The Lupine Lady

"You must do something to make the world more beautiful"

Last weekend I had the opportunity to travel to Chappell Hill, Texas. This is a quaint little town northwest of Houston. The bluebonnets were in full bloom and I couldn't stop thinking about Miss Rumphiusby Barbara Cooney. We had a splendid day sightseeing and visiting many antique shops and crafts stores. The highlight of the day was walking among the wildflowers.

When I got home, I dug out my tattered and worn copy of Miss Rumphius. Alice Rumphius was a librarian. She traveled the world and she came home to a small house by the sea. She never forgot a promise that she made to her grandfather...she must do something to make the world more beautiful.

Miss Rumphius had an idea. She had always loved lupines more than any other wildflower. She ordered five bushels of lupine seed and spent the entire summer walking along the highways and country lanes. She scattered the seeds everywhere she went. Now some people called her That Crazy Old Lady but later she was known as The Lupine Lady.

What will you do to make the world more beautiful?

The Texas state flower is the Bluebonnet (Lupinus subcarnosus). Click here to view a video of our journey on the Texas Bluebonnet Trail.