The way you are washed clean from the night’s before weariness and despair. It’s like your internal computer is reset and all perspective is restored. Everything isn’t erased or lost necessarily; it’s just the scales are rebalanced and clarity radiates.

I went to bed grasping for any remnants of beauty, gratitude or hope. I gathered them in my hands but they didn’t seem to make a difference at night. Despair and heart-breaking sorrow had it’s grip on me.

The beauty in my hands finally sticks by morning…
*Sitting on the ground in the garden, weeding and watching a yellow butterfly with a beautiful wing design dance around me and the girls. Leaping and prancing from flower to flower, the girls mesmerized and following with their blue eyes every choreographed flutter of the yellow butterfly.
*Scarlet dancing and twirling until she was so dizzy she was falling into cabinets and walls, giggling all along.
*Good writing and story telling as I listen to a wonderful book on CD: The Help by Kathryn Stockett.
*Sitting in the presence of two elderly people, caring for them, providing companionship even for just an hour.
*A new pair of sunglasses I feel cute in…
*Hugs from Audrey after returning home from work, a real long one with her tender voice telling me she loves me.

His mercies are new every morning.
And the beauty radiates in my hands.

The other night I came home to buckets and buckets of fresh cut lilac. I love Spring! LoAnn had gone out “picking”, if you catch my drift. I have been cultivating my own lilac bushes, but, alas they have not given one bloom yet. Their still babies (grinning-me).

LoAnn did some pounding with a hammer on their stems and plunged them into hot water which is supposed to preserve their blooms. Later, I trimmed them all down filling every vase I have in the house, from the tall, elegant crystal vases to every last bud vase. Lilacs on the kitchen window sill, the kitchen nook table, lovely purple blooms on my desk, in the bathrooms, next to my bed, on the radiator next to my orchids (competing for attention), on the slender table in the dining room, on the small table in the living room with the lamp above casting perfect light on the lavender shades of aromatic petals. And, oh the smell. A house full of lilac is what I had!

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Imagine it!

Ahhhh, color.
It speaks to me this evening and makes me feel unusually happy.

The shades were drawn up and we peered out into a winter wonderland, Audrey exclaiming, “It’s Christmas!”

Later this morning she tells me, “Mama, we need a Christmas tree.” Of course. “And a sled,” she tacks on. I concur.

God bless LoAnn who proceeded to spend the rest of the morning with her building a snow-girl with a long mane of moss hair and eyelashes. And because the snow was so wet and heavy, branches from the old maple were falling to the ground and made for an excellent Christmas tree farm. They made handmade Christmas ornaments, leftovers from Valentine’s day and decorated the Christmas tree in the backyard. What a grand time!

I, in the mean time, was out visiting patients in Waukegan and Beach Park, thoroughly enjoying the heavy laden snow branches. I stood on the stoop of a patient’s front porch admiring the quiet stillness that snow lends and the chunky white stuff clinging to the huge buds protruding on the magnolia tree. I found myself just drinking in all that beauty despite having to traipse about in it, getting stuck in it here and there, caring for the sick on a Sunday morning when most are still in their pajamas drinking coffee. Feeling thankful and full of joy, for all the beauty and quietness of snow.

Do not curse this white stuff. It is God’s message to me (and to you) of his beauty and his stickiness. He clings to us like wet snow on every inch of every branch of every tree sprawling the entire countryside of the midwest. That is some expansive, tenacious and wet kind of love.

I spent every day at the Illinois State Beach Park, lingering on the beach with Audrey Anne acquiring more freckles and going for long walks in the woods and along the shore. These nature trails are my new discovery that I am just reveling in like a delicious perfume. I went Saturday morning and fell in love. Wild roses lining the paths sending up there light scent; made me want to invest in anything rose scented (call me old lady). Wild irises, lilies, these interesting purple droopy flowers, little five petaled white flowers that looked like strawberry plant flowers. I even saw cacti with extraordinary yellow blooms. This orange blossomed plant was everywhere covered in butterflies. The colors scattered through the woods was eye candy for me and I needed it so badly.

I spent time in the garden every day, too. I am loving my garden these days. Transplanted some sunflowers I planted from seed that took off in a space that isn’t getting too much sun. I kind of gave up on the vegetable garden this year and they were in that corner. So I moved them to two other plots in the front of the house and near the fence in the backyard where they will get much more attention and glory. Weeding and more weeding, but that’s okay, because it makes all those little plants happy as they stretch their roots and leaves out. Thankful for all the rain and sunshine these past few weeks.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend outside!

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My friend Renae and I, in a desperate attempt to catch the avenue of heaven at the Botanic Gardens where the crab apple blossoms open in all their glory, went to the gardens a few times in a row together. We saw much beauty, but alas, never the avenue. So sad. But all was not lost. Good conversation. Our children playing together. Exercise and taking in good amounts of beauty for our hearts in need of comfort. We stopped at the gift shop after one such outing and I found these. These little birds are quite wonderful to me.

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My peony bushes bloomed more than ever this year. They were transplanted the first spring we lived in this house, thanks to dear LoAnn. It has taken them a few years to bounce back. I loved every bloom that came from them and felt fortunate I gleaned the aromatic ones.

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Hello, my name is Shanel and I am a plant-aholic. Lately, every time I go to Trader Joe’s I snag another plant. This is my current favorite one. They are miniature, and I mean miniature, little yellow orchids. Oh, happiness.

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I have been on a lemon kick ever since the dietitian in the cancer clinic I work in told me of the natural remedies of citrus used in treating nausea.

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And my wisteria bush that continues to be a steal from Sam’s club is taking off like a weed. I wish I had some pergola or arch to coach it over; for now, the chain link fence will have to do. Kati, this is the bush I think that would look stunning over the pergola of your deck.

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And last but not least, this little treasure. I found this also at the Botanic gardens; great place for little gifts, btw. It is a miniature bud vase of sorts. Perfect for my garden that is still in the toddler stage of growth and development.

FYI: Thanks to brilliant Brendan, my official webmaster, you can double click on any image and see the image much larger.