End of May

A visit to the acupuncturist today, and then on the way home we stopped by work and I picked up my yoga blankets so I could wash them.  Many complain about their commutes to work, but I am lucky.
My drive is all country backroads.  This time of year the roadsides are sprinkled with Queen Anne Lace and day lilies and mimosa trees.  The dainty white lace, alongside the glowing orange, mixed  with the feathery rose makes country roads look as though Monet dropped by for a visit.  Blue skies and white cotton clouds made the drive home almost surreal.

Our temps are still hot and we have not had rain in some time.  It seems the weather goes from one rampage to the next.  Hurricane season starts tomorrow and that is never nothing to celebrate.
Hopefully Mother Nature will discover moderation soon and things will settle down for everyone.

Enjoy your Saturday.  Laugh out loud, spread some kindness.  Tonight is the end of May 2019.
Five months into the year, don't blink, it's going so fast.

Quotes

I write quotes on my board every day at work.  Often the students copy them.  Many of them laugh because the quotes are so diverse, everything from Buddha to Hemingway to the Beatles to Pooh Bear.
This quote by Hemingway is one of my favorites, I use it often.  It is as pertinent today as when he wrote it.  I would have loved to have met him.



" There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man;
true nobility is being superior to your former self." - Ernest Hemingway

Butterfly Beauty

I know my posts have been brief the past couple of days.  Bouts of vertigo and migraine have slithered in and out of my life since Sunday, there is no rhyme or reason.
But the flowers are blooming and the garden continues to thrive. 

I love my butterfly garden.  It has red roses, pink peonies and the butterfly bushes.  There is always a dance of dragonflies, butterflies and bees swarming from bloom to bloom.

Spread some kindness tomorrow, we all need it.

Old Maid

First zinnia of the season!   So excited to share it with ya'll tonight.

A Break

 I had gotten dressed and ready for work today, the phone rang about five minutes before time to go.
It was my boss telling me not to come.  He had given the patients a holiday free time on campus.
They were grilling, playing soft ball and basket ball, enjoying the day.  I was glad.  Often all the days run together and no one even knows what day it is.  Time moves fast and then it drags.  A break from the very structured routine helps morale.

Rick and I just hung out.  It has been a day of rest.  For the past few weeks we have both gone non-stop, a lazy day was perfect.

Today is Memorial Day.  If you have a friend or family member who made the supreme sacrifice, bless you.  For all of those who have died while serving in the military for this country, their families live with that sacrifice every day.  That life will never be replaced and the people who loved them are changed forever.   War has never made sense to me, and the older I get, it makes even less sense.
If you celebrated today, I hope you remember why this day is a holiday.

 This remembrance has been going on since the Civil War.  I read a little blurb about the history of it today.  In the south that remembrance continues, now known as Decoration Day where flowers are placed on graves.  It's a dying tradition, but our families still honor it.  Almost every Sunday in May and June, you will see people placing flowers on graves.  I decorated my family's graves on Mother's Day, next weekend I place flowers on my father's family graves and the second Sunday in June Rick's family will celebrate their Decoration Day.  My mom always said "it was the last thing you could do to honor the dead, just place some flowers on their grave."  My photo doesn't have anything to do with any of this, but the bush with the pink and yellow flowers belonged to my grandmother, Mamie.
I love that her flowers and my mom's still grow in my yard.

Happy

Hot and getting hotter...no rain...humid, but beautiful blue skies, that was today in Alabama.
But the day lilies made me smile, and the garden is growing by leaps and bounds.  Mixing mint with the lilies made everything feel a little cooler.

This is the last week of May for the year 2019.  June is waiting in the wings and then we will be six months into this year.  Graduations  and weddings and showers  are everywhere, summer vacations are being enjoyed already. I hope this week brings joy, kindness and many hugs.

Our Commitment

We watched a video tonight, Commit to the Song.  It was a beautiful film, a piece of art.
We both sat and cried and laughed.  You can rent it on Amazon.

In a nutshell, it's about songwriters, a community, love for what they do and for each other.

As singer/songwriters living in rural Alabama, we often feel like strangers in a strange land.
We both know, we will never be famous or rich because of our songs, yet we just keep on.
We know most of our life is behind us, yet we just keep on.  It is a commitment this singer/songwriter stuff.  It is a marriage between soul and creative self.  It lasts a lifetime.

Because we don't play cover tunes or other people's music, gigs are hard to come by.  Yet we keep on.
Those few hours we get to play each month are mana and it keeps us going until the next time.
I know most of you when you hear live music, want to hear those songs you have already created memories from, those tunes on the radio.  But sometime when you are out, go hear something unique.
Listen to original music, stories and experiences that are not on the radio.

Hear someone express themselves straight from their heart and soul.  You might be surprised to find new memories stirring.

Blue Bounty Continues

Jordan spent the day with us and as always he was delightful.  He and him are taking such good care of the little chicks.  That was the first thing on his agenda today.  Second was picking blueberries.
The blue bounty just continues.  The basket that you see tonight is twice the size of the first one from a few days ago. They are so plentiful and we are so grateful.

The heat is on, and by Monday many records should be broken.  If you live here in the hot country, please hydrate, whatever you need to do outdoors, try to do it in the mornings.  Take frequent breaks and once again, hydrate.

My Oasis

When I walked out of the building at 5:30 this afternoon it was 95 degrees.  We are having mid to late summer temps and it is still spring.  Trying not to think about how hot it might be in a few weeks.
No rain in sight, but the humidity is off the charts.

Thank goodness we live in a forest.  There is such a difference to walk in the shade or walk in the field.  Today is my Friday.  I love long weekends, but I will work Monday.
Enjoy your Friday, safe travels if you are on the road or in the air.
Be kind.

Perfect

Because of the heat and humidity we are walking the dogs early, picking blueberries early, anything done outside is done early.
This morning Rick took Calliou to get his summer cut, so I walked Taz and Hook.  Taz meanders and ambles, but she gives me the opportunity to see things I might normally miss.  As I waited for her to sniff something on the path this morning ( for the 100th time) I looked up and saw the perfect oak leak hydrangea blossom.  Thanks Taz.

Mindful Transformations

Sometimes transformations come in strange places at weird times.  I had an epiphany many years ago washing dishes it led to my current job at the addiction center.  My job has truly been a transformation.  Other transformations have come because of conversations, both with friends and strangers.  I had a conversation with a woman on a flight back from California once that solidified beliefs about myself and resulted in her giving me, a total stranger, something of great personal value.

I guess often I am like most people, I think transformations are things that take a long time or come from greatness or much effort.  But when I think about the ones that have changed me, they came when I was open.  I was open to thought, to people around me or my surroundings.

Mindful living I believe is a great catalyst for transformation.  Becoming mindful of life and all that it involves changes and transforms.  Today there have been at least three triggers for transformations in my life, now I have to pursue, and be open.

I hope this has been a good Tuesday for you.  It is heating up here in Alabama and the humidity is rising.  Record temps are headed our way.  For those of you in the heat, move slow, hydrate, check on those around you who are older and sick.
Be kind.

Monday Night

The heat and humidity is building here, while those west of us are experiencing everything from snow to floods to tornadoes.  The weather seems to get more severe every month.

The baby chicks are doing well.  Jordan and his mom have been over many times today to check on them.  They are still so cute, but once their feathers appear they will become gangly and not so cute.

I hope your Monday had some kindness in it, I hoped you laughed out loud and maybe even got a hug today.  If not today, then maybe tomorrow.
Goodnight, Sweet dreams

Bounty Continues

The blue bounty continued today.  We picked another basket of blueberries...yummy.
My sister and her daughters and granddaughter and great grandson dropped by this afternoon.
They got to carry a little of the bounty home with them, blueberries, peppers and green onions.

Rick harvested our first quart of honey today.  It is very light and flavorful.  And then Jordan arrived with his baby chicks.  The chicks are a 4H project, in the fall he will attend an auction with three of them and keep the rest.  He has named the chicks, all 18 of them.  He will struggle when it is time to pick three for auction.

