Dear Reader:

I have come to the realization that tending a garden, in all seasons, imitates life to the fullest. I find myself assessing all the plants and flowers (also the baskets) as I pull dead stems off of them and tuck a little more pine straw around some for a soft cozy bed.

Some of them are already gone and have uprooted themselves to let me know it’s over….and others have just dug in deeper to survive the winter. (if we have one this year.)

Like humans making resolutions before the New Year for our personal lives…I, now, find myself jotting down which plants did well, which didn’t…which to re-plant and which not to…. basically how to learn from the previous season. (And isn’t that what we want to do each year… to learn something new about life that we didn’t know before?)

Even though the garden seems rather lifeless at first glance…except for singing chimes-also pretty silent…if we start looking around, we find the Christmas “secrets” of the garden that will astound you.

…Even Santa can be found taking a quick little nap in the SC state flower vine-the Yellow Jessamine!

I found Tommy’s old iron decorative train we used to put by the fireplace each year and let it dry on the deck after a long overdue washing. (I decided to decorate and put lights on the deck since it looks like a good possibility we can all be sitting out there this Christmas Eve!)

At first I was going to title this blog post “Finding Red at Christmas in Your Garden” but then I discovered so many more different colored little flowers and plants still courageously fighting for one more bloom and I thought they deserved their moment of glory too.

(Who would have thought that morning glories, sunflowers, petunias, hibiscus, gerber daisies and azaleas would still be blooming….) Apparently El Nino is the strongest in 18 years and will be at its greatest strength this winter. But it will finally weaken in late spring (thank goodness before summer!) At least we will save on electric bills this winter!

The garden can keep its own Christmas secrets hidden …and if you don’t take the time to leisurely walk through the garden…you will miss the little “miracles” right under your feet.

So until tomorrow…Let us all receive the blessing of simplicity as we enter the Christmas season and help us, Father, keep things simple throughout the New Year. Busyness is not the life style that humans need….reflections and observations are.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Let me introduce our next ‘Angel Around Town.’ Her name is Melissa and if any of you shop at Mr. K’s Piggly Wiggly in Knightsville you might have seen her behind the deli counter. She is amazing!

I entered the store on a hope and a prayer that I could find one item I really wanted for Christmas. Honey first introduced this cheese spread to me several Christmases ago and it is simply the best.

When many of the Piggly Wiggly stores went out of business Summerville was so fortunate to be able to keep two stores right in the area. However, this cream cheese dip got lost in the move and was no longer on the counters. I was so sad last Christmas without it.

The name of this cheese spread is Savoure and has always been found only at Piggly Wiggly stores. When Melissa was called in to problem solve the absence of this wonderful spread she told me that if she could find the recipe she would make me some and enough for my friend (I had called Honey to tell her I might be on to something.)

It took a few minutes for her to find it….but she came out with a big smile, asked how many containers my friend and I needed and we set a time for pick-up. Now that, my friends, is truly an act of sheer kindness. Melissa is our angel today for going the ‘extra mile’ to help others. Merry Christmas dear Melissa! You make the world better for simply being in it!