Carolina love story...

It's official.
We love North Carolina.

happy on a day like today...

Orange shoes.

Wee basil

Hair dried by sunshine and blue sky.

The MiDel company for making Arrowroot cookies that have two different kinds of elephant shapes that each face the opposite way so the elephants can have conversations and kisses.

If they want to.

garden lunch...

Farmer's market lunch.
Watching the sparrows and their drama.
Sparrows are so dramatic.
Red potatoes roasted with rosemary on mixed lettuce with a tiny bit of balsamic drizzled over everything.
Sunshine on my face, Death Cab For Cutie in my ears.
(Sparrows need a soundtrack)
My favorite sort of lunchtime.

a mother's day, a daughter's day...

When we last checked in it was raining. And this girl was way sad because, even though rain is good for flowers and gardens, too much of a good thing is ... too much.

Rivers of rain on garden pathways and sneakers that never seemed dry.

After ten days and a lot of positive thinking, the rain stopped.

Just in time to head westward. Back to the soil that was under the feet of my youth. The soil that grows beautiful flowers and plants and vegetables. The annual Landis Valley herb faire. It is a tradition I look forward to every year. My mother went, rain or shine, for as long as I can remember. I live over 60 miles away, but it is an event and a place well worth the drive.

I love to watch the people. Vendors and others attending. These are people who love growing plants. People with their hands in soil and an earthy disposition. They come from near and far... I don't know any of them, but these are my people. I was raised from this sort of genetic stock. It felt good to be there. I looked around at so many beautiful things and I chose my herbs and tomato plants. These are part of my mother's day gift every year.

I spend the morning of mother's day in the garden... planting the herbs and tomatoes and seeds. My mother always said that is was safe to plant after mother's day in our area. This year it will be three years since she died. I still miss her very much, but I am reminded of her constantly in all things garden and craft. She taught me so much. We spent a lot of hours together doing those two things. Making projects or planting and tending gardens. So, now on Mother's day, I celebrate her... in her favorite place, the garden. With dirt on my hands and a smile because I think she must be planting the most wonderful garden with her mother... out there...in the beautiful place where she watches over us.

I had a really nice day. As both a daughter and a mother. Generous sunshine and gorgeous weather all day. The sweet proud smile of a boy serving a breakfast that he made. Lots of love and the yummiest dinner with family. And the beginning of the growing and tending portion of the backyard grass to gardens project.

Each year is different... challenges and celebrations. Home and family. Always learning, sometimes teaching.

A mother's work... and even a daughter's... is never quite done.

goodbye grass, hello garden

Backyard garden project, phase two.

It's done.

No more grass.

Last weekend, in the crazy heatwave of April, we tilled and plowed and raked...and applied sunscreen liberally.

It looks empty, but awesome.

I love the potential.

Waiting.

This afternoon, I took the seeds outside to visit where they'll be going next weekend.

Kind of how you take a preschooler to kindergarten for the first time. The seeds and I had a little talk about being in the dirt and greeting the sunshine and growing big and strong.

And about becoming beautiful vegetables and flowers.

I think they are cool with the whole concept.

Okay well, I hope so.