#100HappyDays :: Day 42

Just over a week later, and after the constant rain has battered our white peonies to the ground, I was given a little gift between showers, our pink ones have just begun to open.  Since thunderstorms continue to be in the forecast speckled throughout the rest of the week, I may just cut them all and put them in vases all over the house!

#100HappyDays:: Day 35

Yesterday was a day filled with little treasures.  It began with a sunrise like nothing that I have seen before.  The photo does not begin to capture it, but it was a neon orange (the whole thing was much like the ring around it the photo captured) tempered by overcast skies.  It felt a bit like we were living in an altered universe, even if only for an hour or so.

After a busy morning at work, I took the kids to lunch and then on the hunt for a new family board game, which evolved into the boy wanting a new book to read, and the girl wanting a new moleskin and some copic markers.   As it is summertime and I want them to be engaged in activities other than electronic ones when I am at work, I indulged them happily.  Sid has some serious artistic talent, but prefers not to share her work openly at this point, so I'll just say that I was duly impressed with how she utilized those markers for the first time!  The day wrapped up with a visit to a friend of mine who had a beautiful baby girl over the weekend....were my kids ever that small!?   Then coming home to one of the peony bushes in full bloom, was the icing on a day that had many happy moments.

Thursday Things

It has been so busy this week, with the last day of school and summer activities getting into full swing without missing a beat. It has left me a little splintered with some tasks half done. So here are a few random Thursday things that I have been thinking about.

::  I had planned on baking cookies two days ago, but the afternoons have been so busy that it just has not   happened.  So this morning as my beautiful room temperature butter stared back at me accusingly, I decided to shake things up a bit and get my cookies baked early.  I am always at my best early in the day, and that time is normally monopolized by lunch making and carpooling before work.  What did I learn this morning?  An added benefit to summer....early morning baking rocks!

::  Virtually any garden item can be harvested and infused in vodka, olive oil or vinegar.  The possibilities are endless.....and delicious!!

::  When I knew that big storms were headed our way last night, I quickly ran outside and cut a few of our newly bloomed peonies, for fear the torrential rain would make them drop all of their petals before I could enjoy them.  Mother nature sure does it up right.  As I mourn the passing of my beautiful lilac flowers, she cheers me up with these delicate fragrant blooms, and reminds me that it is all a cycle and as one thing ends another begins.

Sweet Breath of Peace

Since we leave on Thursday for California, we are racing around to finalize the last of the garden planting, mowing, loads of laundry, and generalized picking up, after a crazy weekend of celebratory, school is out activity.  Whew.

Then as I run from task to task tonight, 

I saw these beauties.  

Our first peonies of the season;

open, smiling, and breathing

the sweet breath of peace into my evening.