Finally this evening we did a short practice for a gig coming up.  We are being filmed and interviewed for a music show.  We are excited and hopefully once it is edited we can share it on our blogs.

I only got about half of my list done today, but maybe tomorrow will be  more productive.
May is quickly coming to an end, June is waiting  with her heat and humidity.  She is so impatient that she is sending some our way this week.  Stay hydrated, stay cool and don't overheat.
Be kind.

Blue Bounty

Our blueberries have started to ripen.  Big juicy sweet berries, big as my thumb and our bushes are hanging full.  Jordan came over this morning to help work on the chicken pen, then he helped me pick.  As always he ate as many as he picked.  He also took home half a lemon pound cake I made yesterday.  His  mom said he was in hog heaven.  I doubt there is any cake left tonight.

Once again it has been a busy full day, but a good one.  We met our friends Danny and Jo Francis for dinner tonight and as always they were delightful. By the way, we only picked berries from three bushes, there will be just as many to pick again tomorrow.

Enjoy your Sunday, be kind and spread joy.

Busy Continues

Another busy day, starting early this morning and continuing into this evening.  Hot tea and bed are calling to me.

Tomorrow calls for gardening, a visit with my sister for her birthday and dinner with friends. 
I figure more things will pop up as the day goes by, but I am getting use to it.  I do know that Jordan is coming over to help Rick finish the chicken pen and probably pick a few blueberries.
He eats more than he puts in the basket.

I hope your Friday was a nice ending to your workweek and that the weekend holds a few surprises.
Good ones of course.  Be kind, share joy.

Non-stop

It has been one of those days, non-stop from getting out of bed to now.  Rick is making hot tea and I keep telling myself to drink my tea and then hit the bed.  Not a bad day, just an extremely busy one.
For some reason, more and more of my days seem to be non-stop.  Fingers are crossed for a peaceful weekend.

The first part of the week the weather was perfection, but the heat and humidity are building.  Maybe the waxing moon has something to do with it or the fact that it is time for heat and humidity in Alabama.

My pain management class went well today.  The patients seem to really enjoy the classes, both the material and how it is presented along with the asanas. 

The tea is ready and so am I.  Here's to a Friday that brings closure, peace and joy.

Common

Around these parts, she is common.  Often found on the side of country roads, at old home places or farms, I have them growing in our yard.  I love them.  They just always look so happy and their lives are so short.  They bloom this morning, gone tonight...day lilies.  You are seeing our first orange of the season.  Some of my mom's hybrids bloomed last week, but this one is the common one.  She found her way into the house and is now hanging with a pitcher of oak leaf hydrangeas.

Kitchen Window

I spend a lot of time in my kitchen.  It is very small and narrow with a window over the sink.  Through the window I see the back yard where the garden, fruit trees and flowers grow.  In the winter when there are no leaves on the trees you can see the old farmhouse.

I try to keep the window and the kitchen a cheery place, even though it is small.  For me, the kitchen is the heart of the home and every meal is an act of love.

I share a corner of my kitchen window with you tonight.  I think it is down right inviting.

Oak Leaf

The oak leaf hydrangeas blossomed today.  Yes, I had to bring some in the house.  They are so beautiful, both the plant and flower.  Enjoy your week, give hugs, spread joy, be kind.

Today's Memories

I finally met my great-nephew Aiden today.  He was born when we were in Savannah last week.  He couldn't wait to get here, he made it a month early.  But he and his mom are doing well.  His newborn clothes are way too big but we know he will grow into them soon.

Today was decoration/memorial day where my parents are buried.  I placed flowers on their graves yesterday, as well as on my mom's parents grave and her younger brother and sister's graves.  Most of my mom's family are all at the same cemetery.  Next weekend I take flowers to my dad's parents grave.  I know this is a vanishing tradition, but I have spent my whole life placing flowers on graves on decoration day.  When I was just a child, we packed a picnic lunch and had dinner on the grounds.
I thought nothing of exploring cemeteries with my younger brother. We would look at ancient tombstones and try to imagine what those who were buried there were like when they lived.

