Shake your wallet at the moon....

Years ago I had the honor of meeting an elderly woman who would become my adopted grandma for a short time; Grandma Black was Frank's grandmother and when she found out that both of my grandmothers where gone she said she'd be mine... what a wonderful gift she gave that day.

I am sure that those grandchildren she helped raise are full of stories and sayings that she was known for but for me I only have two... shake your wallet at the mooon when its like a bowl it (your wallet) will be full the next full moon.

The other has to do with the coming of Fall's frost... you can time it with the blooming of the Dog Fennel Weed's.... three weeks from blooming, frost will fall. I have done this for 30 years and it is pretty well accurate.

I wonder what my grandchildren will remember about me, or what my children will pass down to them that they learned from me.... hmmmm.

Seeds of Change

Today as I slept the afternoon away I dreamed of flowers and sunshine and a warm gentle breeze, of course I woke up and I had the heat turned up too high so I was sweating; but it did give me something to think about... the coming thaw.

Flowers have always played an important part of my life and nothing pleases me more than the gift of flowers; anything from a simple bouquet of pink carnations or a single wildflower picked from the side of the road. I also like for friends to share from their gardens and have been blessed in my life to have a couple of good ones that loved sharing.

I have shrubs and trees and yes flowers in my yard that were planted decades ago, some by my mother like the old fashioned daffodils, camelia's, and a single purple crocus that has survived not only time but neglect. I also have old time garlic or elephant garlic that the previous owners planted some 30+ years ago, each year it comes up I did up a few bulbs and leave the rest to nature.

I have transplanted my fair share to my yard as well, things bought from the Springfield Market or dug up from an old homestead. The 4 cedars that grace my yard were dug up from Patsy's yard some 15+ years ago and they have grown into beautiful full trees. Out by the driveway, under the oaks are Cast Iron plants that grew in my grandmothers garden in Haines City, Fl before I dug them up some 20 years ago and brought them here to SC... walking through my garden is like turning the pages of our travels and family history book; nearly every plant has a story or a special meaning.

I have been greatly depressed since my brother Brad's death a few short weeks ago and have looked forward to Spring and being to get outside back to my flowers and my herbs and nature; I look forward to warmth and healing and looking to the future and today I decided that I am going to begin a list of things I am going to do to get back to my old self and to possibly make that self better than before...I am going to look at my life and attempt to pull out the weeds and water the flowers; then I am going to order up some new seeds and plant them as well.

Things to do:

• call and visit friends for no reason at all
• volunteer somewhere 1 day a week
• clean out the back room and throw the crap away
• go to Alabama at least 3 times this year
• take another girls only trip
• make Frank lie in bed past 8 am, and then bring him breakfast
• cut my hair and never let it grow out again
• blog 3 times a week
• plant a tree for Brad
• finish my wildflower garden
• look my sister in the eye
• go home for family reunion
• go fishing, go fishing, go fishing