My Inspiration

This post was written by me for the Housewife Bliss series on housewife inspiration, published in April of this year.  I thought I’d share it here with you all, in case you didn’t have a chance to read it.  Enjoy..

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Hello you all!  I hope you enjoy the read and are inspired by it...

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This picture reminds me of a childhood song that roughly translates: “… a sailboat seals the sky and ocean with a blue kiss…”

Have you ever been to the beach and heard the roaring ocean, saw the seagulls crossing that fantastic Technicolor blue sky, smelled and tasted the seasalt from the foamy spray and felt the tiny bits of sand tickle your ankles? How did that make you feel?

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I grew up by the sea. I remember walking to the beach with my family only minutes after the sun had come up. The sand looked amazing… as if tiny bits of gold had been left behind by the receding tide and glittered gleefully as the cool morning sun struck them. It gave me such joy to feel the wet sand creeping up between my toes and hear the wind violently sweeping my hair against my ears…

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I moved away from those shores a long time ago. And even though my world is different now I have found joy and inspiration in nature -  EVERYWHERE in nature.  I ended up getting a degree in Biology, because I wanted to "see" nature thru different eyes.  It amazes me that most of us will look at a wildflower and never know how beautiful it is in the molecular level under a microscope.

Photo from The Shiny Pebble

Throughout my home, you will see this adoration for natural things:  seashells, naturally shed feathers and quills, fossils of extinct animals, live plants… fresh herbs. I have surrounded myself with bits and pieces of the natural world. I look at swirly patterns in objects and see a winding nautilus or an unfurling rosebud.  I love granite, slate, woods… and whenever possible, I will pay for natural materials over synthetic.

Even my blog name is derived from Nature's stronghold: The Shiny Pebble.  Most people don't notice the tag line at the very bottom of my blog.  It reads:  "I know not how I may seem to others, but to myself I am but a small child wandering upon the vast shores of knowledge, every now and then finding a small bright pebble to content myself with." - Plato

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Gardening has also become part of my daily routine. It calms me down. It re-energizes me.  I would love to share a little project with you.  Herbs are such a fun little luxury and so easy to grow.  You can buy young plants from the hardware store or garden center and pop them in a pot, set them in a sunny spot to enjoy for the whole Summer.  But, they are also very easy to grow form seeds and are a fun project to do with the kids. 

Here is a short tutorial on how to grow herbs from seeds:

Materials List: 

A medium size pot

A bag of Potting Soil

One pack of seeds

Plastic wrap

Spray bottle with clean water

Directions:

Fill pot 4/5 of the way up

Water it thru

Sprinkle seeds on top

Tap them down lightly with your finger tips

Spray the whole surface with water

Cover with plastic wrap, leaving a corner loose to vent

Set it in a shady spot and spray water on it whenever you think it may be drying up. You want the surface of the container to remain moist in order for the seeds to germinate.  So keep an eye on it. After a week, start moving the pot towards the light.  Once the little green leaves start to sprout water it through whenever it needs water.  In a few weeks you will have wonderfully fragrant herbs to use and enjoy around the house.

When I am digging in the dirt and a drop of water touches my face or a light breeze tousels my hair, something misfires in my brain and takes me back to those sweeping winds, foamy sprays and sandy toes.

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While the Housewife is making her final preparations for the move back to the States, she will be hosting a series of guest bloggers in the upcoming weeks.  Please tune in.  I will be posting there on June 14th, with an article on Xeriscaping (wish me luck!).

Linking to:  Outdoor Wednesday