May Calendar and a Hodgepodge

       

It's a May Calendar and a Hodgepodge!!

Joyce asks the Questions:

We answer the Questions:

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1. Are you feeling more reset, restart, or full speed ahead as we move into May? Tell us why. 

As we step into May, I'm not easing in....I am going full speed ahead.  

My calendar is packed so tight I'm surprised it hasn't asked me for a break.  Doctor's appointments here and there, a graduation party for our granddaughter, her big graduation day, and all the little things in between that somehow take up big space. It's one of those seasons where life is moving fast, but it's moving with purpose....and I'm holding on and showing up for every bit of it.  

It's busy...but it's the kind of busy that reminds me just how blessed my "heart calendar" really is.  

2. Painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, cinema, theatre, music...what's your favorite form of art? Elaborate. 

Painting, arts and crafts, DECORATING, ....anything that lets me create something beautiful with my hands.  I love to take a blank space or simple piece and try turning it into something that feels alive. I don't need a rulebook or a perfect plan...I just need inspiration and the freedom to make it my own.   

3. What time is dinner at your house? How do you feel about leftovers? 

Dinner at our house stays pretty simple.  You'll find us eating somewhere between 5:00 and 6:00 pm.  Nothing fancy, just steady and familiar.  

Leftovers?  Bless it....I just don't do them. I cook enough for Sam and me, and when the meal is done, it's done.  No containers waiting in the fridge giving me side-eyes the next day.  When I was growing up there were never any leftovers.  My parents and us four kids usually ate everything that my mom prepared.  Our food was always freshly cooked.  

4.What's the last thing you fell down a rabbit hole investigating? 

As for the last rabbit hole I went down.....well, it must have been long enough ago that I can't even remember.  And maybe this if for the best. Not everything needs to stay stored in this head of mine.  

5. And now for a question from the book Marilyn (Memphis Bridges) gave me...

At what are you 'self-taught?' 

I taught myself floral design.  I didn't learn it from a book. I learned by doing it.  By owning my own floral shop (back years ago) I worked by trying...adjusting things and using my natural abilities to create something beautiful out of what was in front of me.  I taught myself how to make bows, homecoming mums, floral arrangements, funeral pieces, rose vases, corsages, wedding bouquets, and all of the other things that went along with owning your own shop.  

Flowers taught me patience, balance and how a little creativity can turn something ordinary into something that makes people pause and smile.   

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

How much more I can fit onto my May calendar?  

I love Hodgepodge Wednesday....

Shug...💛

When I Grow Up....

Note:  Hey all....The past few days have been very difficult and I have spent most of my time taking care of Sam. He is much better today!!  

"When I grow up I want to be a Seagull..."

I came across a quote the other day that stopped me mid-sip of my glass of sweet tea and it made me laugh out loud. 

OLD PHOTO that popped up on my phone!! 

Vicki, ME, Joyce and Susan

I thought about this little quote for a few minutes and said (to myself) "Hold on! This might just be the most honest life goal I've ever heard."

Because if I'm being real honest for just a minute, adulthood is not exactly anything like full time beach days and snack breaks being handed out like crazy.  

Adult life is more like Laundry, paying bills, having to make decisions, and being frustrated about high grocery bills.  

But...a SEAGULL?

They have it all figured out..

First of all...Free snacks any time of the day...🍟 🍕 🍔

No planning meals...No grocery list and No "What's for dinner debates."

They just swoop in like tiny feathery bandits and claim what they want..

Pure confidence.

Then there's the beach..🏖

Can you imagine waking up every day with the ocean as your front yard?

No emails. No schedules.

Just waves rolling in and out like a sweet lullaby, that touches the soul.

AND....it is ALL FREE!

Meanwhile... (WE) get maybe one week to go enjoy the beach and if we are lucky....maybe we can have two weeks vacation on the beach. 

AND...it cost a pile of money..

Permission to scream anytime you want!!  This part spoke to me.

There are moments ...  when you just want to let out a good, loud, unfiltered scream.  Not because things are terribly wrong, but because life can be a lot. 

What do I do instead?  

I smile and I say..."All is fine."

I keep stirring the pot, folding the towels and just keep on keeping on. 

What do SeaGulls do? 

They "CAW! CAW! THIS IS MY MOMENT!"

Nobody even questions them, no one thinks they are crazy.  Nobody says, "Are you Okay?"

LOL....they just scream and keep on flying.  

Sounds like it might be a lot of fun to be a SeaGull.  

What ya think?

Shug....🌼 

 

Black-Eyed Susans.

 This is a beauty and it is growing right here in my backyard.  

Black-eyed Susan.  We have had a good bit of rain which has caused this plant to double in size and have multiple blooms..  

Here are a few things I learned about the Black-eyed Susan plant/flower. 

• The Legend of Susan and William: A popular 18th-century poem by John Gay tells of a maiden, Black-eyed Susan, searching for her lover, Sweet William, on a ship. It is said that if you plant Black-Eyed Susan next to Sweet William, they will bloom simultaneously, representing a lovers' reunion.
• Symbol of Protection: Known in some areas as "Devil's Flight," the flower is believed to ward off negative energies and protect against malevolence.
• Medical Lore: Native American tribes, including the Ojibwa, used the roots for herbal remedies, such as creating a poultice to treat snake bites or a decoction for cold treatments. The juice was sometimes used to treat earaches.
• Symbolism: Due to their hardy nature, they represent justice, encouragement, and motivation.

Who Knew?  

Here are a couple of new little solar lights that I found and at night....they are too cute for words...

Lighted flying bees.  🐝

And.... tiny little red mushrooms.

Hopefully I can grab a few photos of them tonight so you can see them shine!

"A black-eyed Susan doesn't complete....she just outshines."

Happy Saturday! 

Shug....💛

8:00 A.M. and More...

 It was an early morning around here...we left the house around 8:00 so we could beat the traffic, and get to the oncologist office on time.  

Lab work was done and then we waited for the approval to begin the treatment.  I knew that is was taking longer than usual for them to get Sam hooked up and wasn't sure why.  The nurse eventually came out and told us that Sam could not get his treatment today due to his lab work not looking good.  

He ran fever on Tuesday and Wednesday evening .... but we were figuring it was due to the fluid being drained on Tuesday morning.  Still not sure what that was all about.  

Needless to say, he will begin a steroid pack this evening and will take it for the next seven days.  We will try again next Friday!! 

In other news:

Our granddaughter and her soon to be husband signed the papers this morning to buy a home...we are all so excited for them.

Wow..I remember the first home that Sam and I built just 3 years after we got married.  The cost? Just right at a hundred thousand dollars.  

The price of homes these days is way more than double this amount. 

🌸 🌸

My faux flowers came in from Amazon...I added them to my pots and I must say...they look pretty nice.  Solution for the hummers? I now have a feeder hanging near by.  

This beautiful blue-jay was sitting on our back fence...I kept waiting for it to face me so I could get a good picture, but that didn't happen.. 

I captured these water drops as they fell from the water spray spouts at the end of the pool...

I thought they were so cute...

That's it for me today...

See y'all tomorrow...

Shug...