A Queen Among Faeries

In California, in a small town called Alameda, in an old Victorian house on Alameda Avenue, there lives my dear Grammy and Grampy. Their house is a comforting place to be and all are welcome who come knocking at their door.  I've never met people as dearly loved as they are by so many.  But besides the special people who fill this home with love, there are other things just as precious and sweet if you take a closer look.

From the ghost, Charlie, who lives in the attic (don't worry, he's the original owner of the house and he likes to clang around a bit in the attic), to the old flowery wallpaper that peeks through a closet upstairs reminding you of the house's century-old history, there are endless reasons to be drawn to this special place.  

Surrounding the house are beautiful maples, an abundant little apple tree, a sweet bird bath, amaryllis, orchids, and my favorite - jasmine. There also is a small village of faeries that reside there too.  

If you know Grammy, you wouldn't be surprised by this.  She's just as magical I think.  And we all know magic draws magic after all - don't you think? She's often found to be sitting with the faeries in her backyard, enjoying their company, introducing them to new faerie friends, and bringing them flowers, river stones, pete moss, and love.  They peek at you from underneath a berry patch, or sit atop a toad stool watching the moths and bumblebees stagger by.  Others can't be bothered, too caught up in their own beauty and taking in their reflection at the pond.

The village has grown steadily over the years and now boasts tree houses, swings, a grotto, and lake.  How clever these little faeries are to establish themselves amongst such beauty and kind neighbors!

This makes me think of how we all possess our own sort of magic, a personal legend if you will.  Grammy's faerie magic extends beyond her home - it lives in each of her children and grand children and all of the people who are lucky enough to know her. 

She always greets with a smile and light heart.  Her judgements are few yet just.  Her personal legend has been to bring joy and acceptance, to give love without expectation.  Perhaps that's why her faerie friends choose to make their home with her.  She is certainly the queen among them.

Who would have thought so much magic could exist in one sweet little garden, hidden behind an old Victorian home, along a neighborhood street of a seaside town

Quiet Walks, Spaces, & Places...

Nearly everyday I love to go on a quiet walk with my friendly thoughts free to wander.  I walk through my sweet little neighborhood "Lyon's Village" in Northern Arlington.  The houses here are mostly from the 1920's and 30's and their owners are new families mixed with a few retired folk who dilly dally about their yards, or sit on their porches with sun-tea in their hands. 

I love the gardens I come across when I walk - especially at this time of year.  They are usually filled with the last hums of cicadas who mourn the last days of summer while the crickets and grasshoppers come out to play their fiddles in celebration of the coming Fall.  Even the small lightbulbs strung across fences and backyards give off a low buzz and make me feel like little stars hung themselves to be a little closer to us to join in on the festive block parties and Fourth of July celebrations of summer.

I'm also reminded of being back home in California this past Summer- spending time in my family's back yard for very similar fanfare and my heart can't help but ache.  

Despite that bittersweet sadness I feel being so far from home, there are so many things to love about living on the East Coast.  There is the Fall change of color, the smell of ripened apples ready for picking, the feeling of soft and cool earth under my finger nails as I push my hands deep in the soil to pluck out potatoes for harvesting.  The pumpkins are a deeper orange here, and while the West Coast does experience some color changing, there is nothing that can compete with the technicolor spectacular from the door steps of Mount Vernon and out along the Potomac River.

My husband and I go apple picking soon so I will be sure to share the many joys of the day with you.

Until then, here are some photos I took over the past few months during my visit home this Summer to California and during my evening strolls in Arlington.  Be well. :)