This is a rather disjointed post, but I have three things I want to share with you this morning.
First of all, I have a Dollar Tree find that makes me happy. You know that I have become slightly addicted to this store. 😉 Excipial hand cream is excellent. It absorbs well, leaves no residue and really works! I kid you not when I say that the identical product is available at our local pharmacy for $15. You may want to try it. Remember that good merchandise goes quickly at dollar stores...so it is better for you to go sooner than later!
Next, is a follow-up to the post about the bird nest problem which I shared earlier this month. In an effort to encourage our feathered friends to nest in trees rather than on our porch, I tried shredded metallic strips (click here to read the story). It's been three weeks and the results thrill me! The birds who had been highly interested in building on the porch have, instead, taken up residency in a nearby tree. Perfect! I am able to enjoy them, but don't have to worry about nestlings falling on the hard concrete or have to deal with unsanitary droppings by our door.
Finally, I have a bouquet which delights me! Each spring when the black locust trees bloom, I go crazy over them. I wish I had a "scratch and sniff" button on this post so that you could take a whiff. If you're unfamiliar with the distinct aroma, I have to describe it as being very similar to an orange tree blossom. I first fell in love with this scent over thirty years ago when I discovered the trio of black locust trees across the street from the school where I taught. Each spring when the delicate, droopy white flowers opened, their unique smell would cascade across the campus and tickle the noses of staff and students. We could smell them from the bus parking lot as we loaded the children to go home. Friends and I made it our habit to walk across the road to get as close as possible to the branches. After decades of trimmings, the limbs are so high that we could never begin to come close to snagging a few of the flowers. We would always say that we wished we could bottle the scent because it would be the best perfume! Unfortunately, the black locust saplings I have tried planting in our yard have never survived so I don't own this spectacular tree. I have, however, found them growing wild along country roads and so last evening as my mother and I returned home from visiting my dad (who is recuperating in the hospital), I took a moment to help myself to a few clippings. Hazzards flashing, shears in hand, I carefully stepped through calf-high, potentially chigger-laden grasses to a baby black locust with branches within my reach and I am glad I did because it brings me happy memories.
You know, maybe this post is not as random as I had originally thought because there is a common thread. All of these things make me smile!
May you find something random in your day to make you smile! 😊