Shopping good things

Met my friend and her son for tea this morning. It's been too long since I've seen them. He was as entertaining as always. He was fairly well-behaved so we went to the dollar store where he was allowed to buy one item.  The indecision was incredible but his attention returned time and again to the same item - glasses that lit up.  He was so delighted with them, his face glowed brighter than the glasses. Three people asked where he'd bought them as they thought their grandsons would love them as much as my young friend. There's a good lesson in his simple joy with that one item.  He even let me borrow them for a moment.

While out shopping with my brother awhile later, I found cucumber, red pepper and radish plants.  We had a vicious Spring that damaged a great many seedlings, mine included. It's been hard to find replacements as many garden centers lost the same crops I lost.  It was exciting to come home and plant them in the ground. First, I had to dig up the Queen Anne's Lace and thistle that grew in the border between sidewalk and driveway.  I felt bad about their displacement but we need the food.  I hope the honeybees find my offering. I left the clover, as well as single plants of the two aforementioned place holders.

I love the smell of freshly turned dirt. The roots of Queen Anne's lace smell like carrots.  I should have planted some of those.