Coping strategies, v. 2

Olustee

Last fall , I wrote about some of things that helped us get through our son's deployment. Of course, our first strategy was tending to our young border collie Olustee, now three. BC's are very busy and as a result, we are too. She is always good for a Frisbee romp and that would force me off the computer and away from the Internet.

Golden thrysallis

Swamp hibiscus

Milkweed

Plumbago

Mallow hibiscus

I also decided I needed a hobby. I was a work-addicted soul who spent off hours on the Internet reading about Iraq while imbibing on adult beverages. Plus our kids had been our hobby for nearly 25 years and our youngest is now a teenager (with a driver's license), so we needed something to do.

We ripped apart the backyard and planted a container butterfly garden. It sounds silly but gardening is kind of a mindless activity. It's in its second year and we have most of the common varieties of butterflies found in North Florida. Plus the butterflies give us something to look at when we sit outside with our adult beverages.