My grandmother Mamie would make beautiful paper flowers and then dip them in melted  wax to preserve them.  I would go with her to place them on her family's graves.  Watching her make those flowers is a memory etched forever in my brain.  We would also go through her flower gardens and pick armloads of flowers to place on graves in mason jars filled with water.

At the cemetery where my dad's family are buried, there are many graves so old, there are no markers or tombstones.  Just huge slabs of rocks covering the remains.  Through the years, the mysteries of those rock covered graves have caused many to speculate on those buried there.  Some say Native Americans who died on their way to reservations out west were laid to rest under those massive slabs.
I know each time I walk by them, I feel a tug in my heart and my spirit thinking about those buried in such a way.

I hope you all have had a Happy Mother's Day.  This morning Rick and I made quick trip to Walmart.
As I was getting in the car, a gentleman parked beside us was getting out of his truck.  He wished me a Happy Mother's Day.  I thanked him and told him I would let my dogs know about his wish.  He laughed and said, I bet you are like many other women who don't have kids, you have loved and taken care of too many to count.  We laughed and he asked about our dogs and told us that his brother did rescue dogs too.  Dogs have a way of bringing people together, much like kids.

Here's to a week of kindness.

Rare and Valuable

Our gig today was extremely fun.  Surrounded by incredible artists, smiling faces and seeing good friends all made for a great day.  These days are rare and so very valuable.  They are the jewels in my personal treasure chest.  I hope your Saturday has been a good one as well.  The rain is pouring down, the tea pot is on.  

Good night, Sweet dreams.

Rainy Day

A rainy Friday, but Rick and I needed a rainy day.  It was a day to rest, practice some songs for our gig tomorrow and for him to see the doc about the respiratory stuff he has.  He never gets sick.
So I have teased him about being whinny today, but I don't like it when he feels bad.

It looks like rain for the whole weekend.  It's a busy time of year for a rainy weekend, lots of outdoor events, around here there are "decorations or memorials" and it is Mother's Day weekend.
Ya'll be careful if you are out on the roads.  Monsoonal rains make the roads scary and unsafe.

Rick is better tonight and hopefully he will be his old self by morning.  It won't be the first time we have done a gig with one of us sounding a bit froggy.

Here's hoping you laugh out loud tomorrow, and that kindness knocks on your door.

Thursday Thoughts

I left for work today in the middle of a severe thunderstorm.  That's what my weather app said.
It rained so hard when I looked in the rear view mirror there was nothing but rain.  Wind and lightening added to the festive drive.  I was too afraid to stop.  Never had I been so happy to get to work.

My pain management classes are going well.  Once again I was at full capacity.  It is a challenge, but really rewarding class.  It is an honor to help those in chronic pain.

Rick is still not feeling well, I figure a trip to the doc is on his agenda tomorrow.  Several people I work with have the same nasty crud...all have been to the doc.

Rain and lots of it is in our forecast for the  next three days.  I hope our plants don't float away.

I hope your Friday is sunny and mild.  I hope if it rains, you see a rainbow.  May we all know kindness.

Roles Reversed

Usually Rick is taking care of me.  Tonight I am taking care of him.  We are not sure if he has a cold, allergies or what, but he is miserable with sinus gunk.  He will be the one drinking Breathe Deep tea tonight.  The roles are reversed.

My episodes are getting milder.  Hopefully in another week they will vacate the premises.

Our tomatoes and peppers are blooming, the fruit trees are full and so are the blueberries.  We are so hoping for a banner crop of everything this year.  Rains are moving in tonight, and looks as though for the next several days the monsoons will be upon us.

Tomorrow is my long day, full of classes.  The Art in the Park show we are playing at Saturday has been moved into the local civic center.  All weekend there out door events scheduled, but the rains don't care.

About to make hot tea for Rick.
Goodnight, Sweet dreams

More Pics

I am wiped out tonight, but I did want to post a couple of more photos from our weekend.
Enjoy your hump day tomorrow.  The dunes were beautiful, the lighthouse so historic.

