"THE MIMOSA TREE"

                                                          "The Mimosa Tree"

Sometimes, our lives end up where we started in the beginning.....My first memories are when I was about five ....I remember being high up in a Mimosa tree, looking down .....I even remember the branches that I climbed  and how sturdy they were under my tiny,  bare feet....The tree was huge, and it was full of fuzzy pink blossoms....thousands of them.....with tiny honey bee's buzzing, and small black ant's crawling around in single file, and on this day, to my delight, I remember seeing a long black and yellow catterpillar chewing on a juicy green leaf......I felt safe in that big ole tree.....It was strong,..... It was pretty with it's beautiful pink blossoms......It felt like the world was mine sitting on the strong limb I choose to perch myself upon....I remember sitting in that tree for hours that day, wishing I never had to come down......Nobody bothered me because they could see me through the long, green leaves and the tree sat right at the edge of the front yard of my house.......The road beyond curved and around the corner lived many of my childhood friends......By late afternoon, our maid (Lotty) opened the front door and called for me to come in for dinner.......As I climbed down, I saw my mother pulling up our drive way in her long, white station wagon......It had light blue interior and always smelled like my mom, especially when I would ride in the front seat ........I can still see "Lotty" at the stove finishing up dinner and saying "Now Sheila, you go wash up those little hands now, your dinner's waiten." Mom would almost always be beat from working all day and had very little to say until way after dinner....Then it was always......brush your teeth, put your pajamas on, hurry now,  it's time for bed......Then the next day was a lot like the last .......Family leaves and there I am, just Lotty and I .....By the end of most days, I always wound up in that beautiful ole tree........My days seem a lot like that now ......My family is grown and gone making their own memories and here I am alone, one day seeming much like the next.......My family comes and goes, but most of the time I find myself alone thinking of and wishing I had that big ole Mimosa tree to climb, with it's beautiful pink blossoms and many green leaves to look through. I wish I was sitting on that strong limb where I sat so many times before, feeling like I was not only safe, but the world belonged to me,........ just one more time.... I wish my friends were still just beyond the curve in the road and I could see my mom pulling in the drive in that long, white station wagon......I wish I could hear my sweet "Lotty" calling my name and the smell of dinner cooking on the stove waiting for my little hands to dig in...................I think I'll plant a Mimosa tree this Spring when the weather warms...right at the edge of my own front yard...........................and maybe my life can end up the way I  remember the beginning..............sitting in a beautiful Mimosa tree, safe, and at peace, feeling like the world is only mine............and at any moment a long, white station wagon is going to pull up in the drive way with the smell of my mom and the sight of that light blue leather interior.....

"SIZING UP SUMMER"

 "SIZING UP SUMMER"

Late summer heat ignites reason to plant heat tolerant plants in the early spring. Doing so, can pack your summer garden with late color blooms that can offer up food for the soul. In late summer, when sitting in my own garden, I often think back to the past. Some of the plants that bare late summer blooms take me back to another time. The late August heat sometimes reminds me of sitting on my late grandmother's porch swing back in the late 50's. I loved being outside, no matter the heat. I remember that porch so well. It had wide, white steps, as high as I was tall that were built off the ground and her sweet cocker spaniel, "Peaches" would hang out under there to escape the heat of the day. The old wooden porch would squeak as soon as my tiny foot would step on and waiting for me beyond, was a curved wooden swing,  hung with two heavy grey chains, suspended with the largest hooks I have ever seen. In the late summer I remember sitting in that old swing. I would swing as high as my little feet could push, just to catch a small breeze.

 Looking out into her front yard were two tall crepe myrtles, covered in large white blooms, that would rain down like tiny snowflakes at the slightest breeze. There was a large sycamore tree in the distance. The long, green covered limbs shading the earth, made it a wonderful place to sit in the shade and daydream, while making necklaces of  green clover with my cousins when they would visit. Sometimes, my dad would cut fresh stalks of sugar cane and cut them up in tiny slices for us to chew until all the sweet juice was gone. Spitting out the left over cane was always so much fun and made us all laugh at each other. I learned to shell butter beans and peas sitting on that old wooden swing, while drinking coke out of those cute little glass bottles. But, nothing was as nice as the aroma of my grandmother's "old time roses." She always planted so many here and there and the sweet fragrance floating in on a slight summer breeze, surrounding me with the precious smell of late summer, was a true August delight.

