I have a writing pad that I got from a store at Disney Springs called Sugarboo & Co. It’s a store with homeware items, pillows, towels, and those kinds of things, and all of them have fun sayings on them. I don’t really care about that stuff, but they do have a writing section with unique journals and notepads. I’m showing my age in that I don’t like typing when I’m writing these newsletters – or anything for that matter – I prefer paper and pen. A few years back, I picked up a writing pad that has a quote from a famous historical figure on each page. You can tear off the quotes, so sometimes I’d find one that spoke to me and tear it off to use as a bookmark for a while. I haven’t touched this pad in a year or two, but as I went to write this week’s Life Lived Outside, I found it on my desk.

The page that was on top had this quote:

“When you arise in the morning, think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” – Marcus Aurelius. 

I don’t know about you, but when I woke up on October 10th (or when I decided to get out of bed – not a lot of sleep happened that night) I felt the spirit of that quote. As dawn came and the sun rose, I walked around our yard, surveying the damage. We lost two 80-foot oak trees that fell clear across the yard. Half of another large tree split off, and all of the other trees were struck or damaged in some way. You couldn’t see our house from the street, there were so many trees down. But not one struck our house. And in that moment, in the light of dawn, I know I felt lucky to be alive. To be safe and secure, even if there were still a lot of unknowns to come. What a sigh of relief to be through the storm.

Now a week later, we are well into cleanup and recovery. Hopefully, many of you have power back and are trying to return to some feeling of normalcy. I’m sure many of you are also dealing with issues from Milton. Flooding, home damage, and more. Be strong. We will get through this. I know in the moment it can feel bleak, and you may feel powerless. Just say that quote to yourself. “What a privilege it is to be alive, to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”

Mother Nature is a strange beast. Horrible hurricane, but the most amazing sunsets and sunrises over the last week. And delightful cool temperatures. I guess it is her way of saying “sorry.” And with the beautiful weather, we are busy getting the Nursery back together and are here for you when you are ready to get your gardens back into shape. If you have any damage to your gardens, see our Teaching Thursday tips (here) for what to do in various hurricane-related situations.

So come out and see us. Our Pumpkin Wall is back up, the scarecrows are out, and a fresh batch of flowers will be arriving today. It’s Fall, and even after a hurricane there is fun to be had. We’d love to see you even if you just want to say hi and enjoy some of the beauty of fall.