Monday in the Garden

Look who is back, hiding among the strawberry begonias.

You can still see just a bit of the pink she has carried with her through the years she has called my garden her home.   I don't know if I will recognize her once the nail polish,
a child innocently painted on her back,
fades completely.  I can't say I will be disappointed;
it's never good for an animal's natural camouflage to be altered.
This year we will still know when "Pink" is strolling through the garden.

With temps reaching into the eighties, it was a good day to show up in the garden. 

Let's walk and look for other surprises.

The first columbine

and iris.

The baptisia, and

malva are making a show.

The roses are in full bloom.

And, the meyer lemon is preparing to give birth to this seasons

lemons.  The aroma alone is worth having this plant in the garden. 

Oh, I can't tell you how long I've waited for the lily of the valley
to bloom.  Each year the foliage appears,
but the little bells have been elusive.
I am smiling!

The garden is full of new life.

 Rain and cool temps are expected to return midweek
encouraging more blooms beyond the garden gate.

I hope your week is starting out amazing!

Back into the Closet

I don't know about you, but I walk into my closet each morning and stand looking around wondering what to wear.  I usually can be heard whimpering  and whining ever so slightly.
This is where I should post a picture of my ultra organized closet...

                                                                                                 it's not going to happen.

I wish I were brave enough to show you my closet, but I am not.

At present, no exaggeration, it looks like a tornado roared through.
There are still sweaters folded on the shelf waiting to switch places with summer tops.
But, look the t-shirts have been unpacked and stacked on top of the turtlenecks;
sandals are co-mingling with boots.  I'm embarrassed to reveal I sometimes leave with
more than one jacket option thrown on the back seat and a pair of socks tucked deep in my school bag.

Just when we think spring is ready to solo, 

winter decides to surprise us with an encore.

This morning I stood in the middle of my closet weighing the reported cooler temperatures and the warm afternoons we have had the last couple of days.   History won.   

Confident it would warm up by playground time, I was soon following Wille downstairs wearing a  dress with long sleeves which can be rolled up and a pair of flats.  It only took a few moments outside to realize I needed to head back into the closet.

With temperatures barely reaching sixty degrees this afternoon,
I suppose its not so terribly awful I still have sweaters on the shelf.
Though I think I may need a larger closet.

  

Please don't hate me.

Honestly, I am enjoying our cool spells.
I know our southern heat and humidity

will soon be here to stay.

We are tucked in for one more cold night.

My thoughts and prayers are with all who are being threaten with flooding.

Stay safe dear friends.

Reflections

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be 
The candle or the mirror that reflects it.” 

                                                                                        Edith Wharton

During winter I often stand in the sunroom looking out with camera at the ready to catch something new growing, in motion or just a tiny something I find amazing.  When I pull up my photographs I often find the above reflection, and I hit delete.

This morning I woke to the sound of rain and thunder.   I left everyone upstairs and eased downstair to write,  catch up and enjoy a few minutes of quiet time with my book.  I stepped out into the sunroom and saw the reflection of the fireplace in the window reminding me to stop, to breathe and take a few minutes to reflect a week past...

via

meeting a good friend for lunch,

(we stayed a bit closer to home)

  preparing for book group with my electrical power out; 

 enjoying a lively conversation both about our book and other subjects,

  looking out one afternoon to find

old friends 

 returning to the garden,

 how bringing home a simple bouquet made my heart smile,

 raindrops falling on the skylight giving me a morning of music,

of all that is sweet,

and all the sweet moments which lie ahead.

And now,  at the end of my reflection....I know I am truly blessed.

Have a wonderful week, and savor all that is good and beautiful.

Always Have a Camera Available

Last week one of the children brought the perfect bird's nest.

I was so disappointed I did not have my camera with me.  I thought it would make a perfect subject to paint.  During the regular school year my camera accompanies me almost every day.  You never know when the unexpected is going to happen and you need a camera.  This day my camera was at home.

Yes, the unexpected happens when you least expect it.  Many many years ago after asking the children to put on their coats.  One of my girls decided to put on her jacket (with the help of her best friend) while it was still hanging from the hook.  When I walked out of the door there she hung, arms outstretched toes barely touching the floor, coat still attached by the little loop at the neck.   She thought it was the funniest thing ever, and like the marvelous teacher I am told her not to move until I could find the school camera to take a picture for her book.  Bless her she did exactly as I ask giggling the whole time.   I'm sure I put it in her book with some cutesy caption like, "Just hanging out". 

The next weekend I bought an inexpensive camera to leave in my classroom  cabinet.  It survived maybe to the end of the year.  Now I pretty much take my personal camera every day to capture all those little surprises, except for summer play day.  My mistake.

Lucky me!  The birds nest was accidentally (I can be pretty persuasive) left, and I just happen to remember my camera the next day.  I took closeups

and  photos from different angles.

I even took pictures of the branches.

My daughter is an artist.  My mother was an artist.  It skipped a generation (I promise, I am not being modest)...I am a dabbler.  But, I will have fun pretending!

(I may let you see my best effort)

I'm collecting specimens.