Mountain Mama

First/Last

A little over 9 months ago, we celebrated this day; Owen's first day of school.

Today we celebrated her last day of Kindergarten.

What a difference a few short months will make: not only in her size, but in her skills, her confidence, her knowledge. She has blossomed even more into her own person--one I feel privileged to know.

 

And, to be a proud mama and brag a little, she finished up the year with A's (of course) plus a Citizenship Award, an Art Award, and the "Most Creative" Award for her class.

She's off to the beach now with her grandma and, although they've been gone no more than an hour, there is already a huge hole where she usually fills up my day with her light.

How I love that girl.

(Not entirely) Wordless Wednesday

My house is filled with flowers these days. Every one from my own yard.

Sigh.

Our weekend

Friday:

Rainy. Hanging out with Barrett all day while Paul went to school. A trip to the bookstore; groceries at the big store in the neighboring town; home and reading our new books; much cooking and eating of wooden play food; some porch play; several dramas of the three-year-old ilk; picking up sister at school (the highlight of Barrett's day, usually); admiring the cocoon that Owen's show-and-tell caterpillar made while she was at school; sibling arguments; kiss and make up; more play.  Then Paul home for our first ever pizza-and-family-movie night.

Saturday:

Farmer's tailgate market for cucumbers; three gallons of strawberries (for jam); a question for the Bee Lady answered; hummus; dill spread; eggs; handmade soap; jumping in a bouncy house.

Cleaning house and getting ready for an evening dinner to say goodbye to Samantha (our babysitter), and Daisy and Maryann (our friends). Chatting, eating homemade lemon bars and strawberry shortcake, exchange of gifts, rushing our goodbyes for a baby's bedtime, just as well or we would have all been crying.

Sunday:

Up early and out to Asheville for church and lunch with Paul's family. Discovering their cherry trees full of ripened fruit left for the birds. Getting a few for ourselves and for my dad (who loves fresh cherries).

Home to make strawberry jam.

Quick salmon dinner, using our "bad" (didn't set) batch of marmalade as a sauce. Then Dad and Paul off to see Iron Man, while I give the girls a bath and put them to bed.

Folding clothes fresh from the dryer when Paul gets home, talking quietly together before bed.

Another lovely ordinary weekend.

Something ventured

I have a new blog.

I know. I tried this before, writing two blogs. But this is different. Bear with me. And don't worry: I am keeping this blog, yes, for a while probably.

As you may know for years my mom has kept a running Joy List. A simple list of things and moments that give her joy. She has filled books and books with them. And over time she has inspired me to make my own Joy Lists, which I, admittedly, have kept much more sporadically.

I've decided, however, to try again. This time with a separate blog. Along the lines of habit or 1000awesomethings or any number of gratitude lists, I've decided to keep a daily log of things that bring me joy.

One item per day, every day (except only once on weekends).

I'm calling it Jelly Jar Daisies, because, well, a bouquet of handpicked daisies in a jelly jar is just one of those simple things that bring me joy.

Check it out, if you like, at www.jellyjardaisies.com. Maybe then you'll want to keep your own Joy List.

(Thank you Mom).

Oh, and don't leave me here--I will continue to post here. In fact, I have some photos of my garden to share. Soon.

Oh and one more thing: Typepad now allows me to add to my blogs this cool little Facebook "Like" button (on the sidebar). If you want to and you're on Facebook, no pressure or anything, but you could just click right over there and say you "like" my blog.

Thanks!

Spring Camping Trip--Photo Update

Friday afternoon I sat in the pick-up line at Owen's school with my dog in the back, Barrett in her seat, my mom beside me, camping gear packed around everyone, and the canoe on top of the car. The window was down; the sun warmed my face; a breeze kept me from getting too hot, and Van Morrison's "Bright Side of the Road" was on the stereo. My husband and Dad and friends were waiting at the park nearby--their trucks similarly packed with stuff.

The weekend only got better from there.

There was the lake, of course. And the woods.

Cooking, eating, some wine, some champagne.

Lots of sitting. And talking. And reading. And sitting.

There was fishing, and swimming, and playing in the woods.

And on Sunday (our anniversary), a morning canoe trip on a still lake, with the sounds of an occasional fishing boat, our paddles, coyotes on the mountain, loons on the lake, and our own silent prayers of praise and thanksgiving.

Oh, and a chattering little girl in the front of the boat.

 But that was okay, because she loved it all, too.

Wordless Wednesday :: Sisters

Wildflowers of the Smokies, 2

From our Sunday walk...

Showy Orchis. Galearis (Orchis) spectabilis.

Probably the loveliest of the 30+ orchids in the Smokies, this is one of my favorite wildflowers, perhaps because it one of the rarer species.

Or maybe it's because it's purple.

Crested Dwarf Iris. Iris cristata.

Okay so maybe it is the color because this is one of my favorites, too, and it's not so rare as the Showy Orchis. It just seems like a happy little flower.

 

Creeping Phlox. Phlox stolonifera.

