Dear Reader:

One of my favorite things is mailboxes covered with flowering vines or small shrubs…. my most favorite is our own state flower on top of mailboxes…the yellow jessamine vine. It is very popular this time of the year and it makes plain mailboxes pop!

Since lantana grows easily here in the lowcountry…(like Mandy’s purple lantana around her mailbox)…it is another obvious choice for mailbox decorators.

Another of my favorite things are gates silhouetted by mother nature at her best. (John and Mandy’s gate leading out to the water)

You already know nooks and crannies lure me like the sirens of old…but also a lone little (very little) daffodil did the same thing. *(Doodle just texted me saying my photo I sent her (below) was probably a jonquil if it was small… and it is really tiny) It struggled to open against all the odds…what a persevering little champion for life.

Anne and I planted dozens and dozens of daffodil bulbs about three years ago…the first year they bloomed beautifully, the next year…not so much so, pretty straggly…and this year they didn’t flower at all. Except for this late, very late little bloom starting to open yesterday. What a trooper!

I looked up the various reasons why daffodils don’t flower and they ranged from lack of sun to too much fertilizer/nitrates or planting too late or too early…too hot or too cold at the wrong time…”sometimes dirt and mulch build up and they’re so deep they won’t bloom” – in other words…if your daffodils are blooming just be thankful and don’t analyze the situation.

*However I am growing rather fond of my patches of daffodil stems too…as long as they are standing…there is always hope something still might happen…miracle believer.

I can relate to my little jonquil…it is definitely blooming late after all the other daffodils have come and gone…but don’t we all have the opportunity to bloom at any time in our lives…we just don’t have to do everything at the same time as everyone else. Late bloomers are the most appreciative of their accomplishment; more so, I believe, than the earlier bloomers who just took their success for granted.

And speaking of blooming…my grandchildren are growing way too quickly…my youngest grandson, Lachlan, turns four today. (Our St. Patrick Day’s baby) There was a family party for him given late Friday afternoon by mom and dad and I was so happy to be surrounded by all my children and their children (dog children included.) It had been awhile since we have all been together…Walsh and I have decided we need to work on gathering (at least) once  a month…especially in those months where we don’t have a family celebration on the calendar.

Lachlan’s party….It involved construction of a four-layered garage for Hot Wheel cars (Thanks John for putting that thing together), a dinosaur board game and all kinds of sports cards to get Lachlan his equipment to play soccer this spring. The best part was lots of hugs!

Load’em up…the St. Patty’s Day neighborhood romp was about to start…but they did have to end it a little early because of the “no see’ums!” Ouch!

While the older children went for a ride with Uncle Woo and Aunt Mandy…Eloise decided she had had enough partying…she took off on her own for a little peace and quiet.

The week actually flew by….Wednesday we took the children to Vickery’s on Shem Creek and then let them walk the long pier out to the end…beautiful views. And lots of giant “crabs” along the way!

So until tomorrow…Make memories today…tomorrow might be too late.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone….and officially your birthday now my four-year-old grandson Lachlan! Happy Birthday! Love, Boo

St Patricks greeting card with three cute cartoon leprechauns