Snap Dragons and Susan Branch

 

The only Two Snap Dragons in our yard...

 

There were no flowers planted this year.

Can you believe that?

 

In fact, Padre sprayed the garden trying to take out my sunflowers!

(and the weeds and grass.)

 

But I know he had it out for my flowers because he'd look out the window and ask whether I was growing a vegetable garden or a flower garden.

 

duh.

 

The vegetables are there to throw him for a loop.

My REAL agenda was flowers!  

 

One year a lone sunflower rose up. From then on, they were welcome in my garden.

And eventually, 

 

Those sunflowers are what made this garden!

 

 

 

Well, the good news is that they are hearty and prevailed. Just like the brave little snapdragons above.

They were in a bad location though- right by where all of Padre's hoses meet by the valve.

 

I had to turn on the hose a hand full of times out front and that is when I noticed the snapdragons. So instead of watering hanging baskets full of beautiful foliage, I've been assigned to keep grass from dying.

 

During this automatic sprinkler endeavor, I felt a twinge of inspiration come from those flowers that pushed through despite Padre's efforts to kill weeds. They got caught in the cross fire and have just now bloomed for me.

 

 

When I saw the first sunflower bloom, I said: "Oh!" outloud.  

 

"They must be a little sign, a message for me to perservere"

I concluded inside myself.

 

And I couldnt't help but feel smug that they came through loud and proud despite my inability to tend to them because I've been in a place where the sun doesn't shine- disease, etc.

One almost can forget how wonderful the littlest things are. So when you are able to see it after a storm, you feel like you've witnessed a miracle..

 

I mean, Padre put down a pesticide that killed off everything. And there are a million weeds.

All those sticks Jaden had to pick up back when the tree suffered some broken branches, and then we took off some more so that the sun could hit our garden, well it paved the way for a great harvest.

 

Despite me being able to help it along. Don't I have a good garden?

I know it has missed me!  But in time I know I will be back in it.

 

I left that Snapdragon to remind me each time I saw it, to keep pushing.

 

Then the other day, when J. mowed,

 

 he whipped one of Padre's many hoses, in such a way that it broke the snap dragon.

 

Oh, No! I thought Maybe another sign??

PS, I am not superstitious.

 

However

 

 my Grandmother tripped on her hose and broke her hip. She had been tending to her beautiful rose garden or one of her always perfect hanging baskets.

 

She has been very ill for a long time and suffers from Parkinson's disease. A dear, admired woman in my Church had it and when she got to the point where she didn't remember me- when I used to see her every month, we had been in the Mission Training Center together while she prepared to serve with her husband; 

It was hard to watch her descend into the forgetfulness at a time when she and her sweetheart could  have time together.

 

I have not been able to get over to see my grandmother much. On occasion a doctor's visit was nearby and I would visit to eat a piece of homemade bread, spread with a generous amount of butter and her homemade raspberry jam.

 

(See where Padre gets off on how precious raspberries are? And how neighbors covet us because of them. Yeh, right. They just buy Smuckers. )

 

 

 

When I visited her, Grandma and I would  sit in La-Z-Boy chairs in the living room, and take a nap.

Doesn't that sound like the best way to spend an afternoon?

 

Once I slept on their pristine comfy carpet floor, cause Great Papa was in his chair.

He asked which one of us was the invalid when we both got to the point that our mouths hung open and we started off into dreamland.

 

He is a very funny man. (say this with Spanish accent).

 

So I  grabbed a miniature vase of Madre's that is shaped like an iron.

 

Cause my wonderful, perfect iron died recently.

How could it? It was indestructible!

 

Okay, moving on to some positiveness and the progression of summer.

I was sitting with J. on the porch swing and realized we are into the hottest part of summer.

What people call the dog days of summer.

 

"we are gonna need rocking chairs, lemonade, and a good book."

I informed him as the sprinkler made its rotation and we sat looking at it in a deep trance-like state.

 

I couldn't think of what book. And needed a nap. Then guess what happened.

Madre walked into my room with a package.

 

Lately I have had the worst kind of luck with mail. For the most part it has been anyway.

But the package was from a friend.

 

I KNEW exactly what it was. And who sent it.

 

Since you don't- here it is:

 

 

I was so happy.

 

Susan is one of my favorite authors, artists, bloggers, gardeners, person.

Oh!

 

And it all began with stickers.... she made the sweetest ones that trickle down my pages.

I couldn't believe it!

AND it was signed by Susan herself. Oh!

 

Because of my health,

I could only look at a few pages  before a nap was needed. So I just let it nap beside me.

 

Then It started to rain so I haven't been able to get the lemonade and rocker out.

***

I've started into the book and must admit it is romatic. Can't lie.

And I love it will be mine and belong to my bookcase.