C. Fawley Fjeran

"Life is too short." How many times have we heard that? I just heard it once again--in a commercial that ended with, "Life is too short not to have ice cream." Well, maybe. If you've tried watching Alice the giraffe give birth on Facebook Live this week, her labor and delivery seem like it's taking an eternity. The reality is, a minute is a minute and a day is a day, no matter how you slice it. So why do we often feel there are never enough hours in the day? I don't recall ever hearing those words spoken by a child. In fact, children often express the opposite: "How much longer?" "Are we there yet?" "How many 'sleeps' until Christmas?" (my favorite) I have a small collection of clocks, many of which are right only twice per day. It gives me the sense of time standing still. Actually, birthdays and anniversaries feel pretty close to real time; I have no delusion on this side of the hill. Even at my age, I feel l...

Last week, I visited the Anne Frank Museum in Sandy Springs. I left with poignant thoughts and a copy of her diary, which I have been reading this week. I often wonder how people endure. Is it faith and forebearance? Is it stoicism,  tenacity, resilience? “Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it's less good than the one you had before. You can fight it, you can do nothing but scream about what you've lost, or you can accept that and try to put together something that's good.” ― Elizabeth Edwards I had a highschool teacher whose favorite advice was, "Accept it and move on." Although I soon forgot his name, his voice and his advice stuck with me. Resilience has long intrigued me; although, it often escapes me. While finishing a degree in Human Relations, we were required to do an ethnography.  I chose Sheperd's Spinal Center in Atlanta for my observation. Along the way, I met an spirited young man who was adjusting to quadraplegia. At the same time,...

East coast beaches have a rich color palette: cinnamon colored sand contrasts beautifully with whitecaps and blue skies. View: Hammock Beach, Palm Coast, Florida

"No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see." - Taoist Proverb View: WinShape Retreat, Mt. Berry, Georgia

Isn't it interesting how pendulums swing? Before modern times, people lived and worked in villages and traveled on foot or used 'beasts of burden' to get around. Time-and-space in day-to-day life was slower and closer to home. Extended family members commonly lived near one another. While others raced toward modernization and beyond, the Mennonites and the Amish held onto this simple lifestyle. With the introduction of automobiles, in addition to getting places faster, we started driving further and further from home. Modern inventions bring conveniences that should optimize the hours in our day.  As the author of the book Freakonomics demonstrates, outcomes are often the opposite of what we anticipate.  Although we love our cars, appliances, and electronic devices--you would have to pry my iPad from my cold, dead hands--lifestyles are busier, more complicated, and hectic. We now pay to go  grudgingly  to the gym to work off calories we no longer burn by walking...

February 12, 2017 Samba is a Brazilian genre of music and dance style. It's also the name of software something-or-other but we'll set that one aside. I stumbled onto Beach Samba late one night during a musical episode that began with Margaret Whiting's rendition of "My Foolish Heart". The comparison to Frank Sinatra's interpretation is strikingly different. And then it was on. I found one more and then another, each one with a unique interpretation and style. Before the night  was over, the voice of Astrud Gilberto from the album Beach Samba (1967) floated through the mix. Remember Asrud, the "Girl from Ipanema"? It's not a picture of the beach or an audio of the ocean roaring with crashing waves but can't you imagine a Brazilian night on the beach listening to this tune? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=buPh5LUuDaE&feature=youtu.be   [Carolyn Fjeran, LowTide explorer/reflective writer; horticulturist & gardener; former writer for Coope...

February 10, 2017 The heading on the book, Celestine Sibley, grabbed my attention because I've been drawn to her writing style and charmed by Sweet Apple Gardening. Sweet Apple Gardening is a book that I have gifted and shared through the years with friends, especially with gardening friends. The book, Christine Sibley, was in a used book bin at the library and I picked it up without a second glance. Once home, on closer inspection, I was a tad disappointed to see the b ook was not written by Ms. Sibley. Thinking the book was simply a love offering by her granddaughter, I almost didn't pick it up again but as curiosity would have it, I did. No regrets. Ms. Sibley's granddaughter, unbeknownst to me, is also an author. Celestine Sibley Fleming inherited her grandmother's charming style. This is a sweet read by a talented young woman about someone so many of us in the South knew and loved. P.S. Ms. Fleming was named Georgia Author of the Year by Georgia Writers for this bo...

