Enjoy this spring story now!

Enjoy this preview of the Spring 2023 issue of GreenPrints. You’ll love this story! [GreenPrints]( March 2, 2023  [EMBRACE THE PROMISES OF SPRING]( Spring is a time of hope. Of new growth. Of renewal, as plants and animals reemerge after a long winter’s nap. It’s a joy to be witness to the circle of life, even it’s in the small things in the garden — sometimes especially when it’s the small things in the garden. Here at GreenPrints, we’re all about celebrating gardening — with gardening stories from the heart to inspire and entertain you. Pull up a copy of GreenPrints and curl up in your favorite chair to enjoy our heartwarming stories. For example, check out this story on page 12 in the recent Spring 2023 issue of GreenPrints—a story where hope springs eternal: [Birthing Butterflies]( Sometimes nature catches me completely off guard. By Liz Rasley [Plastic Fork] The world is still full of so many wonders. I have to remind myself of this on days when watching the news makes my chest tighten. Liz, I chide myself, move. I do. I stand up, step outdoors—and spot courting blackbirds gleefully circling over the tops of my crepe myrtles. See? I tell myself, life is still full of miracles. Oh, how small these wonders often are. And how often they crop up where we least expect it. A couple of Springs ago, one of my sweet, thoughtful friends here in Texas asked if we’d like to care for swallowtail butterfly eggs that she’d found while prepping her lawn for mowing. I’ll admit I was amazed, first, by how she was able to see them (bet she didn’t use her reading glasses to examine the leaves, like I would have) and then, that I would be the first she asked to care for these eggs, a compliment—and one that didn’t feel like it would take a bunch of work or time. I was certain they would be the lowest-maintenance living thing on my list, considering how much effort caring for kids, a dog, a husband, a garden, and the other random stuff that comes along (hamster, laundry, etc.) takes. Well. After several weeks of being a new mom again, fretting over the light/time/air temperature and other miscellaneous requirements of these new babies called butterfly eggs, I’m here to say that any living thing, really, is an undertaking. Even now, as I fertilize my flowering pumpkin patch, it’s not lost on me, the effort to care well for all living things, down to their watering patterns and how often you need to buy them shoes. Back to the butterflies: they hatched, eventually. From eggs came yellow- and black-striped pudgy caterpillars, eating everything in sight for what seemed like eons. During that particular phase of their life, I kept getting up at night and pacing—are they fat enough yet? Do they have enough food? Was that the proper type of green leaves? Do they need more? What about the light? While I had told myself I had gotten these eggs-now-caterpillars for our kids, what ended up happening was that I got to tend to them. Caretaking, it seemed, was going to be a delayed-onset instinct with my own offspring. One day I woke up charged, for no real reason. It felt like a big day. Several weeks before, I had watched the chunky caterpillars form into chrysalises, so from all my projected arrival dates (some calculated logically most felt in my heart), I figured today might be the day for a butterfly to emerge. And then, as I was ambling out in the garden, one of them hatched. Hatched! I scurried over to look. With silent tears, I watched as the butterfly, new and fresh, awkwardly stumbled on delicate legs and cracked open its wings. I cried in joy. Not since my own children were born had I been so moved. But here I was—crying over this totally mundane (yet extraordinary) act of nature, a chrysalis turning into a butterfly. If a reporter had been privy to this, the news headline might have read: Middle-aged Woman in Slippers Found Crying Over Caterpillars and Butterflies in Backyard Am I proud of that? No. But sometimes nature is so chock full of unbridled hope that it catches you completely off guard. Even before you’ve changed out of slippers. That year, as I watched several caterpillars turn into butterflies, I recalled my own children being born, and the fresh bite of new hope—unrestrained, unburdened, non-weary hope. It inspired such a deep, innocent expectation in me. To this day, I haven’t found anything as hopeful as the birth of new things—whether that be new babies, butterflies, or even the hopeful, courageous, strong green sprout that appears when you had long figured it was dead. This year, I’m again looking for butterfly eggs. It’s about the right season for them. I haven’t found any yet, but I haven’t given up. Truth be told, not seeing eggs may be an indication of my eyeglass prescription needing to be amped up more than anything else. I may feel young with hope, but my eyes are still middle-aged. Sitting on the porch, I see monarchs, traveling up through Texas by way of our backyard. And more than once, I’ve thought about hope, wonder, and how nature is at once so completely ordinary, mundane, and yet overflowing with wonders—full of miracles we deem ordinary and take for granted. Seems like there is a big lesson in there. For me, at least.