Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Repose: Word for Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Donna at Garden Walk Garden Talk has chosen the word Repose for this week's "Word for Wednesday" word inspiration. 

Every other week, Donna posts a word that needs to be expressed in some way using photographs of things in our garden.    

This week, I interpreted the challenge in a very literal way, for lying in my garden is a sweet little girl who spends sunny afternoons reposing under the sand cherry tree and indulging in her favorite pastime - reading.

Shortly after our marriage, Steve and I were reminiscing about how we spent our summers when we were children.  I told him that one of  my favorite things to do was to lie on the grass under a tree and read.  Not long after that, he spotted a cement cast of this figurine at the garden shop and he surprised me with it.  

I was incredibly touched by his thoughtfulness.  The little girl was about a foot long, petite but detailed, and I loved it.  At the time, we were building our very first cottage bed together and I set her in the bed where she nestled among the wood violets.

The following year, we hired a landscaper to begin work on the hardscape in our garden.  I came home from work one day to discover that one of the workmen had driven over the little girl with a piece of heavy equipment and shattered her.   I was distraught.   I'm very sentimental and the little figurine meant a lot to me.  Steve promised to get another one and over the summer, we hunted for a replacement in vain. 

Fast forward two years.  We were strolling through the garden department at Home Depot one evening when Steve spotted the very same figure lying on a shelf next to some pots of plants,  out of easy reach.  The figurine was a much larger version of the original cement one and much heavier, as it was cast in bronze.  

I thought the price tag of this larger and most impressive version of the original would be a deal breaker so I was more than a little surprised when one of the customer service clerks climbed up on a ladder and took the figure down from her perch and carried her to our car.  Steve said he couldn't pass her up, no matter the cost. What a sweetheart!  I love the figurine and she reposes in a place of honor in the front of our main cottage garden.

Today she reposes among the ivy, under the sand cherry tree, between two favorite roses, Lady Elsie May and Macy's Pride. 


On a slightly different note, I couldn't help but note the other day that when it comes to actually reposing, our four Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have elevated it to an art form. 

From L to R, Emily Rose (ruby, age 7 years), Elizabeth Rebecca (black and tan, age 13-1/2 years), Katherine Hepburn AKA Katie Cuddles (Blenheim, age 2 years), and Spencer Tracy AKA Toughie (tricolor, age 5 years)

Please drop by Donna's blog, Garden Walk, Garden Talk, to join in her Word for Wednesday meme!


33 comments:

  1. I always look forward to your posts and was not disappointed :)

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  2. What a lovely story and figurine to represent repose. I am so glad you were able to find one to replace the one you lost. And I had to stare at the photo of the doggies taking time for repose...so cute!

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  3. What a sweet figurine! And a sweet story to go with her. She looks adorable. Glad you found another one to replace the original. Sentiment is priceless.

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  4. What a sweet hubby you have! Great story. Awwww...your dogs are adorable. They look very peaceful and comfortable. We should take cues from our friends and nap more often!

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  5. That's a touching story. The figurine is beautiful and I am glad you found her again.

    How is it that all your lovely dogs decide to sleep at the same spot?

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  6. I really enjoyed your touching story. What a thoughtful husband you have there. In my design job, I am often asked to include sentimental objects in the gardens, and this is often in some pretty snazzy places. And the statuary is usually something of minimal monetary value, but great sentimental value. I always oblige and try to position it with great care. Other designers pooh pooh these objects, but I always respect the clients wishes. I am glad you had a story like this one. Thanks for joining. And of course, the doggies, always a favorite.

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  7. Chris, you are too sweet! Thank you!

    Michelle, thanks so much... yes, the pups are adorable, aren't they!

    Holley, I totally agree... sentiment - and love - is definitely priceless.

    Karin, I so agree LOL. If I miss my daily nap I really suffer! (I have MS and struggle with pacing and balancing activity and rest.)

    One, these dogs are the ultimate couch potatoes! But they are so sweet! And they often sleep together!

    Donna, yes, I have a wonderful husband! (And not just because he is a champion weeder LOL.) The fact that you can incorporate something that is special to your client in their garden design is what makes your designs so special... because you recognize that it's what's important to them vs what looks "good" to anyone else. One of Steve's favorite pieces is the ugliest silliest frog.... but we always put it in a special place because it's special to him.

    But this little girl was perfect for your word this week.

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  8. Wonderful post Cathy. Steve is a sweetheart and a keeper. I love that figurine because it reminds me of my childhood as well. I think as children we learn how to repose in nature so much better and then lose it in our adult years...glad I have that back...I love it!!

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  9. How so sweet Steve is! Imagine, he kept that thing in his mind that long! And the colors of your dogs are so beautiful, and they have the same schedules too! hahaha!

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  10. Donna, I totally agree. I don't have a lot of warm childhood memories but this figurine definitely brings me back to some of my fondest ones! And yes, he's a keeper!

    Andrea, he hunted for a replacement more tan I did! He even had a vendor at the Boston flower show searching through catalogs!

    As for the dogs... yeah, they have the same schedule alright... sleep all day, play half the night LOL. Except they like to play on our bed while we're trying to sleep! (Toughie and Katie especially. They are the friskiest two!)

    Those are the four colors that Cavaliers come in - we have one of each. We adore them though, and they never ask for the keys to the car or an increase in their allowance (although when Katie starts driving, she's going to be hell on wheels, that one LOL).

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  11. Aww.. so sweet of your husband! And such a sweet statue! I spent many a summer as a child in a similar position :)

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  12. Yes, Indie, there are a lot of bookworms just like me LOL. To this day, I much prefer to lie down and read vs. sit and read!

