Dear Reader:

My pink petunias are multiplying faster than I can count….they love being nestled in around the day lilies and make great neighbors. As I continue learning and growing, along with my flowers, I like to take time and look up their origins and perhaps a myth or story behind their existence.

What has surprised me the most is how so many flowers, readily seen in American gardens, originated from South America and are related to tobacco plants….such is the case with petunias. Somehow we don’t associate a beautiful petunia plant with a tobacco plant from our southern neighboring continent… and yet here they have evolved into a quite common flower for our backyard gardens.

In fact, it is the petunia’s resemblance to tobacco that earned it its name. The name petunia comes from the Aboriginal name petun which means “a tobacco that does not make a good smoke.” (Just a pretty flower!)

While researching any myths or stories behind the petunia flower I accidentally came across an old children’s book….some of you might remember by the name of PETUNIA.

Petunia was a haughty little goose who thought quite well of herself. The author must have known about the mixed metaphor of the symbolism of the petunia flower when he named this little goose.

 Symbolism of the Petunia Flower

The petunia flower symbolizes anger and resentment especially when they are presented by someone with whom you have recently had a heated disagreement. They can also symbolize your desire to spend time with someone because you find their company soothing and peaceful. According to some sources, petunias are also a symbol of not losing hope.

In the meadow, early one morning, Petunia, the silly goose, went strolling. She ate a bug here, clipped off a clover leaf there, and she picked at the dewdrops on the goldenrod leaves… then, suddenly, she saw something she had never seen before in the meadow. What was it? Petunia stole closer and closer and sniffed at it from all sides. “By Goosey Gander,” she said, “it does not smell like food for a goose. But I believe I have seen such a thing before… yes, I have seen one under Bill’s arm when he came out of school. It’s a book. That’s it. A BOOK!”

Poor silly goose. By simply having the book in her possession, she thinks it makes her wise and smarter than all her friends. Needless to say, Petunia leaves a path of destruction in her wake of genius, until at last she figures out… “It is not enough to carry wisdom under my wing. I must put it in my mind and in my heart.”

What a wonderful lesson and reminder to all of us. If wisdom is not shared between thoughts and heartbeats it is lost on the humanity it wishes to impress.

Personally….being around the family’s pets and grandchildren give me more wisdom than any teacher I ever had….because I learn from their hearts to mine.

Yesterday I had my oncology appointment and was a little apprehensive with my state of health the last three weeks….was secretly afraid it might have thrown my cancer drug off balance or off-kilter. But all was good, including a clear chest. Whew! What a relief!

After the appointment I went to Kaitlyn’s and played with the doggies…Rudy continues to be my inspiration….he now has to wear diapers or whatever else Kaitlyn can find…but he is carrying on with his life.

Then Mollie met us at Tavern and Tables for lunch at Shem Creek….it seemed like years since I had seen my “girls.” We had such fun catching up!

After lunch it was on to Mandy’s to drop off birthday presents for the party this Saturday….When Mandy and Jakie got home we took a walk around the block to see the geese, turtles, ducks and the sheer beauty of Mother Nature at her best.

When Eva Cate and John got home I gave Eva Cate her graduation necklace and she was thrilled….I can’t believe my baby is graduating from kindergarten.

Eva Cate tried on her dance recital costume for me and then asked John to “bow” her (like Dancing with the Stars)….instead John “wowed” her!

But it was Boo Boo who got the last “swing’ with Miss Eva Cate….all is right with the world  Boo Boo is with family again.

So until tomorrow….Let us remember that it takes both the mind and heart to see the wisdom of God’s creation.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Unbelievable God Wink! I got home last evening around 8:30 and saw a bag beside the front door….I picked it up and it said it was from the Louisa Alcott home gift shop in Boston, Ma. What in the world I thought?

When I read the note I collapsed on the sofa….unbelievable! Sam and Donna Clark were visiting Boston and decided to visit the famous “Little Women”s -Orchard House- home in Concord, Ma.. (The story was actually written in this house.) Sam spotted a t-shirt and said it had “Becky Dingle” written all over it. So inside the bag was a black t-shirt that said:

*When Donna saw (yesterday) Monday’s blog title (the same quote as the t-shirt) she just shook her head and said “Another God Wink!” Thank you Clarks for connecting the wink!