In the wide world I find
Nothing but disturbance, war and strife.
In my little garden
Love, peace, rest, and unity—
My flowers fight nevermore.

—Francis Daniel Pastorius, 1651–c. 1720

flower garden with profuse and multicolored blooms

Zwei verliebten herzen / Haben einen schmertzen (Two beloved hearts have one pining)

carving of birds facing each other over a stylized lily; flowers protecting them; a carved frame, painted red

Blessed Pascha to the Orthodox in the room!

For those of you in NC, I’m at the Greensboro Curb Farmers Market spring craft fair today from 11-4. It’s indoors, great for a rainy day!

booth at craft fair

From the front yard

posy of various color flowers in a blue vase

Greetings to thee, Heavenly May of Eternal Wisdom, wherein there has grown the fruit of Eternal Blessedness. For eternal adornment I pray today for all the red roses a hearty love; for all the small violets, a humble inclination; for all the tender lilies, a pure embrace; and for all kinds of beautifully colored and lighted flowers, any heath or mead, forest or fertile plain, tree or meadow, which has been, may have been, or shall be brought forth…; for all cheerful songs of the birds, which ever have been sung on a May-twig, my soul bids thee uncreated praise; and for the ornament by which all temporal Mays are adorned, my soul lifts itself up to Thee today—Thou Blessed May—that Thou wouldst help me in this brief time to praise Thee similarly so that I—living fruit—may be nourished by Thee eternally.

—Meister Eckhardt’s pupil Heinrich Suso, reflecting allegorically on the springtime garden. Thou Blessed May as a name for God is simply wonderful.

Framed version of the carving I wrote about last week. After reading more about the origins and context of the iconography I decided to title it “Crowned with Life.” More on that (and more carvings) next week, I hope.

chip carving of crowned bird surrounded with flowers, blue frame carved with woven-triangle pattern

Pinkladies.

two large pink flowers, much greenery

radishes, freshly dug

A crowned bird and flower, from inspiration to carving

Here’s a crowned bird and flower design from inspiration to carving. The original artist is unknown, but little paintings like this one (c. 1840) were sometimes given by teachers as rewards to students. The bird may or may not have symbolized the soul, as birds are intermediaries between earth and heaven; if so, is this one crowned in glory? Or do these little guys just look better with something on their heads?

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