Treasure It

Love, if found is precious. 

Be sure to treasure it and not lose it, for it may never return.

Weekend Gardeners

Last weekend my two nieces and I planted assorted flowers. I've had these flower pots sitting around for years, always planning on using them for something other than sitting, empty on my porch.

Last week, as I was commemorating on my Aunt Mary's passing, I remembered once sending her a letter that contained a packet of seeds. Aunt Mary loved gardening so I sent the packet of flowers and told them "to throw them out the back somewhere so that you'll always have a gift from me." Each time I went up to Wilder, I looked for that bushel of perennials and there they'd be, happily growing alongside whatever else Aunt Mary had planted.

So, my nieces Ma & Ali and I planted seeds.  It's important that you understand that I don't know the first thing about planting flowers.  I did successfully pass a botany class in college (with an A!), but that was more than 25 years ago.  As we were planting, I was wishing I had paid more attention to Momma and Aunt Mary as they planted.

The girls and I had fun filling every empty pot with soil and seeds. I only hope the flowers bloom. If and when they do, I'll post pics of them. In the meanwhile, here are some scenes from the planting session:

Ma (seated) & Ali, my weekend gardeners

One of the pots filled & used

I sure hope these things grow!

Thankful Thursday - Great Role Models

The following pictures on this post are of me and my Aunt Mary.  

Aunt Mary was an awesome aunt. The person you confided in, sought advice from and sometimes borrowed money from. She was a lot of things to a lot of people, being a single mother throughout most of her adult life.

Aunt Mary loved traveling and would most times travel from ID to AR alone, much to the unhappiness of her sisters and family for safety's sake. But Aunt Mary was fierce, so brave!  To me, she wasn't afraid of anyTHING or anyONE.  She was just one of those daredevils who saw challenges as things to conquer or try to conquer.

Aunt Mary loved to garden, loved to fish, loved to travel and loved her family. 

In her backyard in Wilder, ID Aunt Mary would grow anything she could, often cooking meals consisting of foods grown in her backyard.  For the Fourth of July picnics she routinely harbored the goats that were subsequently served as the main courses of the barbecue.  A funny story: while transporting a pig that was going to be barbecued for an event, the pig jumped from the back of the truck. Aunt Mary chased it down and slit its throat while a few of my nieces watched the horrific scene. But Aunt Mary was not going to let the main course escape so she did what she had to do. This story is still a much told tale when reminiscing about growing up and some of our experiences.

When I received the news last year that Aunt Mary had died, I cried so hard and so long that I injured veins in my forehead. I went to urgent care because I thought something serious had happened. The on call nurse told me that had I been of lighter skin, I would see bruises from the breaks. For a few days after the news my forehead and face were so tender I had to sleep on my back and could barely use a face cloth to clean my face.

  

To the end of her life, Aunt Mary took care of her family and the church as best as she could, often driving from Pasco, WA to Boise, ID to visit family and attend church anniversaries. The repast held after the family was catered and paid by her, the last service of the Hospitality President. This Thursday, and every day, I'm thankful to God that He gave me (and the rest of my family) Mary Katherine because she was so unique and so important to me. I will never stop missing her.

Right In Front Of Me

It's not the cost, it's how wide the ensuing smile

I'm not usually one to laugh at gifts given to me unless of course they're intended to make me laugh.

Most times, I bring flowers into the office for my desk. I read somewhere that doing this helps to lift spirits and allows pieces of serenity to overtake chaos in a normal day.  Flowers at my desk do indeed help create a calmness and peace, especially during difficult conversations or when I've become tired of looking at a blinking screen of never ending emails.

A few weeks ago, I stopped buying flowers just because I had gotten to busy to stop by the store to pick them up, having to find the vase etc. Well, while cleaning my desk drawers I came across this little gem my friend Laura had given me last May. It's this kitschy plastic solar-powered flower that wiggles and moves when exposed to strong light.  I remember how funny it was when she had given it to me so it now sits on my desk as a reminder both that I need to get fresh flowers, and to remember how I love to laugh, and how blessed I am to have people around me who want to see me laugh!

I hope you're somewhere laughing right now:-)