Hello friends, where does the time go? So much to catch up on, so if you're in a pinch for time, swing by later. Otherwise, pour an icy lemonade, put your feet up, and read on. And just for atmosphere, as author Susan Branch would say, click for a little Musica to put you in the vintage, summertime mood!
May was full of spring cleaning, gardening, band concerts, scholarship and award ceremonies, and two (yes two!) graduations, all paired with the most perfect springtime weather I can remember.
Flowers have been blooming non-stop and the herb garden is calling for us to make pesto and salsa. Sunsets have been spectacular and days have had just enough rain so I haven't had to water the garden constantly.
In early May, our daughter graduated with one of her two degrees...she's double-majoring in Dance and Psychology. With the dance degree now complete, she's focusing on her Psychology degree while dancing full-time as a trainee with a ballet company. She graduated Summa Cum Laude...an exciting surprise we didn't know about until she was at graduation; so proud of her! This weekend she'll head off to spend 6 weeks with another ballet company...her days are full, but she's doing what she loves.
The remainder of May was filled with scholarship opportunities for our son...no one knows who the recipients will be until the names are read at the ceremonies. We were thrilled when he received an Eagle Scout scholarship and another generous one given by an anonymous donor.
There were band concerts, reunions with favorite teachers at his Elementary School, and a hometown parade. All along, his cap and gown have been hanging nearby to remind me the day was coming. Armed with waterproof mascara and tissues, I was good until he came across the stage, received the diploma, and then shook the hand of a favorite teacher. He was honored to be the one who lead the graduating class in moving the tassels on their hats...it was official. And it all sinks in.
A few weeks later was his graduation open house...my to-do list was longer than was humanly possible to complete, but when the day came, it was all about friends and neighbors sharing memories and wishing him well. He'll be at our state university studying bio-chemistry. Thank goodness it's only an hour away!
A little more than a week after his party, a storm blew in. When the seasons begin to change and the weather warms up here, there's always the possibility of severe storms. This storm has now been categorized as an F1 tornado, with wind speeds from 73-112 mph. It came through our county with NO tornado sirens and NO mobile warnings. (yes, I think heads should roll - people were caught completely unaware!) The tornado path was 3 miles away...many homes and farms had damage with trees completely uprooted. We were lucky; the strong winds that came with the storm blew limbs down, but they missed our home. We've cleaned up what we can and are now on a waiting list for a tree removal company to clear out the rest.
And along with that storm, the beautiful, balmy, 70-degree weather we'd been enjoying turned to a devilishly uncomfortable high of 97 degrees, and then (wait for it...) our community lost power. Out came oil lamps and flashlights and in the background was the continual hum of a portable generator keeping the freezer, refrigerator, and fans going. And while we have 5-gallon containers of drinking water in our storage, we had recently emptied the water tanks we store in the basement that are kept full for washing, watering animals, etc. The water pump for our well is electric, so showers were taken at the YMCA and a generous friend supplied us with additional water. It was only 3 days, but in the high heat, that was more than enough.
So now, with all that behind us, today has been a picture-perfect June day blessing us with a cool breeze from the North and temperatures back to normal. Right now I have cookies baking in the oven and we're settling in to watch a movie. Yes, it's been a crazy few weeks, but after all, isn't it about the memories? Years from now, someone will say, "Do you remember when..."
I'm looking forward to catching up on all of your blog adventures, and fingers crossed, things should be back to "normal" now!
Have a great weekend friends!
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