By Julie Patrick

QUITMAN, Ga. – Social media has grown so fast, and continues growing at exponential rates. No longer seen as just a mode to interact or make friends, it is being used for everything from building a brand (personally or for a business), to creating a buzz that transcends boundaries, ages, and limitations barely dreamed of only a few years ago.

Whether your attention is on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or, in my particular case for this post, Pinterest, you can reach a global audience – and be touched back by it.

Pinterest has emerged as an important one that has become a creative hub and source of inspiration to countless millions all over the world.

Like me.

Most of you might have heard about it and some of you more than likely even have a Pinterest account.

Like me.

I like to think of Pinterest as a modern day virtual Sears catalog “Christmas Wish Book”.

You know, the magical Holy Grail of every baby boomer of the 60s, 70s and early 80’s. We would carefully peruse it’s fairy-tale like pages and either circle, check, or dog ear each page of interest.

For those of you who haven’t dipped your virtual toe into Pinterest waters, here’s primer.

Definition: Pinterest is a free social networking website that allows users to upload, save, sort and manage images popularly known as “Pins” and other media content (e.g., videos and images) through collections called “Pinboards”. On the main Pinterest page, A “pin feed” appears, displaying the chronological activity from the Pinterest boards that a user follows. 

My Pinterest page consists of outfits I’ll never wear, jewelry I will never be able to afford, manicured pictures of toe and nail designs that I don’t have time to go get, and lots and lots of recipes I will probably never cook – and so on.

To give you an idea of what I like to Pin on Pinterest, I have titles on my boards like “Once Upon A Wardrobe”, “Aunt Clara Crafts”, “I Shoe Do Like These”, “R.U.N Wedding Ideas”, “Closet Cook”, “Burning Down The Deck With A Grill”, “Looking Fly On A Dime”.

One on my albums on my Pinterest page is titled “Patrickville,” that consists of home projects that I would like to pursue for my home. So I presented a do-it-yourself Greenhouse made out of old windows to my father.

Daddy took interest in the Greenhouse made out of recycled material and preceded to tell me that there were some old windows thrown out behind Philadelphia Baptist Church.

I called and got permission from my home church to load and bring them home.

Daddy drew up some plans and thus “The Free Greenhouse” was in the works.

It has taken over three years to complete, but I hate to tell you that it was not Free!

Daddy has put a lot of money, blood, sweat and tears into the Greenhouse for me and I really appreciate all the talent, money and time he has invested on this little slice of heaven he has created.

This was the first year we have gotten to store our precious plants in the greenhouse. It has a solar roof, sprinkler system, heat and cooling with an automatic thermometer.

The weather here in South Georgia has been fantastic lately – a little scary though as we know we still aren’t out of Mother Nature’s winter fury.

But I have been spending my early evenings and weekends in the greenhouse trying to get things prepared for our upcoming winter blast.

The smell of the greenhouse gives me a warm spring feeling with the smell of dirt and promise. I love to just go in to prune, water and mostly piddle. What a wonderful escape from by busy life to see all the new life growing inside, waiting to be brought out into the world.

Honest to God, my Greenhouse is definitely Baptist because all my plants have been having revival lately.

Many of the dead pots have decided to come back to life!

I never feel alone in my tiny little 6 X 6 greenhouse that Daddy built.

Building credits for The Baptist Greenhouse go to Waymon Patrick, Lee Patrick, Steve Massey and Mr. Lorrie Story. 

Forever Jewels