My husband and I bought a house when we were in our 50's. One reason the small fixer-upper (which we knew we'd never have money to fix!) was so attractive, was a massive Japanese Red Pine which looked like a giant bonsai in its front yard. For 20 years it was a a beauty to all who passed by, raccoons who climbed its trunk, and squirrels who ate in its branches. It shaded the bright sun over my small garden of roses, phlox, and various flowering shrubs that I'd planted for bees.

Early last year, after a night of heavy February snowfall that blanketed Seattle, as we were enjoying a quiet Saturday morning, the house shook and we heard a thunderous crash. The tree had collapsed over the full length of the yard, taking out most of the shrubs. So tree services were called, trunk and branches cut, wood carted off...and after a week, a moonscape remained...wood shavings and holes everywhere.

In March I bought a few flowering shrubs for the bees, to replace those that I assumed would not survive being crushed. And guess what happened in May: the sun shined! That's it! When the sun so fully shined on that sad looking little yard, seeds of new flowers blew in - bright purple "Gayfeather" and tiny blue-flowered "Alcamet", both bee magnets! The old garden shrubs ALL grew back and flowered even more than ever before in the new, bright sun! The barren moonscape slowly transformed into a glorious profusion of color and fragrance! This June, one year later, every plant has tripled in size in the sunshine!

Let's find our sun - the warmth and brightness of the heart that sees potential and beauty! Let's grow!