Vibrant Summer Flowers and Fruit

Poppy's Flower

       Lovely is unspoken beauty of flower. The sweet smell of its petals in your hand, as they grow like a miracle from there stems. A Precious gift from mother nature for many to admire...but for few to truly understand.

For the blossoming of there beauty is a miracle on a sunny spring day. Reaching higher and higher towards the sun as the grow more lovely.

But no know just how they grow or why they bloom...Like love within a persons heart.

craig moon

Goat Cheese and Watermelon Bites

Ingredients

• 1 small watermelon 
• 1 (4-oz.) goat cheese log, softened 
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Garnishes: fresh basil and freshly ground pepper 
  
  Preparation

1. Cut half of watermelon into 1-inch-thick slices. Cut slices into 25 rounds, using a 2-inch round cutter. Scoop just enough melon from tops to form indentations, using a melon baller. Stir together goat cheese, 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil, salt, and 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper. Spoon into indentations. Chill 1 to 2 hours. Garnish, if desired. Country Living Magazine

No teeth required!
Oh! I'm going to be a 
Nana in December!

Yay! Jennifer

What's Gives You The Warm Fuzzies?

The definition of JOY....

¹joy

 noun \ˈjȯi\

1

a : the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires :delight

b : the expression or exhibition of such emotion : gaiety

2

: a state of happiness or felicity : bliss

3

: a source or cause of delight

— joy·less  adjective

— joy·less·ly adverb

— joy·less·ness noun

beatitude, blessedness, bliss, blissfulness, felicity,gladness, happiness, warm fuzzies


So what floats your boats? Big things, little things? Family, quiet time? The love of a good book? Do you collect something special? Have a favorite vacation spot? What color makes you smile? When you go out to dinner = what cuisine is your top choice?

1. beach
2. swimming
3. antiquing
4. good music
5. great book
6. family always
7. quiet time is cool
8. I collect beachy things
9. Robin's Egg Blue & White
10. Thai

That's a brief list.... of my bliss.

I can't say I crave shoes...

no heights for me...

the joy of happy kids... mmm hmmm

black labs are my fav!

friendship is a gift I cherish

and I have amazing women in my life that are very 

strong and funny!

there are still many beaches I have yet to chill on...

Sanibel Island and Key West are on my list!

so who, what, where make you sigh, smile or giggle?

I'd love a comment or two. Jenn

head over heels with 

Happiness?

Mom's Memories... Joy in my heart!

No Hallmark card or store bought floral arrangement

can replace the memories I have of my sons

when they were growing up.

I just shake my head sometimes.

Broken Noses

 Boo Boos

More sutures on both of them than a baseball.

So many trips to the ER,

my dad was going to give us a

gift certificate!

Sleepovers....

I'm told now that it's better

I don't know what went on.

Hmmm

A Mother's Day when

a cheese omelet

was attempted to be

made in my waffle iron.

We won't go into detail about the

time one of them pooped

in a display toilet in a department store.

Or who sold all the

Christmas cookies I had baked

to his classmates two weeks before

Christmas, leaving me with empty tins!

Their great-grandmother said

"get those boys baptised!"

and I said "I did!"...

which she replied -

"well do it Again!"

 Every year they would

attend a church fair and rummage

sale with their grandparents.

One year they bought me a little

jewelry box and a bunch of vintage brooches.

I wish you could have witnessed

the pride on their faces when I

wore every one of those pins to church

the next day...of course you couldn't see the joy in my heart but it was there too.

Thank you for listening to

my sweet satirical memories!

Hats Off To Moms

In this world moms wear many different hats...

we work, we play, we love, we weep, we worry, we rejoice, we watch, we wait, we wonder

When I was a child my Mother was often very ill. She suffered from Depression and was hospitalized many times throughout my life. She died when I was 24 and she was 49. My son Todd was 2 and I was pregnant with my son Matt. What I remember most is her joyful laugh when she was happy, how she would say "I love you Jennifer Ann" with such a fierceness in her voice - an all-loving statement. The times we would drive home from my Grandmother's and I would lay my head on her lap (no seat belts at that time) and she would sing to me and stroke my hair. She would send me baby roses in pinks or soft coral "just because" - I mimic her kind heart to this day.

Then there was my Father's Mom - the Mother of my heart. Jennie Mondelli lived to be 95 and I will always miss her. The independent woman before her time. Raised her two sons, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Served in the Army during WWII the same times her two sons were in the Army and Marines.

And as for me? I knew I wanted to be a Mom. I dreamed of my sons or daughters and how I'd cherish them. From the moment they were born, my heart surged with joy. These little (well 10lbs 22" and 9 lbs. 22") perfect boys that were in my arms and mine.

Years have flown by and we have survived diapers, finger painting with poop, showering with baby powder including our black lab, countless trips to the ER for sutures, 2 broken collar bones, high school, knowing more than I do, attitude, vehicles, my knowing less than they do, several broken noses, Army boot camp, deployment, marriage, travel, being shorter than they are, houses purchased....

and I love their lives, my life, our lives together ...I listen to the words of this song my son Todd had played for us on his wedding day and picture us dancing....

Thank You dear Lord for the gift, the sweetest blessing of being a Mom.

We Gather Together To Ask The Lord's Blessing

Thank you to all my friends, heartfelt wishes for you and your loved ones for a joyous Thansgiving!

We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known.
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, were at our side, all glory be Thine!

We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant,
And pray that Thou still our Defender will be.
Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

With Love, Jennifer

Tiny Fingers, Tiny Toes - Our Children Are Our Gifts

On Children

Kahlil Gibran

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,

which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them,

but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children

as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,

and He bends you with His might

that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;

For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Blessings to you this week.
Doesn't God make beautiful babies?

Tickle Me Pink! A Day In The Life Of Little Boys With Chores...

when my sons Todd and Matt were little
I taught them how to do daily tasks
it was always a fuss
but now they say it helped them be prepared for Life

15 minutes a day
fold their wash
empty trash from their bathroom
feed the dog
pick up their toys

when Todd was little I would say
"If you don't behave Mommy won't let you vacuum"
he actually thought it was a treat, lol
I'm sure they thought I was a ....

so now, at 32 and 29
they cook, iron, clean
they're men
have less clutter than their Mom
more organizational skills
and I love them so

Tickle me pink!  Jennifer

Monday Morning All! My Mother's Day Moments....

restful

happy

joyful

caring

loving

mother's day

the best




I don't need jewels

or fruit basktes

breakfast in bed

now this is a funny story... momma is sleeping

soundly one Mother's Day morning when I hear

 my two lovely boys yelling at one another...

 "I told you it wouldn't work!!!!" "You jerk!" crying... yelling.."I didn't know!" I trudge down the

stairs to see my older son glaring at his brother

 who is in tears, totally frustrated.

 Todd yells "He's such a jerk!

I told him you couldn't make an omemlet

 in the waffle iron!".

My sons give me gifts with their love all the time,

but GOD gave them as a gift to me.

• 
  
  Matt & Connie called from South Korea 
• 
  
  We had Korean food and Sushi with Todd & Ravy
• 
  
  We celebrated Ravy's birthday
• 
  
  No dishes or cooking was done the entire weekend
• 
  
  Autumn didn't chew any electric cords
• 
  
  My friend Bobbie served me a delicious French Martini
• 
  
  I worked for my friend Colleen in her adorable shop

The Pink Poet Route 108 Laytonsville, MD

Happy Monday - Happy Week - Happy You - Happy Me!

jennifer  how was your's marveee I hope!