Stone Turtle Lodging

Stone Turtle Lodging
View from Faith's Deck

Friday, March 19, 2021

Coffees in the Garden 3.19

 It was hard to imagine that just 4 weeks ago it was -11F as I sat in the henbit sipping my delicious vegan peppermint latte. 


Usually, Fridays are workdays, but with spring break, our homes are booked up and I had the day to work in my garden. I'm contemplating the sanity of my trail system (both in my garden and over in Hope and Faith's gardens). It's a lot of work building the trail system with hand tools only, and I'm not sure if it will work out the way I hope it will (no more mowing...or at least way less mowing). Since I love the idea of a cottage garden - with a prairie and wildflower twist - I think I'll just see what happens. 

Saturday, March 13, 2021

Process

 

Nature garden process at the Stone Turtle Lodging in Oklahoma.
Working on the trail system at the Stone Turtle. 

It's a slow process. The garden. The painting projects. Life. Everything, really. I'm not a very patient person. Who is, though? Especially in today's world of instant gratification and highlight reels. I mean, we're bombarded with the finished products whether you're on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or the countless other platforms out there. It can make the process feel so much harder - and much longer. 

The last year of Stone Turtle adventures has helped me make peace with the idea that everything is a process. My business, whether it's photography or the vacation rentals, will never be "done." It will always be a work-in-progress. Doubts always fill my mind; Can you even advertise for something that's not done? Is it good enough when everyone always just sees the glamorous (sometimes fake) end results?

I'm living my life slowly, intentionally, and in the present never-done moment. It's peaceful and disconnected from the always connected world of notifications. I'm present in the flow of my work, the birdsong and my thoughts. It's a place to evaluate priorities and assess how I, and my life, am aligned to what I believe. This is what the last ten years of process have taught me. To be okay with the process, to trust it, and to accept that everything will never be done. And, that's beautiful.

And, it's something I wish to share with the people who stay with us at the Stone Turtle. It's the reason guests won't find wi-fi or cable TV in our vacation rentals. Hope will never have a microwave. The garden will never be "done." 

~D