“My candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night;  But ah my foes and oh my friends-It gives a lovely light!” –Edna St. Vincent Millay

A couple of times of year I know exactly how Edna St. Vincent Millay felt when she wrote those words.  Lately my life has been a big mess of pressure and hurry up.  I am glad to say that after today I can begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Regardless of what happens at work tomorrow I am loading my sweetie into the car and heading off to The Southern Garden History Symposium in St. Francisville, LA tomorrow afternoon.  While we look forward to all of our little get aways, this is one of those where we feel like we have actually earned it!

This latest bout of “busy-ness” has kind of robbed me of the best fall bulb season I have ever had.  I have been propagating oxbloods (Rhodophiala bifida), spider lilies (Lycoris radiata) and yellow spider lilies (Lycoris aurea) for years.  Over the past few weeks my bulbs have bloomed in record numbers and their petals have been bright and gloriously colorful.  I have been planting and dividing these southern heirlooms for several years now and Mother Nature finally rewarded my efforts – and I was too busy to take the time to enjoy it!

I don’t want to sound like a whiner.   As the old saying goes “You can curse the rose bush because it has thorns or you can thank God that the thorn bush gives us roses”.  I am very thankful that God sent me the best bulb season ever.  While I might not have been able to spend as much time with them as I wanted, I did get to see them and I am truly thankful for that.

This “missed” bulb season has me in a bit of a melancholy and reflective mood.  One of the things that kept us busy this past month was the birth of our first grandchild.  He was born to two exceptional young people.  My daughter is working on her PhD and her husband is finishing his residency.  THEY are extremely busy people.  Looking back from where I am now I know that I did not take the time to truly slow down and observe the miracle of my own children’s new life.  Now, I wish I had.  My prayer for them is that they do not repeat my mistakes.  Life is beautiful!  Whether it comes in the form of a precious new baby or in the form of a beautiful new flower.  It is beautiful and it is fleeting.

My friends, slow down!!!!  Take time to watch the flowers bloom!  Hold your children, and smell them!  There is no better smell in the entire world than a new baby!  It may be many, many years before you get to smell it again.  Tempus Fugit, Memento Mori!!!!

P.S.  If you have figured out how to actually take my advice, please leave me a comment here or on Facebook!