On one of our recent walks, we came across a native plant. It was the sensitive briar (Mimosa microphylla) and the color was amazing! (NOTE: The mimosa tree that grows in Georgia is NOT native and is actually considered an invasive species.)
This flower reminds me very much of one of my favorite books by Dr. Seuss, "Horton Hears A Who". In the book, Horton the elephant believes that he hears a small voice from a speck of dust. He carefully places the speck upon a pink clover and he tries his best to make others believe that there is a small creature who is in need of help. (This mimosa really looks more like the flower in the book rather than a pink clover!)
Wait, you don't know this story? Well, everyone should!
"A person is a person no matter how small."
I love Dr. Seuss and his books. I read "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" to my little sister so often, that I know it by heart! AND of course I had to try and read it in a fake English accent but you know I couldn't read it like Boris Karloff!So, my friends, tell me...have you been surprised by beauty lately?
And have you ever read a book to a child so often that you know it from memory?
Love Dr. Seuss and can recite Winnie the Pooh cover to cover (almost).
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo.
I also love Winnie the Pooh! I named my son Christopher and I think if I had had a daughter, I would have named her Robin, which is a girl's name in the USA! That sounds so incredibly corny but hey, that's me! HA!
DeleteThis flower is of such delicate beauty it makes me want to hold my breath.
ReplyDeleteI've not read that many books to that many children (I am the youngest in the family, and I learned to read very early so that I became an avid reader myself early on), but I've had some firm favourites as a child. Those I read, and re-read and still remember them very well today. Take "Madita" by Astrid Lindgren, for example, or the Narnia books, or Edith Nesbit's work, or "Das doppelte Lottchen" by Erich Kästner. Wonderful!
Delicate beauty, exactly true. And the leaves that you can see in the photo? They fold up if you touch them so that is why they are called sensitive briar (you can also see the thorns, that is why it is called a briar.)
DeleteRichard got a good photo of it, as usual!
I have a special fondness for children's books. Not only do I have younger sister but two younger brothers as well, AND I babysat for years- so a lot of reading! And THEN, we had our son, and both Richard and I read to him constantly!
Those stories weren't around when I was a kid...and as I had no children of my own I wasn't too familiar...familiar, but not too familiar.
ReplyDeleteBeauty...I'm looking at two right now...my two furry rascals. :)
Dr. Seuss is not just for children! I think that the books that he wrote should be required reading for adults, they really are that good. There are some horrid books for children. When I used to babysit as a teenager, I used to ask the kids, "Got any Dr. Seuss?" and I would read every one that they had (out loud to them, I mean!)
DeleteBeauty---two sweet dog faces? Love it!
Two sweet cat faces, Kay. My furry rascals are Remy and Shama...two cats...brother and sister. :)
DeleteOh! I remembered today at a stop light! Isn't it cats that Lee has?
DeleteOf course! I was at my Dad's this weekend and a dog's face is on my mind!
Sweet cat faces, stroke that bit under the chin for me, would you? My cat always liked that. xx
The one I know by heart is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. I read it to my class every year and even own a Max doll.
ReplyDeleteHa! I remember that book scared me as a little kid! I loved to read it as an adult to children and they didn't seem to mind it like I did. I was just a little chicken as a kid, afraid of monsters! :-)
DeleteHow beautiful this flower is! Do its leaves react like those of the sensitive plant?
ReplyDeleteEvery morning I am amazed by the beauty of the world, the million shades of green the flowers that bloom, the birds. At this time of year the gold finches are their bright yellow and they fly their funny bouncing flight around the yard.
Such an interesting question about books! I had a favorite when I was a child which my mother read to me over and over, The Happy Family. I could sometimes make myself dream about it. I read to my children all the time and Janet, my son had a Max doll. I think it is still in the house somewhere.
Yes, Kristi! The leaves fold them when you touch them. Amazing!
DeleteWe also have gold finches and the color of them! The yellow just takes my breath away.
I don't know The Happy Family, but you jogged my memory and made me think of The Happy Hollisters and also, Encycopedia Brown...I loved those books to read!
Kay, Such a pretty flower. As soon as I read your title, I thought, A person is a person no mater how small. LOL. I read where the wild things are and little red hen, is the one I read the most, Blessings for a great Sunday, xoxo,Susie
ReplyDeleteI love The Little Red Hen too! That is what I call myself at my job! LOL!
