A Piece of Clock-Work

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The course of the seasons is a piece of clock-work, with a cuckoo to call when it is springtime.

Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742–1799)

Cool, restless winds have been blowing for the last few weeks with a nice day in between here and there. In spite of this, blooms are popping open day by day in our backyard- a welcome site to see. A friend of mine who lives in New Mexico told me that there was a little snow on her car this morning, yet she has a hyacinth blooming and a golden currant budding. I told her they were raising their heads in defiance. In my imagination, I saw our own flowers “shaking their fists” at the cool air reminding winter weather that, according to the calendar, it is now springtime. Like clockwork, the plants are waking up and our vines are stretching toward the sun. We have more buds on our Lady Banks rose vines than ever before. Last year, there were hardly any! My day lily is returning as well and may need to be repotted this year. To our surprise, our Virginia Creeper is returning with loads of new leaves. We have tried that particular plant in two other areas which it didn’t like. The third time is the charm, we suppose because, in the newer location, it is thriving! Starting in April, our water restrictions begin again, so I know the winds will die down soon, the nice weather will stay for a few weeks, and then the heat will return. It’s such a fun time of year because we find new stray gifts every day in our yard.

Here are the latest stray gifts with descriptions down below.

Top Left: Wisteria branches twisting around each other – how interesting!
Top Middle: Sunset glow on last year’s purple passionflower pods
Top Right: White Lady Banks Roses blooming
Middle Left: Yellow Lady Banks Roses making an appearance as well
Center: Jonathan spotted this web a few days ago. He crunched up a few dried leaves and sprinkled them into the web to see what the spider would do. She didn’t like that at all and immediately proceeded to tidy her space. Jonathan watched her take each leaf piece and push it out of the web. He was highly entertained by that! The winds have beaten up her web the last few days and torn it a bit, yet each morning Jonathan finds the web to be clean and repaired.
Middle Right: The return of our day lily – a plant I bought for $3.00 on clearance a few years ago!
Bottom Left: Random wildflower seeds were planted here, so we are not sure what flowers we will have in this space – a fun surprise!
Bottom Right: This is a scrapbook that a long-time friend of ours from Washington State made us. In it, are photos of Jonathan and our family that I did not even know she had! She wrote special memories by the photos and wrote notes on each page. What a gift of love! The book arrived around the time we were packing for our trip to see West Texas A&M University in Canyon, TX where Jonathan has been accepted into their Master of Arts Program in History. Tears rolled down our faces as we looked through the precious photos she had collected. A stray gift, for sure, and a priceless treasure!

(Photo Credit for this blog entry’s image belongs to my friend Kara who lives in Pennsylvania.)

Where the Buffalo Roam

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The Texas Panhandle is so flat, if you stand on a bucket, you can see tomorrow.

Stories from Texas

The winds of change have been softly stirring in this house lately. If you have followed our family’s journey through this blog, you know that last year was a very difficult one with John’s health. I won’t go into all that here as the entries can be read through previous posts. At present, he is in physical therapy for his back and has another Botox treatment coming up to help with his migraines. The ankle is an ongoing issue. A huge praise is that the VA granted him more disability compensation he applied for which helps him focus on finding a balance with his health issues instead of worrying about how he is going to manage a full-time job. This has been a huge relief!

Jonathan has been applying for work in many places yet hasn’t received any requests for an interview anywhere. We know that there is a gap in his work history that might not look so good on his resumé. It is not that he hasn’t been working, it is a matter of where. He has helped me in more ways at home than I can ever write about with my dad and John. Both have had many surgeries and procedures over the years in which Jonathan was instrumental in their recovery. While I was helping one of the men, Jonathan was helping the other. I could not have done all that by myself! But at this stage in his life, something has to change. We agree that he has a life of his own to live. Through many conversations and much prayer, he said he would like to pursue a Master of Arts in History degree. He graduated from UTEP in 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts in History and with a minor in Museum Studies. He excels in research and is passionate about western U.S. history. He is not going to find the education needed for what he wants to do here in El Paso as the focus is on the Borderland. We started looking at other schools and after viewing information about West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas, he said that was the one. The same day, he applied for their Master’s program. He has been fully admitted to the program now and welcomed into their “Buff Community”. Plans are in the making. Jonathan also applied for scholarships/financial aid. With his 3.9 GPA from UTEP, we pray he qualifies for one that would pay for the education and living expenses! Wouldn’t that be amazing? We’re praying the Lord blesses him in a special way.

