Dear Sunday Letter friends,
Happy May! Even though we still have seven weeks of spring to enjoy, May always feels like the gateway to summer to me. As a kid I ranked summer—no school!—and winter—Christmas!—at the top of my favorites, but now spring and autumn win out.
Of course, we should all try to appreciate every day no matter the season. These days, they are dwindling for each of us. 😭
Coming Up Roses!
How can you not do a little spring dance when the roses are so glorious?
We planted these bare root David Austin roses in the spring of 2021, and today they are a focal point in my mom’s yard. David Austin knows his business.
The variety is called Lark Ascending. I snapped this picture Friday, and it’s completely unaltered. The light seems to come from within.
Advice from me to you: anytime the world feels too heavy, just come back to this post and stare at this radiant rose. She’s practically bursting with hope.
Book Flowers
Speaking of roses, I have a new obsession—I’ve been making paper roses out of a draft copy of The Third Act of Theo Gruene. A bouquet of paper roses will provide the perfect whimsical decoration for my upcoming book launch party!
I followed the simple step-by-step instructions detailed in this video from Christine’s Craft and voila!
Seriously, how pretty are these? And they actually fit nicely with the story since Theo is a retired botanist and home gardener.🌱
I may have to make roses from each of my books. What do you think?
Book Surprise…
Speaking of book pages, I’ve been amassing quite the inventory of Theo Gruene in my office/library. If you ordered directly from me (via this blog or my author website), THANK YOU! I will be mailing books in time for launch date delivery.
Take a look at the color difference in these two print runs. How crazy is this?
In person, the difference isn’t quite as great as this picture would have you believe, but there is definitely a difference in the yellow-green cover backgrounds. It’s almost as though the book printer gods knew that various shades of green fit with the storyline. (Cryptic, I know, but you’ll understand when you read The Third Act of Theo Gruene.) 💚
Only SIXTEEN days until book launch!
Garden Surprises
Volunteer plants provide some of the happiest garden surprises. A tiny maple tree has been growing from one of the boulders around our fire pit (top left pic). He’s survived growing there three or four years now, so we let him be. Ferns and plumbago growing between rocks in our dry-stack wall, add a much-welcomed naturalized look.
Pristine and manicured is so not our style. In our garden, we welcome all the diverse volunteers.
Look at this garden surprise I found yesterday.
This bright orange slime mold looks like salmon eggs. I think it is Hemitrichia decipiens, which is sometimes found on decaying wood. Even though it looks like something from one of the campy sci-fi movies of my youth (anyone remember Creature Feature on Friday nights?), it’s all a harmless part of the natural decaying process.
The snail sure loves it.
✨
Things Momma Says
Speaking of great surprises…
I found my M&Ms today! I thought I hid them better than that.
😂
Thanks for reading today’s Sunday Letter. Lately, I’ve been struggling to do all the things I want to do, like writing a Sunday Letter. And even though this one is short, I’m grateful to be part of your Sunday morning (or afternoon, or whenever you read it).
Also, YAY for all the pre-orders! Whether you ordered directly from me or from Amazon, THANK YOU. (P.S. Last chance to order directly from me to ensure May 20 delivery is May 10.)
BUY SIGNED COPIES HEREAppreciatively,
Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.
I bet you thought my song pairing would be Marie Osmond’s Paper Roses 😉
Great read, love the song by about roses. Have a great day and week ahead. God Bless 🙏🏻🇺🇸
Love the idea of paper flowers from each early version of your books! But I won’t be cutting up my copies to do that. Thanks for the video. Good winter project or fun with grandkids.
I have lots of draft copies that can’t be sold (plus they have issues), so they are perfect to use!
I always enjoy your Sunday Letters, long and short. Things Momma Says brighten my day. I especially look forward to all garden comments. Nature is amazing. We all need to slow down our lives and enjoy every spring day.
Love the paper flowers. Beautiful that words on a page unfold into the fertile gardens in our minds. Best wishes on your book launch.
Thank you, Carol!
Love the paper flowers. Beautiful that words on a page unfold into the fertile gardens in our minds. Best wishes on your book launch!
That rose is stunning!
Yes, yes…I love the paper roses, and definitely think you should craft some from each early book…maybe lightly tinge the petal edges with a different color to know which book is which!
Plumbago volunteer? Fabulous!
So glad Momma found her M ‘n M’s…they’re MEANT to be found and enjoyed!
Thank you for even a short Sunday letter – it’s packed with goodness! ♥️
Jo Ann
I’ve been thinking about tipping the petals with Mod Podge glitter but I like your idea better! Thanks, Jo Ann!
Makes my day when you have a Sunday letter. The roses are especially beautiful this year. Yes, I think you should make paper roses out of all your books. Have I told you lately: you are so talented. I certainly enjoyed the Sunday Letter.
Thanks, mamacita. Yes, Linda Ronstadt is a powerhouse.
AND, you know I love Linda Ronstadt ❤️
I love the color of mother’s roses and your craft rose bouquet so clever. Both types are beautiful. I’m especially looking forward to reading your new book.
Thank you sweet friend!