May always signal the start of summer as the flowers rise and bloom,yet the heat slowly rises into the sky. Fresh smells bless the air,longer days and shorter nights approach,ordinary days are the craving we desirewhispers of the summer sun envelop the world around us rain stutters away because              ...

there is a crispness in the airfresh morning dew on the grassa scent of something warmer to comeand the scant songs of birds the sure signal that spring is on the horizonand the endless days of cold gonefresh spring blooms will soon scent the airas flowers emerge triumphant you are the butterfly emerging from the ...

The scissors slide easily through the thick stems of the sunflowers I bought at the market this morning. Taking care, I arrange them into bunches and place them into buckets of water, alongside the dahlias, poppies and carnations.

Ruth stood in the middle of a botanical garden surrounded by eight-foot-high walls of stone. A prism of stunning colors created by ultraviolet and polarized light probed her eye’s ommatidia. Hues of unimaginable beauty ignited her sense of taste. Why—how could sight affect her palate? Something moved or landed on her back. Turning, Ruth realized ...

Spring is around the cornerPretty soonThe glistening snowWill be replaceWith blooming flowers The trees will loseTheir darknessAnd come aliveAgain withNew misty green leavesAnd birds singingAlong with the wind The chilly, frosty airWill turn to a sweet, warm breezeAnd we can say goodbye to theHeavy coats, boots, and mittens Let our hair blow in the wind,Wear ...

Read The Secret Of The Lilies – Part 2. Esther gave me the once over with her dark little eyes before proclaiming, “You’ll do. Follow me.”  She brushed past me and moved to the stairwell at the end of the hall. Like the passageways that allow servants to move from one main room of the ...

It is my second month as an assistant housekeeper for the Cromwell family. They are what was called “old blood.” Their ancestors were rich, they were rich, and their great-great-grandchildren would probably be rich. As I entered the kitchen from the backdoor that we commonly called “the help’s door,” I questioned my choices that got ...

I firmly believe that everyone should have a few houseplants or a small garden. There are a lot of reasons why it is a good idea, but here are my top five: It’s good exercise. When I’m weeding, planting, or watering, I’m constantly moving. I think I do around 100 squats in just an hour ...

Gentleman, I know we tend to go to extra lengths on Valentine’s Day, but then the rest of the time we slip a bit in showing love for that special someone. Even me. And that doesn’t mean just the flowers, chocolates, and other commercial things that guys are known to give their significant others. It’s ...

As I stroll by the lake, I take in my surroundings. The sun’s rays reach out and touch all of Mother Earth, white clouds float under the blue sky, and the branches of the trees sprout buds. Bees feed off the first dandelions and the March bloom flowers. Birds sing their welcome to the first ...