Happy Birthday to Me

One more trip around the sun- check.
This birthday felt on one  hand, a little more sober, on the other hand, the sobering thoughts yielding more reasons for celebrating. While such heartache surrounds me- natural disasters, cancer, refugees, local fires affecting folks I know and folks I don't, frail mamas, refugees, hacking and scamming that never ends, littlest bits without good parents, a Cluckingham Palace disaster, oy vey!
 But  the sweetness of  🙌CELEBRATING🙌 -three kids who brought three more to our family that have made a life independent of me,  that I get to see up close, so many precious grandbabies that I get to love and teach, a classroom where I'm allowed to wield my own brand of bohemian instruction, a mama who thinks my crazy hair is all kinds of gorgeous and tells me that every single time I see her, for man who is a gift from God and models Jesus' unconditional love to me every day, and a brother, a sister, a daughter, a niece and some crazy friend girls who love me up and make me feel special and not just on my birthday, freedom to go to church where all words and songs lift up my Savior- my All in All.  My, my, my, such goodness.  Feeling grateful!

Let's see if I can keep from setting my hair on fire.

In the spring, one of my most favorite groups, Over the Rhine, shared of upcoming albums, with a request to pre-purchase said albums.  I did.  For my effort I received tickets to a concert originally set for their farm, but changed due to weather.  Rae and I hit the road early and made a stop at Findlay Market in Cincy.  Oh my, how neat.  So many beautiful things, good smells, yummy treats.  The concert was simply lovely.  And we landed front row seats. Such a wonderful day.


So my herd of chickie girls has been nearly decimated.  Handy Man has trapped and dispensed nine raccoons and two possums in the last two months.  Everytime we've had a decline, I think I will give up chicken keeping. Then I miss them and so here we grow again.

 I told Handy Man those little 2 ounce balls of fluff just never get old.  It was a delightful surprise to my classroom.

The gramerlings never mind a new batch of babies to snuggle either.

 Giddy-Up wanted to try some sushi and I had leftovers from Blue Eye's date, so we fixed some up.  He loved it.

A friend sponsored a family outing through her work for a trip to the Falls and invited us to go along. It is just all kinds of fun to see the same fossils we've found in our own creek.

Ugh, that big boy haircut. I can't.

When Drummer Boy came by with the kids, they were climbing a tree and found a huge nest of these honey bee killers.  This the the hugest bee type thing I have ever seen.  You know I'm the tree hugging, insect loving kind, but these bad boys have got to go!

Sending some love and peace  to everyone facing whatever hard has you wrapped and struggling today.