An attracting plant

I wanted a plant that would attract bees and butterflies, so a friend gave me a sprig or two of mountain mint last fall for my yard. After planting, it stood like a stick until spring, then it started growing nicely. The leaves are highly flavored, and the little flowers have indeed attracted different kinds of pollinating insects. I am hoping to see some butterflies, but none have stopped by so far.

no honesty there

A few years ago I remember watching television with some of my co-workers when the death sentence was given to Peterson who had killed his wife and unborn child. We all felt some jubilation that justice was being served. Now as he sits on death row, he still claims not to have done it. Recently another sad murder case has occupied the news. Another person who claims to be innocent of killing someone she was supposed to have loved and cared for. These cases make for entertainment (unfortunately) and emotion tinged conversations.

Art does not always imitate life. In the court dramas we watch on our screens, there is usually some point at which the murderers are in the witness seat. When they cannot take either the interrogation or the guilt any more, they blurt out their confessions. They rant about the last straw, what made them do it, and are then quickly handcuffed and hustled away from society. I imagine it takes a lot of taxpayer money to bring these peccant prevaricators to trial. Wouldn't it be nice if the current defendant could and would add honest high drama, fess up, and bring the sad tale to its conclusion.

Sunflower

I am so happy to have some big, beautiful, fully loaded sunflowers this year.

Sunny Day

Good night to the day of the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Within its twenty-four hours, June 21 has more daylight hours than any day of the year, at least here in the southern US of the Northern Hemisphere. It's great if you are a kid and your mother lets you stay out to catch lightning bugs, but bad if she makes you go to bed before dark. It's good if you are an early riser and don't mind the bright sun shining in your bedroom window but bad if you aren't ready to take on the day. But it won't last for long. Tomorrow starts the slow swing back to the shortest day six months from now. And then...

Our Hair

Today did not go as expected. I thought it was going to be a good hair day, but it wasn't. What little thing went wrong with it, I wondered. I suspect many of the women in the world are like me. Everything depends on our hair.

A good hair day can give us confidence, but a bad hair day can make us wish we could crawl under a rock. My hair grows a certain way, and I have learned to go with it. Off and on, I have bucked nature, trying bangs and various cuts thinking I could rid myself of those cow licks, but it would fall right back into place. A few weeks ago, I was given a flat iron treatment to make my hair trendy straight. When I looked in the mirror - yikes! It was exactly the look I try to avoid, and believe me, it did not do my face any favors. If hair doesn't flatter our face, what good is it!

I have noticed that most females of the human species want hair that is different from what we were given by our Creator - or our gene pool. If it's thick and luscious, the envy of all, we complain. We straighten curls and curl straight hair. It was reported today that the newly crowned American beauty changed her hair from natural blonde to auburn. How bad could it have been? And as we women as we age, don't get gray anymore. We get blonde.

Hair - honestly - can make us girls look good or bad, pretty or ugly, neat or nasty. It can be our crowning glory or our biggest frustration.

A Piece of Heaven

"For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies."
Psalm 108:4

Is that a smiley face I see in the sky?

Led by a Child

After our art excursion yesterday, Caroline was inspired and got started with the watercolors I had waiting for her. When I saw what she had done, I then was inspired by her! I have been a thrifty, timid painter, and it has held me back. Caroline plunged in fearlessly with brushes loaded with intense colors. She quickly finished and was proud of her work. I loved this piece she did. She remembered the chair from the place where we got our mousses, and painted it! Though I intended to teach her some of what I have been learning, I think I learned more from her!

visiting with GM

Caroline and I enjoyed some of downtown Greenville today, walking across the bridge, visiting several art studios, Mast General Store, and a wonderful bakery. It's fun to have such a nice granddaughter to play with.

Mystery Solved!

Aha! Those curious holes I have seen in my yard lately belong to chipmunks, at least that is my belief so far. We have ruled out snakes, thank goodness, and after seeing a few of those cute little striped creatures nervously scurrying around near the garden, I put two and two together. With the info I got from the web, all the facts lined up, and I learned the hole is actually the entrance to their burrow. Now what to do!

A Grandmother's Pleasure

What a good time I have had this evening with my two oldest grandchildren. We piddled and talked, went for ice cream and just finished a good game of Scrabble. To someone else, from my many yawns it may look like I was bored, but that is not the case. I feel relaxed when they are around, comfortable as if that is how things should be.

Thistle

Jacob said he's been up close and personal with these beautiful roadside wildflowers and isn't a big fan of them.

This macro shot of tiny buds on a Russian sage is like looking at it under a microscope. From a distance I suppose the fuzz creates the silvery appearance when the plant is fully blooming and must also help in survival.

a lovely time

This morning I enjoyed some time walking the surf of the Isle of Palms and gazing into the great mysterious expanse of ocean. When I realized my time on the parking meter was about up, I also realized I had only a minute or two to take some pix. I rotated around on my towel and snapped away. To the left the sky was gray, but to the right, the sky was blue with pretty white clouds and the beach was filled with people. Goodbye for now...




Before leaving, I met Trip at Locklear's Lowcountry Grill for a delicious lunch. My shrimp and crab quiche was delicious, but I think his shrimp in cajun cream sauce on hominy was even better!

Lucky Me

On Monday, a couple of hours at Johnnie Mercer's, and today, a morning on beautiful Sullivan's Island. I am getting my yearnings satisfied. After a good night's sleep and feeling fully awake, I decided I would like not only to go to the beach but also to see the lighthouse that was pictured on one of the walls here in Rob and Susan's nice, new condo.

When I saw the black and white tower, I found a spot in the public parking area next to it and pulled in. I snapped a pic or two, schlepped down the shaded, wooden walkway toward the ocean, and settled on a place on the soft sand for my towel. The sky was pale and cloudless and the water warm with smooth, small waves. I walked and walked in the glistening surf, and sat and listened to the gulls and the waves while the breeze tickled my baking skin. Well trained from childhood, I left before the foolish mad dogs and Englishmen arrived. Maybe tomorrow I will check out IOP. Many thanks, Rob and Susan!

Life Moves On

It is always nice to get back home after a trip, even a brief one though it seems that we have been gone more like two weeks than a busy two days. Though my house is still very hot (who knew the temp would rise to 97 in our absence) I was glad to find it intact and my two cats alive and well. Home sweet home...

Uncle Marty’s funeral was a lovely and fitting tribute to a life well lived, and of course it created a wonderful congregation of friends and family. After the service we all went into the big “hall” of the church for socializing and refreshments. One of the women who was helping to serve, remarked to me, “I can see how close your family is and how much you love each other.” An interesting and kind observation as several of us were spending much of the time trying to discern who everyone else was.

A large part of the ride to and from was spent listening to a book of post presidency memoirs by and read by Barbara Bush. Though she can call many of the world leaders her friends and has a staff that takes care of the bulk of the daily grind, the experiences of her life are filled with humor and are relatable to any woman and mother. It also inspired me to do more reading.

good stuff . . .