❖ Illustration by Patricia Savage Dear Gardener, Writer Liz Rasley celebrates the joy of nurturing nature, and the enduring sense of hope that comes with it. GreenPrints has published many heartwarming stories just like this one—stories that embrace hope, such as: - “For the Birds” from the Winter 2022-23 issue - “Picking Corn” from the Summer 2015 issue - “Three Roses” from the Winter 2014-15 issue - “Love and Daffodils Forever” from the Autumn 2000 issue - “Garden Meditation” from the Premiere issue of GreenPrints, in Spring 1990 And tons more hopeful and inspirational stories in our Library—and coming up in future issues! Please read what some subscribers say about how GreenPrints affects their lives: “The wonderful stories in the magazine have given me hope about mankind. We are surrounded by sad and difficult times in a polarized culture. Your heartful approach and spirit shine through. Thank you!” —Cathy Gornick, New Hartford, NY “I’m renewing for three years. I’m not sure I’ll be around in three years. But I want to make sure you are!” —Susan Ward, Middleton, WI “Thank you, GreenPrints family, for providing calm, joy, and wisdom in these crazy times.” —Lee Ann Hawkins, Marion, IN Including this featured story—“Birthing Butterflies”—you get all 16 stories in the Spring 2023 issue of GreenPrints with an [All-Access Membership](. Filled with stories that inspire and heal, GreenPrints also includes specially commissioned artwork with every article, to enhance the stories and entertain you—illustrations that are thought-provoking and just plain fun! Here is what one subscriber says about GreenPrints: “Thank you! BEST EVER Magazine!! It's like the finding a ‘treasure’ in the mailbox. Artwork is amazing!” —Jo Glenn, Port Royal, PA [Get an All-Access Membership to GreenPrints!]( Here are the stories included in the Spring 2023 issue: - “Birthing Butterflies” - “Looking for Asparagus” - “Saving the Ducks” - “A Sinkhole in the High Desert” - “Try to Remember” - “Of Bulbs, Major, Minor, & Light” - “Spring Time” - “Selective Hearing” - “The Enthusiastic Gardener” - “The Mystery of the Misplaced Eggplant” - “The Lady Bird’s Blessing” - “Note-Toting Chickens” - “Gnomes? Why Gnot?” - “Perennials are Forever” - “Sacrifice” - “Dandelions Never Give Up” [Spring 2023 cover]( Now, you can order your own single copy of the GreenPrints Spring 2023 issue for $15, plus shipping and handling (and in some jurisdictions, you have to pay tax—you’ll end up paying more than $20 for a single copy with shipping, handling, and tax). Or, better yet, for just $20 (no shipping or handling … and no tax!), you can get [GreenPrints All-Access Membership]( for an entire year—with a whole year’s worth of stories in a full subscription to GreenPrints, both print and digital editions … and benefits galore! [$20 SPECIAL! GET A 67% DISCOUNT WHEN YOU CLAIM YOUR BENEFITS TODAY!]( [Claim your GreenPrints All-Access Membership now, and you’ll get all the gardening stories to delight you, make you laugh, and fill you with heartwarming inspiration and motivation. Claim your benefits now!]( [GreenPrints all access]( [ONLY $20 FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR!]( Right now, you’re eligible for this limited-time invitation—to claim a premium [GreenPrints All-Access Membership]( with this Special Offer. You get a full year of membership in a club that provides you all the gardening stories to warm your heart, inspire you, and make you laugh. And for only $20 right now, that’s 67% off the regular $60 price! [Introducing GreenPrints All-Access Membership—Only $20 for an Entire Year!]( Your [GreenPrints All-Access Membership]( has privileges and benefits that are reserved exclusively for premium members like you. [Claim Your $20 Membership Now!]( Summary of All-Access Membership Benefits 01 A full year of GreenPrints All-Access Membership, an exclusive club for those who want to enjoy the greatest gardening stories ever—save $40 off the annual cover price, a 67% discount! $60/year Now Only: $20/year! 02 1-year subscription to the GreenPrints Magazine, quarterly issues filled with humorous and heartwarming stories—in print, delivered directly to your door, and sent to you digitally as soon as issues are published! INCLUDED 03 Full and immediate access to the GreenPrints Digital Library—your membership includes access to the current digital magazine issue and back issues, a digital version of The Weeder’s Reader—plus the library is constantly growing with new content regularly added! INCLUDED 04 Instant and unlimited access to all GreenPrints Collections—curated and comprehensive collections of stories from the heart, organized around specific topics such as humor, joy, romance, mystical and healing gardens, and gardening mishaps. INCLUDED 05 FREE BONUS: The Weeder’s Reader—a compilation of the sixteen greatest stories ever published by GreenPrints. You get a FREE copy mailed to you, plus instant and unlimited access to the digital version in the library! FREE [Claim Your $20 Membership Now!]( Become a [GreenPrints All-Access Member]( today—while this special $20 offer lasts! Sincerely, [Bill Dugan] Bill Dugan Editor & Publisher GreenPrints P.S. Claim your benefits with a spot in [GreenPrints All-Access Membership]( today—only $20 for an entire year with this Special Offer, a 67% discount off the regular price! P.P.S. You deserve to have regular hope and happiness in your life—please act now to claim your [GreenPrints All-Access Membership]( and get inspired and motivated every day! [GreenPrints All-Access Membership Special Offer—Only $20!]( 67% Off the Cover Price Now! [GreenPrints all access](  Claim your GreenPrints All-Access Membership today and get all the greatest gardening stories ever—heartwarming and funny, for you now! [YES, SIGN ME UP FOR JUST $20 FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR!]( About GreenPrints Magazine: GreenPrints shares the absolute best true stories of gardeners from all across the country. It’s the most inspiring, humorous, and heartfelt gardening magazine of them all. There is nothing else like it. We’re no spring seedling, either—we’ve been publishing for over 30 years. If you love to garden, you will love GreenPrints, THE magazine of personal gardening stories from the heart. You are receiving this email as part of your free subscription to email updates from GreenPrints Magazine. 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