Summertime

Kaela, Ben and I have found a new summer hangout. Not that we're finished with the bookstore. We pretty much rotate from the pool to the bookstore to this new place. After a few days' adjustment time, we are settling in to this slow-paced routine.
Our new favorite spot is a nursery. A garden center.
Only, it's way better than Lowe's, or some other big commercial place. This place is owned by the family of a student of mine from years ago. It sits back from the road, and is headquartered from their home. It is in a meadow, surrounded by mature trees. The proprietor sits in his plastic adirondack chair, listening to his FM weather radio, waiting for customers--to whom he sells a modest selection of locally grown flowers and produce.
I've never had better flowers.
I asked him how to grow my roses--and he taught me.
I asked him how far to space our screening shrubberies--and he drew me a picture.
All of our teacher appreciation gifts came from the nursery.
He charges what you would pay for a packet of seeds at Lowe's.
Our yard has never been more beautiful. I have never known more about how to grow things. It's the first time in my life I can see why God put Adam and Eve in a garden. We love it. We are growing a fast addiction to our time spent watering, turning soil, pruning--and talking with our neighbor. He's a blessing to us. We are learning to notice those small blessings again.