If I could size up my late summer, it would include all the memories I packed into my own little piece of heaven. I can still hear my children's laughter while playing as I toiled in my beautiful garden to bring forth the late summer blooms that I enjoy every single day. Memories that taught me at summer's end, it is so nice to have some of the late summer blooms that I remember so long ago. Sitting on my precious grandmother's porch, sipping my cute, small, glass bottle of coke, looking out at those majestic crepe myrtles and remembering the sweet, sweet fragrance of those "old time roses" was indeed a special time for me. Thank you, grandmother, for showing me that it really is the simple things in life that make us the happiest.  Even in the heat of August, when I remember you, I always remember the comfort of your wonderful front porch and the laughter of our family and the way things USED to be. The swing that I loved so much as a child still swings ever so slow in the memories that you gave to me.

 Staging a memorable late summer show is easy with a little pre-planning skills and a few memories of a garden's past. "SIZING UP SUMMER"....
Easy..............Wait till early evening ..........Be sure to turn on the outdoor fan..........Kick back in your favorite chair............Enjoy some of your late summer garden blooms ........Add a few sweet memories of late summer's past.........and don't forget to have a wonderful ice cold COKE!

Late summer doesn't have to look hot even though it is the sight of shade pulls you in and makes sitting outside seem like the thing to do even though it is so hot in the late summer heat. Oh, and don't forget to grab that ice cold coke....lol

Thinking of you grandmother, thank you for the wonderful memories of late summer!

"A SPECIAL JOURNEY"

Roxy

I love you......Roxy

Over the past year, I've heard a few animal stories that made me realize the amazing ability of dogs to love.....I have always had dogs in my life and each one of them has taught me a lot about unconditional love .....Just recently, I watched a story on TV about a lady that loved her dog so much, that she was willing to pay a facility in South Korea 50,000.00 dollars to have her beloved pet that died cloned........I don't know that I would ever do that and of course I don't have that kind of money, but I can understand her desire to re-experience the adored love of a pet that she obviously considered "Priceless"..........All of us, I would think, desire unconditional love, and what better way to have that experience than to have a "pet" in your life......I have two darling, tiny, loving, little yorkies.......Mia is eight years old and weighs 5 pounds and Roxy, who is three years old, weighs 4 pounds......both of them together don't weigh as much as one regular size dog, but they dish out more unconditional love than I could possibly need in two lifetimes.....lol.......Both of them have bigger than life personalities and their fun outlook on life usually colors my own.......Happiness to them is to cuddle as close as possible and playing with their basket full of toys is the highlight of their day ......They play with each other well, but nothing is as special to them as having my full attention, and when I play toys with them it leads to much unspeakable joy.......

I know I will be safe with you.........

"WHOEVER SAID YOU CAN'T BUY HAPPINESS, FORGOT ABOUT BEING ABLE TO BUY PUPPIES."


When you get a pet, a journey begins, one that can bring more love into your life than anything else.....If you allow it, the journey can teach you many things about how vulnerable life can be.....a puppy depends on you for everything.....it is at your mercy at all times........caring for something so helpless can teach us a lot about ourselves......but it also shows us that we can be loved unconditionally......The little eyes that look back at you wants so badly to make you happy, they live for your approval, only wanting to know that in some way they are worthy of your love....a pet trust you, without question.....To your pet, it doesn't matter where you are, what you do, or how life treats you, it doesn't matter if your rich or poor, as long as they can remain by your side, and you can be together.......respect this .......I'm sure it would be hard to find this devotion from anyone except maybe your mother......

"I HOPE WHEN I LEAVE THIS WORLD, WITH THE LAST BREATH I TAKE, THAT MY FATE WAS ALWAYS SAFEST IN YOUR HANDS."

"A DOG'S PRAYER"

Treat me with respect and kindness, my beloved friend, for no heart in this whole world is more grateful for your kindness than the loving heart of me....Don't hit me, teach me with patience, love and understanding, there is nothing that I want more than to please you and make you happy.....Please keep me warm and clean, I'm happiest, when I know that you love me and take the time to care for my needs...Keep me fed and watered for I can not tell you when I am hungry or thirsty...I ask nothing more than to be by your side and to show you how much I love you....Speak to me often, for your voice is my music, as you must know by the fierceness that I wag my tail....I trust you with my life, and I love you unconditionally...Your love is all I need to make me happy until the end of my day's.........

Just knowing that you love me is happiness.........Mia & Roxy

I will always be there for you............Roxy

"Dog spelled backwards, spells God"
Maybe this is a sign of why I can love you, no matter what, that my love is unconditional and even during the worst of times, you need not look far, for I will always be right there, by your side, a journey together until the end of my time.....