We took a trip to Canyon, Texas a few weeks ago to look at the school and the area. We loved it! We toured the campus and Jonathan thought it was spectacular. In the area, we visited the Palo Duro Canyon State Park and loved being in nature. We enjoyed several museums, too! Jonathan said he could spend days just reading all the information at each exhibit. There are roads that stretch for miles with no stop sign or traffic light in sight. Bliss! Just wide open country. We were in awe of just how far one could see over the plains. John drove for hours on backroads – a favorite activity of ours and also my favorite way to take a nap! It was a much-needed relaxing week. We saw buffalo, cardinals, prairie dogs, and many other stray gifts in our path! We also stayed in Lubbock so Jonathan could compare Texas Tech University with West Texas A&M. West Texas A&M still had a hold on him.

There are many decisions to make if Jonathan goes through with attending classes in the fall semester. It means packing, finding a place to live, and getting settled with household items and groceries. No official plans can be made until we know about scholarships and/or employment to help fund the advancement of his education. Jonathan called the financial office to check on the status and he was told they received his applications for financial aid and are working on finding a good fit for him. Please pray with us that he will receive the blessing of a full scholarship!

This is an exciting time for Jonathan and we are thrilled about this opportunity!

What’s in the Mail Today?

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It would be fun to send a letter back, oooh, yeah – It makes me smile to think my friends would say, “I wonder what’s in the mail today?”.

From the children’s show, Bear in the Big Blue House

When Jonathan was little, one of his favorite television shows was Bear in the Big Blue House. In every episode, the big bear would sing a song about checking the mail to see if anyone had written to him. That tune was so ingrained in our brains, that it still comes to mind often when we check the mail!

Before I started selling my cards, I handmade them for friends and family and sent them out often. I used to have a jar full of paper strips with names on them. Each week, I would pull out a few names and make a card to send out. I haven’t done that in a while especially since requests for cards started happening. I had quite a few orders last year and my friend Kara was a big purchaser as she needed graduation, birthday, and thinking of you cards. I have known Kara since my college days and we often wrote letters and e-mailed each other to send updates and photos of our lives. Do you remember cameras not attached to phones? And film rolls that had to be taken or sent off to a photo print shop to print photos? I remember not knowing how the photos would turn out until I received them in the mail. Even with texting and social media nowadays, we still send handwritten notes to each other here and there as we continue to value that personal touch. She is such an encouragement to me in my card-making and doesn’t mind when I experiment with new techniques and layouts. Her enthusiasm gives me the courage to keep trying new styles of handmade cards. She also was the first person to ‘nudge’ me to sell the cards I had been crafting!

I still make them for others “just because” as I am able because I know how much fun it is to receive a letter or a card! It has been a while since I posted a card-making blog post. I had intended to share often, but you know how life has a way of changing plans! I have a few family updates to share as well, but for now, I will show you a few cards I made last February for Kara.

In the first collage are various birthday cards. I had recently bought balloon die cuts and a birthday one, too (which was more intricate than I thought it would be), and was experimenting with them. I haven’t used these in a while and this encourages me to take them out again!

Kara takes beautiful nature photos and I always thought they would make great cards. I used a photo editor to make them look like watercolor paintings and embossed the images so they would seem like watercolor paper. I left the cards without sentiments so that they were more versatile for a birthday, sympathy, thinking of you, get well, etc.

Here I played around with different papers, inks and stamps, stickers, and elements for a vintage-type card. I loved how these turned out as it differs from what I usually gravitate towards.

I view my cardmaking as a ministry because I know it means a lot to me when someone reaches out with a handwritten note. I do charge for card-making expenses, though, especially with so many requests in the last year. For a set of 10 cards, the price is $35.00. This includes shipping. The price may be raised in another year, but for now, John and I feel comfortable with this.

