One of the Quiet Joys of Summer

Several weeks ago, I wrote about my flowerbeds. I posted photos of special blooms and shared lessons about what my favorite garden spots were teaching me this year.

Things were looking good out there, and there was no reason to think the summer wouldn’t hold many more enjoyable gardening moments.

Not too long after that, though, life took an unexpected turn and suddenly became full of significantly more pressing matters. I spent much of June visiting my mom in the hospital, first in Kansas City and now in the city where I live.

Hours in the garden have been few and far between, and so have writing hours.

I’m not turning this into a photography blog—I lack the skills to do that, for one thing, and fashioning thoughts into words on a page (or screen) is much more rewarding for me. But this summer, I’m giving myself grace to relax and mostly publish posts that don’t require much time.

So here we are, celebrating the Fourth of July with a photo spread featuring one of the quiet joys of summer—red impatiens.

In May, I bought a flat of 50 and spent the next week or two finding homes for all of them. They’re doing well, bringing pops of color to the front porch, the pool deck and the shady side of the house.

Tending to them in the cool of the evening calms my scrambled thoughts and brings peace to my sometimes-troubled heart.

Turns out, some of the best forms of therapy are often right outside our own back doors.

Happy 4th of July!

♥ Lois

P.S. I’m linking up this week with #TellHisStory, Coffee for Your Heart, Chasing Community and Grace & Truth.