|| 18 June 2020

Finding Serenity In My Garden

Audrey Hepburn named her home in Switzerland, the old farmhouse surrounded by its well-tended garden, La Paisible, the peaceful. It was the garden she loved most. There she often worked alongside her gardener to create and maintain that oasis of beauty and serenity which gave her such joy and calm.

Not long before the pandemic came upon us and altered our lifestyles, I was regretting that I had purchased a property with a large garden that took a great amount of time and effort to maintain. I had nostalgic thoughts of how lovely life had been back in that bayside condo with the beach and the pool — and the grounds maintained by someone else — while I wrote the first two Chic & Slim books and still had time for leisure activities.

Certainly I have had great pleasure in creating my garden here at Provence-sur-la-Prairie. But there is little time for leisure. Often I am exhausted and suffering aching muscles.

Then the virus came and I found myself checking the box in a number of the high risk categories. Living in close contact with others increased the chance of illness. Serious illness. How glad I was that I had all this space — all these trees and shrubs and flowers — in which to work and enjoy without finding myself at risk.

In these troubled times, like Audrey Hepburn, I have found peace and calm in my garden. As much pleasure in the hard work of mowing and tree trimming as in simply sitting in a chair watching the constant activity of the birds, hearing the birdsong, watching my flowers as they open their blossoms in the sun.

Whether your garden is your own, or that of someone else you enjoy as you take your exercise walks, I hope you are finding the serenity and joy that I find in my garden.

be chic, stay slim, stay safe — Anne Barone