day tripping: bok tower gardens

Our tickets had been purchased since January, and we kept waiting for a nice day to take the trip out to Lake Wales to visit Bok Tower Gardens. Every week, I kept my eye on the weather, and every week, our hopefully sunny Sundays faded into grey, cloudy, cold, and/or rainy skies. Last Sunday, the forecast predicted a sunny morning, replaced by thunderstorms in the afternoon. We were tired of waiting to take our trip, particularly after Thursday's dreary news, so we just went for it. I'm glad the morning was kind. 

Michael walks a path near azaleas in bloom

Bok Tower in morning light

Taking in a view of the orange groves

At the foot of Bok Tower

Happy baby, happy mama

Bromeliads (& a vast spiderweb this photo could not capture)

A manicured grove

Orange upon the stair

An ordinary grove

Orange blossom heaven

Garden sentinel

***

an unexpected turn of events

It's funny how I was just starting to relax a bit, feeling our family had reached some sort of financial plateau. There was no room for excess, but we could finally stop scraping as hard as we were. I felt peace. And then: a phone call. Your services are no longer needed. And there we are again. A one step forward, two steps back sort of deal.

I'm trying to remain optimistic, but it's difficult while sitting alone, quietly, in the next day aftermath. All the while, the world is still bustling.

Something keeps telling me: Get your house in order. Which is good advice at any time, and not just in cases like this. But it has an urgency to it.


Take time. Take inventory. Figure out what's important, what's necessary. Clean it up or clear it out.

trucks

street painting festival

To Lake Worth again! Twice in one week. Granted, it was a whole lot easier when we could merely step out our door and onto a brightly colored street, but a trip to the annual street painting festival is well worth the drive. The festival is a two day event. The second day is great for viewing the finished product, but I enjoy the first day when all the artists are still crouched over their work.

a date with miss katherine

Until yesterday, I hadn't been to Lake Worth since we moved six months ago. Living there skewed my perception, but with time away, so much of its quirky charm is back and I genuinely enjoyed being there. Gorgeous weather didn't hurt either. The mango trees are budding, and the flowering trees are preparing their springtime fiesta. And Alden finally met Miss Katherine (and her cat).

sunday drive to the big lake