Beautiful as a dandelion-blossom golden in the green grass, this life can be. ~Edna St. Vincent Millay
Here in Kentucky this year we’ve had an interesting up and down March. One week we had snow and single digit windchills. Not that many days later, we had a record breaking high temperature in the 80’s. But that’s March. Spring can come early around here. And it can drag its feet and let winter rule for a while longer.
This year it did both. But one thing about weather in Kentucky or most anywhere else, the cold doesn’t keep the dandelion from blooming at the first bit of warm sunshine. Frost doesn’t faze them. Stomping across yards on them doesn’t slow them down. Going after them with trowels only slows them down a short while.
Dandelions push up through cracks in a sidewalk. They thrive in the open sun and grow taller in the shade to reach that sun. They will grow and bloom and thrive almost anywhere.
If dandelions were rare and fragile, people would knock themselves out to pay $14.95 a plant, raise them by hand in greenhouses, and form dandelion societies and all that. But, they are everywhere and don’t need us and kind of do what they please. So we call them weeds and murder them at every opportunity. ~Robert Fulghum
A lot of people do not like dandelions in their lawns. They don’t bother me at all. They are sunspots in the green of spring. They are cheerful faces in a field. They make me smile. Even after they pop up and make fluff balls, I still smile. Could you have a more perfect flower that blooms at will and seeds itself and brightens the world when it pushes a bloom out in an unexpected place.
This dandelion bloomed right next to the concrete step up to our front deck. It practically yelled at me to take its picture. So of course, I did. Aren’t phone cameras that best? Then I zoomed the picture and was sort of surprised at the tendrils around the many petals. But it does look like a splash of sunshine.
If you find yourself worrying, go outside, take three breaths, address a tree and quietly say, ‘Thank you.’ If you can’t find a tree, a dandelion will do… Nature is magic. ~Robert Bateman
I often mention dandelions in my stories. In my Shaker book, The Blessed, Lacey had a spring dance she did every year at the first sight of a dandelion. Another scene has an explosions of dandelions growing on a grave, a gift from the Lord to cheer her heart at a sad time. In my current work in progress I have a youngster blowing the seeds from a dandelion puff. Dandelions have a way of fitting into my stories.
So the next dandelion you see, give it a smile and be glad for flowers in the grass.
Do you have a love hate relationship with dandelions or are you like me and admire them?
Scavenger Hunt Wrap-Up
Thanks to those of you who went on the Scavenger Hunt. I hope you had fun finding out about the books of your favorite authors and those new-to-you authors. I was blessed with many comments. Some readers had me smiling by saying they love my stories and that they are eager to read A Chance for Kallie Mae. Others said I was new to them, but they were going to give my books a try. More smiles from me.
Thank you all whether you are an old friend here on One Writer’s Journal or a new friend. I love hearing from readers.
The winners are:
The winners of the giveaway on my Stop 17 were Anita from SC and Mark Buzard. Anita chose Along a Storied Trail for her prize. I haven’t heard from Mark. If I don’t hear from him in a week, I’ll pick a different winner. So check you email box, Mark. Thanks so much to all of you who entered. I hope some of you won other prizes along the trail. Did any of you win the big prizes after making it through all the stops and gathering the clues?
If you went Scavenger hunting, what did you like best about the Hunt? What do you think would make it better?
Comments 12
I’m always glad to see the little spots of sunshine in my yard. It’s a sign of spring is coming and that’s always good news to me.
Author
I enjoy dandelions all year long, Connie, because I’m always amazed when I find a bloom after a warm day in the middle of winter sometimes. They are survivors, for sure.
I don’t get many dandelions here in my part of Florida. Our March has been different this year, for sure! We were almost to the 90’s, then dropped down to the upper 60’s for highs!
Author
I think everybody has had an up and down spring with too warm temps and then too cold temps, Trudy. Hope the cold temps didn’t damage the Florida crops.
Dandelions. One of my favorites. They remind me of the sun when they bloom, the moon when they go to seed, and the stars when I blow the seeds into the air. And, one of the few plants that are entirely edible.
A bouquet of dandelions, probably the first bouquet you ever gave, and the first received from a child.
Thank you, Ann, for all your stories.
Author
It’s fun hearing from all you dandelion lovers, GB. They do seem to be a gift of sunshine in the grass in the spring. Of course, they soon pop up with those puffballs too. Then instead of being that first bouquet they can be a toy as kids try to blow the seeds off the stems. I’ve been known to try that a few times even long after I was a kid. No rules against helping the dandelion seeds spread, is there?
Thank you for reading my stories.
Our weather in PA has been a lot like yours. We are supposed to reach into the 70’s today and then only the 40’s or 50’s tomorrow. I like Dandelions too. I picked them and put them in water when I was a little girl and also loved blowing the white ones and spinning around in a circle outside. I haven’t seen any in our yard yet, but they do look pretty and are food for the bees and soon butterflies. I read that they grow where the ground needs heal and are good for a yard, but I do think they just pop up wherever they please. Our bunny that passed a few years ago used to love eating them and it was funny watching her munch until the entire flower and stem were gone…another reason to smile about them. 🙂
Author
Dandelions are a child’s first bouquet, Hope. They don’t last too good in a vase, but they are really cute in a little kid’s fist as he or she picks them for his mother.
I didn’t know bunnies liked them so well. I can see why watching him eat the flowers made you smile. Make me smile imagining it.
Bring on the dandelions!!
Author
Dandelions are a sure sign of spring, Chris.
Dandelions are an amazing plant! Though most consider them weeds, they’re actually very useful as medicine, for skin care and can be used for food…flower, leaf and root. The only thing inedible is the puffball and that’s because of texture. They’re also the first food of the spring that attract the bees, our much-needed pollinators! If you can’t tell, I love dandelions and I protect the ones in my yard. And, to top it off, they’re beautiful! So glad you like them, Ann!
Author
I knew dandelions could be food, Judi. I suppose the puffball would be hard to eat. I’ve heard you can even make dandelion wine. Though I haven’t tried, I did know a man who said his mother made it. I have picked the leaves to add to greens. I didn’t know you could eat the root too. ‘ll have to look up more about them to find out about the things you can do with them. I do like dandelions. I wrote a little devotional about them once. It’s on my website, but I might share it here too. Isn’t it great that they are so plentiful?