Natures bounty

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As much as I love the instant gratification of colorful annuals, there's something extra special about watching perennials pop up and bloom year after year. It almost feels as though each flower is a little gift from Mother Nature, quietly reminding us that beautiful things have a way of returning. Every summer I'm still surprised and delighted when these beauties reappear.

I'll never be known for my gardening skills, but no one can argue with the beauty of a tiger lily! I must have planted these around my chicken coop years ago, thinking maybe I could dress up an eyesore. And you know what? It actually works. The bright orange blooms are just distracting enough that your eyes go to the flowers before they notice the coop.

Tim and I have big plans for next year. We'd like to move the coop back a bit, give it a makeover, and make it blend into the yard a little better. It's officially next year's project because this year's patio completely wore us out. One major outdoor project was more than enough to carry us through the season!

The American dream of homeownership really should come with a disclaimer: you'll never go a month without a household project, a broken appliance, or a room begging to be renovated. That's just the way it is. And once the weather finally turns nice, we spend all our time creating the perfect places to relax outdoors... usually finishing them just in time for winter to roll back around.

It only makes sense to keep a running list of things to fix, remodel, and improve. Maybe Tim and I should actually sit down and make a real list for the refrigerator, with timelines and everything. It sounds like a great plan... at least until a sunny day arrives and we can suddenly think of a hundred things we'd rather do than chores.

Lately we've been so busy enjoying summer that I was actually getting to the point where I couldn't remember the last meal I cooked at home! So last night we stayed home, listened to the rain, enjoyed a home-cooked dinner, and headed to bed early.

Sometimes the best way to tackle a never-ending to-do list isn't to cross something off at all. Sometimes it's to slow down, recharge, and appreciate the tiger lilies blooming right in front of you before moving on to the next project.

"Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul." ~ Luther Burbank