Very common throughout Spring and early summer all over WNC. Almost a weed. Pretty nonetheless.

 

Foamflower. Tiarella cordifolia.

Another commoner, still pretty in a delicate way.

Wild Geranium. Geranium maculatum.

False Solomon's Seal. Smilacina racemosa.

Not yet bloomed. Also called Solomon's Plume or Solomon's Zigag.

 

Plantain-leaved Pussy's Toes. Antennaria plantaginifolia.

Also known as Ladies Tobacco. This is a first sighting of this one for me.

 

Duckweed. Lemna perpusilla.

According to Wildflowers of North Carolina by William S. Justice and C. Ritchie Bell, these "are among the smallest flowering plants in the world. Each flower is reduced to only a single stamen or a single pistil; there are no sepals or petals...(They are) more frequent southward and rarely flower in our area."

And now, the piece de resistence...

Our friend Jack.  As in Jack-in-the-Pulpit. This is just such an unusual plant, which is hard to spot but quite rewarding when you do. I find it incredibly beautiful.

Isn't he lovely, hiding in there? I also love the terms that describe this plant: the striped part(the pulpit)  is called the spathe and the "Jack" inside is the spadix. Once the spathe withers, it exposes scarlet berries. Also according to my Justice and Bell book, "the raw corm (similar to a bulb) is very pungent but is edible when boiled." Interesting.

There were some Nodding Trillium, which I love, but I did not get clear photos of them and my battery ran out before I came back down the trail to see them again. Next time, I suppose.

You can find my previous post of Great Smokies wildflowers here. I took those photos approximately one week before these.

Wordless Wednesday

Discoveries

One day last week, after work and school, the girls went next door to Dad's house and I grabbed my camera for a walk around our house and yard. Happily, I made a few Spring discoveries:

1. My lilac is blooming after all. I've been commenting on others' Flickr photos that I miss the large lilac we had in Raleigh. I even made Owen and Barrett go and stick their noses in my MIL's lilac so they could smell it. I've been lamenting how the lilac Dad planted for me didn't bloom last year and probably won't this year. But there it is. It may not be lilac-colored, but it still has that lovely, heady perfume I adore.

 

2. A surprise bed of tulips in an out-of-the-way place, planted for me by my dad and Owen. I didn't even know it was there until I stumbled across it on the hill behind the bird feeder.

3. Fiddlehead ferns unfurling.

4. Mayapples budding, soon to bloom.

5. Our lettuce bed thriving.

6. Our grapevines promising. Maybe grapes this year?

7. Notes left for me (and Paul) on the deck railing by a little girl who has learned to write.

8.Our yard, these mountains, this world, budding and blooming and green and full of hope.

Weekend

Paul and I were determined not to work...much. We needed a family weekend. So, Friday we had our customary dinner at Dad's. Outside, of course.

Saturday, we slept in (well, at least until 7, which is sleeping in for us), enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and some morning chores, then headed out for our little town's Spring festival, called, appropriately enough, Greening Up the Mountains.

It was due to rain, but for now the sun was out, so we went anyway. Balloons. People. Dogs. BBQ. Chicken-on-a-stick. Large bald man dressed as a tooth fairy. Music. Dancing. Crafts. Art. Walking. Looking. Enjoying.

We took a break to eat and Dad read a story to Owen. Right there on the streetside. (That girl loves books).

We headed down to Bridge Park and the main stage and the green. Listened to some local music. Barrett danced. (That girl loves music).

Dad and I stopped to speak to our favorite local farmer to get the inside scoop on strawberries. Next week he says. My mouth started watering immediately. Jam time.

Barrett wanted to go back and "listen to that rockin' music" (her words)but then became distracted with ice cream.

 

Our money and festival enthusiasm spent, we decided to go to Deep Creek for a wildflower walk. As soon as we stepped out of the car, the rain began--an earnest drizzle --and so we went on home.

My dear friend Jeannette arrived for dinner and an overnight visit and we stayed up late into the night talking, just like we did as girls. The conversation more grown-up now, the feeling much the same.

Late at night the storms were fierce enough to send both girls to our bed. I tried to sleep in my three inches of space, but lay awake and listened to the thunder sounding like the mountainside falling down behind our house.

We awoke to sunshine and birdsong.

Jeannette kindly worked on arts and crafts projects with Owen after breakfast and I put a roast for dinner in the CrockPot. She went on her way, we went to church.

The day was so warm and lovely we decided to try the wildflower walk again, so we changed clothes and headed back out to Deep Creek.

After the storms, the river was too high and swift and strong for wading, but the wildflowers were posing for pictures, the crowds were elsewhere, and we were all happy to be together, breathing the forest air.

By the time we got home, dinner was warmly aromatic, waiting for us. Tired and content, we ate quietly, shared Fudgesicles on the porch as the sun set behind the house, casting long shadows across the field.

Baths, stories, bed, few complaints.

And now I should be working but instead I'm here, savoring the weekend, loving my family, loving my life.