For My Grandparents: I Get It Now

When I was growing up, I had 2 sets of the most wonderful, loving grandparents a child could have. And I was lucky enough to have then well into adulthood as well. Each set had large backyard gardens and were fond of shrubs and trees and flowers of every variety. I grew up on home grown vegetables and fruits and trust me, they are are much better than the produce at your local Food Lion, or maybe it was just the love :) But both had a peculiar habit that I didn't understand until just recently, of just taking a chair under a tree outside and just sitting. Occasionally talking, but mainly just observing. But it was until recently when I, myself, started growing a garden and landscaping that I knew why they did it.

They did it for the slow pace and peacefulness of nature and the calming effect it has on ones mind, soul, and body:



The satisfaction of knowing that something you planted actually grew and not just grew, but exploded. the second tree is one I planted 2 years ago and was a 12 inch long stick when I got it in the mail.






It's the appreciation of the the beautiful transformation of a tightly spiraled bud that will end up into a full blow color explosion in less than 24 hours





It's finding beauty in the tiniest of obscure things like lady bugs and bumble fees





The wildflowers that grow despite the lack/too much of water.









It's the fact that nature is powerful above all things and we simply can not contain it. It will always find a way.


I see now the wonder and peacefulness and joy just observing these this brings to you. I wish they were still alive so I could take my place beside them with my own chair underneath a shade tree and just "be".

For my Grandparents


PPS, you didn't think you were getting out of this post without a pootie video, now did you? You don't know me very well if you did :)

What's wrong with these tomatos?

So, I go out to the garden to pick veggies and I find the tomatos below that look like theey're being eaten by something. Does anyone out there know what is causing this and what I can to to prevent it?