Gardening Helper

I had a wonderful helper in the garden today.  Larry had put down the mulch the other evening and Joseph helped me dig holes for some Geranium, Osteospermum, and English Lavender.  Oh how I love the gardens when we've pulled the last of the stray weeds from the dark mulch and the individual plants look so beautiful in their best forms.  One variety of peony are a litle ragged after the storm but others are still beginning to bloom. 
And, the roses are coming out in massive color. (photos for another blog)
Happy gardening always!

Hello!

A gentle hand

Digger with his tool of choice.

Loosening the soil and roots.

Busy hands stopping to wave.

Joseph by three of his new plantings.

Rosalinda, Violet, and Quina

are the names he gave them.

My big helper - Thank you!

One of my favorite peonies.

A thick cluster of light pink petals with a slight, fine edging of darker pink.

Kindergarten Picnic/Commencement

The last day of Kindergarten for Joseph was yesterday and all the families got together to celebrate the ending of the year for the two classes.  Sunny, happiness overflowed.

I said to Joseph the other day, "after kindergarten, you'll be able to begin the next 12 years of school!"  With a pause, he said "There are TWELVE more years?"  Ah yes, and a lifetime too. 
In all fairness, Joseph was a little confused because the school he knows only goes up to 8th grade.

No tears, though it is a wonderful milestone.  They tried to wring tears out, ending with a big circle of sweet kindergarteners singing "This Little Light of Mine".  Actually when I say (even think) that title now, my throat tightens and my eyes well.  Onward ho!  They are ready to go!

        We love you Joseph!  (Photo mid chomping)

Picnic Lunch

Mrs. Cramm

Mrs. Haberman

Receiving his certificate from Mr. Fly

So proud

Kindergarten song for their families

This little light of mine.

May flowers

Some of the beautiful late April and May blooming flowers.

There are photos that may be similar to last year's favorites . . . but that is just it . . . my favorites get photographed each year I suppose.  I love springtime!

Iris

Lilac

Hosta

Peonies!

    
Iris

Abbey on the porch with peonies and hosta

STORM

Last night (May 26th) there was a storm with very strong winds, thunder and lightning and even hail (pea-size).  After a half hour, it seemed to be over (rain had stopped and rumbling was distant) and then out of nowwhere - FLASH - CRACK!  POP!  Off goes the DVD player, Larry and Joseph were watching and POP - silence.  Off goes the computer I was on.  Silence.  Still.  Just us and the house and a still nervous dog.  I must say the melatonin (3 mg) did help Abbey very well during thunder storms. 

Always hoping electronics survive the pop-off (and they did, thankfully) and this was close - perhaps the transformer behind us. Headlamps came out and eventually light switches tuned off and up to bed we all went, around 8:30 (thinking a transformer would take quite awhile to make it on Adams Electric's list). Up to bed in a quiet house that smelled of baking cupcakes.  My big project of baking 50 cupcakes and decorating them for my half of the cupcake contribution to the Kindergarten picnic was suddenly put on hold as two dozen sat - mostly cooked in the cooling oven (1 dozen was quite edible the next morning).

Watching the storm come in and distant lightning. 

Skies are not like Midwest openness, so we don't see cummulus building. 

More of the complete gray overcast, non defined mass.

"Let's get inside Mom."

Darkening skies.  Oh what is to come for you peonies!

There are no photos of this cupcake cookoff on Friday (this morning), but suffice it to say, all were baked and Larry (on his day off) even frosted them and added the gummy butterflies and packed up sandwiches for the picnic.  YUM!  Other than the frosting, these cupcakes were a no oil, no yolk recipe (with applesauce, egg whites and yogurt instead).  My slightly stressed brain was not into taking food photos at the time.

Later, when I told Joseph that Daddy frosted and decorated all of the cupcakes, Joseph said, "Wow, you're lucky Daddy!"  "Why is that," I asked.  "Lucky to get that promotion," said Joseph. 

Exactly, my boy.