Where did May go? It's hard to believe this cloudy Wednesday morning is the final day and June begins tomorrow.  Where does the time go?  

It's a true Summer in Saint Louis weather day here in the Carondelet Garden.  It might rain.  There may be thunderstorms.  It may be cloudy.  The sun might come out later this afternoon.  Who knows what will happen.  It is so typical of South Saint Louis in the Summer.  

It's a day of meetings and planning that happens a couple of times a year.  It is amazing how much paperwork is involved in living life in general.  It seems to be even more complicated as I've retired.  Lots and lots of paperwork!  It's the price we pay for this amazing life we have.  

Here's to a hopeful, kindness-filled last day of May.  Be good to yourself today.  You deserve it!  Now to tackle the paperwork!  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

Sunny skies and low 90s here in South Saint Louis on the last Tuesday of May.  The mint is contained nicely in this pot because we know what happens if you let mint have its way!  Today is perfect for some mint iced tea.  

This week is about patience as I'm waiting for some relatively minor dental stuff next week.  Patience has always been one of those things I need to work on.  I want it and I want it yesterday.  I've gotten a bit better over the years, but it is still something I have to work on daily.  What I've begun to notice is that the mark of patience isn't really about enduring but hoping.  My impatience was and is about not having hope.  Patience tells me that I'm looking toward a future of God's choosing not mine.  It's a sign of longing, not so much to be released from the present but to anticipate the goodness yet to come.  A bit of an epiphany for this old gardener.  Patience is hope.  Simple, ordinary hope.  

I hope you stay cool and hydrated on this warm Tuesday in May.  My prayer today focuses on hope.  Hope is the word for us as Summer approaches.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

Acts 2:1-4
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."

It is Pentecost Sunday here in the Carondelet Garden.  The Irises bloomed just in time, and I love the trinity of blooms.  Quite fitting for Pentecost, don't you think?  

It's a beautiful morning here in South Saint Louis.  The skies are blue and there is a slight breeze.  A picture-perfect beginning of the day.  Welcome Holy Spirit!

I've been thinking about joy lately.  It may seem a bit odd to say but if you want joy in your life you have to practice.  Like all great skills, joy takes practice.  As I'm getting older, I must relearn the abandon of enjoying the simple pleasures all over again.  You see that in the wee ones when they are first discovering the newness around them.  Have you ever witnessed a child when they first taste ice cream in the summer?  Such rapture! So much joy!  Practice joy is at the top of my "to-do" list this week.

Welcome Holy Spirit.  Create in me a new creation filled with joy and wonder.  A bit of faith, a dash of hope and heaping, helping of love surround us all.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

Happy Saturday in Paschaltide from the old gardener in South Saint Louis.  The Money Plant bloomed this year and it was pretty lovely.  Happy to continue a family tradition.

It's a quiet morning here in the garden.  Listening to New Standards on WNYC.  Getting ready to settle in to some newspapers and maybe have another cup of coffee.  Be good and be kind to yourself on this last Saturday in May.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

The peppers are in the Garden on this Friday in Paschaltide!  So excited for these little Jalapenos.  Fresh salsa coming to our little Southside bungalow in the next few months.  It's a beautiful morning here in Carondelet as the last Friday in May gets underway ushering in the Memorial Day weekend.  What are your plans for the weekend?

We will be trimming and pruning the Lilac bush on this sunny day.  As the vineyard master prunes the vines to produce more fruit, we will be pruning our lovely Lilac to produce more fragrant blossoms come next Spring.  Bear more fruit.  Bear mor blossoms.  As the Gospel of John says, "I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him.  I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another."

Love is sometimes difficult.  Sometimes practical.  Sometimes painful. Sometimes sacrificial.  The older I get the more I realize that I need God's help to love.  I am often challenged to show love as I can be an old curmudgeon sometimes.  Sometimes I simply don't feel like it.  Grumpy old man!  I know that I need to simply ask for help to love others and love myself.  Love is sometimes difficult.  Who do I need to learn to love today?  

It's a stunning, sunny Friday in Paschaltide.  Come Holy Spirit this Pentecost.  Love one another.  Love yourself. Not always easy. Always necessary. Amen.

It's our Japonica "Lily of the Valley" bush.  We had one for over 30 years and it died a few years back and we've finally been able to find the perfect replacement.  What a beauty!  It is a wonderful addition to the Carondelet Garden.  

