It was on the bottom of my tea package. . .

. . ."Nature. . . moves the heart, appeals to the mind, and fires the imagination - health to the body, a stimulus to the intellect, and joy to the soul." - John Burroughs

So, I tip my tea cup to you, Nature! Yummy, good tea too : )

"A Thousad Splendid Suns" Khaled Hosseini

The weather has been less than stellar and illness has spread through the house once again. We are running out of patience for each other and if spring doesn't come soon I'm pretty sure someone may lose a limb. I don't think it could get any worse.

Reading is about the only thing we have left. We love to read. Reading is our dear friend who is always there to comfort us - even on the worst of days. We keep a steady supply of reading material on hand and we frequent the used book stores. We like to trade and keep our shelves full and full of as much new material as possible and we go through it quick.

We have a small permanent collection of our favorites that keeps growing but we weed through it every once in a while for big trips to the book store but not often. It's so hard to keep from buying new shelves but we are out of room and it must be done. Occasionally, we will read a book that makes it to the shelves and doesn't get tossed immediately to the trade pile. I have read such a book recently and it has made it the shelves.

"A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini is that book this time. I am in love with this book and I thank my dear friend and neighbor for suggesting it. I am a different person having read it. It changed me and how I see the world. I can't say enough about this book other than READ IT!

I am not even gonna summarize this marvelous creation, I wouldn't do it justice. If you are a woman and a woman with a connection to love, friendship and the strength within us all - Just READ IT!
LOVE - LOVE - LOVE

Waiting for Spring

The Whisler family has become expert at waiting these past couple weeks. Waiting for the rain to stop, waiting for the sun to come out, waiting for warm winds to blow, waiting, waiting waiting. We are still waiting. The weather has been our biggest issue as of lately but we are making the best of it. Indoor activities aren't enough anymore though, we need some fresh air and some nature to rejuvenate our spirit.
Spring will not come soon enough. These are the days, right now, to start planning and we are
planning alright - big!

The dark dreary days have sparked thoughts and plans for our vegetable garden. Thoughts of expansion are being drawn up and a new tea garden are all in the works. Herbs, herbs and more herbs and all the old favorites are being plotted. This year will be better than the last and last year was a good one. We are still eating from the bounty of last summer's harvest. Squash a plenty, tomatoes in can and jalapenos by the tons are properly dried, canned, stewed and frozen. This is gonna be a good year indeed.

Oh, the hikes we have planned all over the continental US of A. We are traveling this summer and it is gonna be an exciting year for our hiking shoes and our backpacks. No worries, dear veggie garden, we will be traveling in bursts, you will not be neglected! Pawley's Island, South Carolina to Sandpoint, Idaho and lots of points between we will be seen. The tales we will tell, the trails we will tread! This is gonna be an active year - a big year for hiking and biking an travel and fishing. We have big plans!

It's all been calculated and it's all been pin pointed and talked over and we are just about ready to burst. Oh, This is gonna be a HUGE year for the Whisler clan. No stone will be left unturned. We are going to explore like never before.
We just have to wait until spring. . .