Garden Party

When I expressed my wee bit of disappointment at no one getting to fully enjoy my gardens during our son's graduation party, a gal over on the GardenWeb boards suggested I have a virtual garden party. You are all invited. Grab your favorite beverage to sip and join me for a stroll.
Welcome


Stella Daylily



Step out back....


The pond is small, but fun. See the fish?


Rampant roses and just opening daylilies


The Graduation Boy's Garden is just beginning to cook...


There's more, but my tea cup is empty and my shoes are wet from the dew. Let's get a refill and do some more another day.

Shindig

It's a done deal. I'm no longer a homeschool mom.

Our youngest graduated last Saturday in a private ceremony here at our house.


Private in that no other students graduated with him, but not at all exclusive. We invited many people who've had an impact on N's life. From church, from his baseball team, from neighbors and long time friends...and of course, the relatives...we estimate about sixty people crowded into our home. The original plan was to have the ceremony in the house with a huge Italian themed supper in the gardens. An inch of rain (on top of several that week) nixed that idea. Instead we moved furniture, set up tables, and had a cozy buffet supper indoors. Purple and gold abounded.

We had a little fun with the ceremony, using the traditional words of a wedding ceremony to begin...dearly beloved, we've gathered here to unite N with his diploma...if there are any objections. GRIN Of course, I had to demand he turn in his last research paper. wink, wink. We asked a couple of long time friends to share a few stories and thoughts, then opened the floor to others. Several people, including big brother, K, shared funnies and sweet sentiments. Finally, after a few closing thoughts from my husband and me, N was officially graduated.


It was a blast! Literally, in that we set off a selection of fireworks after dark...but also worth every hour of time we put into planning, prepping, and implementing...just like homeschooling. Lots of work, but worth the effort.

Mmmmmm...ice cream sundae bar. Sweet fun.

Even though I've been looking forward to this day for a while, I still can't quite believe that my official homeschool days are done. Whatever will I do with my time now? ;0)

Mom's Day

In sorting some photos recently, I came across this one taken on my 30th birthday. (That's been a few days ago...) I was thirty, my mom, forty-seven. Yep, she married my 20 year old dad when she was sixteen and had little ole me when she was seventeen. She used to say we grew up together.



My mom died at 55. Seven short years after this portrait was done.
Hug your mom today. Life is short.

Colorful Callas

Calla Lilies
Easy to grow, colorful, and perennial. What more do you want?




I'm deeply behind on reading everyone's blog. I'll catch up...after school is done and the shindig is history.

Shine!

Last night was the Senior Celebration at our church. This year, our son, Nathan, was honored, along with five other young men and women.

What a blast!

For one thing, it was such a treat to not be on the organizing committee. The parents of juniors do all the planning and hosting of the event. Let me tell ya, they did an awesome job of it this year.

The theme was Shine in '09. "Let your light shine....." was the theme verse. Candles and lots of pretty lights made for a dramatic decor. Each black draped and red-topped table had a triangle of photos of the seniors printed on translucent paper with LED lights inside the triangle.

The seniors spend all afternoon with their youth minister, Matt. Together, they ride in a limo to a cool area of town for a photo session by one of our former members. Then the limo takes them to an elder's home for a fancy dinner. One last ride in the limo brings them to the church building where a red carpet and a crowd awaits.


As they enter the building, the crowd treats them like rock stars...begging for autographs, snapping photos. It's a laughing good time.



Everyone has dessert at the beautifully decorated tables. Chocolate fountains with assorted dipping items were on the menu this year.

Every student had a personal memorabilia table. Nathan's was strewn with baseball photos and gear, some Nathan's favorite curriculum (our Trisms guidebooks, Lightning Lit Shakespeare, Rosetta Stone Dutch....) and photos from his travels.



There are projected photo programs...you know the ones that show the cute baby pics, and a video presentation of thoughts from the youth minister. Then, each set of parents got up on stage and shared some thoughts, both funny and sweet. After that, each senior expressed their thanks. Our senior had also presented part of the morning sermon. I'm impressed at his public speaking abilities.



It was a lovely evening filled with laughter, good food, and a tear or two.

Good memories.

I hope you can find something and someone to celebrate today. It doesn't have to be a fancy event, just offering encouragement and blessing can make someone's day.

A Garden Nursery

This little flower bucket hangs by the front door. I change the silk flowers seasonally. The other day, I noticed someone else had taken possession of it.


Can you find the three babies snuggled in there?

These are house finches. Mom is rather drab, but dad has a colorful red neck. They get mighty nervous when we head out to the front porch. It is a special blessing to have babies on the place.

Sorry I've dropped off the planet for the last week or so. We moved Nathan's graduation up a few weeks to the third weekend in May. Once we made that decision, we had to get in high gear to get senior portraits created (boy, am I out of practice!) get invitations done, addressed and mailed. All while maintaining our standard crazy baseball, work, and church schedule. Being the vain gardener gal that I am, I also felt like I *had* to get some plants and seeds in the ground so they'd look good for the shindig after the ceremony. Had, I tell ya, had to.

Thanks to those who've checked up on me. I appreciate your caring!

Affirming

It happened again.

Someone put two of my fanfic stories on their Favorite Stories list. These are short pieces I posted three or four years ago on http://www.fanfiction.net/. And, it's not the first time I've gotten this sort of notification.


Do you know what a pleasure it is? To know that some person out there found my little scraps of fiction interesting and entertaining enough to say they are on her 'here, read this one list?'

Humbling.

Affirming.

A little warm glow bringing a smile.

At the moment, I'm caught in the seasonal whirl that is baseball at our house, my son's last season as a high school player. We are over our heads with plans for graduation and his summer activities. There are two significant situations in my life causing me to feel as if I'm wearing my skin inside out, with all the raw nerves exposed. Creatively, I've spent some time with stained glass and with fabric as well as with my hands in the dirt, gardening. But, I haven't put thoughts to paper in fiction form for a while. Just the other day, I was seriously second guessing my desires to make a career from my pen. Maybe, I thought, I just don't have what it takes.

But, today, someone thought enough of my stories to put them on her Favorites list.

That's gotta be worth something.




Get your Spring Theme Challenge entries to me ASAP! I'm looking forward to seeing your work and affirming your creative gifts!