Spring Day

I woke up to a beautiful Spring Day. The purple plum trees are one of the first to bloom here. I love the soft pink, white and lilac blooms. They cheer even the gloomiest of days.

This lovely row of trees is along the road I take to the grocery store.

My heart was postively singing as I drove along.

I love how the pink blossoms stand out against the dark evergreens.

A trip to the grocery store turned magical.

Birthdays

What is it about birthdays that bring out so many emotions? There is the joyous celebration of another year older when you are a young child growing up and looking forward. There are the milestone birthdays of sweet sixteen, twenty one, thirty, all marking a new stage of life with endless possibilities, hopeful aspirations and heartfelt wishes. There are the quiet birthdays, celebrated with just a chosen few, to mark the passage of another year. Some birthdays are remembered more than others, like the birthday when you received a much wished for gift as a child, or when a special friend or relative attended. Then there are the deeply cherished birthdays, celebrated after a life or death event or a serious illness. As we get older, we are achingly aware of the time passing by, marked by first the 40th birthday, then the big one, our 50th, ushering us into a new territory. This is when we are aware of the limitations, the passing of time, the holding on to every year. And that is why we love birthdays so much. They give us a chance to look back at where we have been and to reassess our priorities for the coming year. A celebration of all of the love we share with others and gratitude that we made it this far.

Beatrice Euphemie Wedding Day

Beatrice Euphemie

Beatrice Euphemie was my maternal Grandmother of Scottish descent. She is the inspiration for my lifestyle. Together with my Irish fisherman Grandfather, she raised 7 daughters and 1 son during the depression. She lived in a classic white farmhouse and did all her own canning from her large and beautiful vegetable garden. She even made her own rootbeer! My favorite place in her old fashioned kitchen was her walk- in pantry with it's big window overlooking her prolific garden. Her pride and joy were her gladiolas that she grew from bulbs her grandmother passed down to her. Despite her many hardships, she always kept a beautiful home and gardens, was an excellent cook, and always fashionably dressed.  She always made time for the many impromptu visits from her large family, and kept her pantry stocked just for these occasions with delicious pies and cakes to serve with coffee. I'll always remember her standing at her back door with her flowered apron covering her pretty farmhouse dress, greeting us with a warm smile.

She passed along that 'can-do' spirit and her love of home and family to her children and her grandchildren. My Mother kept that spirit alive, keeping a beautiful home, cooking delicious meals, and overcoming all obstacles thrown in her way with the same ferocious can-do attitude.

I hope to pass that legacy along, and pay tribute to my Grandmother, Beatrice Euphemie and all the hardworking Mothers and Grandmothers, Daughters, Aunts, and Sisters who put their heart and soul into creating the life of their dreams, who value family above all else, and who work hard to make a house a home.