Wednesday, May 27, 2020

The Usual

Usually I post a Memorial Day blog but never got to it this year. I don't know about you but I'm feeling a bit off kilter.  With all that's happened in the last few months and Covid thrown in I feel like the days are flying by with not much happening!  Ashland usually has a parade with a lovely memorial service for our fallen heroes to follow.  The parade never happened but there was a small service in the cemetery.  Such a small remembering for such big sacrifices from our military to keep our freedoms.  Thank you all who are serving or who have served. My Dad and brothers served and I'm very proud of them.  Jack and I usually put in our garden on Memorial Day weekend and that did happen.  We worked hard on Saturday to get it done.  Jack had added 2 more raised beds and we filled them with veggies that hopefully will be enjoyed by harvest time.  Our blueberry bushes look promising but the raspberries don't.  Oh well, we'll probably look for some new bushes to add and then next year could be better.  Our weather has turned from this snowy pic a few weeks ago:

To this:
Unusually warm yesterday: almost 90de and today in the 80's.  Much cooler by the weekend but thankfully no snow!  I have more outdoor work ahead with painting our porches and getting the yard spruced up for our Grandson's, Anthony, graduation party.
He graduated with "social distancing" and only parents allowed.
Here  he is with his Dad,our oldest son, Jack...Congrats Anthony! He'll be off to Bowling Green University in the Fall.   He's a great kid!  We also had another graduation.  Anthony's sister, Driana, finished her nursing school for her RN!  She worked 2 jobs (at a nursing home and hospice) while going to school full-time.
She'll be a fabulous nurse with her sweet, caring attitude and tons of spunk too! Love you girl!  She actually flew into to Chicago to  help with my Mom (Her Great-Grandma) who made it  home from the rehab center last Thursday.  We really appreciate her willingness to do this after having to cancel a vacation due to Covid.  She's a gem!  One other graduate in our family is our sweet Granddaughter, Katie!
She's out in Portland, Oregon . I haven't gotten any pics of her in her graduation garb yet and not sure how it's all going down out there.  We were suppose to fly out next week for her graduation but it was cancelled. If it's moved to later in the summer we may be able to fly out then.  But who knows what will happen...not the usual I'm sure! We love you Katie and are so proud of you!  We have much to be thankful for even if it isn't business as usual right now.  Finally, the usual flowering is happening here....
The azaleas look beautiful
The rhododendron is loaded with blooms.
Snowball bush is a blizzard of white.
Miss Kim lilac is blooming with fragrance!  I wish I had smell-a-blog! So I may have said not much is happening but after writing this I realize that life is happening...fast paced and filled with the usual growing season with family members and plants!  I hope everyone had a good Memorial Day filled with remembering and honoring fallen heroes or anything else that you usually do on this first weekend of the start of the Summer season.  Let's all hope for good things ahead.

10 comments:

Prims By The Water said...

Congrats to the graduates. So sad they cannot have the celebrations that usually are had. I sure do miss my snowball bush. Not a big enough yard for one here at this house. We planted our veggies too! Been unseasonably humid here too and look forward to the weekend being a bit cooler. Janice

Shady Del Knight said...

Hi, YaYa!

This certainly has been an off kilter year so far, dear friend, but it is what it is and we are all doing our best to cope. Let us gain strength and inspiration these last days in May as we remember the brave men and women who served their country and made the ultimate sacrifice. Along the lines of what you and Jack are doing, Mrs. Shady, her son and I are preparing to assemble grow boxes in our back yard and plant veggies. Your changeable weather at this time of year is rough on flowering plants, shrubs and trees, but soon it will even out and you will glide into the summer season. Our summer is already two months old.

Congratulations to new grad Anthony, soon off to Bowling Green. I wish him all the best! Driana amazes me with her work ethic and willingness to set aside her own needs and comforts and help others. She was a dear for going to Chicago to help care for your mother. I hope your mother and Midge continue to make progress toward recovery. Last but not least, I salute graduate Katie in Oregon, Portland. I hope you get to see that West Coast branch of your family soon.

Your flowering bushes are stunning. They remind me of the ones my dad planted along the foundation of my childhood home.

I will continue to pray for your dear mother and sister and for you and your family members closer to home. Thank you for paying respects to Margaret Schneider today. Take care and I hope to see you again soon, dear friend YaYa!

acorn hollow said...

You have a lot going on congrats to all the graduates!
We are crazy hot I do not like the heat.but cooler by the weekend.
I hope you are able to celebrate with your grandsons.
Cathy

jack69 said...

Thanks for the visit to the pines. Nice that some form of graduation was held, but I feel for the grads without the pomp and ceremony, But it will be a unique memory, that is for sure.
The best to you and Jack & all.
Sherry & jack on the first coast.

betty said...

Congrats to the graduates and their achievements! Glad you are having a get together for Anthony and glad your mom is home safe and sound! Your yard is so big and green! I heard a lot of high schools here had drive through graduations. Good that there was some marking of that important rite of passage.

Betty

Deb J. in Utah said...

I love your flowering bushes. I got a white Azalea this year. Congrats on the wonderful achievements of your grandchildren. I love your yard. Wow, that is beautiful. Sounds like an overall good Memorial Day for you, despite all the craziness. Enjoy what's left of the week and I will see you again soon.

Kay G. said...

Oh, you have a lilac bush! I have only seen them (and smelled them!) in England, I don't know that we have them here in Georgia. We have a snowball bush though and I have always wanted one!
Lovely post of flowers growing and blooming and your grandkids doing the same! Best wishes to them. xx

Julia said...

Congratulations to all the graduates.
It seems only yesterday that the kids were all small and now your grandson is towering over his dad. I'm so glad that your mom is finally home.
Your flowering bushes are glorious. I'm almost done planting but haven't had the time to blog about it. One of my azaleas is in full bloom and my crabapple tree but the heat will lake a short life of the beauty. I have made 5 small raised beds in the backyard. We'll see how that works.
Stay well and happy.
Hugs, Julia

CHERI said...

Like you, I have felt like everything is off kilter! I am sooooo tired of it all. Trying to stay positive, but some days it's really hard. Congrats to all your graduates but sure does make me sad for them and others missing such a special time in their lives. Hopefully they all still will have some good memories. I know our system has done some special things for them. Everything in your yard is looking great! I envy you a garden. Hubby and I have never delved into that other than a few tomato plants which never seem to thrive...but, bless his heart, he tries. Wishing all of us better days ahead.

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