You can see more cards I make on Instagram @ stray_gifts_studio. I’d also like to encourage you to write a note to someone- just a simple “Hello”, or “Thinking of You”. Send something special out in the mail today.

Just for kicks, I looked to see if I could find the song. As we watched the video, the little boy in Jonathan grinned from ear to ear at hearing a long-time favorite. The grown-up aspiring historian Jonathan said, “Ohhh…look at the architecture of that house! It looks like the classic Victorian style that I like”. Haha! We had fun looking back for a few minutes. Stray gifts!

The Real Danger

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The real danger is not in facing the enemy; it’s in failing to trust in the Lord.

Note written in my Bible margin

This year has been a rough one. It started with John having ankle surgery, which was an ordeal in itself, but the surgery site then became grossly infected. After that, he felt as if the screw that was put in his ankle was sticking out from the bottom of his foot. At each follow-up doctor appointment, the x-rays showed differently, yet John still felt there was a knot there making it uncomfortable to walk. During one appointment, the doctor finally looked at the bottom of the foot instead of trusting the x-ray. There was a wart there! Another appointment was scheduled to remove it. In the meantime, we had heard from a friend and had seen on the internet that duct tape will remove the wart. This remedy is called “duct tape occlusion” in which duct tape is placed on the wart to cover it. The tape is to be replaced every three to five days and should, in time, remove the wart layer by layer. John tried this in the weeks before the removal appointment. When he went in to have the wart removed, there was barely anything to remove! John mentioned to the doctor that he had used duct tape on the bottom of the foot and that it had possibly helped dry it up. John said the look on the doctor’s face was priceless. We’re guessing this method wasn’t anywhere in the medical books and he wasn’t amused. We were, though. Haha. The wart is 90% better and the ankle is still healing.

The Alpha-stim apparatus is helping with an overall feeling of well-being, but it hasn’t helped with his chronic migraines. John tried Aimovig for six months and after that, he tried Ajovy injections which were done at home once a month for six months with no real improvement. Yesterday, he had an appointment with his neurologist to receive botox injections (or “snake poison”, John says). Research has shown it to be effective in relieving migraines for some patients. The doctor gave him a shot in the arm of Toradol to help with the migraine he had yesterday and then proceeded with thirty-one injections around his shoulders and neck, in his skull, and in his forehead. He feels a bit numb today but was told that this is normal. He will receive another set of injections in twelve weeks. He may not see any improvement for a few months or even after a few treatments, but he is willing to try. He has been battling migraines for at least thirty years. Surely, there is something out there to help.

Recently, John and Jonathan were in a car accident. Jonathan was driving and had stopped at a stop sign. The men looked both ways and saw no one coming, so Jonathan pulled forward. From the right, a woman driving a small car (who had the right away) slammed into the front right side of the car, smashing the headlight and denting the door a little. There was a line of cars parked to the right on the side of the road making it impossible to see the car coming. No one was hurt, thankfully. We can still drive the car, but we are careful to not drive too much. Repair work is scheduled for the end of December.

My blood pressure is still a bit too high even with increased medication, but I am still feeling better and have more energy than I did at the beginning of the year.

After the year we’ve had, we feel like we’ve been facing the enemy – discouragement. It really has been one thing or another which has tested the belief that “all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28). I know we are not the only ones who have had a rough year. I have close friends and family who have had major life changes this year due to health issues, the loss of a family member, financial struggles, and other concerns. The real danger though isn’t Satan who tells us God does not care and is not interested in our trials. The Bible tells us that Christians are not exempt from adversity in Matthew 5:45 – “he [God] maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust”. Forgetting that God has not forsaken us and failing to trust Him to carry us through life is the real danger.

I will close with a few more words and include my stray gifts and in another post. The title of this blog entry is entitled, “The Real Danger”. When I opened my Bible last week to listen to a sermon on Psalm 11, I saw my handwritten note from some time ago which said, “The real danger is not in facing the enemy; it’s in failing to trust in the Lord.” It hit me hard and is something I’ve been thinking about all week. And while the sermon was in Psalm 11, underlined verses from Psalm 9 caught my eye on the left page of my Bible. We have felt discouraged. We have struggled with health issues, finances, and trials. But deep down, we know the truth that God does not forsake His own and I am thankful for the reminders in various ways to keep seeking Him in times of trouble.

