It seems to be a fast and furious day in postville. I just keep getting these ideas and instead of convincing myself I’ll remember later, which I never do, I’ve just plonked on the keyboard instead. What’s a girl to do ? I’m inspired today by flowers. Most particularly by irises. I just adore irises. They are a mystery these work horses of the garden. So far I have about 8 varieties which is a drop in the bucket but I’m working on it.
My name is Elizabeth and I’m a plantaholic. Not as bad as I used to be but I am hard pressed to pass up a beautiful specimen of any type of plant. I’m a particular sucker for irises. They intrigue me on so many levels. You can have bearded, crested and beardless. You can be Siberian, Japanese or hailing from the Pacific Coast and there is an Iris for you. Endless colors, alluring fragrances, variegated leaves if you’d like and they are the most tenacious little beauties in my garden. I think that’s what gets me: they are deceptively delicate. I love that.
I love being underestimated. I love people making assumptions about me and then having them completely dispelled once they get to know me. I love being thought of as uptight and then letting loose a string of curses that would make a sailor blush (usually around a campfire well after the kids have gone to bed). I love that people think I’m a bit standoff-ish when what they don’t realize is that I’m actually a bit shy. Now this doesn’t last long in most situations but it is a fact that I tend towards shy. But like my trusty iris, once I’ve established roots I blossom out and hopefully wow you.
The irises are more subtle in their self-promotion and in the plant world that’s a matter of survival. They have their contrasting beards that just cry out for a bee to land on them and get their tummies tickled. They have the most delicate fragrance that catches you as you walk by not sure if you’ve just smelled the most lovely perfume or imagined it. They draw you in with their silent strength and their ability to produce wondrous things you would never have thought possible. Who wouldn’t want to be compared to an iris minus the bee thing ? I love me a good honeybee but landing on me ? Nope. This (occasionally) silent but strong woman will run screaming like the little Pansy she can be sometimes if that bee tries to get too friendly.
There are many things in my bucket that I hope to accomplish besides collecting more irises. I plan to get a good job so I can put my excellent education to work and give my amazing husband some rest. I hope to promote my photography, earn some more bucks and take us all on a vacation. I’d like to get another tattoo to celebrate my accomplishments so far but as I’ve already scratched that off the list it’s not a high priority. In the end, I think I’d like to be more like the iris. Be diverse, hard-working, surprising, appealing and productive. I think that’s something I can remember to do.
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