I cannot remember a winter that has been so cold and long in these parts as was this past winter.
    We were all so glad to see Spring arrive and the first flowers make their showing. Crocus, tulips, hyacinths and creeping phlox brighten the scene.
    The forests are lovely with their dogwood and redbud blooms.
    About this time of year I get gardening "fever," but help is hard to come by so I'm content to put a few hills of tomatoes in flower beds and have a small lettuce bed with a few onions.
    I found wild greens one day this week. Poke sallet is slow coming up, but I did find much wild lettuce, sour dock, thistle and dandelions. I parboil the greens, then put a big piece of meat in them. We had a good ole country dinner of greens, cornbread, butter, buttermilk and fresh rhubarb pie for dessert.
    I love to roam over the fields. One can see the handiwork of God everywhere.
    At Easter time I received a little booklet of poems entitled "The Beautiful Things of Life." The poems were a great inspiration to me. How often do we stop and ponder on the many beautiful things that come into our lives and the happiness we can bring to others? We should show them that we care and greet folks with a cheery smile.
    We hear and read so much of wars, riots, murders and the sordid things of life, we sometimes forget life has a beautiful side, too. Often we forget to count our blessings and pray for peace.
    It was Joseph Parker, a poet, who so aptly said, "Everywhere I find the signature of God ... and He will never deny His own handwriting."

Mellie Smith
April 24, 1968