A day in the life of a magnolia blossom…..
Howllo Fellow Basset Hound and Magnolia Blossom Lovers: OMG! I think this is my favorite flower. It is just a delicious dreamy delight to have blossoms in your home. I had a magnolia tree planted in my yard about 11 years ago. My goodness I babied that thing like it was a favorite child. Obviously, it was not planted in the best place because it took about 8 years to get one blossom! Last year I think I got about 4 or 5. This is Emma, another favorite child, moments ago modeling in front of the favorite child. See that blossom way up high? Well, that is how most of them are, too high to reach.
Emma is gated in because she cannot go down the steps by herself yet due to back surgery.
The other day I was on Twitter. I follow this couple who own
La Grande Maison d’Arthenay a B&B in the Loire Valley, France. You might be thinking, what does this have to do with a day in the life of a magnolia blossom? Oh how our lives take twists and turns just like the grape vines in the Loire Valley. I love hearing all about the B&B. What’s for breakfast, what wine they are serving at cocktail hour, and just the general runnings of a very different life than mine. A few days ago Micaela posted a picture of a single magnolia blossom floating in a glass bowl and said how much she liked the simplistic beauty and how the smell just filled the room. I just love her pictures. They are sublime.
Here is her picture:
So, back to my favorite child and her very high blossoms. I wanted a center piece for my dining room table. My sister and my nephew were coming over for lunch. I really wanted a magnolia I could put in a glass bowl! But alas they were all too high, serving only the luckiest of bumble bees and ants.
I thought of the Twitter picture and longed for the same blossom blessing!
Then, whilst brushing my teeth this morning I glanced out at the favorite child and behold! A single blossom and it was within reach!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Off we went to take a closer look. The Mayor was very curious.
Yes! Grandma admires our blossom beauty!
Now for a closer look –
Just breathtaking………..
I clipped our fragrant friend and we heading in to admire our center piece. The Mayor leads the way.
Check it out! Two beautiful, delicate flowers!
Our guests are almost ready to arrive! The Mayor is waiting and hoping for an extra treat!
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh………………A day in the life of a magnolia blossom.
More low hanging blossoms and blessings later………Love, Cat, Chaps and Emma
Comments(9)
That is one beautiful flower!
What a lovely flower the magnolia is! Thanks for posting the link to that couple’s B&B in the Loire–I have been there and it is a beautiful spot…I will have look at their site in depth.
Mary, Harley, Biggs and Leo
I love the simplicity of your centerpiece. It is just lovely. AND THE HOUNDS ENJOYED THE ADVENTURE!
Cat Chaps and Emma,
Thanks for the kind mention we are happy you were so inspired by our single bloom. Hope your sister and nephew enjoy it too. Have a great weekend!
a bientot
From the Loire Valley Vineyards France
It’s so lovely it’s almost a shame to have cut it. I am not familiar with the scent of a magnolia blossom, but it looks like it would have a sweet soft fragrance.
My favorite flower is the lilac. I just love the fragrance and the color of a deep purple lilac.
Hi everyone:
Right after I posted this blog, town resident Mary. Earlier in the day she had received an e-mail entitled: MAGNOLIAS……
I was so touched that she forwarded it to me. What was going on with Magnolias yesterday?
Here is the e-mail…..
MAGNOLIAS……….
By Edna Ellison
I spent the week before my daughter’s June wedding
Running last-minute trips to the caterer, florist, tuxedo
Shop, and the church about forty miles away..
As happy as I was that Patsy was marrying a good Christian
Young man, I felt laden with responsibilities as I watched
My budget dwindle.
So many details, so many bills, and so little time. My son
Jack was away at college, but he said he would be there to
Walk his younger sister down the aisle, taking the place of
His dad who had died a few years before. He teased Patsy,
Saying he’d wanted to give her away since she was about
Three years old!
To save money, I gathered blossoms from several friends who
Had large magnolia trees. Their luscious, creamy-white
Blooms and slick green leaves would make beautiful
Arrangements against the rich dark wood inside the church.
After the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding, we
Banked the podium area and choir loft with magnolias. As we
Left just before midnight, I felt tired but satisfied this
Would be the best wedding any bride had ever had! The music,
the ceremony, the reception – and especially the flowers –
Would be remembered for years.
The big day arrived – the busiest day of my life – and
While her bridesmaids helped Patsy to dress, her fianc Tim
Walked with me to the sanctuary to do a final check. When we
Opened the door and felt a rush of hot air, I almost
Fainted; and then I saw them – all the beautiful white
Flowers were black. Funeral black. An electrical storm
During the night had knocked out the air conditioning
System, and on that hot summer day, the flowers had wilted
And died.