Another beautiful day here in the Carondelet Garden.  Partly sunny skies and a light breeze.  We have definitely been able to enjoy these mornings outside amongst the beauty of creation.  

It is my daily ritual to read, pray and meditate in the early morning.  It sustains my life but often it doesn't really feel life changing.  Yet, somehow, simply and quietly, God finds me.  I am loved just the way I am in that moment.  A broken old man in a broken old world seeking faith, hope and love which always begins with forgiveness and reconnection.  Every day I begin again.  Every day I stumble and fail a bit, but somehow, I am still loved.  Remarkable!

As I've gotten older, I realize that each day is repetitive.  Again and again, I have to be forgiven.  Again and again, I have to believe.  Again and again, I have to pray and meditate and read.  Again, and again and again. Amen.

Welcome to Wednesday in Paschaltide!  Come Holy Spirit!  Pentecost is just around the corner.  Come Holy Spirit, Come!

The Irises are in bloom here in the side garden.  Love these gorgeous symbols of Saint Louis.  They just give a bit of sophistication to the garden this time of year.  

Last night was eighth grade graduation for our middle God-daughter.  We are so thankful for the chosen family who give us such delight and joy!  What a pleasure it is to watch her grow into this amazing, creative, beautiful person.  We can't wait to watch her change this world!

We are back at the work of the Garden today as we tackle those daily, ordinary chores that keeps things moving.  Time to pray and weed and meditate on the goodness of the earth.  The lettuce is ready so a fresh, Spring salad is on the menu.  Be good and kind to yourself and others as you make your way through this world today.  You are loved more than you know.  You are loved, just the way you are, right now!  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

Nothing can express the joy that I receive when I'm holding my newest Great Niece. Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!  She is beautiful and beloved.  Is there anything better than visiting a Farmer's Market on a stunning Spring Day and getting to hold a perfect bundle of joy?  I can't think of anything!  Simple. Ordinary. Pleasure.

It has been my guiding mantra this year to enjoy a simple, ordinary life.  I have come to believe that our lives are formed by our simple daily chores and activity.  The ordinariness of our daily routine.  We live in this busy culture where we are all judged by our "busy-ness."  The world is craving bigger, better, faster, more entertaining, dramatic and shocking.  As I've gotten older, I crave the other end of the spectrum.  I am cultivating a life with the simplicity needed to sustain a bit of faith, hope and love.  

Enjoy this Tuesday in Paschaltide.  Come Holy Spirit! I hope you have a simple, ordinary day and find the silence to do a bit of meditation or prayer.  Try to slow down and appreciate the beauty of creation all around you.  Be good and be kind to yourself today.  You deserve it!  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It's a beautiful morning here in the Carondelet Garden in South Saint Louis.  My Snap Peas are a little behind this year.  Didn't get them into the ground as quickly as I should have.  But here they are doing their best.  Can't wait for the harvest.  I can eat these beans right off the vine they are so sweet!

It's Dentist teeth cleaning morning for the old Gardener.  Not my favorite activity but definitely a necessity.  Keep up the maintenance!  Take good care of the old body and it will take good care of you.  Mostly!  My mother-in-law always said getting old ain't for sissies.  In many ways she was right, but I wouldn't trade this time of life for anything.

A prayer of faith, hope and love for this last week of Paschaltide.  Be good to yourself.  Be kind to those you may meet along the way.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

"And remember, I am with you always, until the end of the age." It is Sunday, the Ascension of the Lord for 2023.  Today, we are once again reminded that while absent in body our Lord is present in Spirit and power.  Good news indeed!

It is the day of rest and sabbath here in the Carondelet Garden in South Saint Louis.  A time for prayer and meditation.  A time to renew, refresh and reflect as we begin our journey to Pentecost and a return to Ordinary Time.  

I hope you have the opportunity to sit and simply be present this Ascension Sunday.  Give yourself the gift of time today.  Take a moment for yourself and simply be present.  Renew.  Refresh.  Reflect.  It's a beautiful Sunday morning.  Rejoice in the sunshine and cool breezes.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It is a beautiful beginning to the weekend here in the Carondelet Garden.  The sun is shining and it is slightly chilly outside this morning after the brief showers last evening.  An absolute stunner of a Saturday.

Today is errand day for the #supercoololdpeople.  We are hitting up some shops and then home to a fire and a bottle of wine.  Pretty much a perfect way to spend a Saturday.

