All In A Day's...Magic

Some days, more than others, give us notice of the beauty of life...and the price of admission. Monday was such a day for me, giving cause for celebration all week.

As a singer, my body is the instrument and my mouth, of course, a most important part. To make sure I knew as much as I could about this instrument and how to keep it honed for a lifetime, I studied for over three years with Professor Bonnie Kirk from the Brooklyn Academy of Music, also a member of the New York City Opera Company. It was a great investment that paid back handsomely in better knowledge and control over the living musical instrument I wanted to have for a lifetime.

Last Friday I found three small growths under my tongue.

I made a Monday appointment with my doctor and spent my weekend, as you can imagine, thinking all kinds of things while trying to think of nothing. In my mind's eye I kept seeing Willie Nelson's old Martin guitar...yeah the beat-up acoustic you've seen at every one of his performances. It's got holes, dents and scratches...but it still sings.

In the middle of the whirlwind that is living, the "what ifs" pulled me to my centre of stored survival skills, gratitude. How grateful I am for this human experience in a world of beauty, and grateful for the love and support of my family. There was no need for chewing-of-the-scenery drama, just the quiet holding of my blessings to help me wait.

"It's not Cancer," is a melodious phrase on a Monday afternoon. My doctor laughed as I engulfed him in a big Mama Mayhem hug, all decorum forgotten! Outside his office, the natural Pacific Northwest beauty I love so much seemed to light-up and shower me with the wealth of just BEING. I drove home to Home with the guardian trees on each side of the road waving at the parade...not knowing even more magic was afoot!

A little orange slip of paper in my mailbox told me that a package was waiting for me, down at the post office, and my heart jumped, knowing what it was. A young woman in Alaska had been working on a piece of artwork for three months, as a gift for me. Coming with love from a friend, it arrived the day it needed to...whichever way the news went down at the doc's office. That's the magic I choose to see in this life. That's the love and spirit I delight in sharing.

I had no idea just how gobsmackingly amazing this pen and ink of Anna and me would be! The artist wishes to remain anonymous and does not sell her work but I am allowed to show you the magic of a piece called "Across the Universe Between Mother & Daughter." (I apologize for webcam shots.)

It's a coin-toss, what we will or won't have to struggle with, in this life but the choice of our view? That's our own personal magic to draw upon.

Get Me A South Sound Specialist In Artful Outdoor Living, Stat!

Totally dig groovy, South Sound oriented plants? Do you like to grow them, look at them, learn about them, or all three? Are you masterful with your gardening results or pretty hopeless?

My attempts at gardening have yielded some strange results. I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a “black thumb” (though I have been known to horribly neglect a houseplant or two). But I am awkward with plant design, although I try with all my heart. My unseen side garden and some large containers in the unseen backyard have been the source of my “experiments.” Typically, I struggle with things that end up growing way too big, or don’t grow the right way, or the plants have clashing colors and textures. My last concoction was a whole pile of “what the heck is THAT?” But, I am eager to learn and happily teachable.

So, I sought a teacher. And I found one in the form of Scott Gruber from the South Sound’s Calendula Nursery and Landscaping.

The word “calendula” itself intrigued me, so I looked it up. A “calendula” is a member of the daisy family and is related in some ways to the marigold. The key words that defined this flower were: reliable, edible, medicinal, and most importantly, versatile. It has been through my recent experience that Scott and the team at Calendula Nursery and Landscaping lived up to its name. Here’s how:

Reliable: Scott came over and met with my husband and I to discuss our front yard. As a sculptor, artist, and plant expert, we liked him immediately. He educated us on what plants we already had and really listened to what we wanted (easy, cool, and relaxing). I guess what I liked the most was the eagerness and interest—it’s like you could see the wheels of his mind working, thinking, processing. When we concluded our visit, he said he’d e-mail us a plan. And oh man, that plan was detailed, well written and exactly what we wanted. For us, we didn’t need to go further. We were done. We found our guy. I found my teacher. And he found fresh landscape to make his new muse.

Edible: Calendula really grooves with the idea of edibles in the garden. When Scott was installing blueberry bushes and an aronia plant (berries that are like, health-wise, blueberries on steroids, click HERE to learn more) in our yard, I was intrigued. Not because the plants were beautiful, but because they were interactive and fun. The kids went wild for this concept wholeheartedly and picked and devoured all of the blueberries in short order. Cool.

Medicinal: The medicinal effects for calendula involve treating acne, reducing inflammation, taking care of bleeding and irritation. Our previous look I suppose could be related to “acne,” but certainly, our new landscaping got rid of my “irritation” of an unworkable yard. And the beautiful new plants was the salve to heal our yard’s wounds.


Versatile: Scott and Calendula created a phenomenon in our neighborhood. Everyone in the area got a terrible case of rubber neck. And slow downness. And looky-loo. Masterful plantings, creative rock turning (seriously, he turned our original rocks on their sides to create fab sculpture), and seeing through the artist’s eye, it was a treat watching him work. And the coolest part was the description of what was done. During orientation, he exclaimed with a childlike delight, “…and this, in the fall, will give you OUTRAGEOUS color!” Anyone who uses the phrase “outrageous color” (and means it!)soars to the top in my little book of life.




Explore the Calendula nursery and landscaping website. I’ll make it easy for you: click HERE and go! High energy, fun, and locally spirited, you will learn many things. You’ll learn about plants obviously, but more than that, you can see some great creative art pieces that are custom made (I love the custom designed clocks, so check ‘em out). The nursery is only a hop, skip, and a jump from Tacoma and if you want a little in-town face time with Scott, hit Tacoma’s Proctor’s Farmer's Market to ask questions, learn, buy, and dream. You will not be disappointed.