What a happy day and birthday

At our house, Memorial Day is always also Erica's Birthday.

And vice versa.

Yesterday was no exception, even though her actual birthday is today.

Out-of-town family began arriving late Sunday night. Monday was bright and hot, and more family came. The grandkids enjoyed the pool until they were exhausted.

We feasted on pulled pork barbecue sandwiches along with several cool, refreshing salads for sides.

Then it was time for that birthday cake -- the one with Erica's name on it. She was surrounded by gifts and balloons.

And the dessert was exceptionally delicious. All agreed it was the best birthday cake we'd had in a long time. (We are partial to store-bought birthday cake slathered in buttercream and decorated in lurid colors.)

Later, some of our company left and different company arrived. We ate again and tucked into a second, smaller cake. Chocolate this time.

Sorry; no pictures of that. We were busy eating the tiny cake and then -- boom, every moist crumb and succulent blob of frosting was gone. There was also Cuban coffee made in the French press. And lots of laughter and talking.

Before second cake, Dagny had left for a week in North Carolina with her tarheel cousins, and one of the cousins had stayed behind with us.

Andrew is spending the week. We have many plans including swimming, subjecting treating Rizzo to a bath, visiting a fire station, shopping, eating dinner at Chick-fil-A, and organizing a photo shoot at the park.

He stayed up until ten o'clock last night! At Mamaw's house you don't have to eat anything you don't want, and you get to stay up until you're ready to go to bed.

Those are the rules, along with Don't Put Your Feet On The Furniture and Don't Wake Mamaw Up Too Early.

Yesterday we remembered the sacrifice of our fallen American heroes, and we celebrated the life of our All-American baby girl.

It was a happy day. We hope yours was too.

And that is all for now.

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Happy Tuesday

We heart our heroes

Happy Memorial Day, Everybody!

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Happy Monday

Rizzo on retaining wall with tiger lilies

Rizzo the splendid Chiweenie has developed a new behavior.

But wait.

Update: He has been doing much better when it comes to eating pieces of wood and local flora and rocks and pine cones and acorns.

He hardly ever has to wear his OutFox Field Guard anymore.

I think he's tasted everything there is to taste in the back yard slash pool area which is his outdoor domain, and lost interest. At least temporarily.

When the acorns begin dropping in about five months, I'm pretty sure we'll have to start installing the face mask again. But until then, Rizzo goes outside in the altogether.

He adores basking in the sunshine and almost never wants to come in. We'll see what happens when the weather turns positively sweltering.

I saw two fleas on my pet a few weeks ago and freaked out. He was being treated with a topical pesticide so I didn't understand why live fleas were able to establish residence in Rizzo's luxurious fur.

The veterinarian said that fleas long ago figured out the particular formula we were using. They eat it for breakfast now; it puts hair on their chests. It hasn't harmed a flea since Skippy was a pup.

He also said it's squirrels bringing all the fleas to the yard.

We have only the occasional squirrel that runs along the privacy fence or hops from tree to tree overhead, but I guess they're flinging fleas as they go.

So anyway, we switched to another brand of topical flea treatment, and that did the trick.

But as to Rizzo's new behavior -- the one I mentioned earlier -- he's begun trotting along the low brick retaining wall that runs for about seventy-five feet separating our pool area from the grassy knoll beyond.

The tiger lilies are showing out so I took Rizzo's picture sitting/standing on the far edge of said retaining wall, over by the sun room and my palmetto tree garden, with the bright orange flowers behind him.

From his expressions, Rizzo is alternately contemplative as to the existence of tiger lilies, bored to tears by having his picture taken with tiger lilies, ready to sing full-throttle at the meaning of tiger lilies growing beside retaining walls, made very sleepy by the semi-rainy day (and for all we know, the tiger lilies), and completely disinterested in all of the above, including me.

But what I'd do without my little Riz-man, the Rizzonator, my excellent thirty-five-dollar dog, I will never know. I rescued him and in return, he rescued me right back.

And that is all for now.

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Happy Wednesday

We went to Greenville. They went to Jared.

Mother's Day is only fifty-one weeks away! Or one week and one day away. Depending on how you look at it.

This thought crossed me pirate brain as I considered the fact that if I don't tell you about my Mother's Day, tales of the occasion will become hopelessly OBE.

Overcome By Events.

Which seems to be the story of my life lately. Apologies for my tardiness.

A week ago Saturday, practically our entire family converged on the home of Mom and Henry in Greenville. We took food and gifts, and were met with more food and more gifts.

My mother started this thing several years ago of giving presents to my sister and me for Mother's Day. Presumably because we are mothers. And she's our mother. I like how she thinks.

So now, I give my children gifts on Mother's Day. Even the ones who aren't mothers, or even female.

