Little Iris Hollow
A sunlit woodland path through magnolias, irises, and old trees

the family album · the secret garden

The Way Way Back

How the garden, the walk, the Rooms and the shop began.

where the hollow began

a place we called the way way back

behind our family home

beyond our little fenced yard

it was a magical world

just the other side of the fence

not far away but like a wilderness

we wandered

we played

we explored

we imagined

we noticed the magical mundane

that is where little iris hollow began

and begins again here

A Walk Home story beside an evening photograph, reflected mug, lantern, old books, and a resting hound
A Walk Homean ordinary moment · quietly kept

chapter 01 · where stories gather

gathering today

A place where ordinary things come to rest long enough to be noticed.

The Gathering Place in warm morning light
the gathering place · where ordinary things come to rest
Gathering Today collage of sky, birds, flowers, family and heart-held moments
gathering today · moments worth keeping

chapter 02 · first things first

the developing polaroid

One small moment rises to the top. The rest keep developing nearby.

Top of the Stack still life with Polaroids, mug, magnolia, feather, keys and camera
top of the stack today
Developing Polaroid collage with hounds, rainbow, treeline light and wall art
the developing polaroid · first things first

chapter 03 · the seed cabinet in view

the developing stack

Heart-held, heart-moved, heart-walked, and heart-asked—each memory rests here without needing to hurry.

Developing Polaroid No. 1, Something Tapped, with a curious dog peeking through a frosted opening and standing by a sunlit door
developing polaroid no. 1something tappedcurious eyes · a doorway · shall we?
Eyes Speak, a heart-held memory beneath a rainbow
my heart heldeyes speaka rainbow · a look · words without speaking
Superpowers Activate, with a family of hounds and a commemorative mug
my heart heldsuperpowers activatelove noticed · love carried forward
Hearts Hear, with resting hounds and an iris
my heart movedhearts hearresting near · listening without words
Happy and Surprised, through open doors toward a sunlit home
life keeps arrivinghappy and surprisedthe doors open · light comes through
Labor of Love, with a mother hound, puppies, poem and family mug
life keeps arrivinglabor of lovecare given · care remembered
Beautiful Mountain, with a hawk above and a flowering path below
my heart walkedbeautiful mountainthe hawk above · the path beneath
Curious, I Wander, with a child's drawing, questions and iris mug
my heart askedcurious, I wandera question drawn · an answer still growing
Time Quietly Held, with a resting hound in warm evening light
my heart askedtime quietly heldthe room grows still · time stays near
Sit With Now, an older hound resting in a quiet room
my heart askedsit with nownothing to solve · somewhere to rest
Upward view through sunlit trees into a blue sky
the walk comes homelook upthe sky has been walking with us
Lilah in a red sweater peeking between weathered green railings
finding us hereLilah at the gatethank you for coming to walk with me

chapter 04 · the walk comes home

Lilah’s Thank-You

A thing learns its name. Then it learns its purr pose.

Lilah says, “thank you for coming to walk with me.”

the trail continues

where the hawk flies

There is a Gathering Place just ahead.

walk into the Living Rooms return behind the work return to the garden