Smiles all around

God Bless all of you and an overcast day.
Carol

And they call it spring.

Carolina Jasmine.  It's year two and already to the top of the trellis.

I thought this would make everyone smile today. The plant is a vine and never losses it's leaves. It makes for great privacy when fully covering the trellis. The flowers are always in spring and the aroma, is beyond  belief.  Happy Spring.

Carol

Holly Mollie Rocky

I spend a lot of time thinking of what has to be done, and in some cases I really don't want to get started. In my case it's the wicker chairs on the porch.  They were never really meant to be outside. But they fit the porch. 

Cleaning them was the worst part of the job.  Brushing, spraying with a power hose and making sure they were dry before painting.  Step one was done and chairs were resting in the guest room waiting for that special day when the weather was right and I was willing. 

My first thought was white paint, but kept thinking a color would be great. But what color would do and how much fun would a color be.   With courage I mentioned it to John, my dear John, and with a sly look said, "I was thinking of color."  He had already checked to see what paint we were going to us, that would work in such a hot sun.  Rustolium was the product.  Wait a minute, we use that on iron not wicker, but when I saw the colors it came in and pictured on the can was wicker, I was at peace. 

After looking at the possible colors, it came down to two, orange or bright green.  As you can see green became the color.  The best part was that while I was away at work, John sprayed one chair.  What do you think, creative or what?

Another day in the Southern Sun. 
Carol

Ash Wednesday thought

Here we are into the third or fourth week of lent and it dawned on me how hard my resolution is. 

On Ash Wednesday, the first day of lent, in the Catholic world, I was listening to our priest tell us about what giving up meant.  He said give up something that is easy to do.  Not giving up candy or eating between meals.  I had to think about that, it probably wasn't new but I heard it for the first time.

He didn't mean like kissing my husband or saying I loved him.  It was worse, I decided to give up fighting back with words or getting mad.  Would you believe that on that same day someone decided to challenge me.  They remarked with harsh words. 

I blinked and thought, what did I say to draw these words. Was I not sensitive to that persons needs.  This started me on a self evaluation journey.  And as I said, it has been hard. It's so easy to say something to someone else in anger or from being hurt. 

I do know that I am learning so much and hope that I can carry it into the future.  Wow, who would think, I could find something so hard to give up and yet so valuable. 

God Bless you all.
Carol