Among the Trees: Colonial Park

We’ve had a beautiful May around here and I’ve been able to go outside a lot.  I’ve done work outside, I’ve sat in the sun and read books, and on Memorial Day, JT and I went to my favorite local park for a walk and a sit in the sunshine. 

The Rose Garden is at its splendid best.  

The wisteria is lovely and it's rich scent fills the air. 

Everywhere I look, there is beauty in this oasis.  One of the the things I like most about Colonial Park is the long views to be seen.  I have several favorite places to sit on a bench and soak it all in. 

That’s happy!

The May Juggernaut

I often reflect on the fact that May is - hands down - the best month in New Jersey.  Days can often be warm - but not yet sweltering - and nighttime sleeping weather is cool enough that a quilt and blanket keep me cozy as I sleep with the windows open.  Birds sing me awake in the mornings and the days are steadily getting longer.  Plants and gardens are looking splendid, with hostas, peonies, irises, and rhododendrons at their best.  The scent of my neighbor’s lilac bush perfumes the day into the  golden twilight.  

May is all those things but it’s also the last full month of school and the days are crammed full, accompanied by a to-do list that gets longer and longer, seemingly resistant to completion of anything. My Middle School students are alternately energized by the blissful weather and then exhausted at the idea of doing a single damn thing.   The end-of-the year is in sight but not quite within reach and they can be overwhelmed.  I understand the feeling; I’ve been known to read an extra chapter when I should just turn out the light and go to sleep.  The front porch calls to me with a siren song of temptation and I don't bother to resist.  

For me, the countdown to the close of the school year officially starts today.  There are 13 days between me and the sweet freedom of June 8, punctuated by the long weekend of Memorial Day, which will be a welcome respite.  As the busy days fly by, I will count them down and look forward to the bliss of Summer’s freedom.

Gratitude Journal: Pot of Impatiens

I know someone who calls daily gratitude the “glimmers” in her world.  I like that way of thinking about gratitude.  For me, moments of gratitude are often a glimmer….a moment or more that feels good and happy; when the stars feel aligned and I experience a sense of contentment and peace.  I start this week with much to be grateful for.  Chief among them is the Mother’s Day celebration that JT organized for me.  I felt loved and cared for; understood and appreciated.  It was a day I will remember and reflect upon for many years to come.  

As of this week, my houseplants have been moved outdoors to soak up the warm weather and on the front deck, impatiens and geraniums keep the plants company.  That is such a happy thing in my world.

I can spy this terra cotta pot of impatiens from the rocking chair on the porch; from my cozy reading chair in the living room, and outside when I pass by the front door.   I see it when I leave home in the morning and when I come home in the evening.  The pot is just the right amount of aged; the flowers are verdant and bright and every thing about it fills me with gratitude.  That’s happy!

Real Life Texts with KO: Friday in May edition

The Backstory: In the world of schools, May is a juggernaut to be survived.  Getting to the end of the week feels glorious but not all Fridays are created equal.  Yesterday started on a rough note.  I texted my sister and my mom a report.

Me: This morning at 5:45 am, the downstairs toilet clogged.  I fixed it and thought ok…day gets better from here.

Me: At 6:45 am, I discover that Lucy has puked in my bed.  I don’t want a do-over for Friday, I just want it to be over.

KO:  Friday needs to pull its shit together.

Me:  Truth.

Update: The day did improve in that it eventually permitted me to come home from work, cut the grass, wash the sheets of my bed, and dream of sleeping in on Saturday.

Among the Trees: A Celebration of May

Of all the months in New Jersey, May is by far the loveliest.  Trees have begun to leaf out and lawns are a lush, verdant green.  In my yard, some tulip flowers in the northern-facing flowerbeds are still standing tall, I have iris flowers, and the hosta leaves have begun to open.  Later in the month, there will be peonies and rhododendron flowers.   Daytime temperatures are often warm while the nighttime weather is perfect for sleeping.  In short, May is lovely. 

This year is no exception and we’ve had sunshine this week.  The blue skies and fluffy white clouds feel like they are here to feed my soul just when I most need two feel the light.

The Month of May, Kicking My Butt, Per the Usual

When it comes to school and work, the month of May is - invariably - completely insane.  Busy beyond measure, May usually finds me heading to work at 7 am and coming home later than I would like.  There is a long to-do list to start every day.  Typically, the month has two enormous saving graces:

1. May is beautiful - blooms are fresh, trees and lawns are verdant.  The month is filled with splendid color and smells and, often, lovely warmth.  

2.  It’s the last full month before June and summer break.  Time off - splendid, happy, relaxing time off - is on the horizon in May.  The prospect helps to  make the long, busy days worthwhile.

