Prelude to Summer~Memorial Day

~ Maine Veteran's Memorial Cemetery ~

Memorial Day weekend was always the prelude to summer. The family gatherings, special holidays and vacations.

Cottages are opened for the season, dates are set for coastal lobster bakes, the cupboards are well-stocked for frequent s'mores and life just becomes a little less hectic and a bit more fun.

It's important to remember the reason for the holiday weekend. The men and women that have fought and continue to fight to keep our country free.

It is a special day to remember those that lost their lives while fighting for our country.

***

My Dad fought in World War 2~ he was a very handsome Navy man. Lucky for us, he made it home safely and met my Mom on leave in New York City~ the rest, as they say, is history. And a great love story was born.

***

My birthday falls on Memorial Day weekend and back when that holiday was always on May 30th, there was always a parade-much like Memorial Day anywhere, America.

My Dad told me the parade was especially for me- my very own birthday parade.
Isn't that just the sweetest memory for a child?

My parents are both buried here at the

Maine Veteran's Memorial Cemetery.

***

It is especially beautiful on Memorial Day.
The lanes are lined with large American flags and there is a flag at each site.

Let's not forget~

***

... this parade is for you Dad.

My little Goldfish~

~Erin {in the yellow} part of the Goldfish T-Ball Team~

Probably ignoring the coach's suggestions and sizing things up on her own...

~Erin set for the play~

I love T-Ball for these little ones. No winners, no losers, no score. Each little girl does her very best and is proud to hit, run, play and learn the importance of sportsmanship.

All things in life should be so fair and so much fun!

Images:

Me

Eat Pray Love~

~Julia Roberts in India~

Did you see Julia Roberts on Oprah Monday?

She's such a great actress and seems to be very down to earth and steady-putting her children and husband ahead of her career.

She was talking about the upcoming release of Eat, Pray, Love.

Elizabeth Gilbert's book was such a pleasure to read and reread.

I am anxiously awaiting the movie, which is due to be released sometime in August.

I think it will be the perfect movie to see with a couple of girlfriends.

~*~

I also think it might be one of those DVDs that I will want to have in my collection to watch whenever the mood hits.

~*~

I love when Elizabeth was visiting Lucca, Italy and describes the figs...

..."But it's not just the meat that's wonderful in Lucca; it's the chestnuts, the peaches, the tumbling displays of figs, dear God, the figs..."

~Eat~


~Pray~

~Love~

Will you see it?

Images:

Search for Eat, Pray, Love

google

My file

Julia Roberts

Weekend Review~

~Saturday~

Our new raised beds were assembled this weekend and filled with a rich mixture of soils and compost. I am itching to get my hands in that soil and start planting. I've watered them down and have herbs ready to go. Next will come the long-range plans. Plant once on some things! Sort of the same idea as measure twice, cut once.

~Plotting my plots~
Pretty much all weekend


The above photo is very similar to what I would like to do with our back yard...
I would love to have the lawn dug up and have a series of raised beds and small in-ground beds.
Creating a cozy cottage garden.
All heavily mulched to cut way down on maintenance.
I have yet to present this idea to my DH for fear of a major eye-roll. My defence will be- although a fair amount of work at the early stages, there will be no ground maintenance such as mowing, weed whacking, raking, etc. And we are having a devil of a time with our young man that mows. And we all know I can't be trusted using a mower...
Wish me luck on this!




~Sunday~


While visiting one of the many fabulous garden centers in our area I picked up a good sized Rosemary...as my 6 year old plant was inadvertently left outside on an early frosty night last fall.

It will be a busy week of designing and shopping for the new raised beds along with planning my strategy on the major backyard renovation...



On Sunday I attended a lovely bridal luncheon.
We were served Kir Royales as we arrived and while introductions were made.
The luncheon was fresh, light and in season.
It was so much fun watching the gorgeous bride-to-be with her friends and bridesmaids.
I'm already looking forward to the August wedding on the coast of Maine~ we have reserved a cottage at the resort where the wedding will take place.
Who wants to think about driving home after an evening wedding?
~*~
It was a very productive weekend~ one that will give us lots of fresh vegetables, herbs and cut flowers this summer!

Thanks to my DH for his patience and all of his hard work.

I have a plan...

Images:

My files and google search

Goody-Goody Spin Pins

I love a good bun. I never was able to create the perfect bun so I was beyond excited when the infamous 'messy bun' became all the rage! That I could do!

Still getting all of the little ends tucked in was hard to master...but now~

Goody has come out with the...... SPIN PIN!

Never one to buy into hair gimmicks ever, but this looked like it might work~ and it does.

You actually screw the pins into the bun that you've made-one on the top and the other on the bottom. You screw them in close to the head and they hold!

My hair is longer than it's been in a while and with warmer weather coming, I wanted to be able to wear it up. But clips just don't hold my thick hair very well.

The Spin Pin come in a blond or brunette finish.

~Goody Spin Pins~

I picked mine up at Target.

~*~

Not available where you live? Try Amazon or email me.

I know- a pretty light post after being absent all week~

I did get some work completed, worked hard with my trainer, had several visits with the chiropractor, a day in the city ~ shopping all alone and lots of long walks.

Thanks for checking in on me!

Thanks to Goody

Dreamy Sunday~

~ Dining al fresco~

~ My Honda Metropolitan ~

It's that time again. When the days are warm enough to get out on my scooter- the days that I'm not feeling the cycling-love, the days that I just want to zip along and feel the breeze on my face.... and pretend, if only for an hour or so- that I am breezing along the dirt roads, lined with huge yellow sunflowers, on my way to a quaint vineyard.

And will return with two wonderful bottles of local pinot grigio- perfect for a warm day and a light dinner served al fresco~ among the olive trees.

***

Or just maybe thinking locally and traveling down Rt. 202 between Winthrop and Monmouth- among the apple orchards- with a dream...

Images:

Tuscan dreams

Honda Metropolitan

Saturday Solitudes~

~The colors of Lucca~

~*~

Happy Saturday~ Happy Weekend

Images:

flickr

My Tuscan Wedding