Patience reveals rewards in it's own time

Just now I have two batches of fabric bundles, wrapped in plastic bags while they develop (or brew) in a moist environment. Brew seems an appropriate word considering the tea-like fragrance coming from the potions while I cooked them. I find it hard resisting the urge to examine and open them. Patience is not one of my strong points. But on the subject of waiting (and things developing in soggy plastic bags) here’s a little story you might like:

As a child I was always collecting things. It was not uncommon for me to come home with a pocketful of stones or a handful of assorted feathers. Autumn was always the most bountiful for treasure and one year my brother and I must have amassed quite a hoard of conkers (horse chestnuts). I expect he had plans for finding a champion for playing conkers, while I was probably intrigued by the rich swirling patterns on the surface, or wanting to create fairy furniture. Unfortunately we must have become distracted by other things and the big carrier bag of conkers was forgotton.

Spring time and spring cleaning, Mum discovers a strangely lumpy carrier bag behind my brothers bedroom door. When we look inside we find a few mouldy lumps as well as about eight vigourously sprouting conkers. The warmth and moisture of the micro-climate had created the perfect conditions for our horse chestnuts to sprout. I potted-up the seedlings and nurtured them for months until I was able to re-plant three young saplings in a nearby park.

(Above is one of my lavender bundles before being wrapped up)

So I suppose the moral of the story could be patience reveals rewards in it’s own time, or it could be a recommendation to be a little less tidy and leave space for some happy accidents. In case you are wondering the bundles I made at Mum’s house have been left in the cupboard under the stairs until I next visit - at least that way I can’t be tempted to poke!