Yesterday my old friend Rainbow posted a link to a post from Carry Out Kindness on Facebook, highlighting a wonderful New Year’s practice which inspired me immediately, so I wanted to pass it all along to you on this first day of 2013, as you will want to get started right away! I did! As someone whose life so often revolves around the concept of Planting Whatever Brings Joy into one’s life, you will see immediately why this idea appealed! Above the post the original author had written:

THIS JANUARY, WHY NOT START THE YEAR WITH AN EMPTY JAR AND FILL IT WITH NOTES ABOUT GOOD THINGS THAT HAPPEN? THEN, ON NEW YEAR’S EVE EMPTY IT AND SEE WHAT AWESOME STUFF HAPPENED THAT YEAR!

I loved the idea so much I immediately posted to Facebook and within minutes others were sharing! A seed planted and passed along and along. Seeing this lovely idea has legs, I decided then and there to do two things: first to go and find the Perfect Jar for this new practice, and then to share with all of you. And I then invite you to share far and wide as, I think you will agree, it’s a worthy way to start 2013, and I’m already anticipating a post at the end of 2013, inviting you all to share some of the treasures you logged in your Good Things Jar! Excited??

Now, here’s the vessel I chose for my own Good Things Jar!

Mind you I combed the shelves of Ross in various sections to find this little teapot. It took quite some time. But when I saw it I was delighted. I imagined my Good Things notes would not only be kept, but would be percolating all year long, giving life and depth beyond my immediate acknowledging, spreading their goodness in ripples through the days and weeks of not only my life but all those with whom I shall have contact. I love that, don’t you?

If The Good Things Jar perks your imagination and you find your perfect Good Things Jars, email them to me at plantjoyblog [@] gmail.com and I will post below! And at year’s end we will revisit this adventure and can share the highlights here.

Happy New Year, dearest readers! May you fill your Good Things Jar with countless blessings, which take root and sprout and live forever.

Love and New Year blessings,
Kathryn xoxo

Footnote: I wrote to find out where this had come from. Rec’d message it was from Slice of Life. Still don’t know who the original author was, but it’s getting a LOT of play! 🙂

Aaaaaaaaaaaand, here’s the first pic I’ve been sent, from friend Carol, of a sweet yellow pitcher she’s choosing to use as her Good Things Jar for 2013!

Here’s another–this gorgeous jar sent by my dear friend Kathlene! I love the variety and creativity emerging, don’t you??

Another Good Things container, sent by dear friend Cornelia, who has chosen a beautiful bowl she recently received as a gift:

I’m loving the variety of containers we have selected to hold our Good Things notations! Don’t you?

Posted on January 1st, 2013 by Kathryn
Filed under: People at Life | 14 Comments »

Oh, my goodness! Only 21 days until Christmas! Christians around the globe are gathering their inner resources, making plans for the holidays. Some are out the gate! (I received my first Christmas card yesterday from Wisconsin!) One of the treasured practices of this special time of year is to tuck paperwhite bulbs into a simple medium and add a bit of water. And voila! One has a lovely way of marking the days until our special holiday is upon us. By planting today, you will most likely enjoy their fragrant blossoms gracing your lovely breakfast table on Christmas morning. Get a move on! Here’s what you do!

The simplest things are needed. A clear pot. Some marbles. Bulbs. Mine this year are “Paperwhite Ziva”.

Place a layer of marbles at the bottom of the container. Some folks like to use abundant marbles (or stones or colored glass), but I use fewer, primarily because paperwhites do get tall, and I offer them a bit of support by using fewer marbles and thus a glass container that will help hold them up as they grow. Simply place the bulbs, pointy side up into the marble medium, and add enough water to cover the very bottom of the bulbs. If you are so inclined, there is a “trick of the trade” euphemistically called “pickling the paperwhites” that involves topping off with alcohol, not water, which will stunt the growth of the plant. But I just let them be.

Don’t they just emanate life and possibility? I think so!

And here’s the sweet result!

Check daily to see that the bottoms of the bulbs are covered with water. The water will evaporate in proportion to how hot you keep your home in winter. Roots will emerge and seep into the marbles (or whatever medium you have chosen), the greens will sprout upward, buds will appear and open, right around Christmas time! Nothing can match the sweet fragrance of paperwhites that will emanate from your simple creation. It is a lovely gift to the family. I think this is a special tradition that you might well share with your children or grandchildren, marking the days before Christmas by watching the paperwhites emerging–a new Advent practice to perhaps include along with the conventional chocolate calendar! Enjoy, my dearest readers. Let the paperwhites remind you of the essence of the holiday. Let them be a place where you can stop and smell the paperwhites. A place to pace yourself. To breathe in beauty, to release the pace of the day.

Love and early holiday blessings,
Kathryn xoxoxo

Footnote: Here are my paperwhite bulbs on December 13th:

Book News: Plant Whatever Brings You Joy was blessed with a review in Examiner.com written by minister Allyson Szabo. She tells me she will be contemplating how she might use some of the lessons in the book in upcoming sermons. I am humbled and touched and delighted!

If you would like to order gift copies of Plant Whatever Brings You Joy, here’s a reminder that priority shipping is FREE in the US and we offer free giftwrapping! 🙂 Simply visit Estrella Catarina and place your secure order. Thank you!

Posted on December 4th, 2012 by Kathryn
Filed under: Plants | 12 Comments »