Dear Reader:

Garth Brooks ( on Kelly Clarkson’s ) new season kick-off show yesterday -made this simple but profound statement-“You can’t have a top without a bottom. ”

For every high ” top” in our life… there will be a low “bottom” -because that is how life “fits”-life is defined, not just how we live through the high’s, but more importantly how we handle the low’s. ( For me personally… it starts with a smile.) A smile, not only tugs your face muscles upward but can also tug at your heart and send your ” top” spinning.

Garth actually made this reference in connection with storytelling . Writing music is just not about melodies and tunes… it is about lyrics that tell a story.

Pre/Covid music had become more intent on beats and rhythms with nonsensical or simple repetitive phrases but suddenly when it seemed like the world had pulled the rug out from under us… storytelling and meaningful lyrics and messages began flooding the radios.

It was cool again to read and time became our friend to travel in our imagination. Suddenly celebrities in all walks of life started telling their stories and childrens’ books became a daily mainstay on talk shows. Storytelling had become a ” Top” again.

Survival stories of courage and determination took precedence as Americans lost loved ones to disease and normal life became anything but…

Suddenly the old tried but true stories like ” The Little Engine that Could” found itself back in the classroom once again -children needed to be reminded not to give up when school no longer looked or felt like school anymore or loving parents, aunts and uncle’s, grandparents had just ” disappeared ” from their lives.

The longer I live… one truth shines brighter in my understanding of it-the simpler the story-the closer proximity to the truth about a life lesson is understood and as such… more profound in its impact!.

Every pumpkin in my happy room den is artificial and at last count there were 34 of them-some big, some small, some plastic, some cloth, some straw, some wooden and some electric-shining through the night.

I have only one “live” pumpkin… a pumpkin with an amazing story to tell. It is white with living succulents on top… it has out-lived all last year’s harvest of live pumpkins and it doesn’t look like it has any intention of ” passing on” to make way for this year’s harvest pumpkin crop!

I wanted to show you evidence ( 3 photos above) that from every angle-top, side and bottom..the pumpkin has no ” rot” or even brown spots. Not only is the pumpkin healthy but the majority of the succulents are still alive too.

Sweet, talented, Susan Swicegood made these and sold them and then brought each family one, as a gift, for Autumn! Everyone else’s started out good but within weeks the pumpkin got ” soft” and soon began to rot. I know Mandy transferred the beautiful succulents from the top of her pumpkin to another planter before tossing the rotten pumpkin.

What was my survival secret as the pumpkin will soon celebrate its first birthday? Nothing! I did nothing! Believe me… this little pumpkin has survived all on its own.

Okay… Okay… I did spray the succulents occasionally… when I remembered… but truly… the pumpkin was moved to different rooms throughout the year-survived heat, air conditioning and ceiling fans blowing on it-humid conditions… days and weeks when I was away forgetting about it… that little white pumpkin survived in spite of me!

So next month… I am adding some decorations for its birthday 🥳 and I will definitely share the birthday pictures with you!!! 🏆🍭🌈👊✊👍👏🙌🙌🙌🙌

So until tomorrow…If my pumpkin could talk I think it would remind each reader: “You never know when your moment’s coming… but when it does, TAKE IT!!!

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

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