Dear Reader:

Late yesterday afternoon I walked beside my garden to get to my garbage can in order to wheel it out on the street…today is pick-up day. As I strolled through… I glanced at the Confederate Rose and the two tall thin-stemmed sunflower plants.

It was then that I noticed something on one of the poles I have added in the middle of each sunflower plant… a support pole to tie the stems up when they get too tall to stand by themselves. Already one plant had a large stem lying down on the grass… after the heavy rain from the night before.

After dropping off the garbage can…I noticed something again on the tip top of the pole… now fully visible without the sunflower stem in front…some kind of flying insect…suddenly I realized it was a dragonfly….not the beautiful iridescent kind but just a simple grayish one with see-through wings.

I walked back to the deck to get my Iphone thinking it was silly…of course a dragonfly would be gone before I could get back…except it wasn’t. The sun was beating down to the point that I couldn’t even see it any more I just aimed the camera at the top of the pole and clicked. When I looked at the result…a chill went down me. It looked like a “spirit” dragonfly…especially when I enlarged it.

The dragonfly is iridescent both on its wings and body. Iridescence shows itself in different colors depending on the angle and how the light falls on it. 

Native-American legends say they are spiritual creatures, considered messengers from beyond… connected to light and change. When we see one…it is to remind ourselves to take a moment and be grateful for the lightness and joy in our lives.

“They can travel upwards of 45 miles per hour, fly backwards, hover like a helicopter, and change direction with seemingly impossible speed. They do all this by flapping their wings only 30 times per minute.  To give you some perspective, a mosquito flaps its wings 600 times per minute.

Because of this, dragonflies take on the role of spiritual guides for us.  They are powerful yet graceful – even in high wind. They show us how to navigate life’s storms with confidence and ease.  They motivate us to let go of whatever holds us down or holds us back.”

Perhaps the most important lesson of the dragonfly lies in its short life span.  They live a complete life in only seven months. Let the dragonfly be a reminder to you to live life fully present.  Let it teach you to look out for the gifts and beauty that you encounter each day.” (Resource: Dragonfly Meanings)

I  found myself staring at my photo on and off all yesterday afternoon…it was just something about that white spirit-looking dragonfly that mystified and pulled me back to the photo again and again.

Earlier in the day I had already had another strange experience. I had gone to Belk to pick up the Clique gift bag...always give Mandy one for her upcoming birthday. There was a long line waiting to get their bags and order items to qualify…so while they went to find my order…I wandered over to the bench inside Belk that looks out on the parking lot.

I had lucked up with someone pulling out just as I came into the parking lot so my car was close to the building. Now, as I glanced out…I was caught off guard for a second. There, right beside Surcie, was The Green Vue…these days there are very few left since that color was only used on the 2007 models and never repeated.

I had the strangest feeling that the “Vue” had returned to say hello and check out my new car…I felt a wave of nostalgia sweep over me…and I blew kisses to both cars…to one who served me well for over a decade and for Surcie who provides me with peace of mind.

So until tomorrow…

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

The Confederate Rose bush is the largest it has ever been…it should start forming buds around now and bloom in late summer and fall..I went up under the huge bush/tree and found the buds starting to develop…so cool!

Football season is getting closer and closer…time to start decorating the garden…and I do think the pine tree should be our state tree with the crescent moon…so pretty last night.

When it comes to keeping the granddaughters….Libby is definitely back in the driver’s seat again….long story…let’s just say camp this year involved an extra Kum Bah Yah. But look at those faces…you gotta do it.

We want to hear that bell ring one more time for Ann Graves…today is her surgery and then she waits to hear from her oncologist about any future treatments needed to “seal the deal” with this breast cancer …so far so EXCELLENT! Please keep Ann in your prayers today.