Joy List Monday -- Joy in the Garden

Ah... this time of year is heaven in the garden (though in the spirit of full disclosure, it would be a lot more heavenly without the bugs. The gnats and black flies have been terrible lately -- but there are certainly worse things than that).

Things are growing and blooming. Seedlings are sprouting or filling out. We're still enjoying lettuce every day and looking forward to other harvests.

Some things have been very slow going, like my peas (the first planting didn't even sprout), but they're finally coming along.

(And yes, I've been tying them up with turquoise yarn... I found a ball if it in someone's trash and couldn't resist bringing it home to use in the garden).

We have some lovely new spaces in the garden this year, thanks to a bit of re-arranging (we moved a shed!) and the decision to get rid of some ugly shrubs (I'll share some before and after photos soon), and I've been filling them up with edibles, herbs and flowers. (The photo below was taken where the shed used to be!).

It all brings me so much joy each day.

And so, for a Joy List -- I do hope you'll write one of your own for yourself or to share, it doesn't matter as long as you're paying attention to the beauty and gratitude in your life.

can you spot the heart?

Joy List Monday: 

a weekly ritual

a reminder to stop and pay attention to the little beauties and graces that make life magical and to set aside time for gratitude each day

• harvesting from the garden each day... lettuce, herbs, strawberries
• flowers, flowers and more flowers
• taking time to paint a small painting inspired by something from the garden each day
• strawberry muffins (I shared the recipe in my Summer Newsletter, so subscribe now if you haven't signed up already for that and other goodies, including a subscriber-only sale!)
• birds, always... especially a little wren and silly robins who sing to me every day
• finding hearts
• sunflowers and cosmos planted from seed growing bigger each day (and looking ahead to all those flowers!)
• a fun idea in the works (which has nothing to do with the garden, but has me excited)
• sketching in the garden
• driving my dad's tractor through flower-filled meadows on Father's Day

(I've been thinking about these little paintings as a sketchbook without a book. I may end up binding them in a book or using them as "thank you"s in packages I send. All but the single viola. That one I popped into my Etsy shop).

Happy Solstice! Try to catch a view of the full moon; arriving on the summer solstice is a rare occurrence.