Here's to a great weekend for all of us.  A bit of peace, hope and lots of love.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It is a beautiful morning here in the Carondelet Garden.  The sun is shining, the birds are singing, a lovely choir is singing "Abide with Me" on Classical KWMU.  That is the perfect trifecta for this old man from South Saint Louis.  There is nothing more beautiful than an English choir singing an old hymn in gorgeous harmony.  I can feel my soul say ahhhh....

The newspapers have arrived.  The coffee is poured and I'm getting ready to settle in for a bit of solving the world's problems with Dr. B this morning.  A bit of a morning ritual after tending to the garden first thing.  Dr. B refers to it as our "dawdle" time.  We just dawdle a bit with coffee or tea.  Read the newspaper and comment back and forth and then work on the New York Times crossword puzzle.  Together we are pretty smart.  We often laugh that between the two of us we have one pretty good brain! 

I hope you have a relaxing "dawdle" this weekend.  It's a lovely way to begin the day, or begin the weekend.  Have that second cup of coffee.  Actually read a printed newspaper.  Try out a crossword puzzle this weekend.  How long has it been since you tried?  Relax, refresh, renew your mind and your soul.  Be good to yourself!  You deserve some rest and some fun.  Be kind to yourself.  Have a great Friday in Paschaltide.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It's Market Day Thursday for the #supercoololdpeople here in the Carondelet Garden.  Last Saturday we had the pleasure of joining our good friend and her wee one @tgfarmersmarket in Tower Grove Park.  Is there anything purer and more amazing than a sweet little girl taking her tentative steps in a field of clover?  Such a simple joy for this old gardener in South Saint Louis!

On a theme of gratefulness lately.  I am beyond grateful for the family and chosen family who continue to bring such love into our lives.  Former neighbors who have become family.  Current neighbors who couldn't be more loving and kind.  My darling nieces and nephews who bring the newness and excitement to life.  Our loving chosen family and the consistent gifts of joy, love and kindness they give to us every day.  Today is about being grateful for our blessings beyond measure!

It's a beautiful, sunny day here in the Carondelet Garden.  The garden has never looked better after the rains over the weekend.  We've done a bit of cleaning and tidying up.  Our tiny lawn is mowed, and the tomatoes vines are pruned and clipped to their stakes.  Life is good here in the garden.  This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!  Amen.

It's a beautiful, sunny morning here in the Carondelet Garden in stunning South Saint Louis.  After the gloom of the last few days, it is so lovely to see the sun this Wednesday.  The rain was needed just not in the proportions we received.  Crazy weather this Spring for sure.  Everything is so much earlier this year.  My Alliums are already setting their buds.  This didn't happen until mid-June last year.  My Cherokee Purple tomato has a real tomato already.  It's almost an inch and a half.  

I'm trying to enjoy it all right now because it doesn't last forever.  I want to savor each bit of crisp, fresh lettuce.  The strawberries we purchased @tgfarmersmarket were absolutely sweet and beautiful.  I want to take it all in and carve it deep in my heart.  The moments with friends and family.  New babies and old folks like me.  Savor the moments.

I hope we all have a bit of faith this week.  Share a bit of hope with someone who might need it.  Spread some love wherever we can.  It's a beautiful Wednesday in Paschaltide.  Enjoy.  Savor. Remember.  Amen.

It is a bit of a wet Tuesday here in the Carondelet Garden in South Saint Louis.  A few more showers are possible later this morning but hopefully the storms will move out of our area and those hit by the worst of this system will be able to dry out a bit.  We had a bit of water in our old southside basement but nothing terrible or traumatic. Whenever we receive these huge downpours, the water seems to find a way into the old stone basement.  Just another quirk of this old house that I love.

With the rains and storms I've been able to take a moment to stop and reflect.  A moment to be still.  Wait.  Listen for that wee small voice.  I've had people tell me throughout my life that God literally speaks to them.  They actually hear is his voice.  Audible and real.  That has never been my experience.  I feel and notice things that I believe are from God.  I pray and meditate and read and study but I have never heard the voice of God.  

This is where the words of Thomas Merton resound in my heart:  “My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore, will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”

God never leaves me to face my perils along.  No matter how terrible or persistent the storms may be.  With that knowledge and assurance, I guess I can be a bit braver as I travel this journey.  I will not fear, for you are ever with me.  Amen!