“The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.” Psalm 9:9-10

In the Midst of Our Circumstances

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  1. In the midst of our circumstances, we have an upholder who cannot be burdened.

Romans 8:26 “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

2. In the midst of our circumstances, we have an understanding that cannot be bewildered.

Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

3. In the midst of our circumstances, we have a union which cannot be broken.

Romans 8:38, 39 “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

I saw these notes written in the margin of my Bible while we watched a church service online today. How relevant these verses are in the midst of our uncertain circumstances right now! My blood pressure is going down steadily, I had blood work done last week, and a follow-up appointment is scheduled for this week. John will be requesting another round of shots in his back for relief. Jonathan is looking at various links online for work and has applied for quite a few jobs in the last few months. Thank you to friends and family who check up on me and who are praying for our family.

Newest Stray Gifts:

Top Row (left to right): •This rose bush just hasn’t done much this year and all of a sudden, a beautiful bloom arrives towards the end of the season. A picture really does not show the magnificence and detail of this rose. •This purple Morning Glory looks like a silk flower. So pretty! •And last on this row is the hardy mum. With all the pressures and stress of the last year, I hate to admit that most of my mums and all of my allysums have withered away in the summer heat. I just didn’t have the mindset to keep everything up this year. I have two mum plants that have survived my neglect and I’m thankful for them.

Bottom Row (left to right): •I used to decorate with cows and sunflowers way back when and I have a few friends who remember that. A long-time friend of mine sent me a sunflower tablecloth for fall. How thoughtful! •This year has been full of card orders! These four cards were made for a friend who wants to start mailing a card each month to her grandchildren. I had fun making these cute cards with the kids in mind! •I saw this truck in the parking lot during one of my dad’s doctor’s appointments. My dad doesn’t talk about the Vietnam War much, but he has mentioned the neglect and disdain of fellow Americans towards the soldiers as they returned home. I am always moved by those who display a “Welcome Home” message specifically for Vietnam War veterans.

Stable for the Situation

Stable for the Situation

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My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.

Psalm 62:5-7

It has been a while since I shared a life update. We have had many ups and downs in the last few months – days of hope and days of “what’s next, Lord?”. John is in physical therapy for his back and is still under the care of a good pain management doctor. He is receiving care from the VA neurologist for his migraines. He is trying a new treatment using an Alpha-Stim device which is supposed to help with overall chronic pain relief. In the short time that he has been using it, he has had more days of feeling “ok”. He is able to stay awake longer and perform small tasks such as walking to the mailbox and back, helping wash dishes, or working on paperwork for full disability compensation. He has trouble sitting for long periods of time. Some days he feels stronger, and some days, not so much. Things I take for granted every day, he has to fight for constantly. He feels more hopeful, though, since he started this new treatment.

I haven’t been feeling all that well in the last few months. It has been quite a long time since I have seen a doctor for any kind of health update. I have been feeling strongly that I needed to see a doctor for a general check-up and with a gentle nudge from a friend who recently had a health scare, I scheduled an appointment with a local family doctor’s office. I have several friends who are struggling with health issues and frankly, it’s scary. I have always been in good health up until recently. My doctor visit naturally started with a blood pressure check – and the doctor and I didn’t get past much else. My blood pressure was (and still is at present) dangerously high and I was immediately told to take medication while I was there. I was given several doses during my visit. While I have other issues needing attention, my blood pressure is the first to get under control. I now have to take medication for that and something to help me relax at night. The blood pressure number has us all very concerned.

Jonathan has been helping me with my dad and with John. At times, doctor or therapy appointments are on the same day for the two men and Jonathan goes with John while I go with my dad to his appointment. Jonathan is updating his Resumé and Curriculum Vitae for employment applications. While not needed for all job applications, they may be useful depending on what he will apply for.

In spite of all that, we are “stable for the situation”. We are processing changes which need to be made. We are working to limit stressors and make wiser health choices.

