It’s May! Sure, it’s still chilly and we’ve had lots (and lots) of rain but still . . . MAY. I’m ready to welcome this new month in 3 ways.

1. The Spiritual Rebels class that I’m part of has a different topic for each month and for May the topic is Intuition and the Body. We’re going to be focusing on loving and trusting our bodies and busting the things we’ve been taught by the beauty, diet and medical industry. I’m really excited for this topic and I’m hoping it will help me to not only embrace how I look but also use the tools I have at my disposal to feel stronger and more confident.
2. Gardening! All of the work we did last spring on our front bed (with thanks again to the fabulous Kym for the design help and advice) is paying off – everything is coming up and growing. That also includes plenty of weeds and moss (one side of this faces north) but it’s so nice to be building on what we did last year and not starting from scratch. One thing we are starting new is building another raised bed. This one is going to be for cut flowers only, no vegetables, and I’m so excited about it because I have wanted a cut flower garden for a long, long time. I took a class last month to get me started and I’ve got a whole tray of zinnias, cosmos, calendulas, and sunflowers that are going to be ready to be hardened off and then planted outside by the end of the month!
3. Outdoor living! Last weekend we borrowed Sean’s power washer and Dale power washed the house as well as the deck. He’ll be putting down a fresh coat of stain this weekend (I hope) and then the furniture will be out and we’ll be spending as much time as possible outside. Plus we will have a full season with our pergola and I cannot wait to (finally) host a dinner party under the pergola lights. I love when our outdoor living areas are usable, it’s like doubling the size of our house.

What’s making you happen about the month of May?

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I stopped on my way home from work yesterday and bought a bunch of daffodils at a roadside stand. I got home and posted a photo on Instagram and Facebook and thought, those bring me joy. And then I wondered, what else is bringing me joy right now? And just like that, a Three on Thursday post was born.

1. Our bedroom redo. After 2 1/2 weeks in our guest room (with a full size bed, ahem) we’re back in our room and it’s lovely. We still need new nightstands but we have a new ceiling and no more wallpaper, new bedding and curtains, and a beautiful soothing peaceful space. Pictures will come once everything is really in place.
2. Spending time with my family. Sunday was Easter and it was a lovely relaxing day. We didn’t do an extended family thing, we just had the kids and grandkids. We drank mimosas and ate a delicious meal, we had an egg hunt (Jack lost interest after the 2nd egg), and we told stories and joked and laughed together. Truly, nothing brings me more joy than these people.
3. Listening to music in my car. I spend most of my commute listening to podcasts but sometimes they just don’t cut it for me and I put my iPhone on shuffle all and see what comes up. I’ve got nearly 3,000 songs on there so it can be pretty . . . interesting . . . but when the song is just right nothing makes me happier than singing along.

I’ve found that simple things can bring a lot of joy.

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Today I’ve got three things to tell you that are sort of . . . in a roundabout way . . . connected by fire. Let’s go.

1. Our wood stove has been super smokey lately. It’s gross and stinky and the smoke detector goes off and it’s just . . . ugh. We both know it means the chimney needs to be cleaned but we were also both hoping we could get through until the end of the burning season without doing that. Yesterday, though, I called uncle aka the chimney sweep and they are coming to clean the chimney on Monday. It means we can’t have a fire on Sunday, which definitely blows, but it also means the wood stove will be burning brightly again soon.
2. I used to burn candles all the time. For the last several months, though, I have laid off the candles and I’m using my essential oils diffusers instead. I like this for many reasons, not the last of which is that there’s less smoke in the house (see number one) and also because I can change the scent daily – or even more often should I choose. Some of my favorite combos lately have been lavender/lemon/peppermint, bergamot/sandalwood/myrrh, joy/geranium/cedarwood, and frankincense/sandalwood/geranium. The company I get my oils from, Young Living, has some great blends, too, including joy that I already mentioned plus peace & calming, release, valor and so much more. I still burn unscented tea lights and there are twinkle lights everywhere so I’m not missing scented candles at all.
3. I lit myself on fire Tuesday night while making dinner. It was actually my sweater but still. Fire. ON MY PERSON. You’ll be glad to know I didn’t actually suffer any injuries. What happened was this . . . I leaned over the stove to get something from the cabinet above the microwave and my sweater, which is one of those cascade type styles with fringe, caught on fire. I didn’t even realize it at first and then I felt hot and looked down and . . . FLAMES. I know about stop, drop and roll but my kitchen floor is ceramic tile (and I’m old) so I went over to the sink and tried to smother the fire with a small dish cloth. Yeah, that didn’t work. Then I realized I was standing in front of the sink which has, you know, actual WATER, so I grabbed the spray nozzle and sprayed myself down. All the while I am yelling for Dale to come and help but he was in the bedroom with the vacuum cleaner going (nothing sexier than a man with a vaccum, I know, unless you’re on fire) and didn’t hear me. I got the sweater off and threw it in the sink and soaked it. But here’s the weird thing – aside from some of the fringe burning off, the rest of the sweater is absolutely fine. No singe marks. No burn holes. Nothing. All’s well that ends well but let me tell you, the song This Girl is on Fire will never be the same.

