Sitting Pretty

 When Lincoln and Ashley came over to help me celebrate the last day of school, Lincoln was wearing my favorite outfit and was sitting so nicely that I grabbed the camera, quilt and my favorite photographer! He is just so adorable! I posted one shot on facebook but thought it would be fun to include a few more for fun. I didn't edit or fix anything...just fun shots of my grandson!

Decorah Day

 Saturday I traveled to Decorah for a wedding with Ashley and Lincoln. Ashley was the personal attendant for the bride and I named myself personal attendant for Lincoln. He and I had a great time strolling around downtown Decorah. We shopped a bit, sat on benches, bought and read a book and Lincoln got a little nap. It's a wonderful downtown area and I so enjoyed the time with Lincoln as well as the wedding.

Droplets

After mowing the lawn, watering the grass seed, caging my tomatoes and tending my garden I was completely entertained by watching the water bead up on the leaves of this broccoli plant. I have never planted broccoli, cauliflower or cabbage so this is new for me. I bring my hose close, pull up a chair and just watch the water droplets bead up and roll off each leaf. It's like they are water repellent. It really is beautiful and a wonderful way to spend part of a summer evening.

Happy Birthday, Ashley!

Everything seems different this year! Ashley's life has changed more than it has for a very long time. Becoming a mommy certainly changes the focus but today we celebrate Ashley. It's been an incredible year to watch her grow into motherhood, carry, deliver and lovingly care for her baby boy. Happy birthday, Ashley!!

Fourth Grade

For the last couple of months I have been spending most of my days in fourth grade. In March I decided to take a job as a paraeducator at the elementary school where my kids attended. It's been a great experience and I have learned lots. I so enjoy the children and they have been so welcoming. The teachers that I work closely with have been wonderful; so helpful and encouraging. Although it will not be long term I am grateful for the opportunity. I learned that I love fourth grade social studies, that math is much different, that I enjoy recess and I miss saying the Pledge of Allegiance in the mornings. It's been great to be back near children's literature. I even reread "Box Car Children" when I recommended it to one student. I will miss these kids when the school year ends.  I wonder if my next job will allow for 15 minute recesses three times a day?

Stroller Naps

 This is my view during my walks with Lincoln. He always falls asleep before we get back home but before he falls asleep I get to listen to him "talking." Look at those sweet sleeping lips!

 When he is awake he will put almost anything into his mouth because he loves to chew now. I just love these after school visits from Lincoln . . . so glad that I live close to him.

What's Up in Mid-May

 I think that my kitchen garden is starting to look like a garden. There is good growth happening daily. I thinned the lettuce and spinach tonight but will need to thin it lots more. It's just so hard to pull out and throw healthy plants! The broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower are getting bigger but they all look the same. It's a good thing that I used some garden markers. My rows of red onion, garlic, green onion and carrots are not perfectly straight but they are growing. I added another row of carrots tonight so that I could have a longer season. I have added peppers, tomatoes, herbs and a couple of potatoes as well as more garlic and onion. I am still enjoying this project. If it feels too much like work, I will make a new plan for next year.

Mother's Day

What a wonderful Mother's Day! I got to see all the kids and spend fun time together in my home! We ate meals, played basketball and four square too! I even got presents and that's always fun. I got my yellow purse. . . more yellow in my life! And it was my first Mother's Day as a grandma and seeing Ashley as a mommy. . . that's a wonderful day!  

Boat Launch

Yesterday we got to help Jay and Briana with their afternoon kayaking the Cedar River. Dale and I followed them to the launch site, helped a little and watched as they got onto the river. We were then able to transport Jay's truck to spot further down river. They spent three hours on the water before they got to the truck. I just love being closer and being able to help out with little things. It was great fun to meet up with everyone after that for dinner out. . . table of seven! I love family time!

Landing?

My front yard is a mess. It looks like a UFO landing out front because of the huge round patch of dirt. The pine tree was cut down shortly after I moved here. Travis removed the block around the tree and raised bed and removed some of the dirt. The tree guys came back this spring to remove the stump. Since then I have been gradually working to spread out the dirt and make it somewhat even and smooth before attempting to seed with grass. I didn't make it too flat because I know it will sink but I finally got it good enough to spread grass seed on Thursday. Now I just need to apply water regularly and hope to get grass. I did make a call to check out getting professional help but that did not seem worth the $500 estimate! Maybe the yard will look good next year, especially if I get rid of those green shutters!

More Yellow

I think I would like more yellow in my life. Yellow is bright, cheery, sunny and uplifting. Lincoln gave me this owl for my birthday last month and I think its a good start.



I planted some yellow flowers for my front step yesterday and I have decided to add even more yellow to my current knitting project, a striped throw for my familiy room. I think that I am off to a good start but I have noticed other people with yellow purses lately. That could be a day brightener too!



Derby Day

In honor of the Kentucky Derby I decided to make a Derby Pie today. The name is trademarked so let's call it Kentucky Derby Pie. It was yummy. . . bourbon, chocolate and walnuts make a great flavor combination. Since I woke up early and noticed that it was derby day on the news I went to the grocery store and had the pie out of the oven before 8:30 am. That gave me plenty of time to decide on a Kentucky famous "Hot Brown" for dinner and invite company! The Hot Brown that I made was as good as the one we ate when we visited Kentucky a couple of years ago. It was a yummy Derby Day, but I still don't know who won the race!  

What's up in May

 Look, my kitchen garden is up and growing! I am most excited by the tiny garlic plants! I really want to make my own garlic braids in the fall! This post is about my gardens but I had to include a photo of my favorite little garden buddy. I think he might be more interested next year but I enjoy it so much when Lincoln and Ashley come over for some garden time.

 This row of lettuce is pretty exciting too. There is a row of spinach right behind it too. These are first time attempts for me but I fear that the bunnies will get to them before I do!

 The kitchen garden is right by the patio which makes it fun to watch closely. I will add color and flowers in pots. The pansies are very happy this spring and the flowering vine growing up the trellis is a bonus from the previous owners. . . a nice surprise.

 I thought these were pretty generic bushes until the little pink flowers appeared this week. They are practically hidden by huge hostas but it's been interesting to see all the plants popping up and coming to life. This yard is full of wonderful surprises. The iris below is a beautiful surprise. The buds are almost black and the flower is gorgeous. It's growing right outside the family room window so I can enjoy it easily while I sit in my big "grammy chair" and knit! This is all so fun.

This seems to be a bit of a jungle but it's got so many unique plants. This bed was a sea of daffodils at Easter time. Now the hostas, ferns, day lilies and ground cover are getting so full that I have to keep my eyes open for the peonies, salvia and geraniums coming through. The dandelions are not adding to be beauty but I just haven't taken the time to get in there and dig!

 These precious little blossoms are all in my new "cottage garden" by the front door. I don't know their names but I am enjoying the daily changes very much! I'm so happy to have these shasta daisies by my front door too. I always had them on Coventry Lane and they were Ashley's favorite.