Summer Vacation

Gratitude Day #12

I haven't written a gratitude post in quite a while.  Now that it is summer vacation, hopefully I will find more time to blog.  We are actually three weeks into summer vacation, but the first week was devoted to helping my sister move.  I'm not sure what happened to the second week.  I have been spending a lot of time working in my yard.  I am way behind on weeding and planting my garden, but I will get there.

I also started volunteering in Horticulture at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden.  I have helped with some events and classes.  This summer I am helping to maintain the Ruan Alee Walkway.  Each Wednesday morning I am spending two hours weeding and working on the flower beds.  These first few weeks that also involves deadheading the irises.

This morning was cool and cloudy.  We are there before the garden opens, so it is peaceful.  It is hard physical work, but I enjoy the beauty that surrounds me.

I love the beauty of the gardens, the river, and view of the downtown Des Moines skyline.

Another bonus is walking through the water garden.  I love all the water lilies.  If you go, however, please don't throw money in there.  It isn't helpful.

1. I am grateful for having the time and freedom to do something completely different during the summer.
2. I am grateful for the opportunity to spend time in a beautiful place.
3. I am thankful for another chance to learn new things.

Sunshine and Flowers

Gratitude Day #11

I love all the flowers that are beginning to grow and bloom.  These are spring flowers that are blooming in my front yard right now.  Okay, I guess technically the violets and dandelions are considered weeds, but they still add color to the landscape. Not to mention the fact that dandelions were originally brought here for medicinal purposes.  On the right is my one and only tulip.  I did not plant it.  I assume it was planted by the people who owned this house before me, and I have lived in this house for 18 years. This tulip is determined.

It is amazing what a little sunshine and color can do for my disposition.  Just getting outside and walking with the dogs lifts my spirits, and makes me thankful for my home and neighborhood. After our walk we enjoyed sitting together on the back deck.

1. I am grateful for the spring flowers.
2. I am thankful for the sunshine on my face.
3. I am incredibly grateful for my home and neighborhood and the little dogs who share it with me.

I am noticing it is also time to break out the mower.  In parts of the back yard, the grass is getting as tall as Lola and Chloe.  Guess I will add that to my "to do" list for later this week. Notice that mowing did not make my gratitude list.  

Earth Day Celebration

Gratitude Day #10

Today was the Earth Day Celebration at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden.  This afternoon I helped with a Propagation Activity.  I hadn't volunteered there since spring break.  I'm always nervous when I am about to do one of these activities, but I am so glad that I did it.  I always learn something new.  The people who work and volunteer there are so nice, and the people coming through are happy and enthusiastic about trying our activities.

It was a truly gorgeous day, so it was fun to walk around in the outside gardens.  Daffodils and tulips are in bloom, and they are so beautiful.  I did a little tour of the gardens before I went into the Kemin Plant Sciences Lab for the propagation activity. 

For our activity people took a pot that I learned how to make out of newspaper.  They filled it about half way full with potting soil.  Then they planted a cutting from a Sansevieria plant.  This plant is commonly called a Snake Plant or Mother-in-law's Tongue.  We had lots and lots of people who came through the lab, so it was a busy and fun day.

I loved this little tool for making the paper pots.  I think I need to get one of these.

1. I am grateful for the knowledge of the people who work and volunteer at the Botanical Garden.  I learn from them every time I go.
2. I am thankful for the opportunity to spend time in such a beautiful place.
3. I am grateful for my little Snake Plant cutting. I hope it grows into a big plant.

The Greenhouse

Gratitude Day #9

On Sunday I drove up to the Earl May in Ankeny, just to look at what they had.  I am in the planning and hoping stage for my garden.  The minute I walk into a greenhouse in spring, a smile spreads across my face.  The same thing happened today when I checked out the gardening section at Lowe's.  This time of year, before the heat, bugs, weeds, and hot weather set in, gardening is full of hope of what you may be able to grow and accomplish.

I am especially excited for this summer, because I will not be teaching summer school.  Hopefully I will do better at keeping up on my garden work, especially the weeding.  Every year, I try to expand a little.  I just ordered two more raised beds.  This year I am hoping to try my hand at strawberries.

I always refer to my garden as a science experiment, because I really don't know what I'm doing.  Every year I learn a little more, and this year I will be volunteering at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, so I'm sure I will learn a lot more.  As it is, I grow and can tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers that last me all year.  I feel really proud when I eat something that I grew.

