Dear Reader:
I used many of Paul Harvey’s books (The Rest of the Story) to teach history to my students…(because his stories were so fascinating)….He would tell this amazing narrative and then wait for the conclusion to name the famous person he had just described (unknowingly to the reader)…like a Patrick Henry or Benjamin Franklin.
The students had to guess who it was we had been studying and it always made for a fun lesson…because Harvey’s stories personalized these historical figures and turned them into “humans” that students could relate to…
Books, of course, are only one way to tell stories….pictures tell stories too. And today we are going to finish the second half of the alphabet with a “vignette” beside each letter. (Yeah…I figured out a photo for “V” now!) We left off with “M”…so here comes “N”!
N – ightingale (The) – this is novel I am reading right now that I can’t put down! I am sure many of you read it when it came out previously…but somehow I missed it. Brooke is reading it and told me about it. I have been yearning for a book that I can’t put down…and this is it!
The backdrop is WWII-the location France- I am already finding myself looking for things to do around the house so I won’t sit down and finish the rest of the novel at one sitting. I don’t want it to end. The characters have become good friends to me.
O – “Oh how I love my new rabbit (last year’s threaded apart) in the beautiful orange flower basket…I even added some carrots this year!”
P – etunia – This tiny little “bush” came up with even teenier buds and I couldn’t figure out what it was. (It earned the coveted “Plantus Unknownest” spoon beside it) Finally it started popping open this weekend and a dozen striped (yellow and white) blooms appeared…adorable!
Q – ueen – Queen Eva Cate continues to reign alone as the only female in this generational “pack” so far. She was sad that there wasn’t a princess for her to play with (Lachlan)…but somehow I think she will always keep a “handle” on the situation!
R – ow of Azaleas. As I was throwing empty plant containers away ( I must have a zillion of them) I glanced down the side yard and driveway seeing a row of azaleas in bloom…a happy sight.
S – weet potato plants with beautiful shades of green….they add so much to the garden with their diversity of color…and the solar ball decorations (like this one from Joan) add so much 
color and light at night! 
T -hrift. My latest addition to the garden…Thrift…these beautiful red blooms are named “Ballerina Red” and they do look like red ballet shoes….so pretty! Some dance music please?
U- Universally happy to be who I am, where I am, and how I am…at this stage of my life. Thank you God for your many blessings!
V – Vignette. Doodle gave me a copy of The Country Rabbit and the Little Gold Shoes this weekend and I am thrilled! I can hardly wait to read it to Eva Cate and Rutledge. Some of you might remember it was written by Dubose Heyward (Porgy and Bess) and tells the story of a female rabbit who is chosen to wear the magical gold shoes (makes you fly) to deliver treats at Easter.
It was written in the 1920’s when “girl power” was making the news… women were seeking the right to vote and flappers were breaking older socially accepted barriers along many lines.
Heyward wrote about a female bunny who gets chosen to deliver the Easter eggs. She does it with a lot of help… everyone of her little bunnies helps out at home while she is away. A great history lesson on the women’s rights movement. And just adorable. Carrie said it was her favorite Easter story!
W -Wreath Show me an empty door and I will show you a wreath! Wreaths add so much happiness to plain doors.
X – “X” marks the spot for a luscious looking fern in an old wicker chair…southern charm.
Y – “Ya Ya” bench….given to me in 2012 when the garden was still just a dream…it sat inside my house taunting me for over a year…(“Do It!”)…to follow my dreams…create the secret garden filled with imagination for the grandchildren.
“Build it and they will come.” It must have worked…the grandchildren have kept coming! And with a lot of help from many of you readers…the garden is “real.” The bench is a testimony to it!
Z- Zinnias Thank you God for zinnias so I have something that starts with a “Z”! Amen!
So until tomorrow…You never cease to amaze and delight me Father with Your alphabet of creations on earth for us to enjoy during our stay.
“Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh
ichaseferalcats
John Turner
Legally Ohm
Becky Dingle
Loved the “what’s?” and “Why’s” (that is: the pictures for alphabets and the reasons for the choice.) Thrift is something I used to see everywhere when I traveled to the Clemson area, and I have thought maybe it would grow in my yard where there is so little sun because of the live oaks. Maybe you’ll inspire me to plant some. I really like your color thrift. Yesterday turned out to be such a beautiful day, and by tomorrow I’ll bet Summerville will look like a fairyland. It’ll be time for walking through the park down town, looking for tadpoles and feeding the turtles in the pond. Maybe Colby and I will do just that. Thanks again for giving me a great start to every morning.
That brings back memories…taking Eva Cate to the park to feed the fish and look at the turtles…one day an albino turtle stuck his white head out of his shell (also speckled…really ugly) and Mandy screamed so hard she slipped and fell into the pond in the park.
You are and always have been so creative….Love the article…
As you are…also! Thank you Gin-g!
I just finished Nightengale – Wow! Reading the Girl on the Train now.
The Country Bunny has been one of my favorites since my mom read
it to me as a child.
Let me know what you think about the Girl on the Train….heard it was good too. I hope to finish Nightengale this week….glad a :WOW! comment from you can hither….makes me even more anxious to return to the book!