I’m constantly amazed at the colors of the flowers in my backyard. Today it was the pinks that made my day. It was one of those days — work was busy and exhausting, only to come home to find that husband and daughter had left for their night jobs without taking care of seemingly simple tasks. No one likes chores (why would they right?), but it seems only fair that everyone share the load. Well, not this week in this house. A little bit peeved, I stepped outside to find something to distract myself with. It didn’t take long.

My zinnias have been the ultimate gift giver this summer, offering up a colorful, seemingly unending supply of beauty. A beauty that can be calming or exciting but almost always pleasing. It was the pink zinnias that did it for me today. As some of the zinnias age, they tend to get a frosted look, like the ones in the photo below. The outer edges, as they fade, highlight the brighter inner flower, giving them an elegant look that is simple at the same time.

And with all the different kinds of zinnias, I never get tired of looking at them. I love how the petals on the zinnia shown below almost look childlike compared to the fuller, more mature-looking ones above.

They calm me down enough to realize it’s probably not a good idea to shoot off a text message or email to the offenders who forgot to clean up after themselves and empty the dishwasher. Who knows, maybe I’ll just stare at my flowers and leave the mess for someone else to clean up!