Monday Morning Discoveries… otherwise known as I have a new theme song

Thanks to my sons recent (and very good) band concert, I now have the theme song from Indiana Jones playing a never ending track in my happy little head.  Like,  ALL. THE. TIME.  And of course, I am now finding it funny and I find this song is replaying in my head at the most inappropriate times.  Got up to go to church yesterday…. cue theme song…. it did make it feel like I was going on a grand adventure while driving up to the front doors.  Instillation ceremony of our new (and very much loved pastor)… you guessed it… cue theme song.  Duh, da, duh, duhhhh!  Da, da, dahhhh.

So of course, this morning, while I am out communing with nature (And by communing with nature I mean I'm out taking care of all the non-native plants that I have now placed all around my house that require watering, weeding, and an insanely large amount of deer off), I am once again hearing this song in my head.  And, call me crazy, but this song actually turns this chore into a new and exciting adventure.  I begin to notice a few things.  Things are looking new, and exotic, and just downright cool.  And just like Indiana Jones, I'm discovering all kinds of treasure.  For example:

Newly unfurling fern leaves are really cool!

And the way the morning sunlight shines through the trees makes the back side of my property look like a really cool, dark, and mysterious jungle (cue music louder).

The Honeysuckle are blooming, which means the return of those exotic looking hummingbirds to our garden.  Yeah!!!

And look at this discovery!  It's a plant, that I've long ago forgotten the name of, that is blooming these exotic looking little purple flowers.  I love the "fuzzy" stuff in the middle (and yes, that is the scientific technical term, fuzzy stuff).

And did you know that when the morning light hits  Iris blooms just right they sparkle more than Edward Cullen does in sunlight?  (Twilight reference, for those that don't know).

And the discovery of this discarded  black snake snakeskin in one of my gardens was informative.  One, it explains the sudden decline in the chipmunk population around my house.  And two, it lets me know that I need to watch where I am stepping while in that garden.  Because although black snakes are not poisonous, they do not enjoy being stepped on, and they do have teeth with which they will defend themselves. And while he is welcome in my garden, neither one of us enjoys a surprise meeting.  Hmmmm, the adventure level just went up a notch. And, it ties in with my new theme song because if I remember right, Indiana Jones had a few run ins with snakes himself.

I also noticed that my mint and catnip are alive and well.  I believe both of these plants could survive the apocalypse.  Which is fine, because they were planted to fill in an area behind the pool that was "deforested" and void of plants due to the pool installation.  And, the deer don't like to eat either one.  Bonus!  And, it straight up smells good when you walk through that area and crush some of the leaves beneath your feet.

My thriving Hosta garden gives testimony to my successful box turtle relocation program (they love to eat my Hostas, so I spend a little time each week discovering, and "relocating" the turtles who have made they're way into said garden).  It also means that the copious amounts of deer off that I spray on an almost daily basis is working as well (since a Hosta  garden is like ringing the dinner bell to deer).

My final "Indiana Jones" treasure discovery was this jar.  This year I decided that we, as a family, would write down all the good news/blessings that happened during the year, as they happened to us, and place them in the jar.  We will open and read them on New Years Day.  It is supposed to remind us of all our blessings.  Now, in the spirit of honesty, I believe I am the only family member who is actively participating in this activity, as evidenced by the handwriting on all these notes being distinctly mine.  SIGH….. However, we will do this and we will be grateful!  Right guys?

Anyway, I digress.  I walked by this jar this morning and did a double take.  It's looking pretty full.  We've not yet completed 5 months of this year, and look at this treasure full of the announcements of the blessings we have already experienced this year.  

This is where the true treasure lies.  And I am grateful.  My heart is overwhelmed.  I am indeed blessed!  

And best of all?  I didn't have to run through a creepy dark cave, jump into a pit full of snakes, or outrun the worlds largest and deadliest rolling stone to get my treasure.  This is the kind of treasure that I want to find  every day.

I'm excited to see what adventures and blessings are in store for the rest of 2014.  So, cue the Indiana Jones theme music and bring it on!