the secret garden

-My Aunt Karen coming for a visit. We all had so much fun. She tells stories with hilarious sound effects, and is just somehow organic. I remember visiting her as a self-conscious teenager and how it was just customary to go without makeup for the whole time--organic. This morning, as I sat outside drinking my coffee, I shunned the muddy dog a bit and didn't want to get my hands dirty. Well, she came outside to sit and talk and immediately gave the dog a generous pat, not caring at all about getting her hands dirty--organic. So, I also gave him a friendly pet when he placed his head in my lap and didn't shoo him away. At lunch, when Aunt Karen didn't have a spoon for to stir her tea, she just used her fork without a thought--organic.

-Waking up before anyone else, at barely daylight, and feeling completely refreshed and awake. It's rare to be up first in such an early-rising family, and so making the coffee, tiptoeing out the door to get the paper and sitting on the porch watching the sun grow strong felt like seeing the morning at home with fresh eyes.


-Going to a local plant sale and garden with my Mom and Aunt. It's difficult to describe the beauty of the colors and textures and the feel of the hot Texas sun, so I'll let my pictures speak for themselves.