- Author: Karen Metz
My soon to be five year old granddaughter visited this summer late July and into August. Because her Daddy has been stationed overseas, this was her first time to visit our home, although we have visited her several times. Now that they live in Colorado Springs we hope visiting back and forth will be easier.
Seeing the yard, garden and houseplants through her eyes was a whole new experience. You haven't lived til you have played hide and seek with Shopkins in the African violets. She approved of the sheer number of plants, "you sure have a lot of plants Grammie!" She loved helping to water, but had trouble with the concept that some plants were thirsty, but others really didn't want any water today. She felt those succulents must be thirsty too and sloshed quite a big drink for them. Although I had a small watering can that was the perfect size for her, she chose the big one because it was blue.
She really enjoyed my bottle tree and the way the sun caught the glass surfaces. We had imaginary tea parties in the side yard that morphed into roller coaster rides, travel to Disneyland and space exploration all in fifteen minutes sitting at a little round table. The surrounding greenery became a jungle and then the landscape on a distant planet.
We took a trip to Drake's Beach to show her the ocean. While there, we, well mostly my husband, blew up this giant beach ball decorated like an eyeball. It was a huge hit. It took at least twenty minutes to blow this thing up, so when we got home we just left it in the back yard. I put it in a chair on the patio. Emily left mid August but the eye remains. It makes me smile every time I look outside. I can't believe it is still inflated. I will keep it for awhile longer, at least through Halloween! Because now, since Emily, I look at my garden differently too.
