Dear Reader:

We have all heard the expression: “Still waters run deep” and we think that this is what is going on with our baby. Mollie and I are running around like crazy women to keep our minds off the delivery delay ( “delay” from the perspective of earlier predictions) and our little gentle baby is sleeping and quietly going about his/her life… calmly and deeply contemplating  the momentous challenge looming closer and closer.

After the Walterboro  fun-spree Tuesday I left to go back to Walsh and Mollie’s to stay since Walsh has been on night shift…I spent Tuesday night and Wednesday night there…leaving mid-morning yesterday with Walsh safely back home to ‘guard the castle.’

Wednesday Mollie asked if it would suit me to go with her to Lowe’s and get some plants for a wooden wheel-barrow planter…that needed sprucing up. She said she wanted to stay busy and keep her mind off the baby and concentrate on other activities. By the end of the day…we had completely filled the wheel-barrow with spring plants, two hanging baskets, and an aluminum planter with different greens.

Of course, I was thrilled…What fun we had…picking out a variety of flowers at Lowe’s and then heading over to the Hidden Ponds Nursery near Awendal. It was my first time visiting there and it was delightful!

As much as Mollie tried to out-run her thoughts on the impending birth…I caught unguarded moments when she was more reflective than the “hidden pond.”

We had fun too…we found a single putting area…and let’em rip…For once in my life…I got a hole-in-one!

Wednesday night I gave Rutledge a bath while Mollie cleaned the supper dishes. Rutledge is definitely sensing a change in the air…he wants to be surrounded by Mommy and Da-da, Poo-Poo (Poogie the dog) and Boo Boo.

I was able to get a shot of Mollie reading him a bedtime story…Poogan, who never sleeps in the room or near the crib…came in and plopped down…as if she, also, senses a change is coming and now  is very protective of Rutledge.

The last book Mollie read was one I had given Rutledge (at his birth) and now it was time for another baby to be the main character in the story…I had forgotten some of the passages and was startled to find myself tearing up over the ending of one special tribute to little Rutledge and now for another….

I think it was the passage about the geese that got me going because every morning (it seems) now I hear them flying overhead…

So whenever you doubt how special you are, and you wonder who loves you, how much and how far, listen for geese honking high in the sky…( they’re singing a song to remember you by)

And the last page…

Heaven blew every trumpet and played every horn…on the wonderful, marvelous night you were born.

(By the last sentence…both Mollie and I were gulping!)

I met Anne for lunch yesterday after getting back from Mount Pleasant. She came over to see the garden and lend me a hand getting the moon flower seeds ready for planting soon and getting up my last fence  art decor that has been sitting on the ground for months now. Last week the Bradford Pear had one bloom on it and now…the tree is 75% covered.

As I arrived home “Big Red” was there to greet me with two buds in bloom and the third almost …open!

While at Hidden Pond nursery I picked up some different sun-loving purple plants and have just about finished putting peat moss and pine bark around all the plants in the garden. Whew!

My yard is filled with bulbs from Harriett Edwards and I love bulbs because I never can remember what is going to pop out…it is like Christmas every day in the garden!

Here’s my latest artwork I bought for the fence.//and some of my purple beauties.

I told Mollie about the touching tribute Beverly Barutio (creator of St. Jude’s Chapel of Hope) gave her children in the dedication of her book on poetry (Poetry for Lovers) – I think we all need to have a card and pen ready when Little Dingle arrives.

You are the flesh

of our flesh

Blood of our blood

But more than this

You are our

“Thank you” note

To God.”

…………………………..

So until tomorrow…”Little Baby…come out and see…the wondrous world awaiting Thee. Leave the heavens high above and come to earth to bring more love.”

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

* Before I left Wednesday I accompanied Mollie to the hair salon to get Rutledge’s hair cut. You might remember from my first blog back (November 25) titled “Cutting Our Losses” this is not one of Rutledge’s favorite things to do.

He held out pretty good with just a few tears before the end (with all his ear problems/tubes…he thinks the stylist is going to do something to his ears)…I don’t blame him a bit for his apprehensions…he’s been through a lot with those ears and tubes.

*Brooke sent me this fun website…it tells you what song was the most popular when you were born….mine was “Buttons and Bows” by Dinah Shore.

http://playback.fm/birthday-song