HerbnArts

      A bright red light was shining onto my face waking me up much earlier than I had wanted.  What was that red light and how did it get there?  Fumbling for my glasses, I squinted out of my window and through my neighborhood trees at the bright light.  It was definitely red.  As the fog in my brain slowly lifted, I realized that the bright light was actually the morning sun.  I can't remember ever seeing the sun appearing red like a traffic signal.  For many years I was an early morning riser, but not so much in my retirement years.  My memories of early morning sun were that of a dark orange orb that grew more golden in hue as the minutes passed.  This was a different morning sun than my recollections could handle.  In the Twilight Zone of my early morning mind I was questioning whether or not I had simply been transported to another planet.  After glancing at the morning sun again and finding that it was now a light golden color, I comfortably settled into a world I recognized

       ... Howling winds, torrential rain, rolling thunder and lightning furiously slammed through the Magic City.  But finally it was cooler.  My morning began with inspecting my yard to see if I had "lost" anything to the wild winds of the storm. Fortunately everything was where I had left it the day before. Though it was a bit breezy, the day was deliciously cool and partially sunny.  Perfect gardener's weather... Immediately I wrestled out my packet of mammoth sunflower seeds and poked five seeds into the moist soil.  My next fun task was that of harvesting the new crop of lavender stems I had been carefully watching.  Le Petit Jardin was already yielding its green stems.  The fragrance of freshly cut lavender put me in my happy place once again, reminding me that it isn't about the size of the garden.  It is all about the amount of joy one derives from the sensory experience of nurturing plants, harvesting the bounty, and enjoying using the final product of one&#