During the years that I worked as an elementary school counselor for a Mississippi school district, I attended many Black History Month programs. The community was 70% African-American. Year after year, the same handful of famous faces were highlighted in presentations, on bulletin boards, and for student writing assignments. Don’t get me wrong, I learned … Continue reading Black History Month: Hidden History
In preparation for the blog post on K. Sawada, I took a field trip to a local Botanical Gardens. It was a beautiful February day, perfect for spending time walking through their Winter Garden area. As I mentioned before, that section was named in memory of Mr. Sawada and showcases many of his camellias. However, … Continue reading Walk Around the Winter Garden
The formative years of my teens and twenties were the late 1960s through the 70s. Those were turbulent times that pulled the foundations out from under many of our solid institutions. The music and movies shouted the changing values and lodged earworms into my young brain. I must admit to a lot of confusion during … Continue reading No Excuses
Last month in my blog post about camellias, I mentioned that the Gulf Coast region has played an important part in the development of many varieties of this beautiful shrub. One of the major contributors was Kosaku Sawada, often referred to as K. Sawada. (1882 – 1968) He emigrated from Japan in the early 1900s, … Continue reading Six on Saturday: Meet Mr. Camellia
This is the week before Valentine's Day, February 14th. Many (mostly women and children) love this holiday, while others (mostly men) seem to hate it. I am kind of partial toward that date since it's my birthday. Lovelady is my maiden name, and I was born on Valentine's Day. Stores use red and pink hearts … Continue reading Heart Trouble
After having a few themed Saturday posts, (Pansies, Camellias, Salad Greens, and Berries found in my Archives), I decided to show you some random pictures of this week’s garden. That’s what life is made of, right? Seemingly random elements somehow become the ingredients that make up the whole of your life. It doesn’t always make … Continue reading Six On Saturday: Sixth of February 2021
Groundhog Day is one of my favorite movies. I can see you rolling your eyes. No, really. I love this film. When I was a therapist for a mental health partial hospitalization program, I was allowed to show a therapeutic movie and lead a group discussion about it with patients on Fridays. Groundhog Day was … Continue reading It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again
Through the winter months, pansies and violas do the heavy lifting in my flower beds. They give cheerful color to spaces where summer annuals have died, and perennials have gone dormant. They are also showy enough to distract from the layers of oak leaves that continue to fall through early spring. I put some in … Continue reading Six On Saturday: Pretty Pansies and Violas
When you exit our little cul-de-sac and turn right onto the county road, you won’t go far before coming to an intersection. For a long time it was a four-way stop, but a traffic light was installed there a couple of years ago. Another right turn takes you to all the civilization and commerce you … Continue reading Zion Remains
Thirty years ago, I was Wesley Foundation Director for the United Methodist campus ministry at the University of South Alabama. Since 1913, Methodists have served students at many state universities across the United States, Canada, and the U.K. Of course, many other denominations and para-church organizations have campus outreach as well. I have fond memories … Continue reading Six by Six on Saturday: Camellias
I would love to say, “Welcome to my poteger,” but in good conscience, this little plot of ground isn’t worthy of that name. However, it does have a classical combination of vegetables, herbs, and flowers. I can’t call it an English cottage garden or Colonial kitchen garden. But it is convenient and close to the … Continue reading Six on Saturday: Salad, Anyone?
What a strange time we’re living in. Each week seems to bring its own set of uncertainties. I’ve lived long enough and studied history enough to know that every era brings unique challenges to those born into their times. But you and I are living in this day, brought into this world “for such a … Continue reading Disequilibrium
It looks like Covid-19 has another cultural casualty this year, and I have mixed feelings about it. All across the Gulf Coast region, large and small communities are canceling their Mardi Gras festivities. It is the sensible thing to do since the crowds could end up being superspreader events for the virus. But the economic … Continue reading King Cake Season Begins
Happy New Year, everyone! Did you breathe a sigh of relief when the calendar turned to January 2021? Change seems to be the only constant in this life. I'm hopeful for the changes this new year will bring. This week's Six pictures were taken in my yard in December. Since the holidays are barely over, … Continue reading Six On Saturday: Winter Berries
The year 2020 has been far from perfect. In fact, it has been far from “normal,” whatever that means. So is that number mocking us? Does it show us that we can’t see squat, and we don’t even realize it?
