HATS OFF TO THE END OF MAY

THE MONTH OF MAY COMES TO A CLOSE IN TENNESSEE This has been an unusual Spring season in the mid south. We've had a LOT of rain and cooler than average temperatures. While bothersome to many, I suppose, the change in climate, though short-lived, is a welcome one to me. We've been able to keep windows and doors open during the daytime and into the night. This old house is poorly insulated and the breezes help cool and heat the interior. I enjoy having the house open to the outdoors. So, I've enjoyed this particular Spring. As the month ends, so do the mild temperatures. Very soon, we will have to keep everything closed up and turn on the AC units - 2 window units and one portable, vented unit. Going outside will be limited to early mornings and late evenings or short spans during the day. I hope we will not suffer from water famine as we did last year. I collect and save rainwater to water plants with, but then I have to worry about mosquito larvae breeding in it, so have to be sure to use it fairly quickly. June tends to be a dry month, with grass, now green and lush, becoming brittle and sparse. The hubby, who does the mowing is looking forward to that aspect of summer. I, who prefer to walk barefoot, do not. But I get where he's coming from. Summertime Blues Here's my list of summertime woes: 1. I don't have a pool. 2. The pool in town has no shade and it's too crowded. 3. The car is too hot when you get into it and takes too long to cool off. 4. My fair skin can't take the sun for long and I loathe wearing gobs of sunblock. 5. Flies,chiggers and ticks. (Did I mention I live in the country?) 6. I have to wear less clothing and I need to drop a few kilos. Here's my list of summertime yays!: 1. It will soon be fall. OH, TO AGAIN SAVOR THE JOYS OF SUMMERTIME AS A CHILD When I was a kid, summer meant a rewarding break from school. It meant days and early evenings of outdoor play with neighbors and friends. It meant family get-togethers and bbq's with corn on the cob, hot dogs and watermelon. All eaten outside, no one to make you clean your plate or watch your manners. It meant days at the beach (I grew up on the New Jersey shore), days at the neighbor's pool, days reading in a tree (one of my favorite summer pasttimes), evenings catching fireflies and keeping them in your darkened room, watching them as you fought off demon sleep. Now that my kids are grown, summer has lost a lot of its meaning. School in, school out, didn't much matter, except for hearing the bus come so early in the morning. But now, I have a grandson who just graduated from Kindergarten. His first summer vacation is now here. We have, so far, spent time together at the park, took a walk to the creek, and spent a few hours playing board games. I'm hoping some of that enthusiasm for SUMMER! will rub off on me. I think - I hope - it will.

Mother's Day Comings and Goings

Another Year Bites the Dust My 59th year of living is but a memory now. I remember my 30th birthday, nearly 30 years ago, when I marveled that the "milestone" of turning 30 did not make me feel old; my quarter-century mark seemed much more profound at the time. Approaching the 60th anniversary of life feels a bit more on the inspiring side than previous mile markers. Time has been passing much too swiftly and I hope to do more savoring and less speeding through it in the future. 'Nuff said about my age. "C's Crafted Creations" shop on etsy.com has become "3Csshop" and I have acquired a few repeat customers, I'm extremely happy to say. I've been branching out a bit from crocheting exclusively and including some sewn items. Never officially told I have ADD or ADHD, nonetheless, I have a tendency to keep several projects on line at the same time. I enjoy new challenges, so whether that means I have a 'disability' or not, I prefer to think of it as an 'ability' to be creative in more ways than one, at the same time even. Crocheting in the warmer months means a complete change in pending inventory, certainly. No more winter hats and scarves, no more neck warmers or mittens. Patterns for light stoles, pretty and airy scarves, purses and bags, vests of cotton and bamboo, even swimsuit coverups are now the focus. In temporary storage is the wool yarn cache, with acrylics in fall and winter colors joining the skeins and balls for now. Out of the stash are spring and summer colors in the natural fibers that keep one covered and cool at the same time. I love just perusing through them and then hope for inspirations to come. Being a slightly-better-than-novice at sewing means my projects have been, what to me is, uncomplicated. Blankets and bedspreads, tote bags and pillows are what I've been creating. A little hand quilting to go along with that on the blankets, because I do so love to do hand sewing. Have I mentioned that I still darn socks, too? For Mother's Day, which followed my birthday by a few days, I gave my Mom a stole I made(I have one similar to it for sale on etsy) and she loved it. I am now working on a messenger bag for one of my repeat customers. I really enjoy doing custom orders and feel like this is going to be the cornerstone of my shop in the future. It's just wonderful to be creating something you already know someone wants! Season's Change and So Do I What has been a struggle for the past year is to be forgotten. Coming back to normalcy from the accident, I still have my moments of fear and flashback when in an automobile. Our recent trip to the Appalachians was not without a few. But all told, I'm much more comfortable riding than I was a year ago. The residual aches and pains of injuries sustained have become the status quo and I embrace them, when they appear, as a reminder to be thankful for the present life I now enjoy. "O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who are in most need of Your mercy."