Dear Reader:

I just welcomed my newest addition to the garden that I got at the Vintage South L.L.C. antique shop last Friday. The price was so.o.o..o low on this wrought iron planter…so much so that I couldn’t just walk away….I placed it next to the yellow bench so I could enjoy it while I listened to the fountain.

It is filled with two pots of Mexican Heather, and two pots of “Crown of Thorns.” I love the purple and yellow together (added the yellow C of T after this picture was taken…it is in the title photo.) At some point I will plant them in the ground but will enjoy them right now on the planter for awhile.

I plan to add purple hearts (in honor of Ben) to my garden and more creeping jenny…both of these can take this extreme heat and humidity. These containers are in front of the antique store….beautiful natural decor with creative containers. (Thanks for the name recall Doodle 🙂

Just one addition to the garden or yard sends my happy endorphins jumping in delight. I remember, after all my surgeries for breast cancer, being afraid that  the surgeons had  removed my endorphins along with some of my lymph nodes….but now I realize they are neurotransmitters that affect the nervous system…in a good way….actually a healthy way. I am just glad I have some.

As you can imagine…healthy eating goes a long way towards a life of longevity, as well as keeping the mind sharp…but perhaps the most important thing is keeping our “spirits high by living out our passions, having a sense of service to others, and a feeling of outgoing accomplishment.” 

In today’s society there is a startling increase in anxiety disorders among both genders and strangely enough found in children through senior citizens. What is going on?

Remember the classic “hit” movie “Back to the Future”? It was an enjoyable comedy with a great sub-theme….live in the moment! (When we “chew the cud” like our fellow bovid  friends, we don’t do it with green grass…we chew the “worry cud” over and over and over.)

***Think about it….Worrying is being trapped somewhere in the future!  Worrying about something that hasn’t happened yet is a matter of not being in the present moment but in a future moment.

Statistics show that 80 to 90% of what we worry about, never comes about. Unfortunately what does come about is …high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, and other physical disorders brought on by over-anxiety, worry, and stress…the “silent killers.”

So whenever a life challenge arises, big or small, we should H-andle it, A-ccept it, and M-ove on!  In other words “Ham it!”

(Resource: 100 Ways to Be Young at Any Age– Bob and Fran German)

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Trying my best to get more butterflies in the garden…so planted this “butterfly weed” and hope it likes the location…time will tell.

Look who is coming to see me all the time now…Sammy, my reformed cardinal. He eats from the suet cage and then turns round and flies right by my window as if waving at me….yes. Sammy and I have bonded at last! 🙂

Susan Cadwell came to Summerville for  the weekend to spend time with her grandchildren and see Bekah and Ady join the Bethany United Methodist Church. From the bottom of my heart I thank you Susan for bringing me a special pillow to use in the car (and elsewhere) to ease my sciatica pain! We went out to the garden and Ady had fun swinging and trying out the tree house.