The Merry Month of May

Spring has been quite delightful this year.

Some years we wait for the cool spring weather to finally arrive and then it leaves in such a rush that we feel cheated. This year we have had a lot of cool, rainy days and I have so enjoyed it.  Besides, really hot days make the ending of school so much more uncomfortable.  I’ve complained before about hot, tired, restless students counting down the last few days.  (Which really means, hot, tired, restless teachers!)

Thank you Mother Nature!

The yard is getting pretty with so many perennials blooming.

We still have a lot of planting to do, but I am enjoying being able to work in the garden.

 

My favorite May moments:

Eating fresh corn on the cob

Attending grandkids’ sporting events and recitals

Wrapping up the school year (5 more days!)

Having daylight last longer

Seeing the yard come back to life

Strawberry season

 

Have a wonderful rest of May!

JoAnn

No, It’s Not Halloween-Yes, It Really IS Spring

So, I was going back through my blog last night and noticed that some of my pictures were just blank white boxes.  I’m not sure why (Can anyone help me out here?), but I suspect that I had just copied and pasted, instead of inserting them.  Anyway, I thought I’d just put the pictures back in and nobody would know the difference.

Well, I was wrong.  The changed post showed up as a new post. 

Lest anyone think the end of school-year-craziness has pushed me over the edge, I thought I’d better clarify and defend myself.

IT IS A BEAUTIFUL SPRING DAY AND THE ONLY ORANGE YOU WILL SEE AT MY HOUSE IS IN THE GARDEN!

The weather has actually been perfect here.

We have had a lot of rain and the temperature has been very pleasant.  The photos above were taken recently as I was driving to school.  It was one of those mornings when the sky looked undecided about whether to storm or not,  but everything looked fresh and alive.  I pulled off the road for a quick photo.  (Don’t you hate it when people say it looked much better in real life?)

However, it was a very beautiful day!

School is down to the last two weeks, testing is over (my students worked really hard and I’m so proud of them), and I will soon change “hats” as I get to work at home for the summer.

It can’t get any better than that!

JoAnn

Halloween Party- 2015 and a birthday….

 

 

 

 

The weather didn’t look or feel like Halloween, but it was another fun celebration- just a warmer one.

We missed those who couldn’t make it.

Happy trick-or-treating next weekend!

Love,

JoAnn

P.S.  My costume may or may not have even been worn.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BROOKLYN!

Missed these guys, but they did go to a pumpkin farm.

 

A Great Big Void…missing our mothers

Today is Mother’s Day-

a special day to remember and honor and support our mothers.

It’s a day for appreciating the many things that they taught us.

It’s a time for reflecting on all the work they did for us (and because of us?).

It is also a chance for sharing the love we feel for them.

For some of us, it is a day to really, really miss them.

(It’s been twenty-eight years since my sweet mother passed away and I still miss her so much!  My wonderful mother-in-law has been gone for four years.)

What a void they leave in our lives!

 

I not only have a mother, but I am a mother, too.

I can’t even begin to express my gratitude for my wonderful children, their spouses, and our grandchildren.

WHAT A BLESSING MOTHERHOOD IS TO ALL OF US!

 

My mother was the best!  She did it all.  She was loving and kind.  She cooked delicious food and kept our house cozy and clean.  She washed our clothes, shined our shoes, and curled our hair.  She saw to it that we took piano lessons and learned to cook and sew.  She sacrificed for our educations.  She was fun and played with us.  Do I feel lucky?  Yes, I’m very blessed.

My mother-in-law was an amazing woman, too!  She was strong and independent during a time when women didn’t have the voice they do today.  She led her family by example.  She was also kind and loving.  Her home was a safe place for her children, one that often was moved to different parts of the country because of her husband’s work.  “Home” went with them, always providing the security they were used to.  I feel blessed once again!

 

Today I was reminded that not all people are as fortunate when it comes to their mothers.  A young man at our church shared his story of having a mother addicted to cocaine when he was born.  He was later abused by a step-mother for many years.  His first experience of knowing a loving mother was as an adult meeting his future mother-in-law.  He wasn’t bitter, but took comfort in the knowledge that his own wife was a loving mother to their children.

So, as I wander around the house today, missing both our moms like crazy, and wishing we could spend the day together catching up on all the news , I take great comfort in the knowledge that we were truly blessed by our angel mothers!

Happy Mother’s Day!

JoAnn

P.S.  Missing Aunt Mardene, too.  A mother isn’t just the person who brings you into this world.

 

 

 

Fair to middling

 

fair to middling

  (informal)

neither very good nor very bad 'What's your French like?' 'Oh, fair to middling.'

