Gratitude. Thankfulness.

This evening I looked out the window to an emerald terrain decorated with the pastels of the fruit trees and blossoming shrubs. The tulips, daffodils, and hyacinth are blooming, along with our lilacs and forsythia.

This weekend I have sat out on one of our garden benches or on one of the front porches periodically, listening to the buzz of the bees overhead. The birds are fascinating this month; it seems like our area must be the "truck stop" for all the migrating species. Grackles, purple finches, robins, cardinals, blue jays and bluebirds. Just before dawn, one can hear the wild turkeys gobbling. Anytime from dusk till dawn, we can hear the owls, and the doves. Out in the pasture, the killdeer are keen to make a commotion in order to distract us from their ground nests.

For all of this, Spring in its glory, I say, "Thanks be to God."

I am eager for the arrival of the orioles and the hummingbirds. Given our very early spring, I have asked my parents in Oklahoma to call me the VERY DAY they sight a hummingbird in their yard. I want to have our feeders up and ready so that we will have a proliferation of teensy winged fellows this summer!

I spent my afternoon gardening, putting in some plants and seeds, pulling up some weeds, mowing the lawn, burning some brush.

I talked to College Boy Graham on his last day of Spring Break (WWU: Washington State), and also to Grad Student Gillian, (KU:Kansas), on her last day of Spring Break, who said she is coming home next weekend. (That made my evening.) Affianced Daughter Claire has called (Richmond, VA) and emailed regarding summer wedding plans, and I am so thrilled that she (and her sister) seem to have everything happily in order. No Bridezilla, this girl. She is together.

And so, here is a good quote for my adult kids
and how I love them:

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy;
they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.
~ Marcel Proust