This will be a Quick Six today for the end of December 2020. We've had a frost/light freeze every night this week, but there are still some flowers hanging on in the garden. The pansies and violas don't count. They'll be faithful until I pull out the last vestiges around April. I'll save them for … Continue reading Six On Saturday: Last Week of 2020
No doubt, angels are essential characters for advancing the Christmas story. Beginning with an angel’s appearance in the temple to Zechariah, the priest, and Gabriel’s announcement to Mary about her impending pregnancy, God’s messengers (malakim in Hebrew) played crucial roles. Just to refresh our memory, they also spoke to Joseph to reassure and then again … Continue reading Angels From the Realms of Glory
Is joy possible in the midst of a year of challenges, sorrow, and disappointments? This third week of Advent is often focused on the theme of joy. Churches lit a joyful pink candle among the other purple ones in their advent wreaths this past Sunday. We sing "Joy to the world, the Lord is come," … Continue reading Obtain Gladness and Joy
You know, what most folks usually show on their social media is the sanitized version of life. We show our best side, the cleaned up parts of the house, and the prettiest parts of the garden. What a chore! And how unrealistic, because life is messy. But frankly, I don't want to see your mess. … Continue reading Six On Sat. Not A Pretty Sight
Most Christians will let Hanukkah slip past their notice this week. This year, 2020, the holiday begins on the evening of the 10th of December and continues for the next eight days through Friday, December 18th. After all, what does a Jewish holiday have to say to us? A lot, actually. Gentiles should become familiar … Continue reading Lessons From Hanukkah
Long before Take Your Daughter to Work day was established in the 1990s, my father sometimes took me to work with him back in the 1960s. He was a salesman for Wilson Meat Packing Company, and his territory was in and around Montgomery, Alabama. Back in the day, salespeople had a personal relationship with their … Continue reading Words From My Father
On this gray day in late autumn, when the Thanksgiving leftovers aren't yet finished, and Christmas decorations are still in the attic, we are sort of in limbo. That's not a bad thing when a pause is needed. Catch your breath today. Do only what's absolutely necessary before the whirlwind activities for the next festivities … Continue reading Six On Saturday: Autumn Leaves
I don’t intend for this to be the obligatory Thanksgiving blog post. I’ll try to keep it short, but maybe not so sweet. This is hard to admit, but I’ve had an item on my To-Do list for months. It’s writing Thank You notes. I made a list of people to whom I need to … Continue reading Confessions of a Thank You Note Slacker
This month marks the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims landing in Massachusetts. I’m sure the Coronavirus curtailed the many celebrations that were planned for 2020. With all the overshadowing goings-on of this crazy year, I’ve seen very little acknowledgment of this critical foundational event in our nation’s history. You can read the details of these … Continue reading Pilgrims’ Landing 400th Anniversary
Let’s take a look at some grasses today. By no means is this an overlooked category in the garden. Whether we are talking about beautiful lawns or ornamental species, the right or wrong selection of grass can make a big difference. It can also add interest with textures and colors. Although many environmentalists discourage traditional … Continue reading Six On Saturday: Grasses, Not Just Lawns
On this last day of October, I'm anticipating the last two months of 2020 to be better than the other ten months of this year. I suppose that's due to the good feelings elicited by holiday memories. And I'm holding on to my optimism for 2021. I'll spare you the pictures of our yard full … Continue reading Six On Saturday: Bye Bye October
I picked the wrong time to change churches. How was I supposed to know how 2020 would be when I left my old church back in the spring of 2019? My reasons for leaving are many and varied. They really don’t matter at this point. It wasn’t an easy decision since I taught a Sunday … Continue reading Timing. Some Things We Don’t Choose
A thunderstorm woke me up this morning, and we’re supposed to have showers throughout the day. That’s a good thing since the garden was getting pretty dry. I don’t wait until Saturday to take pictures to share with you, so let it rain! I had already planned the six flower photos to post, but I … Continue reading Six On Saturday: October Slowdown
This is about as political as I’m going to get. I don’t use social media as a secular partisan platform because I prioritize my citizenship in the Kingdom of God over this fallen, earthly realm. As an ambassador representing that unseen realm, I do what I can – what I see needs to be done, … Continue reading Will Your Vote Count?
I wrote this title with my tongue in my cheek. When you scroll through the pictures, you'll see why. It's not that we don't have any trees that turn lovely shades of gold, orange, and red each autumn. There are some if you look hard enough. We even have some with leaves turning brown that … Continue reading Six On Saturday: Fall Foliage
October still has cheery flowers in the garden, since our warm weather persists late into fall. In spite of hurricane winds, these variagated lantana play well with pink Encore azaleas in my southwest corner. If I pull back from the close up, you can see the same corner in a before and after shot. The … Continue reading Six On Saturday: Life Goes On
I originally published this post in early February 2020, before we were fully aware of what the new Covid-19 virus would mean to all of us. I decided to share it again, in case you missed it the first time around. Infectious diseases can be scary, especially one that’s new and has no vaccination. When … Continue reading Are You a Carrier?
The Gulf Coast of Alabama may not have much to offer if you're looking for autumn color in our trees, but the flowers of fall can be pretty spectacular. Today, I'm featuring reds in my yard that are showing now. This is my first dahlia. Why have I never grown these before? I love the … Continue reading Six On Saturday: Fall Reds
First, let me preface this post by saying my husband and I are fine. Our house had no damage. The pictures I’m sharing with you of our yard show minor disruptions, compared to the destruction many other people are suffering as a result of this storm. I feel a touch of “survivor guilt” when I … Continue reading SIX ON SATURDAY: HURRICANE SALLY AFTERMATH
We've had plenty of rain in our part of the USA this summer. Now hurricane season adds more moisture to the soil - but I'm not complaining. It's better than dealing with drought, unless we get hit by a big one, as Louisiana has suffered recently. Keep them in your prayers and help if you're … Continue reading Six On Saturday: Soggy Summer
Today is September 1, 2020. August seemed about three months long. This year has seemed to go on forever, hasn’t it? We’ve been through a lot this year already, and there are four more months to go. Perhaps this year has been hard for you and your family. It has been for us. Think of … Continue reading When Does Summer End?
I must confess to envying the pictures of English gardens that abound in a riot of colors and blossoms. I see large swaths of your flower beds that seem to have many things blooming at the same time. They are spectacular. With a very long growing season, my Coastal South garden spreads thin its blooms … Continue reading Six on Saturday: Late Summer in the Deep South
Among my many disappointments during this Coronavirus pandemic, the Blue Lake Christian Writers’ Retreat for 2020 was cancelled. For the past several years, it has been instrumental in moving me along in my writing journey. Our director Marilyn Turk and our leadership team for the retreat inaugurated the Living Water Awards contest in 2019. I … Continue reading Can I brag a little?
