Monday Morning

I hope you all had a very nice celebration of Father's Day, yesterday. I am enjoying my second cup of coffee on the deck, while the clouds hover over the hills, and thinking of the wonderful time we had over at daughter J's house celebrating. Hubby was quite spoiled. Daughter J cooked up pulled pork on a bun sandwiches with coleslaw, baked beans, and I brought over some macaroni salad. Daughter H made the most delicious southwestern dip with chips (I will have to steal the recipe), and little canape's made with a large green olive wrapped in a cream cheese smothered slice of pepperoni. Mmmm! The pulled pork was slow cooked in Root Beer for 10 hours then pulled apart and heated up with bbq sauce. Delicious! Son G and fiance' E brought along a Boston Cream Pie from one of their favorite bakeries and I tell you, it was heaven. It was so wonderful spending the day with all of my family and honoring the 'main man' in our lives.

I brought along these little seed packet decorated cans that I made for the ladies as little gifts.  They are so easy to make and I will post the directions on a future blog.

I have slathered my toast with this marvelous home-made orange marmalade that my dear sister-in-law sent to me, all the way from New England. Aren't the little jars so sweet with their hand crafted covers? I love how the little bit of sunshine shines through the glass.

As I sit and browse through my favorite magazines I can see the little pavillion that my hubby so lovingly sets up every spring. It is a cool shady place to sit on a hot summer day. It sits high up above the ground like our very own tree house.

This little table is where I sit and have my morning coffee on nice days. My son 'D' has given me all the turquoise planters for birthdays and Mother's Day over the last several years.

 This beautiful 'Golden Rain' tree was also a gift from him a few years ago and is now in full bloom. The flowers are amazingly sweet scented and full of buzzing bees.

Whitey enjoys keeping me company and is always on alert. He has so much energy!

I was on pet-sitting duty for the 'grandpups' this weekend. My daughter J has two miniature dachsunds.  This is Peanut. Her main goal in life is to be human. She wants to be in your lap to 'gaze deep into your eyes'. She also wants to be part of the conversation and sitting at the table.

'Weenie Baby' loves nothing more than a good sun bath. Her main goal in life is to 'catch that squirrel' and has been known to climb a tree if there are any low branches. She also loves to dig for moles. She has yet to fulfull her goal, but she never gives up.

I snapped these lovely pictures of the countryside on my way over to visit my Dad in the nursing home. The yellow buttercups fill the fields and look so dramatic against the gray skies.

These are lucky horses!

It is always bittersweet going to see my Dad. He has no idea who I am anymore, but I always remind him and he seems to perk up at the mention of my name. I know that someplace deep inside, there is a little spark of recognition. I always try to bring a fresh bouquet of flowers and a thank you note for the wonderful staff who take such loving care of my Dad. Now they leave the vase on the counter for me to fill! The ride over is beautiful, skirting along the little narrow Mountain valley with Mt. Rainier in the distance. I have seen beautiful sights on my little journey. The very last time I drove over with my Mom, we saw a whole flock of snow geese in a field. It is a very special memory as she passed away soon after.

It was a very rainy weekend. On Saturday we had over an inch of rain in one day. But always at the end of the day, just as the sun is about to set, it shines below the clouds and lights the hills on fire with it's warm reddish glow.

Despite the gloomy weather, my flowers always cheer me up. These Alliums are so bright growing out of the patch of blue 'Forget me Not's'.

Well, I am done with my coffee and toast and now I have to get busy and tidy up the house after a weekend of Hubby and pets. Thank you for sharing my morning coffee with me! I hope you have a happy Monday!