Day One Hundred Five 2013

"Since Iris is the Greek goddess for the Messenger of Love, her sacred flower is considered the symbol of communication and messages. Greek men would often plant an iris on the graves of their beloved women as a tribute to the goddess Iris, whose duty it was to take the souls of women to the Elysian fields*."      ~Hana No Monogatari: The Stories of Flowers

[*The Elysian Fields or Elysium refer to a beautiful meadow in Homer where the favored of Zeus enjoy perfect happiness. By the time of Vergil (Virgil), the Elysian Fields had been located in the Underworld as the home of the dead who were judged worthy. In the Aeneid, those blessed dead compose poetry, sing, dance, and tend to their chariots.]

I love the Irises that bloom in our yard. The Iris is the Tennessee state flower.

Don’t say I never taught ya nothin.

Day One Hundred Thirteen 2012

Hubby Neil and I went for a walk around the neighborhood this afternoon. I love this big old house that sits at the end of our street. Don't tell anybody, but I've coveted this house since I was seventeen years old. (And don't tell anybody this, but I haven't been seventeen for over forty years now.)

Neil and I always seem to pick the coldest, most blustery days for our walks. But that's OK. It felt great to be outside for awhile in the fresh air.

The Irises finally bloomed along this old rock wall. I see Irises everywhere lately. Ours did not bloom this year for some reason.

This little stretch of country backroad is actually only one street over from our street. 

We do something good for us, and then end up at the DQ for an ice cream cone. So bad but so good! Hope your Sunday afternoon was delicious.

Day Ninety One 2012

Daughters and grandkids spent Friday night with Neil and me. We stayed up late and woke up late and enjoyed Neil’s homemade blueberry waffles for breakfast. It was an awesome spring day so we headed outside where grand daughter Shelby communed with neighbor kitty Lily.

We dusted off the jug of bubble soap and Shelby blew some bubble art.

Temporary bubble art, big as your head!

Grandson Elijah made friends with a caterpillar and named him ‘Jeff’.

‘Jeff’ was a pretty fast crawler. Elijah put him in a paper cup with some grassy weeds to climb on.

Grandson Knox was diggin’ the great outdoors, too, but didn’t get into the creepy crawly action. He’s a little wiggle worm in his own right.

Saturday (and everyday) Peeps! Daughters Kelly and Holly and grandkids Elijah, Shelby, and Knox, who found more interesting things to look at than my camera.

Bubble art with purple lilacs. Our lilac bush has lots of blooms this year.

Also pretty in purple, a gorgeous iris, which is the Tennessee state flower. The end of winter and start of spring has been so hot that only a couple of the iris plants bloomed. Made me sad. Love these.

Speaking of creepy crawlies…Neil was weeding around our house and almost put his hand on this snake. We think it was a copperhead which is poisonous. It was poised to strike, sticking its forked tongue out at us. I got close as I could to take this picture. (You can click on the picture to enlarge it if you like). Elijah said, “I hate snakes!” Shelby said, “Off with its head!” Neil obliged with his hoe. Gave all of us the willies!


Grandson Knox in a rare on-the-belly pose. Hard to believe he’ll be 4 months old on Monday. Good times, great memories! Happy Saturday, everyone!

Day Ninety Seven 2011

These purple irises are the prettiest thing in our yard right now. Hope they'll stick around for a while longer. It's a purple river of eye candy.

Day Eighty Two 2011

The Mega Block dawgs that grandson Elijah and I built this morning.

He had fun destroying the wacky building I made. That's why he's laughing.

The first tulip bloom. I love tulips. We don't have as many blooming in recent springs because the bulbs need to be dug up and separated and replanted. That sounds like work.

The irises bloomed, too! One day they look like that iris on the right, and the next day--poof! I love these--the Tennessee state flower.

Mama Cardinal and other birdies looking for food. The feeders are empty because the squirrels pig out on the seed all day long until there's none left for the winged creatures.

Papa Cardinal probably found more seed to eat on the ground under the feeders than his mate found on the feeders. Getting some rain which we need and storms which nobody needs. Hope you are safe and dry where you are.

Day One Hundred Five

Color Me Purple

These purple Iris are just about the prettiest things growing in our yard right now. I never get tired of looking at my Tennessee state flower.