Another blog that I love. Today was filled with my grandchildren’s soccer games! Be back with new blogs soon.

Another beautiful day today. Ate my breakfast, cinnamon roll and fruit, sitting in the swing, enjoying starting my day quietly. Gifted again today with the trademark blue sky I love. Not many clouds. Mainly cardinals and a few finches and chickadees visited the feeders. Did not see the turkey vultures but saw their shadows sail across the yard and over the brick wall next door. Had a small murder of crows that really put up a racket for a while and then they left. Saw the pretty cedar waxwings flash their yellow bellies when the flock sailed left when they crossed the street. The flock is so pretty but never visits my yard. Saw one lone waxwing in the yard weeks ago. They aren’t bird feeder birds so guess they don’t see a reason to join my bird feeder patrons. They should be gone shortly ‘cause they’ve cleaned the berries off all the trees and bushes on my street.

When I took Penelope on her first morning walk, I kept seeing what I though was glitter in the yard under the oak tree. Couldn’t figure where it came from and then realized it was dew. The sun light was hitting it perfectly to make it glint. I decided I’m going to call dew, God’s glitter. He sprinkled it around my yard perfectly this morning.

I went on a wildflower hunt every time I walked Penelope today. Decided to look at the teeny, tiny wildflowers and I was amazed at their intricate beauty. Even more beautiful than the violets I talked about last pondering. On one stem of wildflowers I picked, the little miniature pink blooms look just like a flamingo dressed in a tutu. These intricate specimens are called Clasping Hen Bit. Research says chickens enjoy eating them and humming birds like the nectar. The leaves are described as clasping the stems. The photo really doesn’t do them justice. They really look like an orchid and have dark spots on their tubes. Don’t know if they are purple or pink but they are exquisite to me. I could just see a little critter carrying them in a wedding bouquet. The little yellow blooms gathered with them are beautiful too, but I couldn’t identify them either. When the little spiky blooms pop open they are a pale yellow. I love them, too!

Spent all afternoon looking up wildflowers and studying the photos but could only identify one of the three bunches. I used to have a Alabama wildflower identification guide. Chief bought it for me at the state capital bookstore years ago when we spent the weekend in Montgomery. I loved that guide and looked at it many, many times, but I’ve misplaced it or it’s downstairs in the basement with the tons of books I haven’t unpacked.

I put one little bunch of blooms, I called them a wedding bouquet, on a penny so you could see how intricate the blooms are and how tiny they are. Again, a proper bouquet for a queen ant or bumble bee mistress. Had to blow up the photo so much you really cant’ see how perfect they are. Four little light purple petals with pointy leaves and orangey yellow stamens. I got Chief’s magnifying glass out so I could really describe them and just noticed one little stem has three purple blooms and one white. The blooms would fit on the top of a straight pin.

American wisteria is considered a wild flower. Did not know that till I was looking through pictures of wildflowers trying to identify the ones I picked today. American wisteria is starting to bloom and invade things in my yard. The blooms go so pretty with Easter decorations. I love putting those blooms in arrangements. One side of the house was covered with it when I moved here. Those vines are so strong and really wrap everything up if not kept in check. The wisteria and the bamboo need a landscaper’s help. That’s on my list of house things to work on for the next ten years.

I love dandelions too, and nothing can match their bright, true yellow color. I picked a few of them but they closed up before I could make a bouquet with them. Saw the purple violets blooming today. Only saw white ones yesterday. I love this quote about violets. “Violets are God’s apology for February.”—Barbara Johnson. If these little treasures could make music they’d be the piccolo section of nature’s band.

Today I realized I’m a lucky girl. God has truly blessed me and I’m thankful. I was thinking today if I could relive one day in my life, one more time, which day would I choose. I pondered a while and decided I’d choose an ordinary night with all three of my children seated around the dinner table, elementary age, all three laughing, turning over a glass of milk, pouring out too much ketchup on their plates, complaining about eating three black eyes peas, deliriously high on life before the chaos of growing up had really started happening. If you are gathered around the dinner table with your family tonight, be thankful for your happy and healthy children. Tell them you are proud of them and tell them you love them every day, many times! You never know what tomorrow brings. Yesterday is behind us, gone forever. Tomorrow is the gift of another day so make that day count!