1. I am grateful for the hope and beauty of my garden.
2. I am grateful for having space to grow food and flowers.
3. I am thankful that I learn new things about gardening every year.

Family Dogs

Gratitude Day #8

I cannot do gratitude posts without talking about my dogs.  Anyone who knows me knows that I am a dog person. I grew up with dogs.  In fact, the only time in my life that I didn't have a dog was when I was in my early twenties, moving around a lot and living in apartments.  Chloe and Lola are not only the family dogs, they are family.  I like having two dogs, so they can keep each other company when I have to be at work or go other places. 

My dogs are wonderful companions.  They are affectionate, silly and they make me laugh.  They also encourage me to be more active.  They are deliriously happy when I take them for walks, and it does me a lot of good as well.  I love my little dogs!

Now that my mom is back from Arizona, I also get to spend time with her dog, Abbie.  Abbie is a Yorkie.  My sister and I take turns visiting Mom and taking Abbie for walks.  Abbie knows how to give us the look that says, "When are we going for our walk?"  As you can tell from the photo above, she does not like having her picture taken.

The football playing dog pictured above is my sister's dog, Scout.  This picture was taken a couple years ago.  He loves it when he can get you to toss the football for him.  He is a senior dog now, and he can't get around as well as he used to.  We were broken hearted, when Jacci's dog, Boone, passed away a few months ago.

Boone

Please note that Chloe, Lola and Abbie are also very well dressed dogs.

1. I am grateful for our wonderful little dogs.
2. I am grateful for beautiful sunshiny days that let us walk the neighborhood.
3. I am grateful for the security these ferocious little dogs provide as they bark at everyone who dares walk down our street.

Guard dogs! 

Morning Time

Gratitude Day #7

This has been a very different week.  It was a week of testing at school.  In order to help out, I started work an hour earlier each day.  I usually start work at nine, whereas the rest of the staff begins by seven.  I have only been officially retired for four years (this June) but I have gotten spoiled. 

I am an early riser.  I rarely sleep later than 5:30.  Getting up is not the issue, getting out of the house is.  Most days I get up, and am showered and dressed before 6:00.  Then I make a pot of tea, and settle into the den with my little dogs.  I use this time to journal, plan my day, pet my pups or just stare into the fireplace.  It's fake fire, but it's still very comforting.  It is a great time to sort out emotions, think about events going on in my life, and set my priorities.  It helps me begin my day more centered and calm.  I am extremely grateful to have that time in the morning.

I first got into writing my "Morning Pages" when I read The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron.  I have probably been doing it for the past twenty years, not every day, but most days.  It really helps me.  If you have never read her work, I highly recommend it.  I also enjoy her poetry. 

Tomorrow is Friday.  I don't work on Fridays, so I can even stay in my pajamas to enjoy my morning time and write my Morning Pages.  Another benefit of working part time.

1. I am grateful for the flexibility of having quiet morning time at home.
2. I am grateful for my comfortable home.
3. I am grateful for the gift of writing.  and
4. I am grateful for my fake fireplace.

Beauty and Tenacity

Gratitude Day #6

It was a harsh winter!  There was lots of snow and lots of cold, and it seemed like it would never end.  When everything was frozen and buried in snow, it was hard to imagine that we would see green grass and flowers again.  For this reason I was a little concerned that the Autumn Radiance Maple tree I planted last spring would survive these cold temperatures.  It is exciting to see the branches beginning to produce little buds.

I was also concerned about the lilac hedge that borders my driveway.  It had become badly overgrown, so last October I had it cut way back to about a third of its height.  It was late in the season, so I worried that this drastic pruning might have been too much of a shock for it to recover.  I won't have lilacs this year, but I was happy and relieved to see it beginning to leaf out.

With each day that goes by, plants begin to sprout, the grass becomes greener, and flowers begin to bloom.  The gorgeous flowers above are blooming in my neighbor's flower bed.  While I like to garden, I tend to lose interest by the time fall comes, when I should be planting daffodils, crocus, and tulips.  Maybe this year I can build the strength and tenacity to get that done.

1. I am grateful for the beauty that surrounds us.
2. I am grateful for the tenacity of nature and people that makes us grow and thrive.
3. I am grateful for the renewal of spring.