For example, this is what I gave to Andrew. It was matted and framed and ready to be displayed in his house. Click to embiggen:

Audrey got this one (which, I should confess, was actually taken by Andrew) --

And Erica received this one:

(Our other three grandchildren will be visiting us for a week each this summer. I can't wait to show you the portraits of them that I plan to get, with their maternal aunts and uncle. PLAN being the operative word, because they aren't here often or for very long, and it will be hot, and a multitude of activities tend to get in the way. Stay tuned.) 

Stephanie received lavender soap and sparkly earrings, place holders until I can get a pretty portrait of her with Dagny.

To my own mother I gave, among other things, this photo:

Along with a promise to organize a shoot with Stephanie and her three children, and give her a framed picture of them too. Again: This will be tricky as opportunities don't necessarily abound. But I'm nothing if not determined. And I did promise.

We took lots of photos that day but due to light and space and temperature/humidity concerns and my singular failings when behind the camera lens (or being the one who set it up on a tripod and operated the remote), they're not great.

But at least you can see all of us, including Mother and Henry. Click it! Do not be afraid.

Anyway, we got together and ate and had presents and pictures. The only one missing (and greatly missed) was our son-in-law, Joel, who is a pastor and as such takes Mondays off but rarely a Saturday.

Chad was there, and Brittany. As in, two of my single children have been dating lovely people since late last year.

There is love-dust floating around everywhere now. You breathe it; it sticks to your eyelashes and your clothes.

The twitterpation is palpable. Eyes are sparkling. Happy smiles simply break out before faces tell them to show up there.

Chad is Erica's love, and she his. For Andrew, it's the darling Brittany. And he for her. We adore them all, both separately and together. But I think you'll agree, together is better.

Back to presents. Stephanie gave me a glittering Jessica Simpson necklace that reminds me of a pirate medallion. I adore circles. Win-win.

Brittany brought me a sweet miniature rose bush which I fervently pray I do not kill.

Also Erica gave me a vintage Reader's Digest condensed book cut into the shape of a J and tied closed with a bit of twine. I love it.

Among my cards was a giant one featuring a tiara-wearing Chihuahua. Home run, mi amigas.

On Mother's Day, after church, the girls prepared lunch for me and TG and hostessed us at their house. And guess what I saw, the second I walked in and my eyes adjusted?

A beribboned gift bag from Jared.

My heart skipped at least sixteen beats. I gasped. Is that for meeeee, I thought. Noooooo.

But it WAS for me. Audrey, Erica, and Andrew pooled their racehorses and got me a Pandora bracelet. I never dreamed I'd own one. I love it.

My clasp is the signature twinkling barrel and my first charm is angel wings with a cultured pearl drop.

I've got many future charms all picked out. I got right on that, just in case anyone asks.

I hope your Mother's Day was just as memorable in every way and that you have awe-inspiring plans for your Memorial Day.

And that is all for now.

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Happy Monday

Sunday driven

I'm working on a photography project that involves getting certain shots of certain people.

And even more shots of certain people together.

You might say I'm driven. The project has been in the works for a while. I long for completion.

So I asked Erica if she'd come over to the house after church last Sunday evening, during the golden hour, so that we could take advantage of the gorgeous weather and perfect light.

Dagny was involved too. Audrey agreed to produce her daughter on location at the same time.

Naturally everything's more fun when Dagny enters the mix. It's true that children keep you young.

Exhausted and frustrated too (sometimes), but definitely young. Young and hopeful and full of laughter.

My youngest granddaughter wore a black dress and pearls for this shoot. What else?

Before getting down to the business at hand, she begged to drive with Papaw, who was putting the car away.

She hopped in and they left together, with Dagny sitting on TG's lap in the driver's seat.

Don't judge. They drove around the block. Top speed: ten. Our neighborhood is nothing if not quiet.

Dagny couldn't have been more thrilled if her mother had told her she could have ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a week.

When they got back and Papaw had changed clothes, more shenanigans ensued.

Dagny trusts the strong arms of her grandfather. She's got faith in his love and she knows he'll never hurt her or let her down in any way.

From earliest babyhood when Dagny watched hours upon hours of Baby Einstein videos, she will put her arms up over her head when we say "Reach!"

Then came a short session of Dagny and Papaw sharing hugs. I'm pretty sure Dagny has had millions of hugs and kisses since her birth.

And she's just getting started.

It's all good.

Eventually we got down to the business of taking pictures of Dagny with her beloved Aunt Erica. Those two have a special relationship.

I wanted to capture it in a picture, as much as that can be done.

Along with devoted parents and grandparents, adoring aunts and uncles can be among the best parts of a childhood.

Dagny's rich in that regard.

She and her cousins return happiness tenfold for all the love they're given. Kids are great. My grandkids? Grander than grand.

Meanwhile, the project continues. Stay tuned for shots of all four of my grandchildren. Alone, and together. I'm driven to make it happen.

And that is all for now.

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Happy Tuesday