Miscellany

Friday Fave 5

This space has been neglected lately, thanks to a combination of busyness and my general ambivalence about being online. But I find myself drawn back to Across the Page, remembering the good things this discipline of daily writing provided. One of the best is the Friday Fave Five roundup, hosted by Susanne at Living to Tell the Story, that gives us an opportunity to survey the highlights of the past week.

1. Celebrations! This week I marked both 17 years of marriage, and 40-ahem years of life. Both are inestimable treasures! I am so grateful for my husband, and the life we’ve created together — a life which includes two children who celebrate in a grand way, weaving a labyrinth of streamers and balloons throughout the house, baking a beautiful cake, and making a card to go along with the beautiful placemats they gave me.

Sunflower cake and anniversary flowers
Sunflower cake and anniversary flowers

IMG_0612

2. Caterpillars. Yes, after a few years off, we are recapping our monarch butterfly hosting on a smaller scale than in the past. It’s always a wonder-inducing experience to observe their metamorphosis into gorgeous, fragile, astonishingly durable flyers who will travel much farther in the next few months than I will.

Caterpillar 1, day 3
Caterpillar 1, day 3
Caterpillar 2, day 2
Caterpillar 2, day 2
Countertop habitat
Countertop habitat

3. Sunflowers. Our garden has produced the usual bounty of beans, cucumbers and tomatoes, but in addition we have the pleasure of seeing sunflowers actually grow! Usually the chipmunks eat them when they are first sprouting, but this year they made it through and now tower over everything else. It’s fun to see the birds and butterflies enjoying them.

Waiting...
Waiting…
Relaxing in the jungle...
Relaxing in the jungle…
Sunbathing...
Sunbathing…
Humans enjoy sunflowers, too!
Humans enjoy sunflowers, too!

4. School supplies. I enjoy being poised on the verge of the new homeschool year, when I’m feeling rested and ready, and when all the supplies are shiny and new. A few months from now I’ll feel differently… but let’s just linger here for a moment!

Shelves full of promise
Shelves full of promise

5. Recent vacation. (I’m just under the wire here, since it ended last Saturday!) For years, we never really took a vacation; as small business owners it can be tough to get away. But for the second year in a row, we actually loaded up and left town together. In retrospect, the week flew by, but at the time it seemed relaxed and wonderful — a “still waters” season.

IMG_0506IMG_0419IMG_0495ed2As usual, I reach the end of the list feeling blessed. How was your week? I look forward to seeing others’ posts at Living to Tell the Story.

13 Comments

  • Faith

    thanks for visting my FFF! i enjoyed yours! you mentioned you live in the southern tier of NYS …..so Im assuming in the Finger Lakes? your cover photo looks very much like Blue Mountain Lake in the central Adkrondacks where i spend much of my time????

    enjoy the weekend! i finally can open windows as the temps and humidity are finally lower here in suburban Albany!

    • Janet

      It does look like Blue Mountain Lake! But it’s First Lake — the one in Old Forge. We vacationed near there.

  • susan

    I got sidetracked on your site. What fun!
    I am going to come back and read your book reviews.

    LOVE your tagline: The world is made up of stories, not atoms.

    Oh, my , what a cool adventure with the caterpillars/butterflies. I am going to see if I can do that next year. Thanks so much for sharing your photos, etc. Very inspiring.

    Sunflowers are so majestic. What a blessing indeed that you get to view some and the birds and caterpillars get to enjoy them this year.

    Happy anniversary and happy birthday. Looks like both were a good celebration.

    • Janet

      My tagline is actually a quote from Muriel Rukeyser — I don’t much like the poem it comes from, but I do love this one line! :-)

  • Barbara H.

    Belated happy anniversary and birthday! What a sweet cake! It’s fun when kids get old enough to do such things.

    I always loved assembling supplies at the beginning of a school year.

    A “still waters” vacation sounds lovely. We haven’t been able to go anywhere for a while since my m-i-l came to live near us and then with us. That’s what God has for us now, and I am not much of a traveler anyway, but someday we do look forward to getting away for a bit.

    Sunflowers aren’t my favorites, but they are fun, cheery flowers. We only had one or two that grew from dropped birdseed, but we enjoyed watching them grow.

    Good to hear from you again!

  • Karen

    Your vacation pictures are so lovely and peaceful. I love new school supplies, too, although I don’t have school-aged children to buy for anymore:( Sometimes, I sneak a few brand new notebooks and pens for myself, to celebrate September!

    Enjoy your weekend, Janet.

  • Ann

    Happy anniversary and happy birthday!!

    This year we let the sunflowers that sprouted under our bird feeders just grow and grow. And we also had a jungle!! The birds loved them – and they also loved the cover that the “jungle” provided. My very neat husband put up with it because I was enjoying it so much – but we finally had to cut it all down. The jungle was just too much. :-) Birds (and monarch butterflies) are so much fun to watch!!

    • Janet

      Thank you!

      I know what you mean about the jungle. Right now the blooms are all new and look nice, but the goldfinches love the sunflowers most when they are at their most scraggly!

  • Susanne

    Such beautiful pictures throughout your post! I love the placemats and what a special celebration your family made for you! Watching a monarch butterfly life cycle would be so interesting.

  • Willow

    Happy Anniversary and Happy Birthday to you!
    I enjoy gazing at your flowers because here where I live the drought keeps me from planting all my favorites. Sunflowers are just so cheery! Thanks for sharing.