Peaceful Days

 

Gardening, painting, and reading have been my pastimes during much of May.

Discovered this nest of eggs in the rose bush

 Loved the sunlight falling on the art room floor

three books I've enjoyed

I must like coffee cups. I have way too many, but find them hard to resist.

Reading and sipping on a hot drink seem to go together.

This is my growing collection of country scenes with barns, cotton fields, and farm animals.

I find these paintings very peaceful. I'm also reminded of happy times spent on my grandparents' farm in Louisiana.

Have a peaceful Memorial Day. So many gave their lives that we might have the enjoyment of life.

Highlights

 I thought I'd share a few May highlights. Mother's Day was certainly special. I got to spend it with my daughter and granddaughter.

Of course, most days here at home are quiet and ordinary. But that's nice, too.

Late one night I decided to move the family photo albums to a new location. For several years they have taken up space on the tall bookcase in the entry. Luckily they all fit in the bottom cabinet of the hutch with the years visible. I no longer print a lot of photos since everyone keeps pictures on their phones.

Gunner, Nick, and Lucas came by the other day, and I told them of the new arrangement. While sitting on the floor, they pulled out a few albums and had fun looking back at their young selves.

Time spent outside has been very rewarding. May is a perfect time to appreciate the  beauty of  flowers and to relax in the swing.

Browsing the aisles of this store, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, and Tuesday Morning made for an enjoyable May outing.

Lovely hand dipped candles were displayed so well I had to stop and admire.

This book arrived in the mail. It was an online order from Barnes and Noble, thanks to a gift card. 

I made a recent purchase with Christmas on my mind. I saw this set of books with a low price tag and thought the red color might be good for Christmas decorating.

 

Cemetery History

For some thirty years I've wondered about a particular monument in the cemetery. Today we returned to the cemetery to pick up the urn on Mammy's grave. I walked over to the angel statue to learn more about it.

 I had no idea there would be a picture on the stone. For years I have only admired it from afar.

 

Mother's Day Thoughts

 Tomorrow is a special day for mothers. It brings happiness as well as sadness. For those of us whose moms are no longer with us, it stirs up many emotions. I miss my mother more with each passing year. We didn't always agree, but I know her love for me was deep and lasting. One Mother's Day I made a Memory Jar for her. I hope she liked it, but I don't remember her making any special comments about it. When she passed away the jar came back to me. This afternoon I decided to take the slips of paper out of the jar, spread them out on the bed, and reread them. Yes, I miss all the lovely ways we were bonded as mother and daughter.

The idea came from a magazine article.

 This morning we took roses(those knockout roses Jo once planted on Mother's Day in 2016 have really grown) to the cemetery for Corkey's mother. She loved Corkey dearly, and he felt the same about her.

My parents' graves are in Oak Grove, Louisiana. Would love to make a return trip to Louisiana and visit a few places with special memories.

Tomorrow we are having lunch with Lauren, Justin, his mom Jan, and Tallulah. Hope you have pleasant plans for tomorrow's special day. Love, Sandy

Blooms

 May makes a grand entrance with gorgeous blooms.

Every spring I look forward to these...my Mother's irises.

My garden spaces are the prettiest in the month of May.

I have been patiently waiting for my one peony to bloom. It makes me sad that some beautiful pink ones were lost several years ago to a lawnmower.

Containers on the front porch and patio are waiting to be filled, but with plant prices so high they may sit empty. I should have planted seeds weeks ago.

Every year I mean to get a head start, but it just doesn't happen. And the weather this year has been so erratic.

Oh, one happy success story. Two summers ago I planted some irises in front of our white shed. Yeah, one has had a bloom!