And that’s a wrap for this Thursday.

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Hello and Happy Thursday! Today I’ve got 3 things that are connected because they all begin with the letter P.

1. Pocketbook. Can someone please (another p) tell me how to keep my pocketbook from constantly sliding off my shoulder? Seriously. It slips and drives me crazy. I know I could wear it cross-body style and I do sometimes but for quick in and out of the car stuff that’s just not practical. This is my bag and I love it but it slips. Maybe I just have super sloped shoulders? I don’t know but if you’ve got a hack to make it stay on there I’d love to hear about it.
2. Podcasts. I listen to podcasts every day and some of my favorites include Happier and Happier in Hollywood as well as The Daily and Up First. There’s a brand new one that I’m loving that I think you should check out. It’s called How To Be American and it’s recorded by the Tenement Museum – and you know how I love the Tenement Museum. It’s very enjoyable and has already given me a lot to think about. The only downside? The most recent episode was about pizza and now all I can think about is good New York style pizza and how I want some!
3. Postcrossing. I signed up for this on Kym’s recommendation and it’s super fun. I’ve sent out 8 postcards so far and they’ve all arrived except for one that’s been on it’s way to Russia for 37 days now. Ahhhh, the irony, it burns, yes? I’ve received 4 so far and they’ve each been unique and exciting, coming from the Netherlands, Germany, Canada and Hong Kong. If you haven’t tried this yet I really recommend giving it a go.

And there you have it. Three Things That Begin with P.

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Kym always says that flowers are magical and I couldn’t agree more. I mean, I mostly agree with everything Kym says anyway (do you read her blog? she’s so wise and wonderful), but on this one she is right times a million. Today I have 3 flower photos to show you and, with another nod to Kym, it’s all because of her. Well. Her and White Flower Farm.

I took this one on Monday after work:

I took this one on Tuesday after work:

And I took this one on Wednesday after work:

That’s Amaryllis Alfresco or, as I lovingly call her, Ally. Kym, along with some other enablers (I’m looking at YOU, Bonny) convinced me to buy three amaryllis bulbs from White Flower Farm. They were a bit more expensive than the ones at my grocery store but I knew, based on photos I’ve seen, that they would be worth it.

I also knew that I sort of kind of didn’t want them to bloom until after Christmas. There’s a lot going on in my house at Christmas when it comes to . . . stuff. There are twinkle lights and Swedish horses and lots of and lots of greenery. I felt like I wanted my amaryllis to really shine on their own and not be pushed to the side but all that’s Christmas here. So, on Kym’s advice, I left the box of amaryllis in my mudroom.

My thought was to have them bloom around Valentine’s Day. All the glamour and beauty of Christmas is long gone and some pretty blossoms would be super welcome. I think I finally brought them in around mid January.

I may have left them there too long.

I mean, obviously I did because they didn’t bloom by mid February. You know what, though? I’m good with it.

For one thing, I think we all know that amaryllis bloom on their schedule, not ours.

And for another, flowers right now? On the 21st anniversary of my mom’s death? The timing couldn’t be better.

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