See also: fair

Mediocre, pretty good, so-so, as in I asked them how they liked their new home and John answered, "Fair to middling. This phrase, often a reply to an inquiry about one's health, business, or the like, is redundant, since fair and middling both mean "moderately good." [Mid-1800s] Also see can't complain.

See also: fair

(Thanks Free Dictionary by Farlex)

I’ve been wanting to update my post for a while now.  I’ve had good intentions.  Really.  I even planned on blogging every single day during Spring Break to show that there is still life here at The Gathering Place.  But, it just didn’t happen.  I can’t even justify why because I’m not sure which excuse to use.  I have a whole list if anyone really wants to know.

I’ve been pondering my blog content and the direction (or lack of) that I want it headed towards.  Maybe that is my problem.  I’m not a decorating blog, unless a few random before and after photos count.  Even when I do have a “Fixer-upper” moment, my photography skills are less than stellar and nothing ever looks as good in print as I think it should.  I consider myself a faithful “foodie”, but my dishes seldom get photographed before consumption.  My travel photos are few and far between.  (I teach school which might have something to do with that.)  I love posting photos of my grandkids, but that is walking a fine line between showing off and would-you-like-to-to-sit-for-hours-as-I-show-you-all-my-pictures.

I enjoy writing, but shudder to think of the mistakes a true writer would find in my posts.  (Thanks, Ken for catching my spelling mistake-shutter!)  I truly envy those who can make their words magic, or who find clever ways to say something ordinary. 

I guess what I’m trying to say is that sometimes I question why I’m a blogger,  (I know, anyone can be called a blogger)  but I do love the creative outlet a blog is for me, and my greatest enjoyment from blogging is in making new friends.  So while this little blog barely hangs on, and my posts are anything but regular, thanks for visiting me. 

I think I’ve found my niche-

“Fair to middling”,

but I’ll take it.

 

JoAnn

P.S.  Thanks to Andrew and Irene for strongly suggesting we get some good garden mulch and then for actually helping us go get it and spread it all around!

P.P.S.  The gorgeous sunset tonight was a gift I stumbled on to as I went outside for something else.

P.P.P.S.  Thanks, Sue for the gentle reminder.

Is there such a thing as P.P.P.S.?

One more family portrait….saved the best for last!

I have enjoyed reading your supportive comments about decorating our homes with things we love.  I guess we all tend to want to show off our children or grandchildren, and who doesn’t want to remember a fabulous vacation?  What else is one to do, but cover every available space with family memorabilia.

(I’m glad I’m not alone in doing this.)

This family portrait, drawn by daughter Katie many years ago, is one of my favorites.  While none of us would be accused of  being handsome, I think this rendition of my husband with his lopsided mustache, shaggy side burns, and high ears is quite endearing.  He wore that mustache for many years and it is a huge part of our memories of him as a young dad!  I guess my hair color is spot on for a  dishwater blonde, and I’d give anything to be that trim once again.   Artist Katie did a great job recreating the various outfits and other details of each family member.   Yes, this picture makes me smile.

Together

we   make   a

f a m i l y !

While none of us is perfect, we do make wonderful memories..

And that is why my house is covered with personal memorabilia.

JoAnn

Clip art by Fiddlesticks

Breaking the rules

It’s a good thing my house isn’t on the market.

I watch enough decorating shows to know that too many personal momentos and photos do not make a house “buyer-friendly”.  Neutral is the big guide for making a place sellable.

We pretty much don’t do either.

 

Our grand kids hang on the wall of the office.  (Yes, that sounds wrong-but they really are climbers, so in a way it works.)  Some day their pictures will all show them between three and four years old, but a few aren’t quite there yet.

A family mini-gallery hangs in the living room.

Some of our ancestors pictures are also hanging in the office.

(My husband just finished putting the popular shiplap on one wall.)

There are a lot more pictures throughout the house .

A LOT!

Our book shelves are adorned with more photos, Ken’s dad’s American flag, grandmother’s tea cups, inherited vases, old tools, and some antique family books and dishes.  We have items brought back from vacations.  We have inherited souveniers from our parents and grandparents travels.   Practically everything has a personal story behind it.  If we ever sell this house, we’ll have to empty it out completely before we show it. 

But…

It is kind of nice walking in to a room and being reminded of people and places we love. 

When asked what our decorating style is, perhaps we’ll have to create a new phrase-

“Sentimental family museum style--collected over time.”

Does any one else have this same dilemina?

JoAnn

P.S.  Even my office windows are family decorated.