Early August Gratitude ….

It  has been an exciting month so far and a month where I have found time to focus on me a little more.   Here is a short list and I am sure that by the end of the month, I will have a tad more…but for now…here goes…

• We are Blessed to have celebrated Daddy’s birthday and ushered him into another year….he is now 38 (wink, wink…)
• I attended a conference in Baltimore and saw Martha Stewart, had lunch with a few local garden Bloggers and cultivated new friendships…

•  My employer brought in some eggplant from his garden in lieu of my weekly floral offerings. Eggplant recipes were the topic in the break room – to grill or to bake…..great conversation starter…
• Quiet time in my garden. Events of this year have made it not possible to stay on top of maintaining it in a perfect state.  However, the finches were in full force eating the seeds from the Echinacea, the White Phlox stood guard and the Hydrangea colors are very antique looking in shades of soft olive-green, dusty rose and ivory…
• I saw my first Monarch today in my own garden touching each and every bloom on my variegated Buddleia and Joe Pye Weed…need to tend to that part of the garden next….or not.  I did leave a small saucer on a slant with a rock in the middle, to allow the bees and butterflies to play in the water during this dry spell we are having….
• Noticing that I have green tomato’s waiting to ripen and actually harvested 9 orange clustered tomato’s….and ate them on the spot!!! No lettuce required…
• Had an awesome dinner with my favorite foodie…this soft shelled crab in a tempura batter colored with squid ink was just delicious!
• Grateful for having a real friend accompany me to see Ricki and The Flash.  A simple movie about life’s complications, regrets and forgiveness.  I adore Meryl Streep!!!
• Lastly – grateful to be crossing the waters one more time for another adventure in Paris!!! I am packed and ready to go….yep packing MINIMALIST AND WISELY THIS TIME!!!

Here’s to the rest of August and all the amazement it will bring , I am sure!!!

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