Heather

I let our heather grow wild and untrimmed.  Today, when I was outside playing with my kids, I noticed it is nearly in full bloom.  I didn't notice the beetles until I got closer.

Ever since we lived in England, I've loved heather.  A heath full of them is breathtaking.  When we drove down through some of the hills of Scotland, entire valleys were full of variations of the purple and pink blossoms. This is a twenty-year-old, blurry picture of our oldest daughter sitting next to some heather above the Dunwich Cliffs near where we lived in Suffolk, England.  I need to scan in a better version of it.  It was taken in pre-digital-camera days and even the original is blurry. 

My Grandmother Laura's parents were both born in Scotland.  She came to visit us when we lived in England and drove with us on a trip up there.  It was an awesome experience to be there with her, to see where her parents lived in Hopeman, and to meet some of her cousins who were still alive. 

At Grandma's funeral, there were many little heather plants just like the heather in my yard.  It makes me happy because it reminds me of her and our time in England.