Back to School Shopping For You!

    Who says you need to be 5-21 yrs. old to enjoy the back to school retail bonanza?!! The retail I am referring to are the notebooks, binders, planners, organizers, folders, journals, pens and for fun stickers, crayons, markers, colored pencils! Sounds like the makings of a fresh new start for us too :-) Why wait until Jan. 1st for that new beginning? Take advantage of the fantastic sales and selection now to get organized or make a colorful bucket list journal; the sky is the limit. I just bought my not so teenage tester a not-for-kids coloring book (with cool patterns) as a stress reliever for her upcoming school year. The crayons, markers, colored pencils are all dirt cheap at Target right now & other retailers. Did you know that coloring books for adults abound at the book stores (unless Frozen or Hello Kitty is your thing). Most boast stress reducing patterns. I also found a challenging famous cities/landmarks dot-to-dot as well (yes, hundreds per page). What I am saying is being a kid forever when it comes to being newly organized is an awesome thing. Really, can anything beat a brand new box of crayons with their perfect points and new pencil case? (perfect for organizing makeup in your handbag too!) We deserve the trappings of a new beginning. How often do you dig in a drawer for 'scrap' paper and hold your breath that the pencil you pulled out has a point?

     Yes, we definitely deserve this. Get going, get colorful, get organized & most of all have fun with it! It will just be your little secret when you are meandering down those supplies aisles that you are shopping for yourself!! After all isn't that what we always wished school was all about?  All the fantastic stuff & NO tests!

And What is a Weed?

   Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, "And what is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered." You may have thought this to be a gardening blog, but once again gardening mimics life and a lesson is looming for us to learn and employ!

    So aren't we all weeds in life's vast garden? Plants too have the innate drive to thrive and be happy. Gardener's are forever smiling when they see a plant just flourishing in a certain spot & joyfully say to themselves (and sometimes out loud), "You are really happy there." We too have virtues to discover at any age so we too can flourish & be happy where planted. We too need to continue to try new things, explore new surroundings, throw our face up to the sunshine and absorb the rays so we can someday grow & flourish. Hidden virtues can only be sought if we take risks, explore, simply move from our comfort zones even if for a short time. We may eventually end up where we started but we will be an enhanced, more virtuous version of ourselves; seeing things and people differently.

   I am continually aware of the virtues I need to work on, I suppose with age came this wisdom. Patience and courage are two very raw, hard-to-learn virtues for me right now. I am trying to relinquish control and just let the rest of my life unfold. (Trust me easier said than done!) I, however, have made great strides and like a successful garden have been giving 'me" the attention I deserve. So my mantra is: I am like a joyful, beautiful garden bed that will always need attention. I will continue to leave some weeds within myself so I am reminded that my work is never done. I will continue to (to try) see the best in all (weedy) situations and let those dandelion flowers within myself develop into beautiful, ethereal seeds that just may flow in the wind and plant themselves in someone else's life & make a beautiful difference.

     So get out there and enjoy your personal discoveries! Find the weeds within yourself and let them help you develop some enhanced or new virtues. Enjoy the revelations!

Hummingbirds ~ There's Still Time!

   I wanted to repost my blogs on attracting hummingbirds to your yard because there's still time! I am here east coast and will have the Ruby-Throated until September. I want you to focus on getting up close & personal with them. They are not that skittish! The video clip is one of three I took a few weeks ago. It was early evening & it was 'just' the silhouette of the male. Check out the video below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK-UBHQjlTg

How beautiful! So to get started:

    I’ve always been a backyard bird watcher. I started my backyard species count almost twenty years ago. But, I was more determined to attract the Ruby-throated Hummingbird to my yard than any other species! East of the Mississippi, this is the only hummingbird we will see. I was okay with that, I knew how much joy this one tiny, 3-1/2” bird would bring. So I proceeded to hang my sugar water feeder, & change the nectar religiously all season, year after year. I began planting appropriate plants that would attract the little sweethearts. I waited & waited, still nothing; but I was not discouraged. An avid reader of Birds & Blooms, I knew it would happen for me too. I know that gardeners & bird watchers both need a little faith, a little perspiration, & a little luck to get them through to the ‘joy of it all’.

     So after about three years (yes, years) my first hummingbird arrived & they have been here ever since!!! I did what every birder does: scream, jump up & down, call everyone I knew (that would care) & prayed she would come back! In my yard they are most active in the morning & dinnertime, early evening. That is when it is best to get close to your feeder by standing near it or holding it in your hand!

    All you need is a feeder & some sugar water. You can make your own by boiling water & mixing one part sugar to four parts water. Store what you don’t use in the fridge. No need to fill your feeder to the top at first. See how much they drink first. With the hot summer you need to clean & refill every few days. Hang your feeder at a window where you can really enjoy the antics! As for plants in your garden, I have had the most success attracting these gems with bee balm, coral bells, honeysuckle, trumpet vine, zinnias & various other (red) flowers. They are especially attracted to the color red, but there is no need to color your sugar water. Be patient, they will come!