You can have all the rest of the year if you will give me April and May.
Spanish Proverb
We’ve had beautiful weather here lately – except for a few very windy days. I would be quite content to have this spring weather all year ’round. Right now, our honeysuckle vines are full of flowers and the roses are blooming. The backyard smells heavenly. We love going outside after dinner to enjoy the space and all the hard work we have put in the last few years. It has been a calming place as we live in a busy city. It’s our own ‘secret garden’.
I have mentioned here and there about John’s health. Not much has changed in pain and mobility level. He did have an appointment with a spine specialist who ordered an MRI to be done. The doctor visit was short as there is not much he can do until he sees the results from the MRI. Physical therapy starts this week and we hope it will help.
Our Jonathan will be graduating college in a few weeks. He has his cap and gown, the tassel, and has ordered a class ring. We are glad the school is having an official ceremony this year. More than being an honor student, I am proud of his grace, kindness, and humility he gifts us with every day.
Here is the latest record of graces in stray gifts:
From left to right: Yellow Lady Bank Roses have made their appearance. These tiny roses are so cute! We have been mulching our rose bush clippings and such from when we pruned in February. The mulch makes a huge difference in the yard as it covers the sand and rocks we have. Honeysuckles have bloomed once again and their sweet scent fills the air.
The yard is coming along this spring. I always look forward to roses coming back around every year. We still have a lot of mulching to do in the backyard. Once Jonathan is done with classes, we will finish working on cleaning up after winter. I have mint growing this year and Jonathan and I like to put it in water, lemonade, or tea. Very refreshing! The last photo is of more Lady Banks Roses. I first saw this kind of bush at our city’s Rose Garden a few years ago and just had to have a few in our yard. I love how they climb!
(Left) I had heard about a nursery on the other side of town that we hadn’t checked out yet. John and I were in this area one day while waiting for Jonathan who had class on campus. This nursery is not one you just happen to find as it is tucked away on an average street. When we arrived, we were surprised at how full it was of all sorts of life. It had two greenhouses on site filled with plants. There were huge, old trees on the property covered in ivy and Virginia Creepers. We liked it so much, we brought Jonathan back another day because we knew he would enjoy it. (Top Right) I was able to make it to the El Paso Municipal Rose Garden last week. Every rose bush was full of roses! Red, orange, pink, purple, white, yellow…and more colors of roses were just breathtaking. Several people were out wandering around the roses, some were sitting on benches reading or studying, and some were taking photos. I could smell the roses even through the mask I had to wear. (Bottom Right) John and I met Jonathan for lunch one day in between his classes. The sandwich shop we chose did not have indoor seating available, so we took our lunch to a nearby park. It was a beautiful day to be outside as we sat under a big elm tree.
I hope you are finding stray gifts in your area. I sure do appreciate friends and family who text me photos of interesting things they find. One friend in Pennsylvania has gorgeous peacocks from a neighboring farm roaming around on their property. A friend in the Dallas, Texas area likes to visit the arboretum often and she will text me colorful photos of her day. A friend in Georgia enjoys long hikes in the woods and takes pictures of twigs, branches, and leaves that have landed on the ground forming a cross. Other objects she discovers along the way as well which make a cross remind her of Christ’s sacrifice for us all. God has a way of drawing us to Him, don’t you think? Another friend sends me photos of the beautiful quilts she makes for veterans or of days out of the house doing something special. Recently, she and her husband visited the zoo and she shared a photo of an adorable penguin they saw. “It was a fabulous day”, she said. I love it! Jonathan and John always text me memes found on Facebook they find funny or inspirational. Stray gifts are all around! Thank you, Lord, for Your kindness and mercy.
Pleasure is spread through the earth in stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find. -William Wordsworth, 1806