virus is here in spring when so much beauty abounds. I felt the same way the other day just looking out of my kitchen window at all the bright green grass, budding trees, and a blooming redbud right in the middle of it all!

Janis @ RetirementallyChallenged said...

I have a couple of friends posting pictures of their walks. I think it encourages us to continue getting outside (always at a safe distance, of course). Even with this current threat to our health and well-being, we can still enjoy the beauty of spring.

Dick Klade said...

We had been enjoying the flowering plants and greening grass for several days before waking this morning to two inches of new snow. Ah, spring hasn't quite sprung in southwest Michigan. But it will; it always has.

Anonymous said...

Tom, when you get a chance, can you remove those boomer threat comments? They are so annoying. I'm getting them too. There's a way to block their IP address. Easy in WordPress. I'm not so sure in Google.

I'm just going to type my name here but post this under anon. I don't want any pingbacks from these idiots.

Thanks,
Cindi

Tom said...

I'll try to remove any comment that starts out with, "You boomers ..." Anyway, yeah, we all need to brainstorm new and creative ways to keep ourselves engaged and focused -- and sometimes just entertained -- now that we are forced to self-isolate.

Tabor said...

you live in a beautiful neighborhood. Does andromeda have a fragrance? It looks like it could.

Kathy @ SMART Living 365 said...

Hi Tom! I too have been keeping my mind focused in a positive way by taking photos of my neighborhood and posting them. Your flowers are beautiful and great to see that spring is out in your neighborhood! ~Kathy

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Wisewebwoman said...

Thanks Tom. Just what I needed to look at just now. Beautiful nature.

XO
WWW

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