Gifts

When people asked me, at my birthday party, how old I was, I simply replied, "I'm not forty."

I love the fact that I was born in the spring time. For one thing it is when all the earth is re-born. It's kind of cool to share my birthday with flowers and trees and grass.

For another thing, my birthday gifts usually reflect the season.

Things like seeds, which were a gift from my very best friend. Not just any old seeds, but ones that were chosen to bring color and beauty into my life. No matter how many times I plant a seed, it never ceases to amaze me that you can place a tiny seed in the soil and that a beautiful flower will grow (or a vegetable or even a tree). Oh, yes...seeds are, indeed, a great gift.

My old hummingbird feeders finally pooped out on me last season. I have one left that is in pretty sad shape and didn't even put it out. Until I received this gift, there was fear that there may just be some hungry little birds peaking in my window wondering what gives. My heart wouldn't be able to bear that.

Spring is very good for birthdays.

I got this card from my Mamaw. It had forty dollars in it. I guess she didn't get the memo that I am not forty. My eyes did well up a bit when I read her inscription. She and I are bonded spiritually whether we want to be or not.

I got a beautiful journal from my Aunt Mary and Uncle Larry. I loved the fact that she saw it and thought of me and in reference to bible study. Don't you love it when you see something that makes you think of somebody you love? Don't you love it when somebody gives a gift because it made them mindful of you? I think this is the sweetest thing ever. How we can be going about our daily lives and we can hear or see something that makes us pause and think of a loved one. I think I'll make it more of a point to let people know when I'm thinking about them.

This is probably one of my favorite gifts ever. My Aunt Sandy made it. While A.D.D and disorganization may run rampant in my family, so does creativity. I'm apprehensive about hanging it outside even though she said it was weather-proof. It would be kind-of cool to allow a bird to live in it but, things being what they are in Arkansas, it's more likely to house a family of wasps.

Sandy also made this gift for me a couple of Christmas's ago. It's an actual egg that she cleaned and painted. I've always loved rabbits so she incorporated this into her painting. Isn't it fabulous? I'm supposing that this rabbit represents Rodney...

and this is me

and there we are working on our farm. Aren't we darling?

The crystal vase that the egg is sitting in is also one of my favorite gifts. It was a Christmas gift from my Aunt Judy about 15 years ago. It is the tiniest, sweetest little vase ever. But what makes it special is this; as she handed it to me she said, "you know how your babies pick you little flowers and you can never quite find anything small enough to put them in? This vase is for those flowers." I could weep. The vase has had many a tiny flower placed within it by sweet little hands, and every one was precious. The past few years, as the kids have become increasingly scarce around here, the vase has become a pedestal for this charming little egg. I will be looking forward to the day when once again, somebody picks me a tiny flower...maybe Eddie will.