The Chaste tree turns blue purple
in these days before the 4th of July every year.
Early this Spring it got a trimming of about a 1/3 off
and still needs a bit of shaping.
When I see it locally, it is usually a bush.
Ours is definitely in the tree category.
We picked this up as a twig starter on a visit
to Monticello probably about 30 years ago.
They were doing a plant sale from the plants on the grounds
and this start came home with us.
This was one of Thomas Jefferson's favorite trees.
On April 11, 1807 he planted 9 rows of the Old World Native,
grown mostly in the Mediterranean.
Vitex agnus-castus is the proper name.
He loved the tree because it drew bees,
butterflies and hummingbirds.
It is always good to add pollinators to the land.
It does the same thing in our garden and on a sunny day
the tree throbs with movement.
It is a fast growing, drought tolerant shrub or tree
and the spikes are fragrant and showy.
It is also called monk's pepper and can grow in full sun
with well-drained soil.
It generally has a 15-20 year life span,
so our beauty is definitely on its second life.
and among the Philistines in Palestine.
It has long been believed to be an anaphrodisiac,
( quells or blunts libido)
but its effectiveness is unproven.
Today original era descendants or similar specimens
can still be found growing on the Northeast side
of the house at Monticello and on the West Lawn
near the South Pavilion.
So for this Sesquicentennial celebration,
we salute a very great descendant
of one of Thomas Jefferson's favorite plants.
Today was a bit of an unusual day.
There were no appointments, no Dr. Visits, and no zooms.
It doesn't always work. I was very excited
when it turned up today still blank.
The only thing I had down today
was to do dusting in the house.
But, you also need to know that I have a genetic quirk
that makes this household task a challenge.
My mom didn't like to dust.
Her mom would dust when she came to visit.
My mom dusted for me when she came to visit.
My mom has been gone for 22 years.
I dust for my daughters when I visit them.
Yes, I have dusted our home in the last two decades,
but today there were the distractions.
Here is what happened today:
1. my morning devotions
2. chatted or texted with all three daughters
3. folded and put away laundry
4. dealt with about 60 emails
5. returned damaged cheese to Costco (and bought groceries)
6. deadheaded the yarrow
8. fixed supper and cleaned up
9. harvested some of the first lavender
10. filed some papers
12. read 50 pages in Theo of Golden
13. emptied and refilled the dishwasher
15. three phone calls and one video call
16. sorted a couple paper piles
18. worked on a prayer card for Joey
19. did some planning for vacation
20. watched the latest on Castle Impossible
And no dusting.
So... you see what happens.
On every day and a FREE DAY.
But, I can still count gifts today.
There is tomorrow.....
Worship into the Week-
Exodus 19:2-8 The Lord Reveals Himself at Sinai
Worship into the Week- Trinity Sunday
Genesis1:1-2; 4a
Lots of beginnings here.
Genesis comes from a Greek word that means
"origin", "birth", or "beginning."
We have the creation of the universe, adding humanity,
then sin, the beginning of civilization and the Jewish nation.
It is a giant epic movie to tell this story.
God was before the beginning.
He was before life and structure and form
set things in motion and set apart.
The Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit,
hovered over the waters.
The Spirit was an active presence in the creation.
The creation of matter out of nothingness.
This act of grace was reflected in God's creation as
a reflection of God's character and it was very good.
Jesus was present at creation as the eternal "Word".
He existed before time began and was actively involved
as the agent through whom God created all things.
This story of the beginning with the Triune presence
is a wonderful reading for Trinity Sunday.
Supplies:
Visual Faith Printable
Markers
Colored Pencils
Magazine cutouts
