Flashback Friday or Normal is Good!

So after the great "boobie" scare of the last few weeks...it is good to be back to normal...almost! During the dark of the night, the very worst scenario would lodge into my brain and stay there...if nothing else the "scare" made me appreciate my life...the people I hold near and dear.
Please check the girls regularly and get a mammogram!

So...my grandson has been registered for kindergarten and I am not really sure where the time went...I am sharing the photos whereby little one still has a diaper and his shoes on...the cutest ones are of the bare cheeks running through the yard...that boy has always loved water and not wearing clothes...seems like he was born just five minutes ago...playing with the granddarlings brings me great joy!

A few other random thoughts:

I am wondering what the new neighbors with six kids, five dogs, two or three trucks and lots of tools will be building this weekend...last Saturday I woke up to hammering...there were two little buildings erected...I can't see much because for the first time in twenty years there is a privacy fence separating the yards...the house has been added to as well. I remember moving into our house and our backdoor neighbors passing brownies over the fence and how many backyard over the fence conversations we had...our children grew up together...I guess I won't be passing brownies through this fence.

Hopefully, I will be inspired to work on a few projects this weekend! I have started an art journal, a new dance/exercise class (more on that later...love it) apart from the millions of ideas floating through my brain right now I also have the very practical home and yard projects to consider. Actually...I probably should do more than consider those projects...I want some home grown fresh veggies!

Spring excites me...rebirth on so many levels...I am also reminded of my dear friend Dot Dot each time I see the daffodils in bloom...her favorite harbinger of Spring and the poem by Wordsworth!

I wandered lonely as a Cloud
That floats on high o'er Vales and Hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd
A host of dancing Daffodils;
Along the Lake, beneath the trees,
Ten thousand dancing in the breeze.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Outdid the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay
In such a laughing company:
I gazed -- and gazed --but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude,
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the Daffodils

Can you believe most of our "Daffys" down South have almost bloomed out!
What will you do with your glorious Spring time?

Flamingos, Forks, Balloons and Shamrocks

Gather around children and I will tell you a tale of Flamingos, Forks, Balloons and Shamrocks.

If you are truly lucky and blessed, into your life will come fairies, princesses, divas and all manner of fey (magical, enchanting, whimsical, being in unnaturally high spirits) creatures.

Once upon a time there was in fact a rather pessimistic, worrying kind of lady in waiting. What she was waiting for she didn't know nor did she feel particularly positive that anything good would become of her. In her lowliest time, an edict was issued that she and her daughters were to attend to Heavenly Father's business in another vineyard. It was in the new vineyard that she met all manner of angels, princesses, goddesses, and divas. She was taught the meaning of Joy! and Friendship that extends into the eternities! The princess learned to love life and very much wanted her daughters to experience this same Joy! For you see the King of All has issued an invitation to surround yourself with lovely creatures of great faith, peace, love, kindness and compassion. The princess has become a princess of quite a lot...she still has many roads to travel, fey creatures to meet and Joy to Spread!

Flamingos are beautiful, elegant pink birds that can bend over backwards to provide food and assistance to those in need. Their likeness has been replicated in plastic and all manner of tchotchkes. In an effort to show much love and affection to one enduring a "big" birthday...her yard and home was inundated with pink flamingos of every size, streamers were hung from every tree and balloons adorned every room of her home. As a welcome home to yet another "floozie" her home was visited by a flock of flamingos. After which any floozie could come home to find herself visited by flamingos wearing all manner of dress.

One particular "floozie" had a particular disliking for the celebration of St. Patrick's Day and was thus secretly showered with hundreds of shamrocks as she attended her business that day. Attempting to pay for groceries, it was discovered that she had piles of confetti shamrocks in her purse. Ahhh...the floozies are a magical and sneaky bunch. Good hearted mischief abounds...

Divas too can be subject to the whims of unknown creatures...mystery still surrounds us as to the identity of the "forker" You must first understand that the Diva had some of the most beautiful flowers in the land and the neighborhood cats found her flowers particularly enticing and lovely to sit upon. In an effort to save the flowers, plastic forks were placed amongst the flowers to discourage the nocturnal visitors. No cats were harmed they were just unable to get comfortable among the flowers and sought out new yards to conquer. Divas and princesses are frequently seen together and attend many social functions in the land. As the companions arrived at the Diva's home...one of the princesses of quite a lot was peering through bleary eyes to see to her atonishment what she thought were hundreds of mushrooms growing in the yard...the Diva had been FORKED!!! Hundreds of Plastic forks were buried throughout the land. The Diva's footman was much annoyed when it became clear that he must rid the entire land of Forks! To this day the mystery has not been solved!

