Friday, June 04, 2021

Early June Delights on a Friday

 


Early June. These first days have been warm and sunny and the garden is flourishing. The peonies are glorious, with roses coming up a close second. Lavender buds are barely opening. I've had a busier than normal week with this and that, and it feels good. I was beginning to get a bit bored with this retirement thing. There's always something to do, but no urgency to do it, and I think I do better with a few fixed points in my weekly schedule. 


One of the delights of retirement is slower mornings. I get up with Tim, but I don't like eating breakfast right away, so I putter in the kitchen and we chat while he eats. I get his lunch ready, unload the dishwasher, or start some food prep for later in the day. After he leaves I make my tea and get some breakfast. This week I've enjoyed eating out on the patio being serenaded by the birds. 


While unloading groceries from the car I noticed a pretty ladybug perched on a lavender stalk beside the driveway. I wondered if she would stay there while I went inside for my camera. She cooperated nicely, and flew off shortly afterwards. 

Do you remember the nursery rhyme, "Ladybug, ladybug, fly away home, Your house is on fire and your children will burn"? I read that it's in reference to burning the fields after harvest in the old days. Some of those old nursery rhymes have rather gruesome histories to them, don't they?


Someone is turning two soon and her Nana made her a birthday crown. We spent the day together yesterday and I gave it to her then. She was so pleased and preened in front of the mirror, turning this way and that to admire herself. Iris' fascination with hats and headgear goes back many months. 

We went out to the garden just to pick and eat strawberries. She knew just what to do after watching me, and was soon bending down and choosing the berries on her own. 


I picked the first bouquet of roses - Boscobel, Falstaff, Winchester Cathedral, Bolero, and Gertrude Jekyll. They mix well together and I'm enjoying their fragrance in the house. 

Tonight is a birthday party for Iris and Sadie, whose birthdays fall one day after the other (in different years). The weather is turning cooler and rain is in the forecast for the weekend, so, since we are over the limit for indoor gatherings, the party will be held outside and tonight's weather seems the best. We're hosting more individual families indoors over the next few days. 

Today I'll wrap some gifts, make a salad to share, do a little stitching, and the moments will fly by. I'll be sure to smell the roses along the way. I hope you take the time to enjoy the beauty in your world today. 

27 comments:

  1. Lovely lovely roses. They are such a joy in this month, and I'm constantly picking a little bunch, just for the glorious scents!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Such a sweet photograph of Iris.
    Your bouquet of roses looks lovely, I can just imagine the gorgeous scent.
    Hope the birthday party and indoor gatherings go well, my good wishes to all.

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
  3. Happy Birthday Sadie and Iris - how cute she looks in her beautiful crown. My youngest son also had a fascination with hats - the first one he had in his collection was our tea-cosy which he liked to wear when he was about the same age as Iris.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh such a sweet toddler. I heard the Ring around the roses had to do with the black plague. We all fall down!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lorrie, I see you've had a beautiful Friday. As it should be! Love Iris's crown for her birthday. And how sweet to imagine her picking her own strawberries to eat. The roses are gorgeous. Had a snoop at the titles in your book pile (all delightful possibilities for summer reading).

    Happy birthday to the birthday girls and have a wonderful time with loved ones.



    ReplyDelete
  6. Seems as if all little girls know how to respond to a crown. Iris looks especially adorable wearing hers. Sounds as if birthday plans will work out beautifully. Have lots of fun with your granddaughters.🎈🎈

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for sharing your beautiful world. I love that bouquet of roses. Record setting high temperatures here today, so it was an inside kind of day.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Happy Birthday to Sadie and Iris! Iris looks darling in her made-by-nana birthday crown. I loved picturing the both of you picking and eating strawberries together. Happy June to you!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I can almost smell the roses from here. So beautiful! And I am impressed that you know all their names. Sweet Iris! Enjoy your birthday party tonight!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Iris looks so proud of her crown/hat. Happy birthday to her and to Sadie too. I hope you have a fun celebration.

    ReplyDelete
  11. That’s the lovely thing about retirement, you get to notice all those little things. Hope the birthday celebrations go well. Love Iris’ crown. B x

    ReplyDelete
  12. The birthday crown looks adorable on such an adorable little girl. Hope the celebrations go well and that the weather holds for your outdoor gathering. The roses are a delight, so pretty, its a shame that we can't take in the smell.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I love the picture of the lady bug! Your roses are beautiful. Have a wonderful weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  14. So beautiful! 🌷💚🌳

    ReplyDelete
  15. Aren't you the sweetest Nana ever to make such a beautiful crown for a beautiful little girl. Grandchildren are such fun, aren't they?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Retirement is such a lovely way to enjoy life as we get older. The pace is perfect!

    Enjoy your family time!

    ReplyDelete
  17. That birthday crown is fabulous!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love the birthday crown, what a treasure. Have fun with all your festivities.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Love her crown and how wonderful that you could celebrate two birthdays! Our white peonies are just bursting forth and the pink ones are behind them. Happy new week to you.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Retirement certainly does take on a difference pace.
    I love that you have been having breakfast outdoors. I try to do that on nice mornings also. What a treat!
    Your roses are beautiful!
    I love, love that crown for Iris. How very special. My grandsons pre-school teacher made crowns for each of her students on their birthdays and I loved that idea so much.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Happy Birthday! Lovely crown
    The roses are beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Great ladybug shot!

    Can't believe that Iris is turning 2 already. Great job on the birthday crown!

    Yes, some of the original nursery tales and fairy tales are pretty dark and disturbing!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Beautiful Iris! I love her crown and I love that she is delighted by it! Happy birthday to her and happy birthday to Sadie! I hope the celebration for these two girls was splendid!

    (Bekah was given a boxed collection of little nursery rhyme board books when she was a baby. So odd that one of those tiny books went missing. Yes, the morbid one about the ladybug. I didn't feel a bit guilty.)

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hi Lorrie,

    Oh, I love to see pics of that cutie pie, Iris!! You did a great job on her crown! I didn't realize you have Gertrude Jeckyll roses -- that's what we have too. Their fragrance really is exquisite. That is a great shot of the ladybug, Lorrie. They are my favorite bug, and I believe they're supposed to be quite beneficial in the garden. I have read that nursery rhyme as an adult, but never heard it as a child. Apparently, in Britain, ladybugs are sometimes referred to as ladybirds. I thought that was interesting.

    I'm sure retirement takes some getting used to. I want my hubby to retire, but I'm not sure he's quite ready to. We'll just have to see. :)

    I hope you have a great week!

    Hugs,

    Denise

    ReplyDelete
  25. Lorrie, I love Iris's crown. She is so pretty with her big blue eyes and curly hair. Happy birthday to her and to Sadie. I hope you had a wonderful weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  26. That crown made her feel so special! I love her expressions!

    ReplyDelete
  27. The lavenders are beginning to bloom in the garden. Nice roses bouquet!
    The ladybirds here gives you luck if she comes on you.
    I am late to post a comment I sometimes can’t leave a comment with blogger!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comment. I read and value each one, cherishing the connections we can make although far apart. Usually, I visit your blog in return, although if you ask a question I try to contact you directly.

A Wander Through my Mind

  Nothing is so beautiful as Spring -  When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush; Gerard Manley Hopkins When I opened my bedroom...