Just in time for a very special day, the sweet peas are blooming! They smell wonderful. I started these from seed on the first day of spring, and had almost given up hope. I guess people are right when they say for the Pacific Northwest to add another 50% to the time mentioned on seed packets.

My very favorite Sweet Pea with curly tendrils is my sister, Meg. If I began to list the ways this dear woman has shaped and added to my life I would be typing into next week, next month, next year, next decade. Today’s her birthday. Here she is enjoying herself in the late 1970s sunshine in our backyard.

Meg has poured so much undeserved love into my life and the lives of my kids. She gives and gives. My life is continually impacted by the example she sets of perseverance, faith, living simply, and right priorities in life. I can’t imagine how deprived my life would be without her. She is the smartest of the six siblings in so many ways, and probably the funniest, too. Meg may never know all the lessons I’ve taken from her and the way her love and attention have helped me grow — and still help me grow! My love for gardening and all things flora has its roots with her, as well. I love you, Meg. Happy Birthday, Dear Sister!