i [heart] cactus

On our house hunting trip down here last fall we had dinner at a lovely home. The couples were all originally from the midwest, having transfered here mostly from Minnesota. They were telling us about "desert" living and what to expect. They were honest and told us the summers are rough at first but that you get used to it. Anyone that finds out that we have moved here recently will just say "wait until the summer."

As we were sitting around the table eating our delicious meal, many of the women reflected on how tough it was , at first, to get used to the lack of seasons, the heat, the difference in landscape and the heat. But, after the first year you get used to it and you don't really miss the cold or the snow very much. One women got very serious and looked me straight in the eye. She said, "You just have to embrace the desert landscape and learn to love it. You need to look at the beauty around you and not compare it to where you came from." I allow her words to circle my brain every day.And so, while on our hike last weekend, when we spotted this cactus...I remembered her words and thought..."maybe I can love these cactus".

But, I'm not gonna lie...I do miss the crocus and the tulips peeking out of that frozen ground right about now.