Happy Memorial Day!

Around these parts, we celebrated by planting a tree. In honor of the Field, and Summer, and being in our home for 14 years, and everything that is good. Because there *is* good out there. There is.

Have a spectacular day.

Roll With It

 You never know what Life has in store for you . . . 

. . . so you roll with it.

When your sisters send you plants . . . 

. . . you plant them in the ground.

When Nancy gives you a gorgeous orchid for Christmas . . . 

. . . you bring it outside for some sun.

When a rouge band of bees builds a new hive . . . 

. . . you watch Science in action.

When you bring Big Cacti out for the season . . . 

. . . you give your kitchen floor the rock-'n'-roll dance party treatment.

And when your lovely eldest sister is in town and it's a spectacular 80-degree May afternoon . . . 

. . . you know what to do.

The Greening of America

I think that every year I post about the Greening of America but here's the thing. It happens every year.

And every year it is magical.

This year is no exception.

The grass is deeply green, the flowers are going nuts, and the grape leaves . . .

. . . are starting their annual entrance into this world of ours.

I love them because you can't quite tell if they're flora or fauna . . .

  

I love them for a million reasons because they're so weird and awesome.

One might call them weirdly awesome.

Steven's house loves this time of year . . . 

. . . the juniper loves this time of year . . . 

. . . everybody loves this time of year.

It's the Season of the Greening.

Sometimes . . .

 . . . a photo says it all.

It was Mother's Day a few years ago and it was covid and we brought Mom bruncheon which we ate in her driveway, in the sun, separated by feet or was it yards? or was it miles? and we had so much fun.

Was it easy? No. Did Mom roll with it? Of course. Was it one for the ages? Oh yes.

Mom's strength and resiliency, her ability to roll with it, that's what I miss. And her empathy and interest, I miss that too. And her confidence in us? I miss that woman having my back and cheering me on.

May I say for the seven millionth time? I'm thankful and grateful we had her for the entirety of the well-lived life she shared with us.

And I am supremely grateful that this photo wasn't our last Mother's Day with Mom. Oh no. The next year? We got to hug.

Deconstruction

It's hard to dismantle a home. 

But we're doing it. And we're doing okay.

Well, we're doing okay-ish.

It's hard and it's weird and it's emotional and it's exhausting, but we're getting 'er done.

And so far the only blood has been from minor flesh wounds.

Well, relatively minor.

We're thinking about Mom and Dad constantly as we're clearing out their home while living in their home, all together, all weekend . . . 

. . . and although as Jacquie hilariously pointed out yesterday, there is still plenty of time for estrangement . . . 

. . . I think we're doing Mom and Dad proud.

Well, so far.

I love you guys. As Dad would say, you done good.