High Country Fun

 Hello!  We've been away, high in the mountains, enjoying a short vacation with our girls and their families.  Do you see little Plum Cake trekking through the green grass?  

 Tutu-clad Millie played kick ball with her sisters and her cousin!

 Sam had fun tromping through the tall grasses.

 The spring rains made the grass so green up in the high country!  We went to the hot springs and Granny could have stayed in that big pool ALL DAY!  The minerals DO make a difference.  All my aches and pains = gone!  There is something to be said for soaking in hot springs after all.  Ha!

 The VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner) Kelli found was perfect for our brood!

 Fun was had by all, but now I am in a mad rush to finish all my school work.  My last day is June 3rd!  Woo hoo!  I'm ready.  I feel a comforting sense of peace and calm about finishing up my term as a teacher.  I'm so grateful.




I visited the nursery!  I have a lot of planting to do.  Don't you love digging holes, adding water, gently placing the plants in the earth and then patting all around your new flower?  I do!

 Gardening will be in full operational mode soon, but for now I am thankful for this pretty posy.  My sweet neighbor put it on my doorstep.

A student gave me this solar powered daisy!  It's a nice reminder of the sun and its great work.  
I have a birthday lunch to serve at school today, so I must go chop chicken and bag up all the other stuff.  I have writing to grade.  I have packing to do.  Tuesday's coming!  Yippee!

Sleeping Handsome

Little James is irresistibly sweet, isn't he?  His parents are naturals.  They are taking such good care of him.  

I think I've seen his daddy make this face.

     The hanging flowers are now hooked up outside on the patio.  Don't you love lobelia? 

Another year of gorgeous white iris!

 My Peter Rabbit garden (vegetables) is planted.  Bill fixed the sprinkler head so that it waters 360 degrees.  With the hot sun and the extra water, I think Peter will be visiting before long.

 All the birds are back.  Robins LOVE the yard and work and work to pull as many earthworms out of the damp morning grass as they possibly can.  Good robins.

 My gardening clobber.  I am using my Polly tea holder to hold seed packets, but soon I'll take it back inside to hold the day's teas.

 I've become dependent on scents.  This candle diffuser exudes strawberry smells.

I start the day and finish the day with oils. Patchouli in the downstairs diffuser starts our day (fresh and rich) and  Eucalyptus in the humidifier upstairs soothes us to sleep.  There are so many comforting uses for essential oils.

I'm home today because we are going off to Sam's preschool graduation soon.  After that, I am staying close to the house.  It's my favorite place, you know.
Happy Monday to you and thank you very much for popping by.
xo 

Dreams of Picnics and Tea

 I'm thinking about picnics and eating outdoors.  I'm reading the tea book that Jody (Gumbo Lily) suggested (20,000 Secrets of Tea).  I'm ready for school to be over, so I will have more time for tea-drinking!

 We got a letter in the mail from our oldest granddaughter (she's 7) and she says that she is looking forward to Granny Camp in June.  ME, too!

I'm so thankful for my sense of smell.  I have been collecting essential oils and using my diffuser to fill the air with fresh natural scents.  I believe in aromatherapy.  Do you?

I've had a busy week of nighttime commitments.  I'm ready to stay home and scrub our house, shining the kitchen and bathrooms until they glow.  Yay!  This house mouse will soon be home to stay.

Wobbly Middle Ones

 It's apple blossom time!  

 The evergreens are showing new and juicy green growth, too!

 Dark purple lilacs are hanging over fences and gracing my walking routes.

 Walking in the neighborhood, listening to The Railway Children on Audiobooks, and feeling those unique and strong feelings of "home" and the preciousness of it, well . . . the comfort is miraculous.  

 Miss Bug invited us to her preschool's Grandparent Tea!  She drew the teacups!  What an artist!

 Oh, I love her face!

 Drumroll . . . We have a new grandson!  Another little face to love!  

Children.  Find some to be around, to pay attention to, to learn from.  
Also, find some elders.  They are wise and insightful.  
The middle ones?  They are in flux.  They can be prideful and exterior-based.  I don't mean to be mean, but I think it's true.  The treasures are the young and the old.
I am so thankful that God's grace is so liberally served up and given to me.  Oh, how this wobbly "middle one" needs it.

Spring Bounty and Plum Cake

 Oh my, the blossoms are rich around our neighborhood.  I wish they lasted longer.  

 Speaking of blossoms, here's a plum blossom eating a popsicle.

 I was sad that the grocery store strawberries TODAY were feeble.  Last weekend they were so red.  Scrumptious!

 Blue-eyed wonder popsicle close-up!

 A little smoothie making!

And last, a smile from a piggy.  

I moved my computer so I have not had my hands on the keyboard quite as often.  The end of school is all-consuming.  I am enjoying our folk and fairy tale unit very much.  We're learning about classic literature motifs and the simple archetypes.  I am so proud of the students for studying the archetype table and determining what archetype fits them (quite a few orphans and warriors in the bunch!)

Last night we dined at Jeff and Christie's.  They sure can do a synchronized kitchen dance.  It made me realize that I haven't really used my cooking skills for about ten years.  Ha!  I aim to chop and dice, mix and stir a lot more starting in June!  Confession:  I have not taken my new food processor out of the box.  I DID buy a ginger grater, a tool that hulls strawberries, and some sturdy wooden spoons at the discount store.  Better dining might be in our future.  
What have you been doing?  Writing?  Drawing?  Knitting?  Drinking tea and looking out the window?  Reading?
Bless your heart.  Thank you for stopping in!