School's out for summer!

Yippee! Today is my last day of work and then....I'm free for the next two and a half months! I have a L-O-N-G list of things I want to do and I am trying to keep the list of must-dos to a minimum. I know the time will fly quickly so I am determined to use it as wisely as possible.
The daughters are off to Ichthus tonight with their friends and church youth group. They will have a great time! Anyone ever heard of Ichthus? It is a huge Christian music festival in Wilmore, Kentucky with all the big names in Christian contemporary music. This year they have all the girls favorites, Switchfoot, Toby Mac, Chris Tomlin, Third Day , Newsboys, and a whole lot more. So, while the girls are away, Earl and I will have some alone time. I am looking forward to our weekend together. The girls will get back Sunday and then we will all go out for a Fathers day dinner. Sounds like another great weekend coming up!
The picture above is my William Baffin rose. It seems to be a little buggy this year and needs some real attention, but it still managed to crank out a few pretty blossoms.

What a beautiful weekend! The weather was perfect, and we had two graduation parties to help out with for friends. It is such a joy to see two more beautiful young girls look out to their future and all the things they are going to accomplish and enjoy in the coming years. So many adventures and new experiences waiting for them. And then I talk to the mothers of these beautiful girls. The Moms are the forgotten. They aren't all that happy about their own futures. They are being fired from a job they have loved and given everything to for almost 20 years. A job that didn't give a lot of vacation time, no raises, and now not even a gold watch of appreciation. No, nobody sees that these women are going through a graduation of their own.

Why don't we think of it that way? As a new beginning for us as well? Next year my youngest daughter will graduate and I am determined to see it as an opportunity. Some of the bad choices I made when I was younger I can remedy. It won't be as easy as it would have been back then, but who said life was easy? I can get weepy and feel lost,(and don't think I haven't ), or I can see it as a new beginning for myself. After years of my children being the focus of everything I have done, isn't it time for a little me time? Isn't that the battle cry of women everywhere? "I think of everyone's needs but mine!" we all scream. Well time to think of mine. I am 49, I'm not dead. If I live to be 80 (My gandmother lived to 93!) that is another 30 years. 30 Years is a LIFETIME people! I have been married a long time, but I still haven't been married 30 years! If I look back 30 years, look what I have accomplished since I was 19! Graduation age. My future stretches out before me. Maybe we should have graduation parties for parents too.

Sorry squirrels!

This time I got the wild strawberries from the flower garden, still warm from the sun. Aren't they pretty? They are delicious too. Just having a beautiful day today. I got up bright and early and the morning was so cool and crisp I got right down to business and got some cleaning and organizing done in the basement (ugh! it was soooo bad!) opened the windows down there and set the fan blowing all the fresh air in while I cleaned. Earl was busy making salad and cheesecake squares for open houses this weekend (which we will head out for later this afternoon) and then we cleaned the chicken house and I got feed and bedding at the farm co-op. They were nasty jobs but now they are done and it was well before noon when we were finished so we have the rest of the day to enjoy with the satisfaction that we got so much done!

It is a PERFECT day. The sun is shining but it is only about 73 degrees with a light breeze. The open house will be loads of fun and then we will come home and maybe grill some chicken and enjoy the evening. I hope you all have a beautiful day too!

Luscious Lemon Cupcakes

Today we are celebrating a co-workers birthday at work and it is my turn to do the honors. I found this cute cake plate at a yard sale and grabbed it quick. You see, my co-worker loves anything tropical and palm trees play a big part in her decor. It looks brand new and we put a cap on how much we spend on each other and I know she will absolutley LOVE this cake plate so I can't wait to give it to her. The cupcakes are lemon with a ring of buttercream frosting and a dollop of home-made lemon curd in the center. Yum! We are all going to have a good day at work today. :>)

Strawberries in the garden

Just look at the beautiful berries that are in my garden right now. I finally had time to mow the lawn today and when I was done I decided to weed one of the flower borders. These wild strawberries have taken over any open spot in my garden and they are just about to ripen. I always smile and consider them a little surprise from God. They are very sweet and about the size of a dime. They grow so well I just cannot bring myself to weed them out, at least until the berries are ripe. I race the bunnies and chipmunks for them and sometimes I win!