Cardinal Rules for Living: Honeysuckle

[chanaleh]

If you are out walking on a summer evening -- or morning, or at any time -- and catch a waft of honeysuckle, you shall immediately stop walking, locate the nearby bush, approach, and smell it up close. This obligation applies no matter what your destination or lateness. Life is too short, and June too fleeting rare, to heedless pass the honeysuckle by.

Optional, for Jews: Recite the blessing on enjoying a fragrant tree: Baruch atah, Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, borei atzei besamim.

Comments

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

There's a blessing for honeysuckle. That's beautiful.

[smacaski.livejournal.com]

I agree 100%--honeysuckle is one of my favorite flower scents. I think one of the reasons I keep going to the nearby burrito shop for lunch is that I get to walk by a couple of giant masses of honeysuckle vines on the way there. :)

[netpositive.livejournal.com]

I know honeysuckle is a terrible, invasive plant... but the scent gives it a +25 protection from me ripping it out.

[miraclaire.livejournal.com]

Not all varieties are invasive! I learned this recently when my mother planted some that is non-invasive, after claiming for years that she would never plant it. I can't remember the name of the variety, but I can ask her.

[(Anonymous)]

I think the white and yellow kind is invasive Japanese honeysuckle. Trumpet honeysuckle is a non-invasive kind, and it has red flowers.

-Dan

[miraclaire.livejournal.com]

Honeysuckle is one of my absolute favorite scents. It was always blooming when we went to the beach in Rhode Island for a week in the summer when I was a kid, and I strongly associate it with those vacations. I used to beg and beg my mom to plant some in our garden, but she always said she wouldn't because it was invasive. About 3-4 years ago, she found a variety that isn't, and now sometimes I wander over to her garden just to enjoy it :)

[gilana]

Not only that, you should really pick a blossom and enjoy the nectar! I'm usually against picking flowers, but I make an exception for honeysuckle.

(Also, must remember that bracha -- very cool.)

[ceo]

"Blessed art thou, Lord our G-d, King of the Universe, who hath commanded us to stop and smell the roses"?

[dsrtao]

More, much more than you wanted to know: http://rabbikaganoff.com/archives/352

[muffyjo]

OMG, that's fantastic!

I especially like: "Furthermore, when a bracha is not required, it is forbidden to recite one."

[ceo]

Not only that, but it didn't actually answer my question. :-) Though I'm deeply amused by the distinction drawn between being in a spice shop as opposed to a spice warehouse, and between the owner and customers of same.

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

Hee. Sorry. Actually, it's "Blessed art thou, Lord our G-d, King of the Universe, Creator of trees of fragrance." This is because the actions of smelling and enjoying, while laudable, are not strictly commanded actions. So we're blessing on the quality of the thing (in terms of praising G-d for creating it), not on our performance of the action.

But I think the implications of your version are also there, in context. :-)

[bluepapercup]

Ahhh so I could use this for the night-blooming jasmine around my house, as well!

I'm charmed and pleased. :)

[dpolicar]

So that's honeysuckle!

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

*grin* I've been thinking of that in this connection, too.

[trowa-barton.livejournal.com]

Are they in the Davis Square area?
(All this time away from home...)

[bedfull-o-books.livejournal.com]

There's one right around the corner from you on Liberty, I think.... Your beloved will know. We passed some last night on our walk together.

Breathe deep.

[trowa-barton.livejournal.com]

I've been gone too long.
I'm starting to miss the walks.

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

There's a house on Appleton with HUGE TRACTS OF HONEYSUCKLE. Passed it last night after leaving you and Leon at your place. :)

[gilana]

There's a lovely bush on Wallace Street -- from Davis, go up Holland, turn right just before the Comcast building and Orleans. The honeysuckles are on the right, not too far up the street.

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

And there are some on each side of Broadway between Powderhouse and Teele. I forget precisely where, but within a block of each other.

Most of the other ones I have walked by lately have been in Central Sq. -- on *that* Broadway near tremontstshul, or on Harvard St.

Betcha there are some in Belmont Center, if not actually on the church grounds!

"Yes, they are beautiful."

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

I'll show you some later. :)

[muffyjo]

Amen, sistah. Blessings be!

[muffyjo]

And if it's optional for Jews, is it mandatory for everyone else? I rather like that. :)

[bedfull-o-books.livejournal.com]

I can't pass by honeysuckle without stopping either. Cool to know there's an associated blessing.

[msdirector.livejournal.com]

I totally agree.

[shumashi.livejournal.com]

I have that reaction to lilacs. We had a few in our back yard growing up, and they always take me back. :)

[greenlily.livejournal.com]

I'm with Gilly, I always have to stop and break off a single flower to get the drop of nectar at the bottom. :)

(there is, perhaps, a corollary to the rule: Before closely approaching the honeysuckle, you shall make sure you're not disturbing any bees which happen to be also enjoying the honeysuckle. You won't like the result, and neither will they.)

[magickcat.livejournal.com]

YES!

[spacehawk.livejournal.com]

Stopping for honeysuckle is one of my very fondest memories of new relationship euphoria of the summer of 2004. Ever had a moment that felt truly perfect? That's one of mine.

[bluepapercup]

Honeysuckle is so wonderful! The scent always brings back memories of standing by the overgrown vine in my childhood driveway, picking off flowers and eating them.

[kimberlogic.livejournal.com]

I love this and I heartily agree

[leiacat.livejournal.com]

FYI, you made me smile.

[magickcat.livejournal.com]

One of my absolute favourites! I agree wholeheartedly!

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

ON my walk to school this year, both another classmate and I followed this rule, except with a large (and delightful) patch of rose bushes, in place of honeysuckle... It made my morning, some days.

[enochs-fable.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping there's an exemption for those who are allergic. :)