Wildflower Delight

 

Wildflower Garden

The price of bedding plants is so high these days,

And I being in my green-thumb phase,

Decided to purchase a bag of wildflower seed,

A mixture of perennials and annuals, a bargain indeed,

A 2 lb bag could cover 500 square feet,

My gardening plan was almost complete,

I prepared a small spot with rich garden soil,

It was really quite easy, not the usual toil,

Then sprinkled some seed and raked lightly over the top,

Watered them thoroughly… my own little crop,

It was only days before sprouts started breaking through,

The delight on my face was evident as they grew,

I was like a proud new parent doting on my young,

Simply from a few little handfuls of seed I had flung,

The surprise came when they started to grow,

The kind of plants they were began to show,

I had sunflowers, and a variety of delicate flowers I can’t name,

Some blooming white, some purple, some pink, they became,

A beautiful array of wildflowers just as I had envisioned,

I knew my seed propagation had been a good decision.

Tammy Harvey

6/29/2023

It's a Girl!

 

Baby Girl

A baby girl is on the way,

She will be joining us most any day,

Her long-awaited arrival is a mystery,

Let me give you some of the history,

My husband Jerry was one of five sons,

Then we had 3 sons, who we loved tons,

Two beautiful grandsons were added to the clan,

Still no little girls were in God’s plan,

A little girl was what my husband longed for,

So, he went up to heaven to even the score,

In heaven, I’m sure he personally asked God,

For a little Harvey girl, and God gave the nod,

George probably chimed in at the baby request,

And now we continue to be forever blessed,

A baby girl is on the way,

She will be joining us most any day,

Coincidence?  I don’t believe in those,

I believe Jerry has already counted her toes,

God is good; His mercies are many,

Danielle Harvey is no longer skinny!

It won’t be long before we meet Nellie Rae,

She will be a little princess for Thomas Ney,

A baby is a blessing… girl or boy,

Both sides of Heaven are filled with indescribable joy!

Tammy Harvey

6/12/2023

Nellie Rae Harvey arrived on 6/17/2023 at 9:06 pm-  6 lb 7 oz and 18.5" - just in time for Father's Day!

News about Shoes

 

Shoes News

It all started with crocheted baby booties,

Wearing them, I’m sure I was a cutie-patootie,

But soon, white hard-soled walking shoes appeared,

These leather high-tops were bronzed, so they never disappeared,

After that was a series of Mary Jane shoes made of black patent leather,

With frilly ruffled anklet socks, worn together,

But PF Flyers became a really big deal,

Sneakers everyone and I wanted!  What a thrill!

I also wore the classic Bass penny loafer in the sixth grade,

Acquiring shiny new pennies and shoe polish in a cordovan shade,

Next, Saddle oxfords, like the cheerleaders all wore,

In junior high, mine were red & white, who could ask for more?

The loafers and oxfords had to be polished and buffed,

Because they were leather and would get easily scuffed,

Suede Wallabees were popular when I was in high school,

I had a grey pair of these that were really cool,

These, however, did not fare well in the rain,

And the maintenance on them was a bit of a pain,

I never wore the popular Dr. Scholls wooden clog sandal,

The hardness of them I could not handle,

(I did have a wooden-handled Pappagallo purse,

The kind with changeable covers that could reverse,)

In college, though, cowboy boots gave me some sass,

I wore a pair of grey ostrich boots to my agriculture class,

Currently, I choose slip-on style shoes, with plenty of arch support,

Comfort is crucial, and that’s my report.

Tammy Harvey

Written:  3/21/2023

Eyes Wide Open

 

Traveling with Eyes Wide Open

Traveling down the highway from one state to another proves to be an occasion to see interesting sites.  Recently, a trip through Virginia on the way to Tennessee from North Carolina, provided just that.  On this particular route, we avoided the switchbacks and tunnels of the Great Smokey Mountains by going north through Bristol. This route allowed us to instead view a lovely location called Pilot Mountain, a pinnacle seen in the distance for miles.  It is a rounded knob-shaped peak rising 2,421 feet above sea level in North Carolina.  By definition, it is a metamorphic quartzite monadnock, a remnant of the ancient Sauratown Mountains.  The first time I saw it, I named it “Nipple Mountain”. It is always a treat to see a phenomenon of nature. Then somewhere around Greensboro and Winston-Salem we encountered a ginormous American flag flying gently in the breeze against a sky of pure blue.  This huge sign of patriotism was refreshing to see.  Of course, Winston-Salem skyline had its “tampon” building to give us a chuckle.  Along the journey were also many large crosses next to the highway.  These were a beautiful reminder of our purpose in life to glorify God who gave his son on our behalf.  Another occurrence of God’s splendor were the roadside meadows sewn in wildflowers.  Especially prominent were the red poppies which covered the ground with a cheerful beauty and made me smile. I spent a fair amount of time on my phone while traveling.  I also closed my eyes to get in a short nap or two, but I am so blessed to have enjoyed the many fascinating roadside points of interest.  In particular, I remember a dead tree, the starkness it presented against the lush green countryside was astonishing.  It had not one green leaf among its outstretched branches.  It was relatively short, but broad and fan-shaped with its many gnarly limbs.  I can’t say the species of tree it had been, but I know it would have been an absolutely incredible shade tree.  It was so beautiful in its dead state, I can only imagine what it had looked like in its glory days.  Speaking of glory days, we witnessed a series of 3 or 4 vintage VW camper vans traveling in the slow lane along a stretch and wondered if they had been to some sort of VW convention.  The drivers were literally sitting at the front windshield with nothing in front of them, like a bus driver, as the engine was in the back.  On a road trip, keep your eyes wide open to new experiences, it is amazing what sights you might see!

Tammy Harvey 5/20/23

 

Selfless Goals

 

Unselfishness

Being unselfish is planting trees when you won’t be around to enjoy the shade,

It is helping someone else make their goals before yours are even made,

Being unselfish means putting others’ needs above your own,

With willingness and joy, not with resentment or a groan,

Being unselfish isn’t easy; it is a time of sacrifice,

It’s offering your seat on the bus, without thinking twice,

Being unselfish is a choice that we consciously make,

It is about giving away much more than we take,

It is virtuous to be unselfish; this is true,

Making someone else more important than you,

It is a lesson to be learned; we are not instinctively aware,

Children are certainly not born wanting to share,

It is noble and true to care for others over ourselves,

We put our desires and our pride down on the bottom shelves,

To humble ourselves in the most precious way,

Brings joy in return; a joy hard to convey,

It’s not really putting our goals to the side,

Because being unselfishness is a goal worldwide,

Take a moment to ponder the return we would get,

If we invested ourselves until selfless goals were met.

Tammy Harvey

Written:  5/15/2023