Wrapping Up, Regrouping and Remembering

It's been a biz-ZZZZZZZZZ week and the dust is just beginning to settle a bit. Saturday we hosted an open-house for the Magpie in honor of her graduation. Ideally, I would have thrown together a video of her pictures from baby to now, but I had no time to do this. After having a few bouts of 'mother's guilt', I came up with a different idea. I wanted to create a board that our guests could sign for her with words of wisdom, love, etc. Last summer I had created a 'vision board' for myself and the same sort of design came to mind for my project. So in between all the craziness of the week, I made her this:
My idea was to have paper and pens out, and at some point, each guest could write down a little something for the Magpie. I set it up at an antique school desk in my living room - pens, paper and a cute little tablet of note tags.I also did the same thing I had done for my memory board - taking brads and 'bubbles' and gluing them onto pushpins for guests to tack their notes onto the board with.
Last night I had a chance to sit down and read the tags that everyone wrote and oh my... it was simply amazing the kind words, love, and uplifting thoughts that everyone gifted Mag with! It turned out so much more than what I thought it would and she is thrilled with it! It is now in her room and reminds her of how many people she has in her corner!
It was a great afternoon and we were so touched by how many friends and family came! Great people, indeedy!
After I read her memory board and had a chance to take a breath from EVERYTHING that has been going on; checking things off in my mind, it dawned on me....Miss Magpie's birthday is THIS SATURDAY - SHE'LL BE 18!!! ACK!! Someone stop me from bringing out from the freezer the leftover graduation cake for her birthday! I guess I'll figure out something later on this week.... I have no more brain power right now to plan another shin-dig!

The weather has been just gorgeous these last few days and this morning I was able to let some more dust settle. I sat out on the patio with my creamy coffee and just let time stand still for a few. As a teacher, this is such a luxury. To be done with the crazy, harried ending of the school year and ALL that it entails, the planning and preparing for Mag's graduation night and her open house, the routine of everyday life and a million and one things that this month brings....it's been 'May Madness' and I am so glad to have it almost done with. I've been able to get reacquainted with my garden and back yard - oh, how I have missed them!
A basil plant that I bought a week or so ago has been waiting patiently for me to sink it into the garden dirt - and so I did! It's happy as ever now in its new home..and so am I! One of my favorite salads to make in the summer is caprese salad and skipping out to my garden to snip fresh basil just can't be beat! Happy growing, sweet basil!

Remember my gift of pussy willow branches a month or so ago? I've had them in water ever since and all of the little buds have opened into soft, fuzzy pussy willows - love them! But I have some branches with young, green shoots growing off the main branch and I'm excited to try to grow them into pussy willow bushes. I planted them in some soil this morning, made a little greenhouse with a baggie, and we'll see if they, do indeed, put down roots and grow!!

Recently, I posted a photo of my mutant tomato plant. During a recent storm the darn thing was blown over- it's so full and heavy!! Well, Friday morning I had a melt-down (no doubt from all of the stress of late) and despite having a zillion things to do, places to go and a whole house to clean, I found myself heading out to my yard. I looked at my tomato plant and....despite my inner voice reminding me of all I had yet to do, I picked up my pruners and made that 'first clip'. Gardeners know just what I mean...you make that 'first' clip, and it's all over. You can't just make one...because you make one over here, then oh, right here...and wait, let me get that stem there.... and before you know it, your heavy plans and mile-long lists are on the back burner! I probably spent a good 1 1/2 hours working on my tomato plant and other important 'putter' jobs here and there in the garden. And it truly calmed my nerves and settled my mind a great deal. It also reinforced what my spirit knows to be true...I'm meant to be outside in nature doing something creative with my heart and my hands. It's where my soul is the happiest.
After clearing out some dead stuff, and pruning it waaaay back, my plant is only half the plant it was, but it is sooo much happier! So happy, in fact, the next day there was a touch of blush on those sweet green globes! And this morning, I have a couple almost-ripe red presents on the vine! Such awakening!
Today is Memorial Day - a day to remember and honor those who have served our country with strength, bravery and in many cases, with their lives. The older I get, the more this day means to me, because in our world, freedom is not to be taken lightly nor for granted. Take time today to offer up a silent prayer for all of those who have served, to those families of our brave armed forces and to those who are no longer with us. Because of men and women all over this world manning command stations, sitting in an A.P.C. in the desert in Iraq, silently gliding underneath the ocean's surface or sleeping on the ground in Afghanistan you and I are able to have a cookout, spend time with our family and friends and go to bed tonight without worry for our safety. May God bless them all....and may God bless America!