yesterday

Yesterday I sat in the sunshine with my beautiful daughter and watched Elliot play soccer. His mom and dad were a little disappointed that he wasn't more "in the game". I think he was looking at the blue sky and the butterflies. Nothing wrong with that!

I have been working really hard on my garden. Every day I can be, I am out there weeding and transplanting and spreading mulch. It's going to be a good garden year.

I remembered when I had neighbors who worked hard on their house and yard. They had a pear tree, a trumpet vine, many perennials. It was beautiful. Then they sold the house to a banker who promptly tore out the trumpet vine, cut down the pear tree, and let the flowers go to seed. It broke my heart to see the trumpet vine going down the street in the back of a pick-up.

I've seen it happen many times. I know people have different needs and desires but when it comes time to sell our home, I have to find a person who appreciates my garden.

The bird bath and lawn chairs. One of my favorite places to be this summer!

I planted six canna bulbs in one of the only sunny spots in the yard. They attract hummingbirds. I also bought these three pots from Emily and planted million bells at the end of the walk.

I love this little shady spot. Those are bee balm coming up. And some garden art.

My library has some cook books this week and some new children's books. We get a lot of visitors!

Some of my hostas. Thanks to friends who have shared over the years! Jill, you are one!

We love to watch the birds in the yard. On May 2nd, I put the long lens on the camera and sat quietly on the patio. First the female came to the bath. Then flew in to the apple tree to preen and dry her feathers in the sun. The male came in for a bath, dipping down, spraying water. They sat together in the tree for a long time fluffing and flirting. It was beautiful.

Today we celebrate moms in families. Mine is a great mom. I'll share this poem again that I wrote in 2011 for her. (Here's the tribute I wrote that year.) She and my dad also taught us about birds and plants. You can see those lessons stuck!

What She Taught Me

For Mom

She taught me knitting, sewing, Teeny Tiny,

and reading every night before you go

to bed. She taught me how to make things for

people you love. She taught me how to make

stuffing by letting the butter and chopped onions sit

on the stovetop overnight. She taught me how to

make spaghetti from scratch

and that leftovers make a good meal and that pets,

even messy ones who come through the screen door

during thunderstorms, are part of the family.

She taught me that it’s more important to bake

fresh cookies or to read a book than

have a clean house. She taught me that having piles

of books around your house is decorating and that wearing

a flannel nightgown until noon doesn’t mean you’re

lazy. She taught me that you invite people over

if you’re lonely. She taught me how to always

believe you can fix it yourself and to keep on learning

and that when you go on vacation you should

stay with relatives. She taught me that cookbooks make good

reading and if you don’t have what it calls

for, you use something else. She taught me that hunting

down a good deal and taking a long nap in the afternoon is

the only exercise you ever really need in life.

When my dad died, her husband of more than fifty years, she

taught me that you cry but you go on. You go on living. You keep

the ashes in the window sill, you tell stories about the memories

and you laugh and you cry. But you keep on living.