I thought that this May might be different, working from home as I am.

Ha.

It’s still beautiful, as per the usual.  And, as per the usual, it’s been crazy busy.  Neither morning nor afternoon commute happens, as all I need to do is come downstairs to go to work.  But, damn, there is a lot of work to be done.  Plus, I’m teaching lessons remotely and those lessons don’t seem to write themselves.  Usually, this point in May finds me turning the students loose to use the last weeks of class time to work on their big final project.  This year, lessons will see us through to the closing, and class time is used for direct instruction.

Breaks and time too think seem to be a fairly short supply.  So I start blog posts but never seem to finish.  I miss the time spent on this project and as I get farther and farther behind, I am annoyed that I can’t find the time for myself.  This weekend has provided some time and I will fill in from behind and plan forward so that postings continue.

Front Porch in May

My front porch comes into it’s warm-weather own come the month of May.  This is the month of flowers and plants outside.  But process is gradual because it’s not yet quite warm enough for all of my plants to be outside. So the month’s plants are a two-step process.  The first steps happened on Saturday.  A new flag is flying.

The green-ribboned wreath is on the front door.

The table has some of the hearty ivy that spent the winter outside.  

Later this month, more flowers and plants will also arrive.  By then, this porch will be ready to host me and my morning coffee.  In the midst of all the uncertainty right now, I’m looking forward to the certainty of time on the front porch, my balm in every season.

Front Yard Flowerbed in May

Cleaning out this flowerbed was an April chore that has really paid off.  Seen from overhead on the front porch, things are looking lovely.

As the hostas fill in, I will make plans for more hostas (because there is always room for more hostas) and then some mulch to keep the unwanted weeds at bay.

The elephant-ear hostas are always the last to make their appearance but they too are well on their way.

As much as I love the ivy,  it will need to be kept trimmed lest it take over the house.  

In the meantime, things are looking lovely and I am taking particular joy in the blooming azalea.

This time of year is the sweet spot for the flowerbed and this year is no exception.  Even on a rainy day, the flowerbed is lovely to behold.

Hello, May.  It’s nice to see you.  

Cinco de Mayo!

It’s not that big a holiday in Mexico, but for most of my life, I’ve celebrated Cinco de Mayo.  When I was in elementary school,  the high school's Mariachi band would come to play and dance.  In college and beyond, I was known to celebrate the day with excess tequila.  These days, the 5th of May means taco supper and cerveza or two.

That’s happy!

May Book Report: The Summer Before the War

I’ve an enduring fondness for all things English.  Set your novel in the English countryside and I can just about guarantee that I will pick up the book.  This month’s read met all my requirements for a happy read: Helen Simonson's The Summer Before the War is set in the English countryside in the summer of 1914, in the expectant months after the Archduke Ferdinand has been assassinated and just before the European continent goes to all-out war.  

The book begins as the story of an independent young woman, Beatrice, as she seeks to make her own way in the world by working as a Latin teacher in the small English town of Rye.  Beset less by her own doubts than the sexism of a society that treats unmarried young woman as a problem to be solved, her independence seems to flummox her family and most of the small town.

She finds an advocate in the form of one of the school supporters, an independent-minded middle-aged woman named Agatha.  As the summer wanes and the town makes preparation for war, Beatrice finds her way forward as both a school teacher and an independent woman.  I found this book to be an easy read.  There were some sparkling moments, especially the early reflections on women and the struggle for rights at the start of the 20th century, but it wasn’t exceptional so much as it was good; a nice read for the end of the long and busy days of May.

May Front Porch

In the last few weeks, the front porch has gotten a spit shine.  T fixed a few loose rails on the bannister and though I still need to complete some maintenance chores, right now things are looking quite lovely.   Indoor plants have come outside to soak up the sunshine.  They’ve been joined by pink impatiens that are lovely to admire.

May means flowers; bunches and bunches of them, thanks to the Mother’s Day treats T gave me.  There are pink begonias for the planter in front of the stairs.

I’ve hung a flag with a flowerpot to greet the day.

This year’s hanging baskets are fuschias, which are simply splendid.

The table has cheery geraniums and an assortment of other things that make me happy.

May has delivered a lovely patch of sitting outside weather.  I couldn’t be more pleased to welcome the mild days.  I’m making time to sit in the porch rocker and take it all in.  May, you’re looking darn fine. 

Old Man Tree: June 1

It says a lot about the state of my existence right now that when I first began writing this post, I titled it Old Man Tree: May 1.  In fact, the month of May has blown by and though I’ve felt all the effects, I still feel like my to-do list is just getting longer and longer.  I long for a break in the madness.