It has been a while, too, since I’ve shared a few stray gifts! I still look for them and absolutely love when friends text me various gifts of their own they see through the day!

Top left: Our passion flowers have been blooming quite nicely this year! Such a gorgeous flower. Top right: The roses were blooming last week, but have since all faded away. It might be the last time they bloom for the year. This coral color is stunning! Right middle: With as much rock and sand as we have, there is still plant life that does well. The Morning Glory vines need next to no help and they cover bare rock walls nicely. They do tend to grow everywhere, so we have to weed them away from the roses and honeysuckle as needed. Bottom right: As always, the pink oleander is a pretty site. Bottom middle: Jonathan has been making breakfast more often which is a huge help! Bottom left: The last of the butterflies, I believe, for the season. We have enjoyed seeing more bees and butterflies in our yard this year.

It’s Time for a Change

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Hello and Happy August! I have an update for my card-making business that I’m going to dive into right from the start.

I have had quite a bit of business in the last year since selling my card creations. When I first started selling them last summer, I did not know where to start in pricing and I was content with $25.00 for a set of 10 cards which included shipping. I am not trying to make a living from this but I still need to cover the costs of supplies and a bit of my time. I have been told multiple times by friends and family that the price I charge is not high enough for what I make and I should be asking more. It is difficult to put a price on your own work! I have been doing a lot of thinking and researching concerning the pricing of handmade items. I have looked on Etsy to see what is out there in the card-making world and am surprised at some of the higher prices of other handmade cards that are much simpler than mine -no stickers, no shimmer, no sentiment or greeting, no detail– just a patterned paper piece glued on to a card base. The ones who have given me advice are businesswomen who know how to handle business and finances successfully and I value their input. But what to charge? It would be less expensive to mass-produce the same card or set of cards, but I am not ready to do that. I enjoy making each card a bit differently, even if I use the same patterned paper for multiple orders.

Through research, I am learning I need to start keeping better track of expenses as card orders keep coming in. I have had enough consistent repeat purchasers now to make this a priority (stray gifts!!). I need to learn how to make a spreadsheet and factor in the time it takes to make a card and what it costs for shipping. In the past year, shipping prices have increased. I was shocked at how much it cost to ship a set of 10 cards out recently –it’s just paper! I am also looking into a different kind of packaging to see if there is a less expensive way to send the cards securely so they don’t bend in the shipping process.

I hear the advice I am being given. I don’t take it lightly. With that said, I am raising the price for a set of 10 handmade cards to $35.00. This does include the shipping. If you would like to order more than 20 cards, we can discuss a bulk price. And even if you would like just a few, we can discuss that as well. The price may increase in the next six months to a year but, for now, John and I agree this is the next step.

I am so grateful to you who keep coming back for more cards! I love making them for you. Your encouragement and your business mean so much!

More Supplies

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“Organize? I thought you said, “Order more supplies!”

– crafting meme seen on social media

It has been a while since I have shared photos of my cardmaking “adventures” here. In December, I posted photos of Christmas cards and February was the last time I sent out a large group of “just because” cards. Last summer, I started selling my handmade creations to friends and family and I received eight orders right in a row! I made one hundred cards between June and December for others. Things got “quiet” after that and I wondered if the cards really were liked as much as I had thought they were because card sales completely stopped. In March, however, I had requests for more cards from some of the same friends and family who ordered last year. They were restocking their card supplies! From March to a few weeks ago, I have made more than eighty cards (not including those that ended up in the recycling because of mess-ups)!! I created Easter, graduation, birthday, Christmas, and get-well-soon cards. And I have a new request just recently for “thinking of you” ones. Whew! That is a lot of cardstock, tape, pretty stickers, and envelopes! As I continue creating, I become more aware of the tools that work best. The designs on patterned paper, the quality of patterned paper, types of adhesives, weights of cardstock, and more are things I’ve had to consider when purchasing supplies. Lots of learning is going on in making cards. There are thousands of designs and layouts which, if I look too long on Pinterest, can make my head spin – and makes it harder to choose which design to use for each order. Decisions, decisions!

