THE PERILS OF MAY...

Last week 

I wrote about the joys of May

 of which there

 are many...

...beautiful spring weather,

 flowers blossoming and 

bright sunshine...

...and the celebration of Mother's Day.

 I had a very nice Mother's Day. 

 We went shopping for the garden and 

the Captain, Kai and Robin 

accompanied me on a trip to 

Home Depot

 where we tip-toed 

through the tulips, so to speak.

  It was a fun day and 

in a couple of weeks, 

we will go down to the kids 

for an extended celebration

 with Tami for her birthday, 

another joy of May.

We've spruced up 

the summer porch, 

getting ready for another 

season of 

hummingbird watching.

I was preparing

 to trim up the Secret Garden 

and then...

that's when peril #1

 set in.

In all of the years

 we lived in Santa Cruz, 

I never experienced 

any type of allergies. 

 About two years ago,

 I noticed I was really bothered 

by the scent of the lilacs.

  Much to my dismay, 

I had to stop bringing them 

into the Cottage and 

that took care of it..

but this year is a

 different story.

I think these 

might be the main culprits 

as they are both blooming 

in the garden now.

The bees love these two plants and 

as they are busying about,

 they knock the pollen and the blooms off 

and it looks like snow

 on the ground. 

 I have had to lock myself inside 

with a cold, wet rag over my face,

 in order to get any relief.

Remember how prolific 

the wisteria was

 last year?

This is what 

it looked like this year. 

 I kid you not. 

 Another brutality

 of the perils of May.

 But, just when I thought 

the perils might be 

overtaking the joys, 

this happened...

...I heard the most 

brilliant and sweet little song and

 there he was.

  Romeo and Juliet 

may be planning to return

 to the little Pink Cottage.

 I've seen one or the other 

enter and then fly out, 

to return in a couple of days. 

 This was kind of their schedule

 last year, 

so I am hoping that

 they will take up residence once again 

and raise another 

little family.

So,

 now that the hummers are returning,

 and the culprits of peril 

are diminishing somewhat, 

I'm hoping the joys of May

 will carry on 

into June.

...Judy...

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THE JOYS OF MAY...

"Let all thy joys be

as the month of May."

Francis Quarles

17th Century poet

May Day

 has come and gone,

but the circle of

freshly picked Dollar Store blooms

remain as

 a welcome...

...and now

that the joy of May

is upon us,

the door opens and

lets the sun light and

soft breezes

come through.

Lilac Tide

was the name that

 Victorian poets gave

to this season of

beautiful blooms.

"The lilac stood close to Elizabeth's window,/ All purple with bloom../ But a wind is stirring the lilac blossoms,/ And a wonderful sweetness came floating in."

Mary E. Wilkins

"The Message of the Flowers"

1905

An enchanting flower,

 the lilac. 

So pretty

 beside a bed

fluffed and

 awaiting company.

"Sweetest of the flowers a-blooming

In the fragrant vernal days

Is the Lilly of the Valley

With its soft, retiring ways.."

Paul Laurence Dunbar

My folks on their way to a dance in costumes my mom made

Early 1960's

The Captain's Mother, Grace

One of the many joys of May

 is the celebration of

Mother's Day. 

 One deep regret

that I have in life

is that my mom

never got to see our Cottage

or sit beside the lilac bush

 that was grown from a start

of one of hers,

 but she is here

 in spirit

 all the same.

"The shadow of my mother 
danced around the room
 to a tune that
 my shadow sang."

Jamaica Kincaid

"My Mother"

"There are few of us 

who cannot remember 

a front yard garden

 which seemed to us 

a very paradise 

in childhood."

Sarah Orne Jewett

1881

The race

for the best sun spot

is still ongoing and

this one was won

by a nose.

"Some people like

 to make a little garden 

out of life."

Jean Anouilh

...Judy...

Hope you are all

 experiencing

 the joys of May.

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UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL...

New beginnings! 

 Although spring 
has been here for awhile, 
Mother Nature has finally decided 
to align herself with the calendar.

 We are having 
some beautiful weather and 
when beautiful weather happens,
 my mind turns to 
cleaning house!

I have been dusting and doing
 and taking on one room at a time 
to get ready for what,
 I hope, is a
 peaceful and delightful summer.

 Before anything else, 
I would like to give Katie at
 Let's Add Sprinkles 
a tremendous thank you
 for featuring my 
Kitchen Shopping 
post last week. 

 I am always so appreciative 
when someone takes 
their time and efforts
 to give me such an honor 
and, Katie, 
I thank you very much.

As I told you in my last post,
 I am turning the Cottage into
 a blue and white summer place. 
 This is not a new concept.
  These iconic colors are timeless and
I have been reading 
that a lot of you
 are doing the same thing.

  
I have kept almost all
 of the Victoria magazines 
over the years and
 when an idea comes to mind,
 I look to them to help me 
in my search for 
just the right things. 
 I've seen so many 
wonderful ideas and,
 of course, 
almost all of them use items 
that I could only dream about.
  But, as I am dusting and doing,
 I have been looking 
through my stash of blue and white and
 find that I have more 
than I thought I did.

Because these colors 
are a recurring theme 
throughout the Cottage,
 I think I sometimes 
take them for granted and
 don't really look at them as
 the strong influence 
that fuels the way 
I like to decorate.

...so, 
I have gathered a small selection
 of blue and white 
that I have on hand and
 while choosing ones to use in my project, 
I will take you along 
as I look at them..
up close and personal.

Some of these 
will be used throughout the project,
 some will be put back 
on the shelf for another time and
 as we proceed through the summer,
 other colors will be added 
to celebrate certain occasions.
  
All of us 
favor certain colors and styles and 
if we look closely 
at what inspires us, 
it might make it easier 
to put a 
special look together.

When you see, 
up close and personal
 all that inspires you,  
you might be certain that
 you are on the right track or,
 it may surprise you, and 
send your imagination soaring
 into a whole 
different direction.



...Judy...

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