Beware the Flamingo Floozies! You have been warned...befriending one may cause strange, magical, fey occurances to happen in your life!

A most heartfelt thank you goes to Rosezilla and Dishy for their fabulous stories as they have inspired me to try something a little different in the telling of my "story"!!! They are truly "floozies" by proxy!

Floozie = fun-loving, spirited, kind, compassionate, magical, faithful, generous friends with a great sense of style!

Yard Shenanigans

Coming out of the fog of pain that was in my brain! Flowers and herbs were planted, children were enchanted. Finally, feeling sociable after a week of intense headaches. A delightful weekend was spent with family. On Saturday morning we attended a swap and social. Continetal breakfast was served and everyone brought stuff to trade. I mostly brought stuff to send to a new home. I did find some fabric to make a curtain for the hallway door and some craft stuff to add to my burgeoning supply. I am unable or unwilling to part with anything remotely crafty or artsy! One never knows when inspiration will strike and supplies must be on hand. I was able to start the herb garden. I am so excited. Please Grow!!! Sunday afternoon was spent admiring the flowers and herbs. The wee darlings decided they needed to rake and dig a bit. Everyone also thought it would be a great idea to roll down the sloping yard. Of course I landed in the swamp at the bottom, dizzy as heck. Yoga was demonstrated and practiced. Children played and romped and jumped as children are wont to do, reminding the "grown ups" of the sheer joy of sunshine, laughter and playing really hard! Oldest daughter said she was being artsy fartsy with her photographs! I think the pictures are some of my favorites to date. I am once again reminded to live every moment to the fullest and that LIFE IS SO GOOD!!!

Flashback Friday - Gardening 101

I love Spring! My minds runs rampant with projects both indoors and outside. I love a beautiful yard and garden. Unfortunately, I did not inherit my mother's green thumb. I would love to pretend that the above pictures were indeed my lovely garden. NOT! They are in fact taken at the Riverbanks Botanical Gardens. This is what my patch of land would look like if I had unlimited time, funds and a really handy GARDENER or two! Some of my friends have stunning gardens. I have good intentions, really I do but I tend to under water, over water, or just plant the wrong things. Or when the thermostat reads 100+ , the only way I'm going outside is to sit by a pool or lake. That said, when the girls were small I wanted to encourage them to grow stuff. We started with small things, however, my father-in-law was appalled that we had so much land and "nothing" planted. Over the years, he took over the entire backyard of his suburban home. You could barely get out the back door without stepping on peppers, cucumbers, you name it. Imagine our surprise when we came home one day to find the back yard plowed up and planted in green beans! Amazingly, the things grew and grew and grew and grew....I think my father-in-law came by periodically to check on the progress and add his magic growing dust to these green beans. We ate green beans almost every night in every way imaginable. I CANNED green beans, gave them away, pickled them, froze them and finally when the weather hit the 100's and the gigantic locusts started visiting I turned the green beans over to said locusts or giant grasshoppers,whatever they were, they thumped hard when they landed!

The girls enjoyed watching the beans grow, picking them and eating the fruits of their labor. Baby girl in the background was not fond of being dirty but to give her credit she did do her part! My father in law was killed by a drunk driver and taken out of our lives a lot sooner than expected. I have never had as much success growing anything since the year of the bumper crop of beans. As the weather improves, my thoughts have once again turned towards spring planting and what I should add this year. I do have some beautiful flowers and a lovely lawn! I have plans for some herbs and a few easy, peasy vegetables...maybe my friend Phyllis can sprinkle her magic growing dust! How does your garden grow?

Good Grief, what color was my hair?!!! Green Bean Summer circa 1987. Life doesn't get too much better than this!!!
For my daughters in honor of farming and gardening, yes it is the blue jean jumper and flowered shirt! I will probably wear the shirt whilst weeding the flower beds this weekend. The jumper has sadly gone where the "what not to wear" clothes go when they are mocked.

Have a happy weekend, if you're bored, I have plenty of weeds to go around!