Happiness can be as simple as playing ball.......Mia

Mia & Roxy 

"New Year's Wishes"

W

             "HAPPY NEW YEAR"
    As the clocks second hand slowly ticks close to twelve o'clock and New Year's Eve becomes January 1st, we wish each other "Happy New Year".........  What do we really mean? ......
As the clock strikes twelve,  last year turns immediately into the next, the mere mention of this greeting evokes not only thoughts of the years gone by, but of the future that lay before us.......Some of us celebrate by a sip of champagne, lot's of hugs, timely glances, and singing "Auld Lang Syne.".......This song was written by Robert Burns in 1741, but was not published until 1796, long after he died......What does "Auld Lang Syne" mean.......It literally translates from old Scottish dialect and means "Old Long Ago" or simply put....."The Good Ole Days"..........The serious message of this song is that the past is important.....We shouldn't forget it......It is a reminder of the people in our lives now , but also those we knew that have passed......The New Year marks the continuance of our journey in this world, with renewed faith, and our hope of a better year with positive promise....The future is good.....no matter what!            
 New Year's Eve night is a time spent with reflection for sure , but New Year's Day brings the awareness of another chance for a new beginning..........

    "SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT AND NEVER BROUGHT TO MIND? SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT , AND DAYS OF AULD LANG SYNE?"


For those who wait up to bring in the New Year......When the big clock hits 11:59:50 and the countdown begins, with glasses raised high,  all hearts pounding almost in tune, for a moment, when time seems to stand still, as we realize another year gone by.......The big ball drops in Time Square....10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...........fireworks explode in the dark winter sky, bursting with a rainbow of color, horns blow, with lingering glances, tight hugs, and a New Year's Kiss, we bring the "Happy New Year" cheers to life....each one of us aware of memories of old, embracing the thought of the new memories to be made.....we will sing......"AULD LANG SYNE"...................

    "FOR AULD LANG SYNE , MY DEAR.........FOR AULD LANG SYNE, ............WE'LL TAKE A CUP OF KINDNESS YET,......FOR AULD LANG SYNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



I WISH YOU MANY SHOOTING STARS AND FULL MOONS...........

   
                                                        "HAPPY NEW YEAR WORLD"

PS.....OH YEAH....THANKS FOR THE SONG ROBERT.............
                                               

CHRISTMAS

I HOPE EVERYONE HAS A WONDERFUL, FABULOUS, EXCITING, BRIGHT, SHINY, LOVELY, LOVING, FAMILY AND FRIENDS KIND OF CHRISTMAS DAY ......BE BLESSED AND HAVE A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR........

CHRISTMAS GIFTS FROM THE HEART

     As December begins and the month moves towards Christmas, we find ourselves thrust into the frenzy of shopping for Christmas gifts. The Christmas music, the Christmas decorations, the cold winter winds, all play a part in propelling us forward towards a festive season.....What should we get for uncle Lynn and what about Aunt Julie. Sometimes the frustration of gift giving is overwhelming and can make us wish Christmas was not knocking at our back door......Trying to shop on a budget and find the right gift is almost impossible at times, but we seem to make it through each year and then start the process over again the next.........I found that after all these years of buying Christmas gifts, there is a way to mentally process the experience and take the ouch out of trying to please even the most difficult gift recipient.......Because I'm older, I have come to realize that the simplest of gifts turn out to mean the most.....So, what is the secret to finding that perfect gift for someone?........."Knowing who that person really is"......That is it....That is the number one secret to buying the perfect gift......and believe me people know when you really had who they are in mind ......


"It isn't the gift that matters.....but the heart that gives it."

 I recently celebrated my birthday and my family gave me (to my real surprise), a surprise birthday party...........Being a December baby has always made it difficult for my friends and family......  Not only did they have a Christmas present to buy, but now they had a birthday gift to buy to......I know that has to be a big problem because I have a son whose birthday is December the 24th, Christmas Eve,  and that is even more difficult........They did a good job making my birthday very meaningful by just paying attention to who I am .....what I like.......how I dress....What they know about me means something ....To my delight my two son's and their girlfriends  went together and gave me a beautiful long pearl necklace....They know how much I love jewelry and we all know that there is an endless supply of jewelry out there ....I love glam and they knew that, the gift was fabulous, but even better was realizing that they cared about me enough to know what I love........"Thank you so much my wonderful son's and their beautiful girlfriends".........Recently while out shopping my phone was stolen. ..... I was so sad and upset about losing my phone because I also lost a lot of my photos which are irreplaceable.....

