Celebrate!

It's important to celebrate the joy of spring, not just on special holidays, but every single day!

Here are a few things I love about spring:

*  Sunshine

*  Gentle rain

*  Flowers of every fragrance, size, and color

*  Birdies and their beautiful songs

*  Screens on windows to let the fresh air in

*  Trips to a farm store where they make ice cream from

     nearby Jersey cows

*   Barbecues with hamburgers and hotdogs sizzing on the grill,

     potato salad, fresh tomato slices, and corn-on-the-cob

*   White tablecloths and white bedspread on the couch to lighten

      up the living room

*   Farmers' markets

*   Fresh fruits, especially peaches, and vegetables

*   Taking excursions out of town to see new places, especially thrift

     stores

*   Sitting outside at my daughters, surrounded by gorgeous flowers

     hanging from hooks and dazzling the atmosphere from planters

Okay, there are a dozen of things I love about spring!

CAN YOU ADD A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT YOU LOVE ABOUT SPRING?

Flowers for Mother's Day? Of Course!

Flowers bring beauty and feelings of love, no matter what day it is.

Mother's Day was on Sunday of the past weekend so flowers were for sale everywhere!

My very first bouquet came in a beautiful card from my daughter and her family!

What a lovely card it is.

Then came a knock at the door with a delivery of a very unique bouquet of  flowers from my son and daughter-in-law. 

They live far away but found an elegant floral shop within driving distance to my apartment and the flowers were delivered!

The almost three foot bouquet has many touches of pink and purple, two of my favorite colors.

The day also included a delicious breakfast made by my talented son-in-law and three grandchild helpers.

Here is my fruit plate but the eggs, sausage, pancakes, bacon, and so on were not photographed because they got eaten too quickly! ha!

The special Mother's Day celebration and gifts really touched my heart which is now bursting with gratitude.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO MOTHERS EVERYWHERE

Today, Mother's Day, is a very special holiday.

We take this day to honor the women who gave us life.

My maternal Polish grandmother always used to say, "It is hard to be born and it is hard to die."

That bit of wisdom has remained with me all of my life.

It really is not easy to bring a baby into this world. 

It's pain that only women can sustain.

But, as it says in the Bible, "Joy cometh in the morning."

The agony of giving birth pales when it comes to holding a precious new life in one's arms.

On this day, I also think of the Blessed Mother who gave birth to the King of Peace, Jesus Christ.

Her heart must have been broken when He was crucified.  She suffered along with Him.  

But she also got to rejoice when He rose from the dead three days later.

My own mother has been gone for 20 years yet there are few days that go by when she is not in my thoughts, my heart, and my very being.

She had a hard life but she did her best for her five daughters and that counts a lot. 

Her greatest gift to me was giving me faith in God. 

It has sustained me during life's most difficult, heart-wrenching moments.

Becoming a mother myself made me realize how miraculous it is to bring other human beings into the world.

My two adult children, a son and a daughter, mean everything to me.

It brings me utter joy to see them with wonderful spouses, good careers, and raising beautiful children of their own.

So kudos to mothers, grandmothers, aunts, cousins, sisters, and all who have been like mothers in the lives of others.

You all deserve this day, and every day, to celebrate the incredible importance of all you have done to carry out the difficult  but blessed job of being mothers. 

HOW WILL YOU CELEBRATE THIS SPECIAL DAY?

Treasure Your Friends

 

A lot has been written about the importance of having friends in one's life.

Friends really are treasures.

They add to our joy and life experiences.

There are all kind of friends.

Some are more like sisters while with others, we maintain a more casual relationship. Both are important.

Cousins can be special friends and so can blog followers. I truly treasure and appreciate both!

Many years ago, a cousin gave the doll figure shown in this post.

It's actually a draft blocker that one can put on a window sill or at the bottom of a doorway.

The little friendly blocker has been packed away in storage for the past three years and was recently unearthed.

She made the cut to not be placed in the charity bin.

I'm glad because she makes me smile every time I look at her.  

The cousin who gifted her to me is still very precious, too.

Many thanks to all of you who are my friends.  You make life better!

Remembering Mothers

Guess what?

My very first Mother's Day card has been received!

Shown above, its bright, colorful, and very much appreciated.

It's from a dear cousin who loves greeting cards as much as I do and that's saying something.

Mother's Day, of course, is Sunday, May 10th.

A sister also left a beautiful hanging plant outside my door. 

It's actually three plants in one----begonia, impatiens, and delicate Jack Frost.

Because nights here are still chilly, I've taken the plant inside and replaced it on a wrought iron hook outside in the morning.

Today, however, since rain is predicted, I told the little plant she would be kept inside today so she won't catch a chill.

So many Mother's Days have passed in my own life. 

First, they celebrated my own mother and Godmother. 

Then, I became a mother myself and got to share in the joy of being remembered.

Whenever I think of my own mother, who went to the other side of life 20 years ago, it usually makes me cry.

Even after all these years, I still miss her.

That's not to say we didn't have our ups and downs.  We did.

However, she gave me life and did the best she could with what she had and that counts immensely in my book.

She taught me so many lessons.

She never stopped loving me or my four sisters throughout her life on earth.

Being a mother is the among the hardest jobs there is but is also the most rewarding.

COULD YOU SHARE ONE VALUABLE THING YOUR MOTHER TAUGHT YOU?