My Mother's Garden

When Spring finally arrives it always brings thoughts of my mother. She loved Spring

and loved flowers, especially Pansies. She passed away 12 years ago, but I think about her often and the simple pleasures she taught us to appreciate. I recently spent a weekend

compiling some pictures of my mother onto a CD, to give to my sisters

and my uncle in Germany. 

I added the song, "Edelweiss", which was my mother's favorite song.

This was a little garden on the side of her house.

My mother had the chance to visit her sister in Germany two years before she died.

This is my mother (sitting) and her oldest sister, Anna,

who lived in Nurnberg, Germany.

 My mother had beautiful skin and hair and never looked her age.

I think that God knew that she wasn't going to reach old age.

This old castle in Germany is near the town that I was born in.

This was taken in Gatlinburg six months before my mother passed away.

Ordinary Days

I love three-day weekends, even if I don't "do" anything. I live a simple life, an ordinary life. I'm one of the lucky ones, because if you've ever received bad news, your life turns upside down and there is no such thing as an "ordinary day".  So I am thankful for all the ordinary days.

Puttering

On Saturday I putter around the house. It rains most of the day, a repeat of January's weather. The weather is cool, but mild. I go about my housework, washing the sheets, taking out the trash. I empty the dishwasher. I make a second pot of coffee. Finally, I grab my umbrella and drive to the nearest Barnes and Noble, 25 miles away. For over an hour I browse to my heart's content, spending my gift card from Christmas, with enough left over to buy a White Chocolate Mocha.

A Quiet Evening

On Saturday evening my daughter, her husband and the two older children go to a hockey game. I baby-sit Mae-Mae (her nickname). Bath time...bottle...baby is soon asleep in my lap. When they return from the game, the older girls go home with me. One goes right to sleep. The younger one thinks that she is a grown-up ( she is going on five) and stays up until midnight. I give them my bed and the cat and I share the couch.

Mae-Mae

Sharing Popsicles

Sunday morning and the younger one is up early and already dressed. She hits the floor running. I am rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "Can I play with Play-do?" "After breakfast," I reply. Today the weather is gorgeous, bright and sunny. We go outside after lunch and the children (including my grandson, who came over) help me pick up broken branches in the yard. I rake up dead leaves while they play hop-scotch, kick the soccer ball, and climb trees in the backyard. They make friends with the two little boys who live across the street. The kids want popsicles, so my granddaughter asks me how many to get of the freezer, while she counts on her fingers. "Five?" "Yes, five", I tell her. While she goes inside for the popsicles the little boy across the street comes out with a handful to share with everyone. At five o'clock the kids go home. I am exhausted, but it's a good tired.

An Ordinary Day

It is Monday and I treat myself to a movie from my collection, "The Painted Veil." It is based on a book by W. Somerset Maugham and is about a doctor and his unfaithful wife. The story takes place in China, where the doctor is fighting a Cholera outbreak. It is a fascinating story. Later, I run errands, mail some cards, pay bills, balance my checkbook, put a pot roast in the oven, bake cupcakes, call my sister and a close friend; ordinary things on an ordinary day. I am blessed.

Blackberry Cobbler in a cute casserole dish

Fall Tidbits & More

One thing I love about Fall are the county fairs and street festivals

that abound at this time of year. There's something for everyone:

pony rides and fun activities for the children;

arts and crafts for the adults;

food and gorgeous weather for everyone.

What better place to hold a street festival except near the railroad tracks?

Believe me, that was the longest train ever!

Fall also means that I have to stock up on butter because I do more baking.

 This is "Walnut Pear Sour Cream Cake"

 found in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

 It's perfect with a cup of tea.

I love a bargain and found this bag for $3.99 in a thrift store.

 It looked like Fall to me.

After a long day at the street festival there's nothing like dining out and learning

how to color in the lines.