a surprise nomination

Recently I received a Stylish Blogger Award from my daughter Anne, whose blog My Giant Strawberry serves as food for my soul. Thank you, Anne, for the award as well as your postings.
As a recipient of this award I am charged to mention here 7 things about myself.
Now I have been thinking on this and find it's not so easy. At first my list is way too short. Next it's ridiculously long and hard to narrow down. Oh well, here goes.

1. I  am married to the love of my life. We're nearing our 39th anniversary. We've known each other since we were 6, attending the same Catholic elementary school.  Though we dated off and on and also dated other people, by our senior year I knew he would be my future. Here we are in our son's inflatable boat just paddling along soaking up the sun. That year our kids surprised us at Ice Lake, but that's a story for another day.

2. Of all the blessings of my life, those which give me the most joy are my children. Jerome and I agreed that we would do everything possible for me to be a stay at home mom. And he was a hands on dad from the very beginning. We had no guidebook for child raising that would guarantee our kids would turn out fine. But nevertheless they turned out very fine indeed.

3 I love to grow things. It's just that simple. And the more the better. I do tend to fill an area when I plant.  Here is a narrow bed along one side of the patio at our city house. And of course the houseplants like to vacation out of doors so they get to feel the morning dew and taste the rain. Who wouldn't?

 

 

And here's a tiny pocket garden near the city house's front door. I was attempting to hide the gas meter! 

 

Inside is full of plants as well. And there's always room for one more. Here is one of the avocado pits that's currently growing on my farmhouse kitchen window sill.

4 I love the four seasons. When we were looking for our farm I never thought of any place other than the midwest. The year advances with precious gifts, each brief but beautiful beyond description.  Who would give up the first jonquil each spring, or the fragrance of lily of the valley, the chanting of cicadas or the tiny beams of fireflies, the satisfying crunch of leaves under foot, or the first snowflakes? A steady flow of grace day by day, season by season.

5. I love cats. In my lifetime I have had Moon, who was orange and white, not very cuddly,  and lived to be almost 19. Then there was little black Shadow who passed away after 20 lovely years. We wept when we buried her last April with snowflakes falling and the sun shining at the same time. Now it's Mya and Dovey who fill our lives with delight. We adopted them last May 1st and can't imagine our lives without them.

6. I am compelled to make things. It's not just that I like to. I really enjoy giving things I've made to people that I love. Here is an example. When my niece was getting married in Sept of 2009, I made her a set of stationery for her wedding shower and then had to make a box to put it into, and then of course she'd need a pen and stamps, and sealing wax and a seal and some rubber stamps for good measure. Here is the result. Sometimes I get carried away.

 

7. I'm a "glass half full" kind of girl. No matter how down I get, some life force grabs me by the collar and lifts me up. I've seen too many "glass half empty" people and know it's a blessing to think that "enough is as good as a feast. "
I am humbled by the honor, Anne, and feel rather cozy in the company of so many other blogs nominated. This blogging thing is really fun.