May Flowers

 April Showers did bring May Flowers.  In my garden.

clematis

dianthus

peonies

red clover

rhododendrons

yellow flowers

I do not know the name

but they are bright and beautiful

Are May Flowers blooming in your garden?

May Day!

 May Day!  May Day!  Come save me from a busy week!  At least it wasn't as busy as last week was.  I'm posting my Friday Fave Fives for my weekly list of things for which I am thankful.  This practice of writing out my blessings every week has become a wonderful habit for me.  Thanks to Susanne for faithfully hosting this for years.

1.  After last week when eight of the nine evenings (yes, more than a week) were booked, we enjoyed a couple of nights this week with nothing on our calendar.  I am thankful for a less busy week.

2.  Today has been cold and rainy, but a couple of days this week the weather has been sunny and warm.  So The Professor and I were able to be outside working in the gardens.  He has been weeding around the five fruit trees to prep them for being fertilized.  One project I worked on was preparing an area that used to be a firepit into a garden circle where I want to plant some bright flowers.  Maybe this coming week the weather will cooperate so I can plant the seeds.

3.  One evening this week, we invited a younger couple to our house for dinner.  The four of us have been enjoying dinners together once in a while.  We had a great time. Wonderful conversations. And we introduced them to Indonesian food. Yum.  

4.   I've been knitting a sweater this week (and the past couple of weeks).  The body is done and one sleeve.  All that's left is one sleeve.  When it's finished, I'll post photos.  I am thankful for the time this week to be knitting.

5.  And I've had some time to read.  Right now, I'm going back and forth between two books.  Am I the only person who reads more than one book at the same time?  I'm just thankful for the time this week to read.

I hope you have had a wonderful First Day of May.

Fave Fives in Third Week of April

Another busy week.  And I've been mostly MIA online because of all the activities.  But it's Friday evening  and I am sitting in a chair relaxing and writing my Friday Fave Fives.  This is the first evening in more than a week that I haven't had something on the calendar to do.  So now I can focus...  Here are my five blessings from the past week.  (click on the link to go to Susanne's blog and join in)

1.  I am thankful for the two day conference I attended last weekend.  I learned lots about health choices.  And knowing some of the people also attending was an added enjoyment (I mentioned that in last week's faves).  And I'm thankful I arrived home safely even though I drove country roads through a rainstorm.

2.  An appointment at the dentist is not usually on anyone's fave list.  But I have a wonderful dentist who is careful, thorough, kind and gentle.  I made it through the procedures successfully.  So I'm doubly thankful for good dental care and for good outcomes.

3.  I always love walks with our granddogs.  Three miles this time.  I think we finally wore out Sawyer (the sheepadoodle).  Athena was lagging a bit at the end.  I'm thankful that we can enjoy these times with our daughter and her dogs.

And our county trails are so beautiful!

4.  I finished another crib blanket for the local pregnancy resource center.  And I made three pairs of booties for them to give away to moms who come in for a consultation.  I am thankful I can knit and help others, too.

And I made a Plain Vest and headband for a little two year old girl who loves pink.

Eleanor thought they were pretty and wanted to model them.

5.  Time in the garden.  Finally, we had a week of okay weather and some time in the afternoon to work in the garden.  Our veggie beds are ready for planting.  The weeds?  Well... we're working on them.  I'm thankful that I have enough property here at Willow's Cottage to grow a garden.

What has made you thankful this week?

Time for Fave Fives

I am away from home again, but I'm pausing to carve out some time to share my Friday Fave Fives for this past week.  It was a busy week.

1.  Saturday was fun.  Nurse Daughter and I spent all morning plant shopping.  Then in the afternoon, I worked in the garden a bit.  After that, The Professor and I met both daughters at the local arboretum and walked the dogs.

What was Older Daughter searching for in the pond at the Japanese Garden?

Koi!

And turtles!

2.  Sunday, after The Professor took his turn preaching the sermon at our church, we grabbed a quick lunch and then visited Bryn Du Mansion where the local gardeners club held its Daffodil Festival.  Yes, the theme was America's Two Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary.

3.  Monday was one of those days when the errands piled up.  We were able to put them all together in one long trip. I'm thankful the errands all got done.

4.  As usual, we enjoyed our time with T and S at a local coffee shop.  I am so thankful for our friendship with them.

5.  Why am I gone from home?  I am attending a wellness conference called Seeking Whole Health.  I thought I'd be sitting along all day.  BUT.  It turns out that a good friend is attending with her sister-in-law.  So we've been enjoying our fellowship together and learning lots.  After dismissal today, we even got in a mile and a half walk in a local park.

What did you find in your week that made you stop and be thankful?

Oregon Barns

 Much of the state of Oregon is rural.  Therefore, there are many barns.  The day after our Pacific Coast beach adventure, we drove all around the northwestern section of the Willamette* Valley which is where my brother lives.  We were chasing those wineries and vineyards.  (*Willamette is pronounced Will AM et, just so you know...)

My opinion is that you can't have too many barn photos.

Are you bored yet?

Which is your favorite?

Fave Fives in April

It's Friday night.  I'm late!  But I'm here to post my Fave Fives from this week.  I am glad that Susanne holds us all responsible to posting our five blessings from the past week.  It helps me focus and remember how blessed I've been this week and all the time.

1.  One reason I am so late to post is that I spent most of my day at the local hospital sitting with my friend whose momma was having a heart surgery procedure today.  Usually my friend handles everything calmly but this surgery was stressful on both of them.  I am thankful I could be with her to sip our coffee and just chat all morning to keep our minds calm.

2.  Another reason I'm late?  The Professor and I took Warrior Boy over to Chap's house and enjoyed BYOD (bring your own dinner) and a movie with them.  Even PAL enjoyed watching the Adventures of Robin Hood movie.

3.  One afternoon I drove PAL and her mom to visit a local garden nursery.  My goal was to buy some plants since I haven't started any seeds yet.  I found both kinds of tomatoes we want to grow this summer as well as kale and some herbs.

4.  After Easter church service last Sunday, we enjoyed a family dinner and Chap's house.  Dinner was delicious.  Then we spent some time hanging out and putting together a 500 piece puzzle.  Yes, we did the whole puzzle in one afternoon.

5.  When I was in Oregon last week one of my cousins mentioned that he had researched my Ohio town and discovered that a famous Civil War veteran was born here.  John Clem.  He was the youngest person to ever serve in the Union Army.  At nine years and ten months he joined the army and became the drummer in the Michigan infantry.  When we returned home, we did a bit of research and found the statue dedicated to him on one of our main streets.  How many times have we passed this corner and not noticed it??  I'm glad my cousin told me about John Clem and that we found this monument to him.

I hope you have found many blessings by looking back over your week, too.

Oregon Beach

 Pacific Ocean Coastal Beaches are places of home to me.  I grew up visiting these beaches.  It's probably why I am a Beach Girl.  During our visit to Oregon last week, my brother drove us to Rockaway Beach and Nehalem Bay Beach because he knows how much I miss my beaches.

Oregon Beaches are famous for their driftwood piles.  Think:  forests like the Redwoods and Olympic National Forest.  Trees fall down into the rivers.  They are swept to the sea.  They're battered by the waves.  Then they end up on the beaches.

What to you do with all the driftwood?  You build forts and fences and windbreaks.

Beaches bring me joy and peace and rest.