Oh summer how I love thee!

What glorious glorious days we’re having… temperatures have mellowed down somewhat and sunny breezes frolic among leaves and thin grasses all day long...  under the luscious canopy of grapevines, I sit comfortably and meditate upon the beauties surrounding me… every sound is a God send chord every leaf, petal, flower a blessing from above.

 The garden is an aviary these days with birds flying everywhere from here to there, their tweeds gracing the airs and uplifting my heart, as wispy little white butterflies hover and float about the geraniums and garden Phlox enchanting the day away. 

Squirrels are in no hurry either, and they travel along the fence following one after the other, only stopping from time to time to take an ample look at the garden, and, I supposed, admire all the glories therein too, for who wouldn’t!

What a happy happy discovery I made the other day while at Home Depot.  They had brought in some Sedum!  And not just any kind of Sedum, but the fiery Autumn Joy Sedum—the same ones I used to plant in masses around the pond at our little white cottage… How I used to treasure these perennials for their sturdiness and fiery colors in the fall.  They were always one of the first plants to return each spring; always fulfilling my soul with joy and hope.  I bought two and planted them among the roses under the kitchen window.

Today, during my walk through our neighborhood I found two iron chairs left on the curb for garbage collection at one particular house.  I immediately saw so much potential in them!  They were so beautiful!  I carried one by hand all the way home and then got in my truck and went back to grab the other one before it was too late, for the garbage truck was already doing its rounds…  what beauties they are and how lovely they look in my garden after I gave them a new life with some spray paint.

You can do so much with old iron chairs that won’t rot to water or atmospheric conditions in the garden.  This one will be holding a flower pot on it and the other one will serve as a support to the tall yellow black eye Susan.  I like how they turned out so much, that I decided to paint my old wrought iron chair in a similar color

“One of the strange things about living in the world is that it is only now and then one is quite sure one is going to live forever and ever and ever. One knows it sometimes when one gets up at the tender solemn dawn-time and goes out and stands out and throws one's head far back and looks up and up and watches the pale sky slowly changing and flushing and marvelous unknown things happening until the East almost makes one cry out and one's heart stands still at the strange unchanging majesty of the rising of the sun--which has been happening every morning for thousands and thousands and thousands of years. One knows it then for a moment or so. And one knows it sometimes when one stands by oneself in a wood at sunset and the mysterious deep gold stillness slanting through and under the branches seems to be saying slowly again and again something one cannot quite hear, however much one tries. Then sometimes the immense quiet of the dark blue at night with the millions of stars waiting and watching makes one sure; and sometimes a sound of far-off music makes it true; and sometimes a look in someone's eyes.”

― Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden