The saying, “Stop and smell the roses,” is one we’ve heard many times before, but do we actually do it? Most of us get stuck on autopilot day after day and do not take time to appreciate the beauty in things around us. Sometime back I took such a moment to capture this daylily at it’s prime. It was delicate in appearance, yet strong in stature, and I marveled at how the sun’s spotlight gave it an ethereal glow. In the back of my mind there was sad acknowledgment that even the most magnificent of daylilies lasts only one day, but my consolation was that I was a witness to its glory.
#1 – Speaking of Roses
In a tattered and yellowed newspaper article that I’ve kept in my rose journal for years, Don and Mary Marshall, members of a rose society said, “Early spring, just after pruning, is the time to scatter a tablespoon or two of Epsom salts around the dripline of the plant. Several generous handfuls of alfalfa meal may also be added at this time, lightly scratched into the soil and watered in.” I’ve added these supplements to my roses in the past and have been happily rewarded with healthy plants and luscious blooms.
#2 – Gives Me Hope
At GivesMeHope: Life Is Beautiful Today! read entries posted by people regarding things in life that give them hope. With all the negative news in the world, it was refreshing to read some of the uplifting entries.
Here’s an example:
I work with kindergarten children, and when a little girl wet her pants, we decided to give her dress up clothes to wear.
She was very upset and embarrassed so a little boy in the class put on a cinderella dress and held her hand the rest of the day, saying “look – everyone’s laughing at ME!”
His kindness gmh (gives me hope).
#3 – A Kitchen Tip
If you are making a recipe that requires Italian Seasoning and you don’t have any on hand, just make your own by mixing together 1 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. marjoram, 1 tsp. thyme, 1 tsp. basil, 1 tsp. rosemary, and 1 tsp. sage. Store any unused spice in an airtight container.
#4 – Got Ants?
Many years ago one of my friends called out a pest control company to help her get rid of ants. The exterminator told her to use Terro. She passed this advice on to me and I’ve found it to be a very effective product. Don’t buy the Terro Ant Baits. Buy the Terro bottle in the box that has the cardboard circles that you tear off. Squeeze out enough Terro to fill the circle and place the cardboard circle near where the ants are entering. Obviously, do not put Terro in areas where children or pets can reach it. Ants will come and swarm the glob of Terro and take it back to the nest. Patience and restraint are virtues here; it takes time for the ants to discover the Terro circle and it’s not a good thing to kill the ants you see crawling around, because they have to be alive to take the poison back to the nest!
#5 – Quote For The Day
Nothing is worth more than this day.
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Stop and enjoy something beautiful this weekend!
What about this? 
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