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  13. What a wonderful story. She looks so sweet lying in the ivy of the garden. You are right the dogs have this repose thing down pat. LOL! Have a wonderful weekend.

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  14. I love both the figurine and the dogs - and what a wonderful story about the figurine. It reminds me of my childhood as well.

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  15. You have a wonderful weekend as well, Lone! We are busy with Yom Kippur services and spreading compost in the resebeds... while the dogs repose LOL.

    Ginny, thanks for viisitng our blog. I think this resonates with so many of my generation... books were huge back then, when TV came to us via antennas (and often hard to tune in!), cell phones were not even a glimmer in our minds' eye, and movies were at a theater... videos and CD's were decades away. I enjoy technology as much as the next gal, but sometimes I long for those good old days again...

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  16. Steve, what a gentleman. Very touching. You may have to elevate her as it looks like the ivy is trying to engulf her. lol. thanks for the comment on Repose-Black on White. You guys are great encouragers.

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  17. Love your touching story. The simple pleasure of reading is a wonderful gift - my childhood memories are filled with lazy days exploring other worlds through books.

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  18. Aw, Steve, I am coming over for some tips from you, not gardening ones this time.

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  19. From Steve.... Everyone, thank you for the kind recognition. Alistair, you and your wife are welcome to visit us anytime to learn anything that you find valuable and grace us with your company. Regarding the girl in repose, it is not often that one can find a truly meaningful gift. It was my desire and pleasure to transform a beautiful object into something more. To quote Kahlil Gibran, “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give."

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  20. Greggo, the ivy is thickest this time of year, but we generally keep it trimmed around her. And you're so welcome! We love your blog!

    Garden Sense, we both love to read, and we both regret that kids have so many electronics these days, reading is an unknown pleasure for many of them.

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  21. Hi Cathy & Steve,
    Just to let you know that your caption has been selected and is posted today.

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  22. Sweet sweet story... thank you for sharing it. Gotta love such a sentimental husband... I sure do mine. ♥

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  23. Lovely post. I think you've found the perfect spot for the little girl. At least you keep your ivy trimmed. We almost lost some sculpture under ours. It has a tendency to take off...

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  24. What a lovely story (once the cringe at the landscapers' accident got out of the way!). From the comments it sounds like for many of us, ivy could have grown over us all summer while we were reading and we wouldn't have noticed. Now I'm more likely to read out of mixed habit and pleasure, but then it was sheer enjoyment.

    I like seeing the ivy starting to grow up over her--she really does look immersed in her book!

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  25. Boy, glad you found the statue again!

    I know that feeling of just reading away while the ivy grows over you. It happens now and then to all of us.

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  26. Enjoy reading about the episodes of you and your husband... very interesting indeed...

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  27. One, your photos and captions are always a favorite!

    Carolyn, thanks so much for visiting and commenting. Glad you enjoyed the story!

    Janet, we let the ivy grow a bit out of control this year as our neighbors were putting in some terraces on a very hilly area of their yard and wanted ivy to plant along it. They had planned to buy the ivy but we suggested we just let ours grow and grow until they needed it. They had to wait for the gas company to move a pipe so it has taken the entire summer and much of the fall. Needless to say, the ivy has overtaken everything, but it looks like this weekend, we'll finally be "harvesting" it for them.

    Stacy and Linnie, I so agree with everything you both said. When I was a child, I could get so engrossed in a book, I would be oblivious to everything around me. I remember once, I sat in the kitchen reading as dinner burned on the stove. My mom came running in when she saw smoke pouring out of the window. She has never let me live that down. (And that was over 40 years ago LOL.)

    She used to say that cobwebs could grow over me when I was reading.... scary thought.

    Lrong, thanks for stopping by and commenting... glad you enjoy our posts!

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  28. That's a really nice repose story, what a considerate husband you have! Christina

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  29. What a great bronze! Your dogs are beautiful... our neighbor has a Cavalier King Charles... oh yes, and thanks for visiting my site! Larry

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  30. Your story of the figurine brought tears to my eyes. I, too, have fond memories of lying on the lawn as a child, immersed in a good book. It sounds like you have a very special husband. And your doggies know how to really enjoy life!

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  31. Christina, thanks for visiting... yes, he is definitely considerate!

    Larry, I'm envious of your harvest! The rain and the rabbits killed us this year. And yes, it IS a great bronze! Thanks for stopping by. ;)

    Deb, these are the sweetest dogs and they do know how to take it easy LOL. It's definitely a dog's life around here!

    Based on the feedback we've gotten, I think for folks of our generation, reading in the grass (or immersing oneself in a book whether at the beach, on the sofa, or wherever)... is so characteristic of that era. (I'm old enough to recall when color TV was first invented....). It's one of those shared experiences... like getting your first drivers' license... that marks a generation. For most of us, those were simpler, easier, happier times. And even though I have painful memories of that period in my life, books were a comfort and an escape. Reading was such a lifeline for me! I'm glad I was able to rekindle special memories for you too.

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  32. Great figurine for your gardens, but I love the dogs photo and it looks very familiar to me. :) I see you had to have one of each color of Cavalier. It would be hard to choose, as all the colors are wonderful. Very cute!
    Cher Sunray Gardens
    Goldenray Yorkies

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  33. A well placed sculpture is a great addition to a garden picture, and the story that goes with this is delightful. Our first dog was a King Charles, seeing your brood made me feel sentimental - she died a long time ago.

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