What touches me, is that others like to send cards, too. Notes of thanks, well wishes, encouragement, sympathy, love, and kindness should never be a thing of the past. A note on social media and through texts is appreciated, yes, but there’s nothing quite like a handwritten note that took some time and effort. With that, I’ll leave you with a few photos of the cards I created in February. I have a few more sets I have worked on this year and will share them in the coming months. In the meantime, I need to get started on my new request …but first, I need to organize and order more supplies.

If interested in me making handmade cards for you, I charge $35.00 for a set of ten cards. This does not include shipping. Each card and envelope is put in a plastic envelope for protection and sent to you in a small box. It typically takes me a week or two to make a set of cards, depending on family events. To order, simply e-mail me and we can discuss what you have in mind.

My e-mail address is straygiftsstudio@gmail.com.

You Never Can Tell

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Poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

You never can tell when you send a word,
Like an arrow shot from a bow
By an archer blind, be it cruel or kind,
Just where it may chance to go.
It may pierce the breast of your dearest friend.
Tipped with its poison or balm,
To a stranger’s heart in life’s great mart,
It may carry its pain or its calm.

You never can tell when you do an act
Just what the result will be;
But with every deed you are sowing a seed,
Though the harvest you may not see.
Each kindly act is an acorn dropped
In God’s productive soil
You may not know, but the tree shall grow,
With shelter for those who toil.

You never can tell what your thoughts will do,
In bringing you hate or love;
For thoughts are things, and their airy wings
Are swifter than carrier doves.
They follow the law of the universe –
Each thing must create its kind,
And they speed o’er the track to bring you back
Whatever went out from your mind.

The Struggle Is Real

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Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:

Isaiah 26:3-4

Have you ever heard the expression, “The struggle is real.”? We have been feeling it lately with the many ups and downs concerning John’s health. Discouragement knocks on the door as we seek balance in all things. John had an appointment with his rheumatologist this week who prescribed a pain medication that may help with the fibromyalgia. I don’t know what it feels like to be in constant pain, not knowing the right answer as to what will bring a sense of well-being. There may not be one single answer. Watching him struggle with illness and even depression as the days go by is difficult. This week, he is scheduled to receive shots in his back to relieve pressure in his lower back and legs. Migraine medicine is hit and miss as he tries different treatments. It has helped to understand what is happening in doing research on Gulf War Syndrome. While he never served in the Gulf War, his ship which supplied ammunition, oil, and explosives was in the Gulf around those times. Many of the veterans who were on the same vessel as he was are experiencing the same disabilities. Focusing solely on health has brought some peace because he isn’t trying to go back to Radiology school or do too many things at once. We are taking one doctor’s appointment at a time and praying for wisdom.

I saw a church sign a few weeks ago that said, “The struggle is real…but so is God”. Sometimes a statement comes in a still small voice. Other times it pierces through the heart like an arrow. What a timely reminder! Thank you, Lord. I needed that.

While seeking answers, we are still looking for stray gifts in life – bits of God’s presence throughout the day. We have had several really good rainy days here – and in the desert, they are a few and far between. We lost power for just a little bit, too, one night. It was fun to light candles and just sit and talk without watching television.

Top Row (left) Passionflower! We planted this vine last year and never saw one flower. We had caterpillars on the vine, which, at the time, we thought was exciting because we knew butterflies were coming. The butterflies were exciting to see, yes, but the caterpillars ate every bloom. This year, we watched carefully so that the flowers would blossom. We have a whole vine of them now blooming in different stages. (middle) A McAlister’s Deli recently opened near us. We used to hunt for this restaurant during our deputation days because we knew we could find a good sandwich or soup and of course, sweet tea. (right) Mums are still one of my favorite outdoor plants as they need little maintenance.

Bottom Row (left) I saw this art piece displayed in a doctor’s office while with my dad a few weeks ago. It is made from colored glass tile and is stunning. This piece is a depiction of a popular bit of scenery here in El Paso. If interested, you can read about the star on the mountain’s significance here. (right) Our daylilies are back in full force right now – especially after the rain. I may need to repot them next year!

Thank you to those who share your own stray gifts with me through text messages! I love the ripple effect this has had! I am thinking about sharing some of them here on the blog as I think others would love to see them as well.