It's a wet Monday in Paschaltide here in the Carondelet Garden.  Our neighbor the weather girl let me know we received over six inches of rain yesterday.  Wow!  Not a record but a lot of moisture.  Unfortunately, I've been doing the basement mambo because of it.  Nothing terrible, just a normal South Saint Louis basement in an old 100-plus year-old stone and brick masterpiece.  Not complaining, I love my old house in Carondelet.

The Christian mystic Henri Nouwen once wrote:  "What finally matters is that hearts become like quiet monastic spaces where God can dwell, wherever we go and whatever we do."  As I was pushing the water around and into the drain.  It was a kind of prayer.  God was there in my frustration and, finally, in my satisfaction that the job was finished.  The work was prayer.  I need to remember that.  This simple, ordinary life in my small, little bungalow and garden in South Saint Louis is my quiet monastic space where God can dwell.  I need to remember!

Have a good Monday as you get out of the wet world of Sunday and into a new week of Paschaltide.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.
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Happy Mother's Day everyone!  Whether it's your first Mother's Day or you've been lucky enough to celebrate for 50 years, Happy Mother's Day.  It can be a bit of a melancholy day for some of us who were unable to have children of their own for a variety of reasons.  Be mindful today.

Throughout our lives together, whenever Mother's Day weekend rolled around it was always a weird time for Dr. B.  It was usually Graduation weekend for the college administrator.  It was often her mom's birthday as well.  It was, in a word, chaotic and busy.  While she had her hands full running graduation for a bunch of happy college students.  I would pile the Weimaraners (for years) and the last four years our precious little Doodle into the car and search for a hanging basket exactly like pictured.  A little basket of love to share.  This year was bittersweet since our sweet Holly passed away.  I still had to get another hanging basket.  We are lucky to have family and chosen family to surround us with love.  

It's a lovely morning here in the Carondelet Garden.  Many memories going through the old gardeners brain this Sunday in Paschaltide.  I hope you have a wonderful day filled with love and light.  Here's a little faith, and hope, and love from our Garden to yours.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It's a beautiful morning here in the Carondelet Garden.  We are heading out soon to visit our friends @tgfarmersmarket for the Saturday extravaganza!  Such a fun festival of food, vendors, makers, farmers and friends as we stock up for the week.  This weekend is especially joyous as we get to spend it with our dear friend and her sweet baby girl.  

Have a wonderful weekend.  If you are at the Farmers Market, you just might run into the #supercoololdpeople.  Be good to yourself and kind to others as you journey about this weekend.  It's good for the soul!  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It's a cloudy morning here in the Carondelet Garden on this Friday in Paschaltide.  We had a bit of rain yesterday, but we still need much more.  I'm hoping for a nice soaking rain but not a huge storm.  Just a wee soft day to give all of the plants a nice refreshing drink.  We could use the heavenly moisture around here.

Enjoyed the @rockwellbeergarden farmers market in Francis Park last night.  Such a beautiful evening and stunning setting.  Tomorrow, we head to @tgfarmersmarket for their Saturday festivities.  I love this time of year with all of the great events happening and still not so hot you can't enjoy the experience.  

My morning meditation was on John 15 about the vine grower.  A fitting passage for an old gardener: "Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing."  Abide in me.  The vineyard is a beautiful place.  The vines all stretching out reaching for the sunshine yet all connected to the main trunk rooted deeply in the earth.  I'm just a little twig on the vine.  I'm constantly in need of a bit of pruning and shaping.  All of the struggles make the vine stronger and allows me to bear fruit.  Abide in me.  Abide.  Simply abide. Amen.

Happy Farmers' Market Thursday from the old gardener in Carondelet.  We are looking forward to heading over to the @rockwellbeergarden and @tgfarmersmarket in Francis Park this afternoon at 4:00 p.m. until around 7:30 p.m. or so.  Hoping the weather cooperates but I will not complain if we get a nice, long soaking rain either.  We are really in need of heavenly moisture!

I love this season of life, this time of year when it's not quite Spring anymore but Summer hasn't arrived yet.  Dr. B calls it "Sprung."  I think it's very fitting.  For Spring has Sprung and Summer has not yet.  Perfect for sitting on the porch, talking to neighbors and sipping a bit of wine.  Enjoy the beauty while we can.  