I panicked, knowing I didn’t have time to drive back to
Our hometown, gather more flowers, and return in time for
The wedding.
Tim turned to me. ‘Edna, can you get more flowers?
I’ll throw away these dead ones and put fresh flowers in
These arrangements.’
I mumbled, ‘Sure,’ as he be-bopped down the hall.
Alone in the large sanctuary, I looked up at the dark
Wooden beams in the arched ceiling. ‘Lord,’ I
Prayed, ‘please help me. I don’t know anyone in this
Town. Help me find someone willing to give me flowers – in a
Blessing of white magnolias, courage to find them in an
Unfamiliar yard, safety from any dog that may bite my leg,
And a nice person who would not get out a shotgun when I
Asked to cut his tree to shreds.
As I left the church, I saw magnolia trees in the distance.
I approached a house…No dog in sight. I knocked on the
Door and an older man answered. So far so good. No
Shotgun. When I stated my plea the man beamed, ‘I’d
Be happy to!’
He climbed a stepladder and cut large boughs and handed
Them down to me. Minutes later, as I lifted the last armload
Into my car trunk, I said, ‘Sir, you’ve made the
Mother of a bride happy today.’
‘No, Ma’am,’ he said. ‘You don’t
Understand what’s happening here.’
‘What?’ I asked.
‘You see, my wife of sixty-seven years died on Monday.
On Tuesday I received friends at the funeral home , and on
Wednesday . . . He paused. I saw tears welling up in his
eyes. ‘On Wednesday I buried her.’ He looked away.
‘On Thursday most of my out-of-town relatives went back
home, and on Friday – yesterday – my children left.’
I nodded.
‘This morning,’ he continued, ‘I was sitting in
my den crying out loud. I miss her so much. For the last
sixteen years, as her health got worse, she needed me. But
now nobody needs me. This morning I cried, ‘Who needs an
eighty-six-year-old wore-out man? Nobody!’ I began to
cry louder. ‘Nobody needs me!’ About that time, you
knocked, and said, ‘Sir, I need you.’
I stood with my mouth open..
He asked, ‘Are you an angel? The way the light shone
around your head into my dark living room…’
I assured him I was no angel.
He smiled. ‘Do you know what I was thinking when I
handed you those magnolias?’
‘No.’
‘I decided I’m needed. My flowers are needed. Why,
I might have a flower ministry! I could give them to
everyone! Some caskets at the funeral home have no flowers.
People need flowers at times like that and I have lots of
them. They’re all over the backyard! I can give them to
hospitals, churches – all sorts of places. You know what
I’m going to do? I’m going to serve the Lord until
the day He calls me home!’
I drove back to the church, filled with wonder. On
Patsy’s wedding day, if anyone had asked me to encourage
someone who was hurting, I would have said, ‘Forget it!
It’s my only daughter’s wedding, for goodness’
sake! There is no way I can minister to anyone today.’
But God found a way. Through dead flowers.
‘Life is not the way it’s supposed to be. It’s
the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the
difference.’
If you have missed knowing me, you have missed nothing.
If you have missed some of my emails, you may have missed a
laugh.. But, if you have missed knowing GOD, you have
missed everything in the world.
This story is too beautiful not to send.
🙂
I absolutely love that story!!
Nin
warning!!!! danger will robinson!!!! deep thinking ahead
what an amazing story!
ya know…the lord works in amazing ways…ya don’t expect it…it always sneaks up on you and surprises you but it always works. catches me every time.
i believe that there are no coincidences in the world. things happen for a reason…you come across people because you were meant to be, hit places at a certain time for the same thing.
kind of mind boggling…
so much has happened to me in my life…alot bad, some good….really given all the bad i should be dead 80x over but there is a purpose to all of it…i have to be around for a reason..maybe i’m not sure of it but god must have a pretty good clue of his direction for me…my goal is just to be patient, & then accept and run with it….just like the man with the flowers.
sometimes life’s just like a box of milk bones (and i keep picking those damn liver flavored ones…why can’t i get the godiva chocolate flavored bones??????????)
Hi everyone! I am so glad you enjoyed this posting. I really loved writing it. We had a great lunch with my sister and my nephew. I gave my Mom the Magnolia to take up to her place. Since that morning, no more blossoms! Our season might be over, but boy will I look forward to next year! Maybe we will be 10 or 12 blossoms! LOL
Just like Lois said, “very mind boggling”
Cat