Mother's Day and Beyond...

The weekend before last was a busy one, full of special treats. On Saturday we were treated to a dance recital in the morning. Lynnleigh shone, literally!  She sent us this "preview" before she left home. 

Here she is with her dance troupe. (Gregory was the official photographer.) She did just great!

Straight from there our sweet daughter met me and treated me to lunch and a manicure and pedicure.

 And, as if that wasn't enough, she made this for me! Needlepoint is a fairly new pursuit for her, it keeps her hands and mind occupied (and off her phone, according to her) while she sits at the pool waiting at Lucy Ann's swim practices. I think she's become quite adept at this, not only at the needlepoint but the finishing as well (admittedly, that's not her favorite part). I will treasure this Nativity ornament forever. 

The following day our son cooked de-constructed kabobs for us, as well as for our DIL and her parents;  We were treated to plates full of bite-sized beef, shrimp, chicken, smoked sausage and roasted veggies. It was deliciously superb!

So, as this post is so aptly titled; this is a Mother's Day and beyond post. Thanks for indulging me. This past weekend we provided the altar flowers at church in honor and celebration of an upcoming MAJOR wedding anniversary. It's hard to believe; we couldn't be more thankful for the life, and the years, that God has given to us. The Butterfly Bush pictured at the top of this post was given to us as a memorial to my mother. It is a poignant reminder, on many levels. But, you see those blooms beginning? They first emerged, buds turning to blooms, exactly on May 11th; yep, Mother's Day!  I know that my own precious mother is smiling, she would just love this. 

And one more thing. I ran across this the other day, can't remember where; but it resonated with me.

Maybe it will with you too.

Life is Good!

It really, truly is. 

 

Easter Remembrances

I spent the morning decorating for Easter; decorating cookies that is, there are personalized ones this time too, my first attempt at writing with the piping bag. It's been a long time since I worked on cookies like this, at least three months, I could tell that my skills were a bit rusty; it felt good nonetheless. These cookies will be especially sweet, they were rolled out with my mother-in-law's wooden rolling pin. My husband has memories of sweet-treats-to-come when she would bring her rolling pin out of the cupboard; she always kept it wrapped in the same cotton towel for storage, that's just the way I carried it home a few weeks ago and the way I will keep it here. There's no way of calculating how many perfect pie crusts she rolled out with this pin over the years, she tried to teach me her secret but I never quite measured up. I will keep at it though, Mom would be proud; and in the meantime, we'll eat cookies.

Happy Easter! 

Make Mine Mint

Custom-made jewelry credit: almost three year old Lynnleigh

One the best part of the Christmas season, for me, is the easy availability of all things peppermint flavored!  Peppermint tea has been an eagerly anticipated afternoon treat for the last few weeks as I finish up projects and check off those last minute "to do" lists. The advent of Chick Fil-A's Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshakes really kicks off the holiday season for me; I read their signs advertising this holiday temptation to be "Available for a Limited Time" as a cautionary warning and know that one time during the Christmas rush will be my time to indulge. Last week was that time! Yum. 'Tis the season. Imagine my delight, when I found these at grocery store check out area! 
I believe that they're new (or new to me!), naturally, I couldn't help myself, they jumped in the bag and followed me home! Limited Availability; it gets me every time, especially when we're talking about peppermint! Christmas is almost here, it will all be a memory before we know it. Can we find a way to keep Christmas? The reality is this: Christmas is available to all of us, all the time: after the crumbled wrapping paper is disposed of, the tree and decorations stowed and all things peppermint have disappeared from store shelves. Christmas lives within us; unlike peppermint milkshakes, the time limit need not be extended. It's Christmas, rejoice; savor the flavor!

Life is Good!