 Chin up, I put it aside (after a few tears, of course) and moved on vowing to always keep my phone in my hand and never lay it down anywhere .....ever........My sweet daughter, seeing my need for a little more organization, gave me a wonderful phone case with a hand strap, so now I can hold onto my phone while talking in any store and the case was designer beautiful.... .....How thoughtful.........the perfect gift....Thank you my sweet daughter......My brother gave me a framed picture of he and I from a recent vacation along with the most thoughtful card I have ever received....It was so sweet and touching, it brought tears to my eyes......I love my brother so much, he knew that  giving  me a picture of us together on that special vacation would be the perfect gift ....AND IT WAS......To top it all off my very best friend gave me the most beautiful bird feeder , shaped like a deep leaf,  made out of copper, she knew how much I love to feed the birds and how much I love nature.......not to mention the 135 happy Birthday wishes I received on facebook ......each gift fit , it didn't matter how much it cost or how small,  they were all just sooooooo perfect ........
 Even though all of these gifts are totally different,  I was able to see and feel the meaning behind each one of them...... I felt so special ....Why....because each person paid attention to who I am ......and each gift was so preciously perfect from each person that gave it.........

 So for all of you out there who are worrying about buying the perfect gift for your friends and loved ones, take a moment to think about that person and what makes them special and start right there, who are they, what is their favorite color, what kind of hobby do they have, do they like bling or are they conservative.....

 Now put your Santa hats on, make a list, add some thought, mix it with love, and make this year a year of gift giving with "knowing that person" in mind......Merry Christmas, Happy Shopping and may every gift you give be wrapped with love and happiness............




"The best Christmas gift of all is a happy family all wrapped up with one another with a common purpose in mind."
Remember it really is the "thought that counts"................ps. don't lay your phones down....lol...

FESTIVE FALL "SOUTHERN SEASONS"

                    " FESTIVE FALL"
"He that sincerely loves nature, finds pleasure everywhere."_Vincent Van Gogh

Here in the south "fall" brings about some true southern style living......After the relentless heat and humidity of summer, the changes that come with fall are definitely one of the south's greatest reliefs......As  autumn moves in and summer becomes yesterday's memories, the atmosphere seems to set us all in a different mindset and mood......I think everyone looks forward to the vibrant colors that fall serves up for our viewing pleasure...The face of the fall wind, the feeling of the cool, crisp air, and watching as the summer's green leaves change into an artist palette of fiery reds, glowing oranges, deep burgundy's , and those beautiful golden yellow's, is just short of a "miracle."   "Festive Fall" is a time of reflection but also a time to look forward.....It's a time of anticipation of the many activities that arrive with it......One of the best gifts of autumn are the fun fresh harvest of pumpkins which are placed at front doors and in our homes to bring in the newest season........I have so much fun collecting different kinds, real and decorative, placing several at my own front door to greet my guest when they visit .....When I was a child, I loved the fall, it smelled different, and it felt so good to be outside again after the long hot months of July and August, even September is "stifling" here in the south.....I dearly loved playing in the leaves that my dad would rake into huge piles, all the while watching as more would float to the earths floor as the slightly chilled winds blew....Here the fall meant the state fair would arrive soon and as a child it was the highlight of the season for me....I could almost smell the food cooking before it would even arrive..........Just knowing that it would be here soon was so exciting....I can taste the cotton candy and  those bright red, sticky candied apples now...........mmmmmm........Once the fair came through I knew that halloween was close behind, when all those small ghost and goblins would be prowling the neighborhoods in the night collecting lot's of goody's, while being greeted by cob webs and brightly lit Jack-O-Lanterns....Then there is Thanksgiving..... A special day to bring my wonderful family all together in one place......... Holding true to Southern tradition, it gives me a chance to cook all the dishes that my dear grandmother taught me how to make....Turkey, dressing, sweet potato casserole, and pecan pie are a must in the south.......yum...yum...This is certainly not a time for dieting that's for sure...lol....As families from all over America come together to dine and give thanks, I can't help but have a grateful heart ......."Festive Fall" ...........What a great time of year....There seems to be such harmony in this season....Spring might wake up the earth and bring us brightly colored flowers..........but Fall.........Fall brings it to an end with a melody of mosaic color, before the stark contrast of the winter's icy chill...........So, today, I give thanks for "Festive Fall" a most magical time of year..........I wish all of you beautiful colored landscapes, pumpkins, cotton candy, sticky candied apples, brightly lit Jack-O-Lanterns, and a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with your loving families..........
"Now, call your friends and join together with family, then get out there and enjoy some "Festive Fall"fun...