Magic

I know many will think I am being sacrilegious when I say this, but I like the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans more than the Gulf of Mexico.  The East and West Coast are so rugged, the waters cold and wild, they make the Gulf seem sort of prissy.  The Gulf with her white sand and emerald waters is pretty, but she doesn't seem as honest and down to earth as the Atlantic and Pacific.

I say all of this because we spent the weekend in Savannah and went out to Tybee Island.  There is a working lighthouse there.  I loved it.  I loved Savannah, her people, the food and the beauty and richness of her culture.  We stayed in a house that was well over 100 years old.  It was the perfect spot to celebrate 45 years of marriage.

My photo tonight is the boardwalk in front of the light house.  It leads out through the dunes, across the shell strewn beach to the water.  The water was so cold you could hear people squeal as the waves hit their bodies.  Little kids ran down the boardwalk, couples strolled hand in hand.  It was the yellow brick road that lead to a day of magic.

Search for the Perfect Dress

I am always looking for the perfect dress.  This one came close, but not quite.  I think I was drawn to the necklace as much as to the dress.  I love wearing dresses and long skirts, but my days are spent in yoga clothes.  

I have been looking for a red dress for a couple of years, I will know it when I find it.

All those years I worked in the apparel business probably scarred me for life.  And the fact that my mom loved clothes as well, I just didn't stand a chance.  Samantha says I have done the same thing to her.  It's a good thing we wear the same size.  She shops my closet often and laughs and says that people ask who her stylist is.

We have had a good anniversary.  Actually, it has been a memorable one.  We will talk more about that later.

Goodnight, Sweet dreams.

Upswing

A good day.  No episodes or flares.  Lots of rain, so it has been cooler.  I am making sure I drink 64 ounces of water daily, watching my sodium intake and no msg and have added some supplements to the mix as well and getting extra rest.  Today I have walked over 10,000 steps, something I have not done in the last couple of weeks.  Fingers are crossed I am on the upswing.

Tomorrow is our 45th anniversary.   It seems like a life time, it seems like yesterday.  45 years for some is a lifetime, for some they never reach the age of 45...we are lucky, we are blessed, we have worked hard to keep this marriage strong.

May your Sunday be peaceful, may we all know kindness.
Goodnight, Sweet dreams

John Rose

Our friend John died during the blizzard of 1991.  He had a rare incurable cancer that killed him almost as quickly as the doctors discovered it.  A few years before he died he heard me mention the wild pink seven sister roses that bloomed around so many old barns and houses where we live.  I loved those roses and wanted my own.  He had some on his farm and within a couple of days I had my rose bush.  It is actually a climber and now it covers a large bank down by our mailbox.  I call it the John rose and this week bloomed.  The roses are tiny sweet smelling jewels of shades of pink.

John was unforgettable, a truly larger than life man with a heart of gold.  I could never forget him, but the rose bush just adds to his memory. Each time I get our mail I think of John and remember his kindness and his gift of the John rose.

Daisy

My mom called them baby daisies.  They are actually a member of the aster family, but I too, will always call them baby daisies.  There are fields of them all around us and when I see them, I think of my mom.

All my life, I have had an affinity for daisies.  As a little girl, Avon had a little girl fragrance called Daisies Won't Tell.  I still remember the smell.  I love Daisies.  When I was nine and would pester my older sister who was senior in high school, she would hand me her literature book and tell me to go read.  To this day, I remember a short poem from that book, "the sunflower ain't the daisy, the daisy ain't the rose, why are we all so anxious to be something else that grows?"

My senior class picked a class flower, yep, it was the daisy.  I love them because they are simple, honest and strong.  And, haven't we all picked those petals at some point whispering, "he loves me, he loves me not."

It has been my long day at work and my hot cup of tea awaits.
Goodnight, Sweet dreams

Grateful

A visit with the acupuncturist this morning and I made it to work this afternoon.  I am very weak and fatigued but better.  So very grateful for a good day.

Tomorrow is my long day, a two hour group with pain management students and then more regular classes. 

Here's to a Thursday that will be kind to us all.
Goodnight, Sweet dreams