Playlist...

I'm so enjoying my new playlist that I made at Playlist.com. I've only a dozen songs on there at the moment, but I listen to them every day. I plan to add more later today.
I really love the song 'Held' by Natalie Grant. What a beautiful song. I'm so glad I invested in a nicer sound card and speakers for my computer that I bought last year from Dell. It's really paying off. Better sound that my Aiwa system. My Aiwa is really their basic product, but it serves it's purpose until we can afford a nicer one. Just not at the top of the list right now.

Mother's Day...

Angelique Tulips, plus 2 pink tulips, from my flower garden.

Wow, it's been awhile since I've been on here. Lots going on lately. My parents just left this morning to return to their home in NB, Canada. They arrived a week ago Friday for a week long visit and Mother's Day. It was a pretty good week weather-wise, things sure did green up. We mowed the lawn for the first time this week - probably could have been done earlier, but the fertilizer dude came and did his thing, so we couldn't go near the lawn for a couple of days. We gave it some extra time due to the lingering odor. The maples and other trees are so leafed out now that you can't see the neighbors' barn anymore out back. It's amazing, really, because my brother in northern Maine is probably just starting to see some grass, much less leaves, after their long and snowy winter.
Dad was anxious to get home and get started on some outdoor things. He's really in amazing shape for 76. He walks everyday, and still does alot of work around home, like cutting down trees, finished his tractor barn, landscaping, etc. His back barks at him sometimes, and he has to take it easy for a few days when that happens, but then he's back at it again, putting up molding and shelves in the house, doing those little things that makes everything that much nicer.
My Parents

Mom is holding her own. She's very active also, walks everyday, except for the fact she broke her ankle a week or so ago. We were going to 'shop til we drop' like we usually do (me dropping first!!) but not this trip. She did hobble around Marshalls and Kohls, but that was pretty much it this time. We put together 3 puzzles this week. We both love puzzles, and it's fun to work on them together, except it's kinda tricky when you are the one working on it upside down. :0)

We had lots of treats - courtesy of a trip to Costco - with spinach dip, bruschetta, hummus, several desserts, etc. We went to church yesterday, and came home and BBQ'd after rather than fighting the lines at the restaurants on Mother's Day. Mom and I did go to Panera Bread this week, a favorite of ours. I LOVE their decaf coffee. It's the best. And it goes so well with their Double Chocolate Chip Cookie. Yum! I get happy just thinking about it. ;0)
We did get to a few tag sales and an antique shop Saturday morning. Didn't get much this time, probably a good thing, because I did go to one a couple of weeks ago that was selling out antique dishes from a shop that had closed. I did really well, after comparing similar items for sale at the antique shop on Saturday.

Poor hubby. He changed the oil in the van this past weekend, and the O-ring didn't come off, he forgot about it, put a second one on, the filter didn't attach right, and the oil came gushing out all over the garage floor and driveway. Thank goodness for Absorbent.

I put my hummingbird feeder up yesterday, and last night saw my first hummer this season. I couldn't believe it. He's been here several times since then. I'm sure he's tired and hungry from his long trip from down south. I think they overwinter in Central America?
I'm still feeding the Downy's their suet, as well as the Hairy's and Redbellies. They are so comical, and sure count on that suet. The mockingbird has been singing - love to hear them, and I have a pair of red wing blackbirds announce their arrivals every time they come. The cardinals do too. I feel sorry for the female doves. The males have harassed them pretty near to death this spring mating season. They can't even eat in peace. Some have their feathers all messed up, tail feathers missing. They seem to be eating in peace today, so maybe all is over for another year. They are such peaceful birds, so it's surprising how aggressive the males become.
Chippy, one of our resident chipmunks (they are all called 'Chippy') has made numerous trips to my bird feeder, leaving with cheeks impossibly swelled up with seed.

Well, I've rambled on here long enough. It's laundry day, so I better get back at it. Max is sitting patiently here on my desk, waiting for me to do something? :0)
It was hard when my parents left this morning. I always cry, even after all these years. You'd think I'd get used to it. Even though I look forward to a break, I wish they'd come back for supper. Each year I realize they are getting older, and the inevitability that these trips will end is rushing at me with breakneck speed.
There's something about their leaving that leaves me so forlorn, almost like I've been abandoned. It reminds me again of how blessed I am to have such good parents - ones that love me as much as they do, and take the time and make the effort to travel to see us, and keep in close contact in between times.

It's in times like these that I'm so grateful that they are both Christians, and I really will get to keep them forever.

I got to the point a few years ago, after having moved many times, that I decided to start planting flowers where ever I was at that time. In this case, it was in Waterville, Maine.

We rented the downstairs of an old Victorian. Big rooms, high ceilings, on a very small fraction of an acre in town. Very small.

But the neighbor lady, Mrs. Frye, was so kind as to let me 'dig in her garden'.She had a 30 year old perennial garden that she had never done anything with. They had lived in that house all those years, but not being garden minded herself, had just let it go to weeds.The deal was, I would buy the flowers and fix it up, she could enjoy it, and when I left, I could take maybe 1/2 of what was there.

So Mom and I tackled it. It was a small mound of dirt about 12 x 12 feet. Beautiful dirt!! It had originally been a pond some 30 or 35 years before, and had been filled in with top soil. So I pulled what appeared to be weeds. The back half of the garden still had old perennials, and I mean OLD.

Blood root, Virgina Bluebells and Snowdrops. Things I had never seen before. Oh, and Asters. 4 foot tall purple New England Asters. They had been hidden in a foot or two of dead grass and weeds for years. I was delighted, of course. To that I eventually added many plants.

Daisies, primrose, English pompon daisies (so cute!), black eyed Susan's, bleeding heart, columbines, cardinal flower, balloon flower, and much more than I can mention. Yes, I filled it to the brim.

It's been 3 years now since I've seen the garden, as we moved several hours away. I know it isn't taken care of like it was, but it did something for me. I spent many hours in that garden while my husband worked in Baltimore all week. It was therapy, and gave me a sense of purpose. I decided then that if I wait until I own a place to plant flowers, it may never happen.And if I did own a place, I would have spent the money anyway. (I know I spent almost $300 in that small garden. lol!)

So when we moved to CT, the apartment we rented had, you guessed it, a small garden area outside the front door! I was so excited by this, and I spent many evening hours in it visiting with my neighbors. Again, more therapy.When we moved to this house, I brought much of the flowers with me this time.

Blackberry Lily

I have 3 Blackberry Lilies that I started from seed back in Waterville, that finally bloomed for the first time last summer. They take 4 - 7 years to mature enough to bloom, so I was quite pleased that it only took 4. I added more flowers to this house lot, and will take them all with me again when we buy. I am planning many more visits to the local greenhouses after that, you can be sure!

Blackberry Lily Seedpods