My Butterfly Magnet

May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun
And find your shoulder to light on,
To bring you luck, happiness and riches
Today, tomorrow and beyond.
~Irish blessing

Last year, a friend gifted me a couple of stalks of something I researched and learned was Sedum.

Someone had given a bunch to her, and she had no clue what it was. Just that it was easy to grow, even for a person without a green thumb.

In case you’re unfamiliar with Sedum, here’s some in bloom this year at one of our parks:

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Sunday’s Gem — Iolite

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. ~Albert Einstein

Taking its name from the Greek ios, meaning violet, Iolite is the jeweler’s name for cordierite, a silicate mineral found in metamorphic and igneous rocks in Sri Lanka, Africa, India, Brazil, Norway, and Madagascar.

1.83 ct. violet-blue Iolite mined in Madagascar, photo from www.geology.com

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Doctors Don’t Know Everything

Drugs are not always necessary. Belief in recovery always is. ~Norman Cousins, American journalist

Dallas here.

It’s been a ruff summer.

Sometime in late winter, somebody (who shall remain unnamed!) dribbled a little in the living room, and when Mama found it, I got the blame.

Huh!

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How Rude!

Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you — not because they are nice, but because you are. ~Author Unknown

We’ve all come across them — boorish human beings who can’t interact with others without stepping on toes or leaving behind uncomfortable feelings.

Too often, these folks never even realize they’re making life hard.

For themselves and others.

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Wordless Wednesday

Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe. We are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made. ~Roger Caras, American wildlife photographer and writer

Filling the Eye

Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers where I can walk undisturbed. ~Walt Whitman, American poet

There once was a tall yellow flower

Who announced it received the power

To attract fuzzy bees

Without making them sneeze

And humans to become less dour.

 

Sunday’s Gem — Moonstone

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. ~Albert Einstein

A birthstone for June, along with Pearl and Alexandrite, Moonstone is a feldspar mineral exhibiting a watery opaqueness and something called andularescence (a fancy way of saying there’s a soft glow of light appearing to float just below the surface, rather like that of the moon glowing through a thin cloud cover).

This is an 83.7-carat rainbow Moonstone cabochon, oval in shape, mined in India. It sells for $355.72. Thanks to www.mineralminers.com for the photo.

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A Red-faced Moment

You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm. ~Colette, French author

Have you ever done anything so insanely stupid that you cringe at the thought of telling another person about it?

Well, they say confession is good for the soul, so here goes:

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Have You Read This Book?

A good book should leave you… slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading it. ~William Styron, American novelist

Normally, I’m reluctant to hop on the bandwagon when it comes to books everybody says I must read.

Maybe my taste in reading differs from that of the masses, or maybe I’m just flouting my rebelliousness.

Last week I went to our public library to check out Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens for my mom. When I heard it was “sweeping the nation” in popularity, I had to force myself not to roll my eyes.

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