Even though it's not summer yet, I am starting off the summer season busy as a beaver. Almost literally. I am getting ready for a move and as such, I am swamped with painting and remodeling at the place I am moving to while doing Important Stuff here where I'm at right now. The Important Stuff includes digging up my flower beds and getting all of them potted (wow what a job!) while I try to figure out exactly the perfect place for all of them at the new place.

In the midst of all of this I feel like my brain is going to explode and I'm sure I have a wild look in my eye that warns everyone to stay away.

Amongst all of this crazy life I'm living, it seems as though God does manage to send me something here and there to give me a boost and a reminder to stop and savor precious moments here and there.

That happened last week. Actually, it started a couple of weeks before that.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am butterfly crazy. I collect butterfly things and adore those gorgeous creatures. I plant flowers and arrange gardens to draw in those pretties and I consider myself an amateur lepidopterist -- someone who studies butterflies and moths. Not only do I love them, but I love to study about their life cycles. It's just a hobby of mine and as part of that hobby, I often collect caterpillars to rear into butterflies--watching them go through their entire life cycles in a special butterfly hut I have.

A couple of weeks ago, my kids were helping me clean up the yard and they found a butterfly chrysalis and of course brought it to me. The caterpillar had pupated on a dog food bag that was about to go into the trash and the kids found it. I cut the section out and used duct tape to attach it to my butterfly hut inside so we could watch it.

One interesting things about a butterfly forming inside a chrysalis--if they sense danger, as in a human or some such touching them, they will wiggle to scare away the danger. This little guy did just that. He wiggled and even though I had seen this happen before, my kids had not so it was a treat for them to watch.

Like many things in life, when you are waiting on a butterfly to emerge you just have to wait. I couldn't quite identify the chrysalis so I wasn't sure what kind of butterfly would emerge but we put up the hut in the kitchen and watched and waited.

Normally it takes about 10 days to two weeks and right about the two week mark, I recall thinking "Hmmm, that guy should be showing himself any time!"

The kids and I had to make a quick trip to Harrisburg one morning so we set out, and I thought as we left "Wonder when he'll come out?" When we came back home, there he was!

After some research, this guy was a male Great Spangled Fritillary--one I had never had the privilege to raise before! It was quite a treat and both Ruby and I got to hold him perched on our hands as he flexed his wings and prepared for his great flight.

This little guy was the highlight of that week and a great start to the summer season. For me, a butterfly is a personal reminder from God that everything will work out and will be okay. The message I got out of my Great Spangled Fritillary is that I am embarking on a new adventure that I've never experienced before, but it will be a beautiful thing and it will all be okay.

Perhaps I will consider this a "butterfly summer"--what more could I ask for?

Would you like to see some pics of this butterfly? Check them out on my other blog, My Butterfly Adventure!