A gift from my mother, this Japanese lantern has graced our garden since we moved in some 16 years ago. It looked on, as the entire family worked together to clean, declutter, and organize the shed that is attached to the back of our house. The intensity of work was matched only by the oppressive humidity and temperature of the day. The transformation after a couple of hours, however, was nothing short of dramatic. Elsewhere in the yard, there were many late-blooming flowers left to enjoy.