February 8, 2017 Beach sand comes in many different colors and particle shapes/sizes. Technically, sand is a sediment classified by size from .0078 to 1.0 mm. Larger sediment is in the form of pebbles, rocks, and boulders; smaller particles form silt and mud.The sugary sand beaches along the Gulf of Mexico are favored for their fine uniform soft sand. Beaches with low energy waves, like the Gulf, tend to have finer sand than beaches with high energy waves--like the west coast. The slope of the beach also affects particle size. Lower sloped beaches, like the Gulf, result in more back-and-forth motion, which wears down particles. Science aside, the real gauge of beach sand (in my opinion) is how it feels under foot. [Carolyn Fjeran, LowTide explorer/reflective writer; horticulturist & gardener; former writer for Cooperative Extension Service, Master Gardeners, and The Newnan Times-Herald]

February 7, 2017 Frog Baby's smile brightens Atlanta Botanical Gardens. I find it impossible to feel an inkling of sadness when looking at this cheerful face. Edith Barretto Stevens Parsons (1878-1956) sculpted images of her children holding small creatures like turtles, ducks, and frogs. The original Frog Baby resides at Ball State University. Years ago, students would rub Frog Baby's nose for luck p rior to taking exams. I feel lucky anytime I have the chance to slip through the gardens greeted by this smiling face. [Carolyn Fjeran, LowTide explorer/reflective writer; horticulturist & gardener; former writer for Cooperative Extension Service, Master Gardeners, and The Newnan Times-Herald]

February 4, 2017 In recent years, I was lured into running with the Peachtree City Running Club. It was a late-life venture, partly motivated by fitness, partly by socialization, and partly by the challenge to 'Just Do It'. John is the oldest member of the PCRC. On Saturday mornings, runners pair up for a weekly 5K run around Lake Peachtree. As a novice, I was matched with John who was hovering aro und 80 years of age at the time and suffered from plantar fasciitis (a painful foot disorder). We were a good match. John had years of experience, including multiple marathons. I had everything to learn. When asked, "What are your best tips for running?" John replied, "Just keep moving." I was expecting something more complex. The dangling carrot was the Peachtree Road Race, which I ran for the first time in 2013. It was exhausting, but I kept moving until I crossed the finish line. One and done. Running the beach is my new dangling carrot. In retrospect, John...

February 3, 2017 Washington Oaks Gardens State Park on the Matanzas River in Florida 01.14.17 Herons are the largest birds that I've encountered. While living on Hilly Mill Road, we had several Blue Herons regularly visit our two-acre lake. On my first sighting, I thought a small plane was landing! Because the Blue Heron is so large, I was surprised to learn that the delicate Snowy Egret is in the same family. The Snowy Egret is found year round in Florida. Adults are white with black bills and black legs. Often they are found wading at the water's edge, hiding their yellow feet. Usually a quiet, patient fisher, if seen running back and forth through the water with their wings spread, they are chasing dinner. I get it--patience only goes so far, especially when you're hungry! [Carolyn Fjeran, LowTide explorer/reflective writer; horticulturist & gardener; former writer for Cooperative Extension Service, Master Gardeners, and The Newnan Times-Herald]

February 2, 2017 Did we miss it; did winter give Georgia a free pass? The early bloomers are behaving as such. Daffodils are one of the first to be fooled--not to worry. Even if they bloom early and are knocked back by an inevitable late frost, they will survive. However, if you are planning a trip to see the millions of daffodils in bloom at Gibbs Gardens, you might need to revisit your schedule. Gibbs  Gardens Daffodil Festival typically runs from March 1 to mid-April when more than 20 million daffodils will be in bloom. Over 100 varieties cover 50-plus acres. I'll check the bloom forecast before I make the trip. [Carolyn Fjeran, LowTide explorer/reflective writer; horticulturist & gardener; former writer for Cooperative Extension Service, Master Gardeners, and The Newnan Times-Herald]

February 1, 2017 Strolling the Fairhope Municipal Pier overlooking Mobile Bay, I found this little dream named One Day and thought, "Why not?" Yes, one day! [Carolyn Fjeran, LowTide explorer/reflective writer; horticulturist & gardener; former writer for Cooperative Extension Service, Master Gardeners, and The Newnan Times-Herald ] View: Fairhope Municipal Pier, Alabama

January 31, 2017  Tovah Martin posted on her site, "So think about the first hints of spring = and tell me what you wait for. I can't wait to put the birdbath back in place. And believe it or not, I LOVE spreading compost. How about you?" In Georgia, birdbaths stay out year round. I'm waiting for my grandmother's Irises to bloom around my southern birdbath--lovely together. [Carolyn Fjeran, LowTide explorer/reflective writer; horticulturist & gardener; former writer for Cooperative Extension Service, Master Gardeners, and The Newnan Times-Herald]