my favorite rose

facebook keeps asking what is on my mind?
my youngest child.
she is on my mind.
today is a big day.
she's getting that hard earned degree.
the one that makes her able to be a teacher.
yippee and hoorah don't even begin
to express it.

a few of my favorite people have
come to help us celebrate.
we've been giggling and smart mouthing
and laughing until tears ran down.  

this little corner of the state just 
doesn't realize how lucky it is to have
this much awesomeness gathered here.
all because we love our graduate.

graduations are a bit tricky for me.
i ALWAYS get teary eyed at pomp 
and circumstance.
so it will happen today too.
and not due to sadness. 
they are happy tears.
happy tears to see a dream realized.
to know the wide world awaits.
new adventures to have.

today we miss those who aren't
here celebrating with us.
especially her big brother.
we know he is just as proud and will be
thinking of us all as he sits in the middle of the 
gulf working but wishing he was here.

however, we shall party on
proud and strong.

you got this one daughter-roo.
and remember you shall always be
my favorite rose.  


    
    
 

red velvet cake season

ahhh May!
my favorite month.
flowers and trees are blooming,
spring is here, 
usually, 
and summer is coming. 
all great things. 
plus...
it's my birthday month.
it's red velvet cake season.
red velvet cake season you ask?
yes. 
officially it starts in May.
 
i've been eating Waldorf Astora Cake,
the official name for
red velvet cake, light years before 
it was cool to do so.  
over 45 years in fact.
mom always made it for my birthday
because i requested it.
we only had it once a year.

now in my home we have it two times a year.
our youngest child has adopted it as her
favorite cake too. 
she's also a May born baby, 
our birthdays are exactly one week apart.
hence "the season".
sometimes we've cupcaked hers.

this year she wants to serve it at her 
COLLEGE GRADUATION reception.
(insert her cart-wheeling parents here).
not that it's a miracle or anything,
her graduating, 
(however, cart-wheeling parents
would qualify as miraculous.)
anyway....  
certainly worth celebrating.
and certainly worth Waldorf Astoria Cake.

fyi, we never use cream cheese frosting.
that is wrong.
don't even think of it.
ours is a french vanilla frosting.
and mine always is topped with coconut 
and pecans.
the college graduate however does not 
add those. 
she's independent that way.
: )     

brown-eyed-handsome-man
makes my cake from scratch.
every year.
we've been married for nearly 36 years
and he's made it every year.
sometimes he makes more than one.
like the year i turned 50,
we had a party so he made an extra
cake or two.
the party was in the evening.
some of the guests stayed with us
and we decided to have some cake
with our lunch.
oh yes,
we had some cake.
the whole dog-gone thing!
it required another cake to be made
for the evening party.
but he ran out of red food coloring,
so tried green food coloring.
no can do.
it was horrid!!!
greasy-ish.
do not mess with a good thing.
we tossed the green cake,
made an emergency trip to town 
for red food coloring
and the cake was it's usual
perfect self.

red velvet cake season
has commenced.
don't forget to celebrate it.
and if you want the 
correct frosting recipe..
you just need to ask us.
we're the experts of course.
;-)

     

        
 
 

the north wind doth blow...

and we shall have snow,
and what will poor robin do then,
poor thing?
he'll sit in the barn and keep himself warm,
and hide his head under his wing,
poor thing.

seems the robins in the 16th century
had the same problem
the robins have in the 21st century.

spring oh spring
where forth are thou? 


  
 

my daughters listened

raising kids is challenging.
sometimes you're just not sure if 
they are listening.
sometimes you are
QUITE sure they are NOT
listening.

however in one area
mine have heard the word.

for several years i've said,
"don't give me flowers when i die.
i won't enjoy them much then.
i'd rather have them now,
so i can see and feel the love
they bring."

and for several years now
i've gotten flowers.
sometimes for a 
flower-giving-holiday.
sometimes just because.

here's the latest version
of "lesson learned." 
oldest daughter and favorite son-in-love
sent Easter flowers to us.

 

part of the message reads,
"...sending you much love
and many hugs
across the miles & mountains & plains &
rivers & forests & mooses...
love you a b & a p."

last month our teacher-daughter sent
beautiful flowers- purple iris and stargazer lilies.
the message was equally as sweet
"beautiful flowers for my beautiful momma."
:-)

brown-eyed-handsome-man and 
i did a few things right it seems.

love you girlies (and fav.s.i.l.)
more than my luggage.    

   

hide and seek

i grew up loving children.
my mom had a loving heart
for all children...
and their parents.
it wasn't unusual for us to bring home
someones child after church
just for the afternoon, to give the 
parents a break. 
we were headed back to evening
church, so it was a few hours
we got to love on and play with 
these kids.        

lately i've spent time with some 
great nieces and nephews.
in texas my sweet 8 yr old niece announced
she wanted me to sit beside her at dinner.
of course i would!
she was finished before me,
i sat and visited with her mom and
grandma a bit, while she popped in
and out checking on us.
soon i knew it was time to find Miss A.
i looked all over inside.
no.
then outside.
no.
where could she be?
come to find out we were both 
looking for each other and kept missing
one another.
hahah.
we ended up outside playing assorted
versions of catch.
she's much more athletic than
her old gray haired aunti,
but tolerated me well.
we laughed and giggled,
lots.
we even let her older brother play too.
the kids were really excited when
my brown-eyed-handsome-man 
came out to play. he could challenge
their skills which they loved.  

friday evening i had fun with more
greats.
these 3 are a full of energy. 
the youngest is 4 and the
oldest in kindergarten.
we played hide and seek at dads. 

2 of the 3 are young enough they 
struggle keeping quiet while hiding.
they giggle and wiggle with excitement.
no matter how many times
you hide in the same closet
they act like it's a new place
and finding or being found there 
is miraculous!
you can also hide in fun places
like on the bed, but
under the bedspread. your body
is very obvious but it takes them a bit to
'think outside the box'.
then of course
they must hide there next time!
the excitment in these bodies 
and joy on their faces
kept all 3 literally hopping 
like baby bunnies.   
 
bird and i had a blast!
i kept thinking how blessed
i am.

fyi
playing hide and seek with children 
is much more fun
than hide and seek with things i've
temporarily lost,
like my mind!