Dear Reader:

I remember as a child loving to watch the nature programs on how animals blend in or camouflage themselves for protection from predators. Then there would be all kinds of cool examples like: moths, squirrels, sea creatures, flying insects, frogs, lizards, etc.

It dawned on me the other day that this happens with humans too… a neighbor stopped by and called out my name in the back yard because she didn’t see me…I was deep in concentration and didn’t see her either because I was cutting back some Confederate Jasmine and had on a green shirt with white pants…I was bending over to cut back some of the vines when I heard my name. My neighbor and I later both laughed about it. She wanted to know if she was the “predator” I was hiding from! 🙂

However, not-with-standing my selection of clothes that day…I feel myself blending more each year into my personal environment. Summerville and I are quite compatible now…it is where I feel safe and secure.

In fact from the time Brooke and I moved to the lowcountry for our first teaching jobs…it just felt like home. Since I didn’t live in Laurens very long on a continuous basis … except for my four years of high school…the upcountry never felt like home to me.

At heart I am a lowcountry gal! My life centers around my garden, my brightly colored decor in the house…I love candles and they are a big part of my soothing time inside my Happy Room in the evenings. I love the sunshine, beaches, the cuisine and most of all the people of the lowcountry.

It is where I watched my family grow and now I am blessed to have them still in the same area…everyone is living about 25 to 30 miles away…enough for them to have their own lives…but close enough for us to gather. Perfect!

Like an observation Mary Alice Monroe made in her latest beach book…I, too, like the watch the precious little “peeps” (smallest species of sanderlings) play tag with the waves. We used to rent a house at Isle of Palms each summer for several years and watching the peeps play tag with the waves these days remind me of the children doing the same…running up and down the beaches. How quickly they grew up!

All the scents of the lowcountry…the marshes, salt air, humidity, sweet scents of the flowering vines found in abundance…even inside…scents of Summerville candles filling my happy room… all remind me that I am home. While in this world…the lowcountry is my home. I am happy. I am blessed.

So until tomorrow…Let us always remember…that at some point one becomes their surroundings. So choose your niche carefully!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

My two favorite-color flowers (orange and yellow)….laughing in the sunshine!

The Turners blend into their surroundings…pool attire! Mandy called and asked me to come join the cook-out…Aunt Carrie was there and the traffic wouldn’t be as crowded on Saturday as later in the weekend. So much fun and is there any other place where food tastes better than over a grill? So Yummy! Thanks John and Mandy!

Beauty hair day…Carrie can french braid Eva Cate’s hair and is trying to teach her how to do it on her hair…lots of fun…beautiful girls!

Lots of mama and papa ducks and geese proudly displaying their newest additions…though they sometimes need a human crossing guard to help them cross the street to get to the pond.