My Mini Vacation

Last week I traveled back east to finally visit my daughter and her family. It was a wonderful visit. Of course I was excited to see the new baby Nathan. He is a nice big baby which I have always loved. Of course he is a wonderful baby. He seldom cries and even giggles already. The other two kids are crazy about him as is to be expected. It was also my granddaughter’s 7th birthday. As of yet I have been fortunate to be with her for all of her birthdays. This is something I hope I am able to continue for some time. She is a great big sister to her two younger brothers. My middle grandson likewise is a good helper with the new baby. He loves showing his ability to help out in whatever capacity he can.

We managed to tackle a variety of events while we were visiting. Aside from hours of playing, reading stories, giving baths, and just hugging each other, I managed to cook a little with the kids, hunt for bugs, have a birthday party, go shopping and of course go out for ice cream. Truly it was just enjoyable to be able to be with them on a 24/7 schedule. I am already looking forward to later in the summer when they will be with us for some time. Being a grandparent has truly been one of the greatest joys I have had the pleasure to experience.

While I was away of course we did have some spring storms. Fotunately they did not cause any damage to us yet they did pass a bit close for comfort. It is Oklahoma though and something you learn to live with. Likewise while I was visiting Tennessee I was able to see some of the major flooding that had occurred there in recent weeks. I was so amazed at the wonderful manner in which the people came together to help one another. They truly do earn their nickname of “The Volunteer State”. Sadly it seemed that national news did not do the damage justice in regards to reporting the severity of it. There was little talk about Nashville yet there was much damage in other areas as well. Some smaller towns were totally isolated for days.

I returned home to find my grass grown, in need of mowing, and my flowers begging to be tended to. I was glad that the weather was moist and cooler as it helped with the lack of watering that I knew they would receive, yet the moisture also brought its own issues. So my first Monday back was spent in the yard. The birds likewise were glad to see my return as the raccoons had once again drank the majority of the hummingbird juice and the crows did a job on the suet cakes. Yet all in all it was an easy fix. I knew that I would need to complete  much of the work early in the week as we are expected to get more rain and storms this week also.

For the summer months ahead I am looking forward to creating a blog schedule which will enable me some free time. Already I have my Celtic Tree Lore posts each Monday and recently I started my Thoughts to Ponder posts each Thursday. I am thinking about a couple more throughout the week leaving the other days free for me to post a spontaneous writing if the urge moves me. I enjoy the set posts, especially when times seem to be busy, as it lends me the ability to post ahead of time. I apologize for my lack of comments on everyone’s blogs as of late. Yet know that I have been reading as much as I can. I do not think I could stay away for a very long period of time as I have grown to enjoy some of the daily visits so much.

Wishing you a wonderful Tuesday filled with sunshine and special blessings. Remember to take a moment to stop and listen to the sounds around you…. Take in the aromas that surround you and delight in them… and find someone special and give them a hug. Whether it be for you or them, it will leave both of you smiling.