This journal has been long neglected and I’d like to come back to it. I miss the structure of having a space to post the happenings in my life, in my garden, and in my daily work. I’ve decided I’m going to attempt making journaling in this space a habit once again, if for no one but myself (But as most things go in my life, it may be a sporadic habit that moves with my feelings).

I’ve always been a reflective person and it helps to ground me. Sometimes I get caught in only looking ahead which feeds my anxiety and worries about the everyday. It can be easy to forget who you are by avoiding looking back. This whole past year has seemed to be one long season of looking forward, waiting for the days when we can be together again and for a sense of normalcy to return. In the waiting, I think I may have forgotten how to be present. I hope journaling will bring me back to that state of mind.

What better way to start than with the month of May. May has quickly become my favourite month of the year. The sense of anticipation of spring has built up for so long during the winter and suddenly it’s a rush of growth and blooms as the trees and wintering plants burst to life. Another habit I’ve been attempting to cultivate is capturing the moments as they pass in an artful way (i.e. using my camera, not my phone). I’d like to share a few of those moments with you.

What is it about the first of anything? It’s always so thrilling and memorable. These were my first ever tulips. I planted them in fall and had been eagerly anticipating them all winter. They weren’t perfect or even that large, but they sure were glorious.

This year, I went all in on seed starting. My little sunroom was overflowing with little seed starts. It was a bit overwhelming, but I hope all worth it! So far, the garden seems to be doing alright, with a few exceptions where a certain neighbourhood cat has decided the bed would make a good litter box. It’s been a full on war against this roaming beast.

As the earth warmed up and animals found their mates, there were many days spent out in the wild, soaking in the sun and finding scenes of wonder. My favourite neighbours joined in on some of those adventures and we discovered so much delight together.

A little bit of work was done in between all of the explorations…

… but time was mostly spent out in the world and wild, after so much time spent at home by ourselves.

And also, of course, all the time in the garden. This space is one that feeds the soul. We are now halfway through June and the garden already looks so much fuller. I’m trying to take photos as I can, but it’s growing so much, it’s really hard to keep up! The first blooms are out and it’s starting to look so lovely- can’t wait to share in the next monthly update (hold me to that…).