Dandelions

We enjoy dandelions at our house. Did you know they were originally brought to America by our forefathers as a staple to be grown for salads? They used to be seen as a beautiful addition to a nutritious salad and now they are engrained in our minds as a noxious weed overtaking our beautiful manicured lawns... We don't have a manicured lawn on our property, so I don't have to worry about trying to keep them at bay, however, if we ever do plant a green patch for enjoyment, I'm sure I will have to take care of them in that small location.  But, rest assured, the dandelions everywhere else around us (on our property or wherever I know they're free from chemicals) will get put to good use: salad mixes, kid munching, and kid bouquets.

Since we are trying to heal our land and propagate beauty while choking out undesirables (i.e. hawkweed, houndstoungue, and thistles), dandelions are one of the few flowers that my children are allowed to pick. Over the last 4 years of my girl gathering handfuls of dandelions I have never stopped to enjoy their beauty. Seems odd, doesn't it, to be admiring the beauty of a simple dandelion? Such is the beauty of finding joy in small moments and the things of each day.

Here's to the joy of living.