Southern Musings: Birthdays and Graduations

Having celebrated my birthday and receiving multiple graduation announcements, the passage of time is being thrown in my face. I don't feel any older. More experienced (and hopefully wiser), but not older. How can all of these children, kids who I held as babies, be graduating from high school and getting ready to embark on their first true step of independence? Not possible. When did they go from toddlers to adults? Time is such a relative term, and the years have somehow slipped by. A reminder to make every minute count...it's gone all too soon.

My Mr. Lincoln rose bush is in full bloom! I've had 14 roses in the last 5 days and have at least 10 more buds developing on the bush right now. I love the smell of the Mr. Lincolns. I'm battling aphids, so yesterdays clipped roses were put on the back porch table, not in my house. The drought is oppressive. I got a crepe myrtle tree for Mother's Day and it's planted near my rose bush, so my roses have been getting daily watering...hence the abundance of blooms. Most of my other plants are indigenous and drought resistant so are surviving but not thriving. We're about 10 inches below normal for our rainfall thus far this year. The extended forecast shows the highest chance of rain for Saturday with a 20% chance. Ugh. The pool water is evaporating as I watch, as our relative humidity is down, too. Between the cost of gas and our use of water, our monthly budget has to be redone or we'll not be living within our budget.

The Imp is celebrating summer. Her last day was last Thursday. Even though the Singer is taking her last exam as I write, I gave the girls their Summer Survival Bags last Friday. They were a big hit. I always include "Unlimited Reading" coupons. The Imp has already used one of her coupons. She and the Singer hit the library Monday and each came home with an armload of books. The Imp promptly went to her room and began reading. She came out for dinner and then was back in her book(s). At 10:00 pm she told me she was using her coupon and she proceeded to read until 4:30 the next morning.

The Singer has a busy summer scheduled for herself. She is working 9-5 at an office each day, in addition she is swimming each morning from 6-8 am. I'm encouraging her to swim only 3 days a week, so she has some "down time" but she is determined to be ready to win some races come the high school swim season in August. I hate to put roadblocks in front of her goals...so I'll wait to see how things play out. I'm actually impressed with her drive to work towards her goal. She also wants to continue her piano lessons throughout the summer, but is willing to drop the voice lessons until the fall. She is excited about her summer schedule so I'm holding my tongue about her overdoing it. I am insisting she take off the week before school starts so she feels like she has had some relaxation before her Senior year begins. She was recently elected President of Mu Alpha Theta (math honor society) and the president of a newly formed organization made up of members from all the honor societies. The organization is to foster more service and activity from the honor societies and to coordinate those efforts. So she's already begun to plan Pi day as an activity for Mu Alpha Theta (March 14----3.14). Her energy level is inspiring.

The Imp's summer plans include making it to Bush Gardens at least once a week. She and her cousin, Sean, want to ride Sheikra (in its newest form---without a floor) as many times as possible. She's helping with Vacation Bible School, attending volleyball camp and is continuing to swim, as well. Her swim lessons are at 4:15 in the afternoon and is only 2 days per week.

My summer plans include sewing the Singer 2 new skirts (we got the material yesterday) for her to be able to wear to work, re caulking the girls' bathroom, and I'm busy working on crocheted bookmarks. I'm hoping my sister-in-law can sell them at the fall sale they have to benefit the Sumter Muscular Dystrophy Fund. Right now I have 18 different samples I plan to bring to show her in July. Then she can pick 4 or 5 styles that I can then make 10 or so of each style (in various color combinations). A few of the bookmarks I've made are not on the selection list as they are simply too time-intensive to make to sell. One is call the Celtic Lace. It took me at least 10 hours to make that. It's gorgeous, but....
Celtic Lace: