Nature. This spring we took the next step converting our front yard, which was mainly just lawn, into a garden. We put in three raised beds, spread mulch to cover the grass, and planted lots of flowers and vegetables.

Before, our garden this spring

Over the course of the summer, the space has turned wild, into the most glorious chaos — a crazy overgrown jungle wonderland full of bees and grasshoppers and butterflies and the occasional kitty or hummingbird and tomatoes and other vegetables and flowers and weeds. Our next door neighbors were loving on our pumpkins the other day and told us they are doing the same to their yard next year. It is unpredictable, almost impossible to manage sometimes, but I adore it.

Now. The Rocky Mountain Bee Plants are so tall you can’t even see the lilacs in the corner

The Rocky Mountain Bee Plants, which we didn’t plant but rather they found us, are my favorite. In the warm of the day, they are covered with hungry, busy, noisy bees. They are big and sturdy enough that I sometimes see tiny sparrows resting there. This morning, there was a tiny bright yellow and black song bird making the most beautiful noise while the bees buzzed all around.

Rocky Mountain Bee Plant and bee

My old office is on the left. People always commented how nice and peaceful it was. My new office is still in boxes and we aren’t allowed to hang anything on the walls and I haven’t had time to unpack and I couldn’t bring my plants and I took some of my pretty stuff home and because these used to be dorm rooms it kind of feels like working in an empty hotel and it smells funny. There is nice tree outside my window and you could take a shower in the bathroom if you wanted. Something new.