Dear Reader:

The beauty of another wonderful surprise of nature made me pull over to the side of the road yesterday. It was something I spotted coming home from Newington Elementary…on Luden Drive connecting to Highway 17-A. There were wetlands on the right, a swampy area, and I was thinking how wonderful it was that no houses could be built there… when suddenly I began noticing something white popping up in my vision.

At first I thought it was birds but when I slowed down and looked again…I saw the most spectacular spectacle…even more clearly  ….“swamp lilies!”

I would have to go all the way back to my childhood to remember the last time I saw swamp lilies. They were beautiful…with just a hint of pink and yellow in them.

I pulled “Surcie” over…grabbed my iPhone and took three quick pictures before scurrying back to my car and getting back on the road.

I was so glad I was in the moment and not daydreaming with my mind somewhere else in the future or I would never have known they were there…the scenery turned my day upside down.

(*Another life lesson on the importance of “being” over “doing.”)

If I had been messing with the radio or glancing down at my iPhone I would have ridden right past this almost extinct phenomenon in Summerville. Lenient regulations concerning construction zoning exterminates so many beautiful marshlands associated with  living in the “low country.”

In the Mitford Series…Father Tim secretly regrets it when his wife, Cynthia, decides to write another children’s book. He knows that she will be in her creative “zone” and oblivious to their daily routine of walking and talking together…simply sharing life together.

Cynthia feels the same way when her adorable husband (retired pastor now)…gets himself involved in another huge community project or fills in a new church pulpit for several months or longer. Yet each one knows how important the project is to their spouse’s well-being.

“While working on a project aren’t we all guilty of being there but not being there at the same time?” (Mitford Series)

When we find that creative endeavor we have been searching for… that project that brings us such joy that time simply disappears in our passion for this newest interest, it is hard staying cemented and focused in the daily routine of life. Over an extended period of time it can take a toll on relationships.

I was thinking how wonderful it is that our God, the one and only Creator of the world, can be involved in universal creativity 24/7 and yet never not have time for each and everyone of our questions, thoughts, and prayers.

So until tomorrow…Thank goodness our God is always with us…no matter the time of day or night or the circumstances and creative projects going on around Him. I find this quite comforting!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

For the Beauty of the Earth today…

Vickie and my “co-op” rose bush is starting to bloom again!

My bi-annual check-off job yesterday wasn’t exactly a passion but it did feel good to wash the bottles from the bottle tree and get a few layers of pollen  and dirt off.

*I also added English daisies to the “Pot-unias” basket…love the vibrant colors.

Mollie’s  multi-talented photographer friend, Sarah Elizabeth Kassouf,  did it again with pictures of the grandchildren…here are two sneak peeks…adorable! Check Sarah out on Sarah Liz Photography!

Happy Birthday Chelsey!…our wonderful Rainbow Road neighbor…the bringer of lettuce, fresh eggs, meals, desserts, and even milkshakes! Your (and Luke’s) continuous generosity never ceaseto amaze and delight the neighborhood.