What I need is some quality time on my back deck, under the watchful eye of my very patient tree.  Last night at twilight, there was a beauty to old man tree that was simply splendid to behold.  I was halfway done with the supper dishes, looking for time to grade 7th grade final projects, and trying to swap out a load of laundry, but when I saw it, I stopped everything and came outside to make a few pictures and then I sat down to soak up the last of the splendid golden light.

This morning, the light was different but my steadfast tree remains the same.

Though it may not seem like it, the ivy is slowly coming down.  

The last day of school is tomorrow and the coming weeks will provide me with time to enjoy the company of my backyard and my splendid tree.  I am looking forward to it.

May Shows Off

Inspired by the abundant rhododendron blooms, my peony is making an impressive display of its own.  Just a few weeks ago, the tight buds were seeking the sun.

This morning brings beauty in abundance.

That’s happy!

Sanctuary

When the milder weather comes to stay, I want to spend all my free time outdoors.  In May, when Summer is in view but the month is a busy cacophony of tasks that must be completed to close out the school year, the front porch lures me for moments of quiet relaxation.  On these days, the chance to sit in my rocking chair, smell the violets, and see all the flowers in bloom feels like a quiet sanctuary where I can rest my busy mind and re-charge for the tasks that lie ahead.

I slept nearly 11 hours last night and woke up this morning to sunlight and time to linger over my coffee and flowers on the front porch.  That’s happy!

May On the Front Porch

My front porch in May is a transitional project, awaiting the arrival of flowers on Mother’s Day, a tradition that T began and that I very much enjoy.  In the meantime, I made a posey wreath for the front door.

By Mother’s Day, there is enough warm weather to enable most of my indoor plants to travel outside for the summer warmth and sun.  The shefflura grew like gangbusters all winter; I’m hoping that my drooping fuchsia recovers this summer.

I have hanging baskets of New Guinea impatiens with vinca vines.  These are the loveliest baskets I’ve ever chosen and that T helped me pick them out in a steady, cold rain is proof of how spoiled I am.  

I’ve a planter full of double begonias.

There are pansies, impatiens, a Gerbera daisy, and a pot of ivy.

May’s beauty is a lovely salve on long, busy days and I’m looking forward to spending some relaxing summer hours in this happy patch of loveliness.

Rhododendron Report

On either side of my front steps are rhododendron bushes that come into their own when May arrives.  This month is no exception and a bit earlier than usual, purple began to show itself on the edges of the tight flower buds.

Earlier this week, I came home to discover that the first flower had burst open.  It was such a lovely welcome home.

There are many others set to follow.

The weeks ahead will bring me dozens of lovely purple flowers.  The display will be splendid and abundant and it will make come home after a long busy day that much sweeter.

Mother Nature always gets to be garish in a way that I envy.

Food Friday: Grasshopper Pie dessert

This week’s Sunday dessert was grasshopper ice-cream pie, with an Oreo crust, mint chocolate chip ice cream filling, a layer of chocolate, and a dollop of whip cream.

That’s delicious!

May Book Report: The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard

The Light Years is the first book in a series of stories known as the Cazalet Chronicles, about an upper middle class English family in the mid-20th century.  The Light Years begins on the eve of World War II and the five books in the series take the reader through the war and into the post-war.  The story in the The Light Years unfolds through more than two dozen well-drawn characters and the author, Elizabeth Jane Howard, is especially adept in her understanding of the universe of children.

I first read these books when I was in my 20s and hadn’t read them for years when I picked up the Light Years in May.  I remembered some elements of the novel, but was struck anew at the brilliance of Howard’s ability to weave a story rich with so many characters and so well-fixed in historical time.  Howard has command of the sentiments of so many people.  As the author, she is fair to them all, even those who don’t deserve our sympathy.

This is a powerful experience for me.  Of course I’m aware that people feel and act differently from me and even different from how I want them to act.  But that old adage of walking a mile in another’s person’s shoes is always a valuable lesson to remember.  Howard does a beautiful job at permitting the reader to walk that mile.  

In May, the busiest month of my year, I eagerly consumed the The Light Years and the next two books in the series (Marking Time and Confusion).  I’m saving the last two books of the collection the month of June and the relaxation of summer break.  It’s always a pleasure to read a book I enjoy, but especially pleasing to read that book again as I experience life from an all-together different vantage point.

Kryptonite

In May, I’ve taken to making delicious Sunday evening desserts to ease our way back into the busy weeks at the end of the school year.  Last Sunday, I tried my hand at old fashioned coconut cream pie.

JT, otherwise the world’s pickiest eater, loves all things coconut, and this pie was no exception.  A slice of it while he watched Sunday night baseball briefly tamed the beast.

Delicious!