Mother, May I?

OMG, is May not the most fabulous time of the year? Flowers blooming, baseball bats cracking, folks graduating, weddings being planned in haste, and outdoor activities galore. To top all that, this is the month of Nurse's Day, Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, Armed Forces Day (USA) and Victoria Day (Canada), and Memorial Day (USA) and probably more that I don't know about or forgot. What is there not to love about May?

My grandson is playing ball this year on a team called The Bats, they wear purple and black uniforms. Here's a little bit of him getting a hit at last week's game:

While I'm not at one of his games, I'm either gardening 

 the seedlings - sunflowers, cabbage, cucumber, tomatoes, sweet basil and columbine

 the "square foot garden" with peas, beans, spinach and beets and shallots (back to front) - surrounded by netting and fencing to keep out goats, cats and ground hogs.-

The potatoes in tires (covered with netting as well)

and the asparagus bed that been producing thumb thick stalks for a few weeks now. YUM! 

Or, I'm crocheting

This is a Bucket bag that I made with two straps - it's round but closes up nicely without a snap or drawstring, although I might decide to make a button and flap for added security. 

And this pillow top, sort of a granny square but not your typical. Nice for the coming patriotic holidays. Still need to decide on the back. 

Fabric or more crochet work? Not sure, but leaning toward red or blue linen. 

I also take time to "smell the roses" although none of these really smell nor are they roses, but they're pretty to look at regardless. 

Iris

Showy primrose

Shasta daisy 

prayer plant 

You never know what you'll find among the plants, either 

jumping spider (I don't like spiders, as a rule, but I do enjoy having these harmless and friendly guys around)

The Solomon's Seal has a froggy friend 

And, no, he's not a real 'gator.

Another reason I might be a bit partial to May is that it's my birthday month. I'm the earth sign, Taurus, which, if you're 'into' astrology, you may have already guessed. I also love my Mom and am so thankful that she lives close by and is in very good health. We spent Sunday together, along with one son, one brother, Dad, and my husband. Mom and I sat out on the porch talking for hours. You'd think we hadn't seen each other for months the way we gabbed, but I see her twice a week at least. I should have taken photos of her and her gorgeous Roses which decided to bloom this past week. Her Peonies and Bleeding Hearts were also blooming. Heavenly! 

So, enjoy May along with me. Get outside and soak up the sunshine (Vit D! don't forget a hat and shades - slop on the sunscreen if you're planning on being out for a good while, too). Dabble in some gardening or just take a walk around the neighborhood and enjoy the fruits of your gardening neighbors' labors. NO PICKING, though, without permission!

Have fun and thank our Almighty Father for giving us such a wonderfully rich and beautiful place to live. 

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FYI - The pattern for the Bucket bag can be found at Joann.com as a free crochet pattern from Martha Stewart Crafts (Title - crochet bucket bag). All I did was change the strap configuration, adding a second and making them a little bit thinner. It says it's an intermediate skill level pattern, but it's pretty simple, really.