May Days

 May Days went quickly for me. I really like May...it is such a pleasant month post teaching. Some of the loveliest weather is in this merry month of May. I think the young people call it "Maycember" because of its busyiness with school ending and all the activities. I remember those days and don't exactly miss that. However, the last 2 weeks of May have been very busy for me. I had many appointments and then we went to Auburn where I generally rest and catch my breath, but this time even that was busy. So, I have been AWOL and now heading in to June trying to catch my breath. 

My daylilies are so pretty at the moment. These will take me in to June and I have a few varieties that go on into July. It keeps a happy pop of color near the front of the house for a little longer.

A couple of weeks before Memorial Day I popped into a store and bought some flags. All of mine were really needing a replace. Since I have no where to hang a flag on the front of our house, I bought several to line my only pots out front. I took this picture soon after I purchased them. The flowers are so much bigger now, but I am too lazy to walk out and take a new picture.

I got 3 taller ones and 2 shorter ones to lean out a little bit. I was quite pleased with myself. The month had been so busy with things that Memorial Day slipped up on me as well and I got my little patriotic stitches out on Wednesday before Memorial Day. We left on the Thursday that week to go to Auburn. It was quiet but we had friends there so it was go go go.

As I was standing in line to purchase those flags, it hit me that next year the country will be celebrating 250 years since that Declaration was written. I started reminiscing about 1976 and the Bicentennial. That was so much fun. I am now looking forward to getting my patriotic game on for next year...well, this year too.

Tucker got on the bus for the last time as a kindergartener. Seriously, how can that be?!!! He has had a growth spurt as of late too. He is looking like such a big boy.

Palmer will be attending VPK in August at the same little church school that Tucker attended. I was so happy Lindsay decided to move him to that school. The church daycare that both he and Tucker have gone to is starting VPK this August and has been a great daycare, but the one Tucker went to for VPK was just amazing and I just know in my gut it is the right choice. I had been praying about it. She is going to let him attend VPK twice since he is so small and has a late summer birthday. 

Kristan, our niece and family are in town and we had our annual pizza dinner this past week. I remembered to grab a couple of photos. The twins Katelyn and Tanner will be 16 in August. For those of you have followed along with me for the years know that is hard to believe as well. Katelyn is sitting by the TV and Tanner is on the couch on the phone in the next photo.

Practically grown. Katelyn plays soccer and loves Florida. She says she wants to come here for college and Tanner is a baseball boy and is all Texan.

Valerie was sleeping in this picture but came out later and enjoyed watching all the boys' antics.

Jeff has grown quite a few tomatoes in buckets this year. Another blessing of the pine trees being removed. Enough sunlight to get these little goodies.

We went out to Lindsay's for Memorial Day afternoon to eat. I snapped this cute photo of Palmer with Valerie.

And this one of the Three Musketeers.

As I was placing the dolphin stitch on the shelf next to the whale, I realized how cute it would have been if I had turned him on the diagonal for his pillow, but he looks cute in the dish anyway. Live and learn.

A cute story about the candy below which illustrates what Paul Allen will be dealing with when Miles becomes a teen. Might there be a little payback for the son who argued his case on a daily basis with me and gave me all my gray hair???

The candy is now known as "Ovals" at our house. I have been a fan of this candy for quite some time. I really like the dark chocolate coconut candy bars (much like Mounds or Almond Joy). I like them too much in fact. This brand has quality ingredients that I don't react to and while they are expensive, I do let myself indulge occasionally. I kept my stash in a drawer and really no one ever ate any but me, BUT then Jeff discovered them and likes them way too much too. He likes the above chocolate covered peanuts and the ones like Reese's peanut butter cups. So when he started coming home with bags of it, it wasn't long before Miles discovered all of in the pantry and took a great liking to the ones above.

One day he came over asking for the "ovals." Finally he explained it enough that we figured out he was talking about the candy. He knows his shapes and these are indeed oval shaped. The name has taken over the Palmer house.

Here is the case making chip off the old block part. One day Paul Allen and Katie were over and Miles asked for the ovals. Jeff proceeded to make the case for his large amounts of candy to them. He made them sound too healthy - so much so that Miles began to say when asking for more that Pa Pa said they were healthy.

I just had to smile, because he really is quite good at making his case even at his age. He is going to give his daddy a little bit of what his daddy gave me all the time. A constant case for what he deemed important to do that I didn't always agree with. I just can't wait until he says his dad's name 50 times in a row. Oh the teenage years.

I have my pre op appointment on Monday for my surgery on Friday. I am going to go look for a knee scooter after that because there is no way I can walk on crutches for a month at my age. 

Not looking forward to it, but also ready to get it behind me. I have a busy week trying to get my house clean enough for me to last 4 weeks not being able to do it like I want to. Gonna try to throw a beach day in there too. 

I will probably be off the blog again for 2 weeks.

Happy summer everyone. It is the best time of year!

Sandy