Serve by Design

More than thirty-three years ago, we moved our family to central Illinois and bought our second home. This modest ranch-style house is situated on a half-acre corner lot and has five mature trees, numerous shrubs and flowering bushes that serve as habitat attracting a variety of birds and small animals. One of the most prized of our collection is the stately Rhododendron that always has a bird nest or two each season. If I get too close to the bush during spring cleanup, I hear squawking that warns me that anxious mother birds are protecting baby hatchlings! May Celebration Time! Every May this native Rhododendron puts on a magnificent display of flowering beauty. The variety of our Rhododendron has purple flowers that attract early pollinators to the trumpet-shaped flowers with their brilliant petals and multiple stamens in perfect symmetry.. There are times when I’d like to trim and prune this large plant back. But then, I think about how often we have used the Rhododendron as a back...

Our eldest son, Matt, works out regularly at a locally owned gym in west county St. Louis. It has a curious focal wall inside that features the company’s logo against a background of honeycombs. I had to look at a picture of the wall for quite a while before I caught on to the genius of it all. We all know bees are busy, industrious, and sometimes stinging creatures. But did you know how remarkable it is that they build waxy trays of hexagons into which they deposit and store their sweet and delicious honey? Photo credit: The Iron Hive www.theironhive.com Experienced beekeepers will tell you that those multiple thousands of honey-filled hexagon cells are sturdy, enduring, and do not waste any storage space. They are also able to sustain a lot of weight when the hive is at capacity. In addition, the smooth edges protect the larvae from sharp punctures. Overall, this design suits the bees perfectly. Which brings me back to why this logo and background are perfect for a setting promoting ...