Three weeks later

and almost the end of April... Yesterday was my birthday. I am now 75 years old. I simply cannot believe it. I can't believe the old lady in the mirror is me. I still think I look like this:

Today this list of wise advice appeared in my Instagram feed. It's written by the SCS Staff

 ( Science Sensei) and posted in March 2023:

 Thirty lessons people learn far too late in life: 

 1. Everything is temporary

 2. Stop complaining 

3. Life isn't fair 

4. Live without fear

 5. Family matters more than friends 

6. Money can't buy happiness

 7. Don't try to change other people.

 8. Treat yourself with love and respect

 9. Don't sleepwalk through life 

10. People aren't thinking about you as much as you think 

11. Never stop learning 

12. Know your destination 

13. The sacrifices you make now will pay off in the future

 14. Happiness is a choice 

15. Take care of your health

 16. Curb your expectations

 17. Don't let fear of embarassment stop you from being yourself 

18. Material things don't matter 

19. Eventually, things get better.

 20. Everyone is out for themselves.

 21. Age is just a number

 22. Forgive others ( even if you never get an apology)

 23. Learn to put your ego in check 

24. Everyone is suffering

 25. Be present in the moment 

26. Don't be afraid to ask for help 

27.It's always worthwhile to see the world

 28. Say what you mean to say 

29. Remember to enjoy life. 

30. A lifetime is not really that long.

 I'm not going to go through that whole list right now; many of them I have learned by the middle of my life.

 But there are still many I haven't yet learned.

 Like #5, and I blame my parents for that, and my relatives, as well as myself. Long story.

 And #22... I still have a long way to go on that one.

 And #9 - how much of my life have I lived as one sleepwalking?

 Enough of that for today. 

 Here are some lovely April pictures:

Spring Beauties... photo by Julie Zickefoose

and this:

Already Holy Thursday

My post from the last time looked as strange in draft form as this one does. But it looked alright when I posted it. I don't know what's going on.

Mary Webb Green Rain Didn't get back to posting until now. The story of my life. I am out of school until Tuesday, April 11, so perhaps I'll do better. I've been working in the garden, digging up the Cherry Bells I planted about seven years ago. I was so ignorant then about native plants and aggressive plants and so much more. Sigh. These Cherry Bells have gallopped through one quadrant of the courtyard, and they are not native plants. So I am digging them up in hopes of planting so good native plants that attract butterflies.

Paschal Moon- Pink Moon photo by Christine Muldowney Today I baked Easter bread. It's called Paska --- Ukrainian Easter Bread. I've made it other years and it is pretty reliable. And it makes me think of the people of Ukraine. Spring is bursting out here in the Valley.

The Gardener Lizzie Riches