DeleteBlessings to you on this day and always, my friend! xx
I'm surrounded by so much beauty that I ceased long ago to be surprised by it: amazed, awestruck even but not surprised. As for remembering by heart a book I read to the children: no chance. I'm lucky if I recall the titles.
ReplyDeleteOh, then do tell, what has made you awestruck by its beauty?
DeleteI had to think of my love of childrens' books when I saw this pink flower.
:-)
I am always surprised by beauty. When I see something that actually takes my breath I am in awe of the universe.
ReplyDeleteI hope I never lose that sense of wonder!
DeleteAlways surprised by nature!! xx
ReplyDeleteMe too! I saw a blue grosbeak at my Dad's yesterday, it was like a miracle!
DeleteNature is miraculous!
ReplyDeleteHey John!
DeleteSee my answer to Amy above! And look up a blue grosbeak, see if you have seen one too.
I've never seen one. Maybe someday I will see this beautiful bird.
DeleteLook carefully for this bird. It really didn't look that blue to me, but the wing bars are unmistakable!
DeleteRead a few Dr Seuss books as a child. Cat in the Hat was the first one. His characters were very unusual and some were on the edge of being scary (to young children) but were friendly. Most are sharp and angular with pointed teeth sometimes which is the exact opposite of the normal round faced, soft mouthed animals in children's books at that time. Seen the Grinch and Horton Films at Christmas. Just watched The Imitation Game. Brilliant.
ReplyDeleteFunny, I never thought of the Dr. Seuss books as scary but then, I do love his words so much, the drawings never were that important to me.
DeleteOh dear, I might have to do another post about my love of children's books, I simply have too much to say about them!
Oh good, I am glad you liked that movie too! Now, go and watch Paddington Bear! HA! (I liked that one too!)
Wow with that bright color.
ReplyDeleteDr. Seuss has always been popular around here as well. I love a children's book by Jan Karon from a few years ago entitled The Trellis and the Seed:
"...As she walked back to her house on the silver ribbon, a shiver of joy stirred in the vine that blooms only at night--the vine whose lovely name is Moonflower.
And over the Nice Lady’s garden, there was stillness and peace..."
Thank you very much for sharing this in your comment!
DeleteMy son and I have a special memory about the moonflower. He was selling something for Boy Scouts and there was a retired gentleman who invited us into this garden, he was very excited to show us his moonflower vine and told us that it would only bloom at night...the vine looked lovely growing along his fence, and he told us the bloom is pure white.
The gentleman has passed away now...when I pass his house, I will think, 'stillness and peace". Lovely, thank you.
I love Dr. Seuss..."OH the places you'll go" is a favorite of mine. Stars on ours and stars on thars is another favorite line...oh well~We've had so much rain that our yard is as green and beautiful as it is in Spring and my flowers are doing great. I love looking out at this simple beauty and really trying not to complain about the wet!
ReplyDeleteI have a nephew named "Sam" and you must know that I made a T-shirt for him as a baby that said "SAM I AM" on the front! LOL
DeleteMy car said 106 degrees when I left work today. Too hot! :-)
At the house we built when I was in college we planted a mimosa tree and I know what it means to call it invasion. The seeds go everywhere and are a nuisance, but it is a big and beautiful tree in it's place.
ReplyDeleteAs soon as you see the seedlings come up. pulling them by hand does the trick. But they go everywhere!! It really is best not to plant trees and plants from other countries, you just don't know how they will do. Don't even ask me about kudzu!
DeleteI saw some beauty in the mirror the other day...
ReplyDeleteWhat, was someone looking over your shoulder? HA HA
DeleteGrrrrrr.....
DeleteJust kidding! Sorry, I couldn't resist. :-)
DeleteI haven't had the chance to read a book to a child so I can't say I've read one enough to memorise it. I do enjoy the story of The Grinch though. I also haven't stretched my boundaries enough to be amazed by nature or anything like that unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteWhat, never read a book to a child? Oh, I am sorry. Well, it is never too late! You must know someone who has children! Ask if you can read to them, I am sure they would be happy to let you do so!
DeleteNot amazed by nature? But it is everywhere! You don't have to go anywhere special, just look outside, in your own neighborhood! :-)
Sometimes i see those flowers around here, and now i will know what they are! Yes, they do remind me of Horton.
ReplyDeleteI love identifying flowers and sharing them here! :-)
DeleteWe have a mimosa plant in Hawaii like that, but I'm fascinated with it because the leaves all fold closed when you touch it.
ReplyDeleteYes! This one does the same thing! That is why it is called the sensitive briar! I find nature endlessly fascinating!
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