With Gratitude and Thanks

On this most special of days, I wanted to take time to express my gratitude to the men and women who with their unselfish service, protect our country and guard our freedoms. Thank you to our veterans who without their service we would not have this blessing of freedom. And to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice--we remember and honor you and your families on this day.

I wish you all a wonderful Memorial Day as you celebrate with your family and friends.

Take time to remember ...................

My Patio

With the days of Winter a distant memory and the threat of frost behind us, it is finally time to venture outside and ready the patio for Summer. My patio is one of the things I love most about my house. It is not a very large space but one of comfort, one that invites you to stay a while with a good book and a nice tall glass of iced tea. We have had many a family gathering on my patio and in the Summer it becomes an extension of the inside rooms of our home. As a family we eat our dinner on the patio and even my husband enjoys watching a favorite sporting event while seated among all the potted flowers. I finally finished up the last bit of planting today and then grabbed my camera to snap some photos to share with you all.
Gardening gives me such great pleasure. All of the amazing colors and the small details of each flower that makes them so unique unto themselves. This year while preparing to plant, I began by collecting all of the clay pots and containers from the shed. Each time I entered the shed I heard the tiniest of chirps. For the life of me I could not figure out where that sound would be coming from. Then out of the corner of my eye I noticed a nervous Jenny Wren with a little worm hanging from her beak flying from the ground to the roof back to the ground. I quickly stepped from the shed and watched to see where she was headed. To my surprise, she flew right into the shed and it was then that I realized where those little sounds were coming from.....
In my haste to clean up at the end of the season last Fall, I carelessly hung a wilted and withered geranium plant on a hook in the shed promising to empty it at a later time. Well that time never did arrive and it is a good thing it didn't. That sweet little bird decided it would make the perfect place to call home and to raise her precious babies. This is what I saw when I carefully peeked inside.
I guess I made just enough noise that those tiny babies thought I was their mother bringing them something yummy to eat. Four little mouths open wide waiting for their lunch. I gathered my containers and quietly closed the shed doors as not to disturb this wonderful new family. I feel blessed to have been allowed to witness this newness of life in nature. A little miracle ......

What Have I Been Up To????

Once again time has slipped away from me. How easily that seems to happen these days. A friend asked me this morning if I had given up on my blog----Oh my goodness no---I just need a few more hours in my day. Anyway here is a little up date as to what is going on in my life. Oh I knew having a new puppy would be lots of work but somehow I forgot just how much. What a little fireball she is. In my mind I pictured her laying by my side in my studio as I worked on all of my projects. As it turns out she does love being in my studio however her favorite thing to do is grab hold of the end piece of nicely wound ribbon and run for her life. She is so playful and fun. The house training thing is still a work in progress. Let's just say if you are looking to purchase stock, I would suggest Bounty Paper Towels or Clorox Clean Up Wipes. All of my favorite Somerset Life and scrapbooking magazines have been put on the shelf for now. They have been replaced with puppy training magazines and books on understanding your Beagle. Apparently Sassy wasn't overly excited to see that I was reading all about how to teach her to be a well behaved little girl.........

She has certainly stolen the hearts of our whole family.......

Another exciting event for our family was Alex's Junior Prom. We had been preparing for this for weeks---the new suit, shoes, shirt and tie were all purchased as were the corsage and boutonniere. Finally the day was here.....He looked so handsome it brought tears to my eyes. Could this young man standing beside me actually be my baby boy??

His date was lovely

Alex and Tina attended the prom with a group of friends and we were invited to the home of one of them to take pictures. The had a beautiful yard, the perfect place for photos. They whole group looked so wonderful.

Alex had a great evening. What an exciting time in his life. He has so much to look forward to. I could not be prouder.