I thought I’d seen the weirdest yard art in our little community when I saw a replica of an Easter Island sculpture in someone’s back yard play area. Come to think of it, that’s still the weirdest yard art in town. Country Bear Jamboree also makes a good case. But Mr. Toad here was something a little odd that I’d somehow overlooked. This guy is not small – and he’s the focal point of the house’s corner lot. I pulled it into photoshop and played around to make it look like an illustration because it reminded me of the Frog and Toad books. And it continues to make me smile. Maybe it’s because it brings me back to when I was a little girl. Wow, what a simple time. Especially summer. In the evenings, the only thing I had to focus on was catching fireflies in old mayonnaise jars or watching my bedroom curtains rise and fall with the breeze flowing in with the encouragement of the attic fan. Thoughts of tomorrow’s activities didn’t come until, well, tomorrow. But that’s not the case now. I started checking on and planning for tomorrow’s calendar items several days ago. Mornings come early, evenings run late, and there doesn’t seem to be enough time in between to get everything done.

Okay, you know what? I think I’m way short on sleep because our power was knocked out by the storm and I was up all night because the house got so hot. While it’s true that I’m feeling stretched really thin right now, I take things way too seriously on too little sleep. But Mr. Toad is still making me smile.