The Great Butterfly Adventure

Bubs is home sick today, fever, cough, runny nose...but we had an amazing morning experience. Here's how it started...


So I've been trimming trees for the past two days, we have a very big yard, and a whole lotta trees. I normally don’t mind doing it, but this year the branches that need trimming are bigger, and there are more of them because I didn't do it last year due to of all the problems I was having from that stupid surgery. I have been cursing myself all summer every time I've gotten smacked in the face with a branch while cutting grass.

So for two days I’ve cut till the battery dies, clean up branches while the battery is recharging and go back to it; the whole time wanting to kick myself for not doing the job last year. Adding to it the garage repairs, lack of rain, the heat, lack of time and those darn tree branches have kept me from cutting the yard for the last month and a half, making the back yard look like a jungle.

Now my husband is going out of town until Saturday, and Bubs is home sick, so I decided to go out while it was still cool, and try to trim up some while the hubs was finishing his packing. The tree I was working on had a whole area of suckers that had gotten out of control, and when he came down to tell me he was leaving I showed him a very large branch I was having trouble cutting through. He took the saw and cut it for me, and I very politely (lol) told him I thought he was hitting me in the face with the branch.

When he was finished I still felt something “touching” the top of my head, I brushed my hand through my hair, then finished telling my hubby good-bye, all the while feeling things brushing my arms, legs, and hair. “Darn bugs” I said, and as I brushed the “bug” away again I realized that it was a butterfly, then I saw it was more than one butterfly. We turned and looked, (not quite realizing what we were looking at) and saw a bunch of butterflies flitting through the grass. Bubs is working on growing a butterfly at school, and I asked my husband to see, on his way out, if Bubs felt good enough to come down and see them.

So here comes my sick little man, down through the yard asking where the butterflies were. He sat on my lap in the tall grass, and that’s when I realized we were watching HUNDREDS of little orange butterflies! As we sat there they perched in the grass all around us, and Bubs wanted to know if I thought one would land on him. I told him to sit very patiently and to be very quiet, and maybe one would. Now those of you who know Bubs, know that this is a big request for my kid who is always moving, talking, and singing.

But we sat, and Bubs whispered “Momma have I been quiet enough?”

We sat some more, and Bubs whispered “Momma have I been patient enough?”

And still we sat, "I just know a butterfly will land on me" Bubs whispered.

We sat some more with butterflies in the grass all around us, enjoying the sun, warm breeze, and with the exception of an occasional cough, the quiet.

Finally Bubs whispered “Butterflies will one of you pleeease come sit with me?” … and we sat... and then it happened… a butterfly flew up around his head, and landed on the back of his shirt collar. His mouth dropped, and his eyes grew wide with excitement as he felt it touch the back of his neck, but he managed to sit quietly until it decided to fly away. We sat for a while longer until Bubs’ tummy decided it couldn’t be quiet any longer, and it was starting to get hot, then we came up into the house.

As I tucked him in for a nap, Bubs smiled and said “Mommy I sure am glad I was sick today, or I would have missed the great butterfly adventure”.

I thought about that after he fell asleep, and you know what? I realized that there is always a silver lining. I've learned as much about the benefits of being patient and still as my little guy, and a good deal about having faith.

Know what else? I sure am glad I didn’t trim them trees last year, or I would have finished the trees already, and the grass would have had it’s final cut, and I would have missed the great butterfly adventure too.

Blessings!

Dana

How Does Your Garden Grow?

I grew up in a large family that always had a vegetable garden. My dad loved to garden, but I hated it. When my husband and I got married, he decided that he wanted a garden, and I reluctantly agreed. He was as surprised as I at how much I had retained from my childhood about gardening and canning vegetables. That was almost 22 years ago!

Today I love to garden, I love watching the plants grow, the taste of tomatoes warm from the vine, and the sense of satisfaction that I get when the harvest is bountiful. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I can plant whatever I like in my garden (that means no lima beans, and no eggplant). My dad never let us have any say in what was planted, but we did however get to weed.

Whatever the reasons I am now starting into my favorite part of the year, and this was the weekend we decided to shop for our plants, and the remainder of our seeds. I’m lucky that my kids aren’t picky eaters and they love vegetables, so every year I let them pick a few items that they would like to see in the garden.

The oldest, let us know that she would like tomatoes and whatever else it takes to make the gallons of salsa that come out of my kitchen every year. The 14 yo made her plea for green beans, and romaine lettuce. Then…came… the… 6yo!

The conversation went like this.

6yo: I want to plant mashed potatoes.

Me: You don’t plant mashed potatoes… you plant potatoes, dig them up, wash them, peel them, cook them, mash em up, and theeeen you serve them, with gravy, to little 6 yo boys. Plus Mr. S. has a potato farm, and gives us lots of potatoes every year remember?

6 yo: (sigh) Then I want eggs. Not the kind you dippy, the kind you peel.

Me: You don’t plant eggs. You KNOW they come from chickens.

14 yo: Yeah they come from chicken’s butts! They POOP them out.

6 yo: Nu-unh! Mooooom!

14 yo: Ya-huh! (This goes on for a few minutes, ‘til I have to put a stop to it or my head will explode!)

Me to 14 yo: You made your pick let your brother make his.

6 yo: Fine! Then I want toast! Not the butter kind, the kind with the brown salt on it.

Me: staring at him, while desperately trying not to pull out my hair.

6 yo: Are you gonna tell me you can’t plant toast?

Me: Yes. Toast is not a vegetable. How about carrots? Or peas? You like those (All the while thinking… I’m planting them anyway).

6 yo: staring at me

Me: How about this? We will plant a potato in the big flowerpot by the garage, and you can pick another Veg-A-Ta-Ble to go in the garden, AND I will make you hardboiled eggs, and cinnamon toast for breakfast.

6 yo: Okay. (pause) If I say broccoli trees, are you gonna tell me they’re not a vegetable?

Me: Broccoli is a vegetable, and yes we can plant some.

6yo: How about pickles?

Me: Well we can plant cucumbers, and then turn them into pickles.

Me: Are we done here? Is everybody happy? Note to self: Feed everyone before asking about garden next year.

Whoa! All I can say is, when my dad kept us out of the planning stage, maybe he was onto something!

Blessings!
Dana