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August 18, 2024
“There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart."
-  Celia Thaxter
                                   
Hi friends, 
This letter has been on my mind since Tuesday, and somehow time has slipped right by and it's Saturday evening! Feels like summer is flying by too. The only way I know how to slow things down is to practice the art of noticing. Taking an extra minute to walk through the garden on the way to or from your car to notice the smallest of wonders: the beautiful web ‘Charlotte’ created during the night; how pretty the seedheads and grasses look backlight by the sun low in the sky; how the ornamental grasses are now shooting up their tall flowering stems; how the hues in the landscape are changing; eating cherry tomatoes right off the vine; and the list goes on. . . 
However, it's not just in the noticing, it's also in the thanking that our hearts are truly filled with God's abundance and eternal summer. 
 
We have selected a date for our next literary tea - Sunday, October 13 - but are still in the process of choosing a book to discuss. It's been suggested we do a mystery, and I want to stick with a classic, so . . . we've narrowed down our list to: Murder on the Orient Express, or non-mysteries: Little Women and At Home in Mitford. If you are thinking of attending, please let me know which one you prefer. Tickets will go on sale the beginning of September. 
 
Below are a few things that are inspiring me in these late summer days. I hope they inspire you as well, and that you will begin to practice the art of noticing, too.
See you soon!
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Summer's Every Day Magic 
 
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Here's a challenge: Practice the art of gathering beauty. 
Make a bouquet once a week using whatever is growing in your yard. 

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Where would you rather dine alfresco - 
on the prairie or in a field of sunflowers? 
I just discovered this account. The photos are beautiful and the food looks delicious. They share the gluten-free recipes in their bio link. 
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"Every introvert is a bluebird.
We may think of ourselves as plain brown sparrows, spattered by the mud of a noisy world. But even when our wings are clipped by expectations, the most “ordinary” introverts are artisans of empathy. If you have ever been loved by an introvert, you know that these highly sensitive souls can be songbooks of happiness.
We just happen to love best from our nests."
-  Angela Townsend

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August Bloomers: Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’, Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta, and Sanguisorba ‘Tanna’
 
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Angel wing ornaments from Nature's Turn Pottery. 
 
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Candles in lovely summer scents:
 ‘Secret Garden’, ‘Afternoon Tea’, ‘Summer Vibes’, and ‘Rosemary Mint’

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Saturday, August 24 @ 10 am

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Saturday, August 31
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Stay inspired!
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If you enjoyed this newsletter, please share it with a friend. 
Until next time, you can find me on Instagram  @bellabotanicaboutique or if you are a fellow plant geek, follow along as I post plant pics @beautyseekr. 
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Springfield, Wisconsin 53176, United States