Travelin'

This was the view from our balcony last evening. We traveled to beautiful Sarasota yesterday morning and enjoyed our dinner while watching this beautiful sunset.

We spent some time wandering around St Armands Circle...a fun place full of shops and eateries...and lots of beach stuff.

For the rest of the week, while Mr. MW is in meetings, Annie and I  will be...

...enjoying the view

day

...and evening.

Enjoy the day,

Robyn

Thank You!

This is my father's flight jacket and his dog tags.

My father served as a Staff Sergeant in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He was an Aerial Photographer and sat in a small space under the plane and took reconnaissance photographs. Like many veterans, he never spoke about the things he saw while stationed in Naples, Italy. But he did tell stories about his fellow soldiers and the things they did to pass the time between missions.  They truly were a "band of brothers".

Thank you to all those who have served and to those who serve today. And a special thank you to those who did not come home.

Thank you, Daddy!

Enjoy the day,

Robyn

Memorial Day

Original Mugwump Woolies "Honora"

Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!

Enjoy the day,

Robyn

...busy, busy

It is such a busy time of year. I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel. So many things to do in the yard...in the house...to the house. 

So...my furniture is back.

I adore the chairs! Above with no flash...below with flash.

Mustard and black...and my red chest.

The sofa with flash...

...the sofa with sleeping daughter.

I am happy with the "new" look...but it is way too dark for Summer in Florida. I have not even "played"  with it yet. Come September, when the light begins to change, I will feel more inspired by the dark colors.

For now, my white slipcovers are in the wash and will be going back on for the warmer months...I hear a little red and blue calling to help cheer on the Summer!

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Our weather has been wonderful so I have been working in the yard till the hot arrives. 

Managed to put in one hundred and eight grass plugs (just little old me) to help fill in the bald spots in the lawn. It is so hard to get grass to grow under these lovely branches..

See the lamp in the lower left...it gives a bit of perspective as to the size of this tree. Someone needs to clean the glass panes in the lamp...see...it never ends.

In truth, we love our live oaks and if it came down to grass or trees...the trees win every time.

I actually have been doing some work on this fellow...

...under these very branches. 

Have a great week!

Enjoy the day,

Robyn

***I've had some questions about Annie's sleeping position. Kids with Down Syndrome are hypotonic...meaning their muscles are very loose. Years of Physical Therapy have helped to tighten Annie's muscles...but she still can, basically, tie herself into a knot. This position is not the most outrageous one she sleeps in...someday I'll share her folded in half...sleeping away!

So far....

...I've had a wonderful Mother's Day!

I had my morning tea while puttering around in my door garden. The birdsong was exquisite and the aromas were incredible.

The Confederate Jasmine by the garage door is in full bloom...I wish you could smell the wonderful scent this vine shares with us every May. It is amazing! 

This bush is also home to this couple.

They have lived there for years...raising many babies. They are so tame they no longer scatter when we are in the yard. We don't use pesticides on our yard so they feast on grass and weeds alike.

This lizard was enjoying the morning sun with me.

...a great start. 

Hope you are enjoying a wonderful Mother's Day!

Enjoy the day,

Robyn

My Favorite Day

me & my sister

We practice being mothers long before we actually become them. We diaper and pat, feed and burp, bathe and dress...somehow...we just know.

But then...if the stars align...and we actually become a mother...it is better than we ever dreamed. 

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Helen Elizabeth...my beautiful mother.

I miss you everyday.

Happy Mother's Day!

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Hope you all have the very best day...make some memories!

Happy Mother's Day!

Enjoy the day,

Robyn

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Post Script:Yesterday's post...the bit about the statuary...it was tongue in cheek. 

Laura Ashley & Statuary

This morning, Annie and I were looking through some photos from Mother's Days gone by. Annie loves to see herself when she was little, and we talk about what we remember about that day.

For a couple of years, I would make us matching Laura Ashley jumpers and buy matching Sam & Libby ballet shoes. Annie always enjoyed it, and my mother had done the same thing when my sister and I were little...the three of us all matching. (Do people do that any more?) We were enjoying our trip down Memory Lane.

Then...I ran across some other pictures that have me rethinking my "mothering skills".

My daughter, heavy in conversation with statuary...religious statuary. Love the expressions...but...

...it looks like some sort of a trend.

The doctors told me to teach her sign language when she was an infant. I thought that was ridiculous, choosing instead to talk to her every waking moment so she would have a pattern to imitate. I talked to her nonstop..."These are your toes.", "This red apple is round."..."See how the sun is shining on the green grass.". Perhaps I overdid it.

I prefer to think she's just very friendly. And all that talking to her...it paid off...she has excellent speech...but consequently, she never stops talking...just like her Mom didn't stop talking those many years ago. I believe it's called payback. It's just alarming to see it documented in photos...with statuary.

Enjoy the day,

Robyn

May Kitchen Window

Bright colors for the merry month of May...apple red and sunflower yellow.

Enjoy!

 A La-D-Da pattern...love the saying...I stitched this many years ago, and it has hung in my kitchen ever since.

Mother Nature's bounty...

Wonderful cloth apple by the talented Carol Weatherman.

Enjoy the day,

Robyn

AWOL in Green Acres

My living room furniture has been out for reupholstering for two weeks. I took this time as an opportunity to really clean the room...and that big old twelve foot window. 

How can you not take advantage of a nearly empty room to give it a really thorough going over?

Love my Shark steamer...see how dirty my floors WERE...they are all shiny now.

The other member of my Shark team is my trusty vac...it's been busy! Stuff is piled up all over...it's starting to drive me crazy! See the little green lantern? We've had such wicked rains we broke out the first line of back up lighting. Thankfully we didn't have to use them.

My floors are nice and clean, but not without a price. As a result of all that pushing my fun cleaning tools...and especially because of the raging changes in air pressure because of all the rain...I'm in an arthritis flare...the likes of which I have not felt in a few years. Something had to go...like hooking and  the computer. I've been eating Aleve and drinking copious amounts of water..and resting my hands and this morning I'm hoping for a better day...

...because somebody has to deal with all this mess, and I'm pretty sure it's going to be me.

On the brighter side...

How's that for a strawberry?

And they tasted divine!

Have a great weekend!

Stay safe!

Enjoy the day,

Robyn