Enjoy the beauty that surrounds us on this Thursday in Paschaltide.  The world is green and luscious and filled with the smells of Spring and life.  Happy Sprung everyone.  Go out and spread a bit of beauty wherever you go on your journey.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It is a new tomato season here in the Carondelet Garden.  We stopped by to visit @thesummitallseasonsmarket and picked up a variety of new tomato varieties.  Two new container plants and four new heirloom varieties.  These, in addition to our Romas and San Marzanos will definitely create a tomatopalooza in the Carondelet Garden and a feast in the @carondeletkitchen for the two #supercoololdpeople this summer and fall.  I smell Marinara!

What a joy it is has been to be back almost full-time in the Garden these past few weeks.  Digging and planting and mulching and weeding and mowing and... you know the drill.  Work? Yes.  Fun? Oh, my goodness yes!  My old knees and hip are paying the prices but I'm still able and I'm not quitting yet!  

Gardening is a form of prayer in many ways.  From the very beginning of time God invited us to be a collaborator with him in taking care of the gardens of our world.  We are charged by the creator with this creative act.  Grow and bring forth beauty and bounty.  Prayer, faith, hope and love poured into the ground and then, through grace, we reap what we sow.  

We are charged to be creative.  How empowering is that? Be creative in your kindness as you continue your journey on the Wednesday in Paschaltide.  Pour out a bit of faith, hope and love! Amen.

Happy Fifth Week of Easter Tuesday from the Carondelet Garden.  The Lamb's Ears are going crazy in the back garden.  I love the soft, fuzzy plant.  I will always remember a tour I once took of a garden and the story of how early settlers used the plant for toilet paper.  Such a fun story!  Every child who visits gets a rendition of that story!

It is a glorious morning here in the Garden with temperatures in the mid 60s and mostly cloudy skies but we should see a bit of clearing this afternoon.  A perfect day for the mowing and weeding I have on tap.  Another busy day around here.  

Have a wonderful day on this Tuesday in May.  Be good and be kind to yourself and others as you continue your journey this day.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It's a beautiful Monday morning here in the Carondelet Garden.  Wasn't yesterday's weather crazy?  We woke up to a warm, sticky, humid morning and by the afternoon the temperatures had soared to the mid 90s.  As the late afternoon came and we thought a storm was beginning to brew the cool winds pushed in a gorgeous evening for porch sipping.  Welcome to Saint Louis in the springtime.

I began this year thinking about simplicity and wanting to return to a simple, ordinary life this year.  Especially after the roller coaster of the past few years.  I'm still thinking about simplicity and what that means to an old gardener like me.  For me, a simple, ordinary life is about balance.  It's about finding the things that are important to me.  I'm no Marie Kondo and I am not cleaning things out to the degree that I have only ten pieces of clothing or something like that.  My goal is to simply be the best version of myself, one that I like right now, in this moment.  I'm just trying to be a simple, ordinary old gardener in South Saint Louis enjoying the life my God has given to me in the best way I know how.  Simple.  Ordinary.  Life.  

The only thing I have to add is gratitude.  How do I say thanks for all the things I have been given?  I am the most fortunate of people.  The writer Annie Lamott once said that there only three kinds of prayer:  Help!  Thanks! and Wow!  The older I get, the more I agree with here.  Today, my prayer is Thanks!  Amen!

"Come... and I will give you rest." 
     -Matthew 11:28

"Coorie in." The Scots say.  Come in!  Be safe. Be warm. Be welcome.  Come in from the storm and be safe and dry.  Come and be cozy and well.  Coorie in.  I love the sound and the goodness of that phrase.  Come in and be safe.  So often we don't realize the heavy burdens we are carrying until we arrive at a safe harbor, a quiet place of unburdening.

Jimmy Buffett wrote a song about this called "One Particular Harbor."  It says, "There's this one particular harbor.  So far and yet so near.  I see the days as they fade away, and finally disappear.  A most mysterious calming harbor, sheltered from the wind. Where the children play on the shore each day and all are safe within."  I can't listen to this song without hearing, "Coorie in"  Be safe and dry from the storm.  Be cozy and well.  Unburden yourself.

My prayer today is to be a more welcoming presence in this broken world.  To offer a welcoming place to coorie in.  Coorie in to a kind and gentle welcome that will be truly irresistible.  "Come... and I will give you rest." Amen.