Reflections...

Sipping coffee, listening to the quiet, reflecting on a week well spent.  It's odd what you hear in the early morning silence.  The baby birds are calling to mom and dad that they are hungry for breakfast.  I never mess with nests, and I have several birds that come back every year to have their babies in the nooks of my carport and actually in my attic.  The click of the ceiling fan, it's been slightly off center for years, we are actually afraid to mess with it, it's so old and replacing it will be difficult because they don't make many any more that are not hard wired. Then there is the big old clock on the wall, it's rhythmic tick, tick, tick omnipresent.  There is an occasional car zipping past, who knows where they are off to this early in the morning. There is the hum of electricity, but you only hear that when all else is still. And around all of that is silence. The silence of the mini-city.  Not true silence.

Hubby is still snoozing, he must have woken up early and went down to the mancave with Neeko, when the wrong number called at 4:45 am this morning it was only Gator and I in bed.  I won't bother him for a few.  I am going to savor the quiet while I write. Besides, he's earned a bit of extra sleep.  He's been working on the yard for me in his spare time, and the humidity has been brutal this past few days.

It's always like that when storms are promised but fail to arrive.  The Old Farmers Almanac said we were expecting a drought again this year, I am wondering if they aren't right.  I will definitely be sitting some rain barrels out just in case.

This past weekend was bittersweet.  My sisters were all down in Arkansas with my folks.  I wish I could have been there, but sometimes things don't work out the way one would hope.  One of my sisters graduated with honors with her bachelors degree in nursing.  And I am so very proud of her. And then they spent mother's day with Mom.  I am sure it was wonderful.

I didn't have enough time to plan and rearrange my schedule when I found out, maybe next time.  I hope Hubby and I can head down before long.  I would love to spend some time with my folks. They don't come up here often and sadly we don't get down there.  Often we are guilty of making a living not making a life.  Not by choice, but out of necessity.

I am blessed to have a wonderful mom, someone that has always been there for each of us girls. A natural born mother that has always been there for many.  I got to talk to her for a bit yesterday, it's hard to have much of a conversation when there is a house full of people also wanting her time. But it's okay.... Learned a long time ago how to share with my younger sisters.

I was struggling with the fact that my youngest was on the other side of the country and I hadn't heard from him.  He's a grown man, and doesn't need mommying, that doesn't mean that I don't need to be a mommy.  And I sure didn't expect a call from him.  He hates phones, he will text like a demon, but he isn't big on conversing.  And just as I was starting to think I wasn't going to hear from him, he popped up online. He sure put tears in my eyes.   Evidently he'd ordered flowers for me and darn UPS screwed it up.  You could sense his frustration, I hope he could sense the joy in my heart.  My grown up little boy/man has never sent me flowers.  He says they might arrive today, I am so excited it feels like Christmas day!

I had the chance to spend time with my girl... And help our grand baby give her a gift that was perfect.  My pieces girl loves the beach, and we found the perfect frame to showcase two of the pictures from the spring break trips.

I was giggling when I walked out on the deck... For years now it's been a running theme, I always get 3 ferns from my girl for Mother's Day.  I almost think I would be devastated if I didn't.  Even when she barely had money for groceries, there were always three ferns. Some years they were small, waiting to grow into huge bushy ferns on my front porch in the shade of that big old maple. Other years they were bigger, already looking full grown.

I used to have 3 posts on my front deck. We didn't replace them when we rebuilt the deck last year.  So I wasn't really expecting ferns.  Yet when she pulled up in that big ole Harley Davidson truck of her's I was rather surprised to find 5 HUGE ferns on my deck as she walked in telling me I'd better water my ferns quickly because she'd forgotten about the heat and they had been in the back of her truck in the sun for a full day.  Yep that is my girl!  She sure does make me smile!

I may need to put a rail on my deck after all.  They sure are beautiful.  And despite her fears they were not harmed at all by the lack of water for a day.

Ferns, flower, a tripod and new battery for my camera and "office supplies", I would say my family knows me well!  I love them all so much!  Even a text from both of the twins, one even had an "I love you"... it was a good day.


It wrapped up a good few days actually.  The early part of last week was rough.  I couldn't bring myself to deal with most of it right away, but I will.  I am still processing it all. The last part was simply amazing.  The tides turned and Hubby taking me to a Zootini in the rain made it all start to get better.

Playing with sting rays, listening to Caribbean music while enjoying chocolate martini's and a delightful Caribbean meal was a sound start to a reset in my heart. A few motorcycle rides made it even better, although I am not sure I am ever going to get anything done around the house at this rate.

We traveled south on the river road this time.  It is a route that will need some further exploration. It was late in the day when we were able to go and we were pushing against nightfall.  I am not a huge fan of night riding for multiple reasons, the biggest of which is the bugs.

Fort De Chartres was amazing!  I want to go back and explore it further when the museum is open. The bluffs as a back drop, framing the beauty of that rich farm land.  Bottom ground left behind from that big meandering river.  The ride back along the bluffs where the caves chill the air to a nippy 55 degrees and the beautiful eagles soaring so gracefully against that bright blue sky.

Any time I start to feeling depressed, I simply need to step back and take a minute.  I have an amazing family and dear friends.  People that truly make my life a blessing.  A Hubby that I adore, children that make my life a rich tapestry, a grand baby that is simply perfection to me... my four legged babies that give unconditional love.  I am rich beyond words... I have treasures that are priceless...

Sunset on a beautiful day...