It's been interesting, to say the least

Out of the gate, I had to show you one of the cards I received for my birthday this year. Isn't this gorgeous? It's a pop-up flower garden, and the birthday wishes were made to the Queen of the Zinnias! Love this tons.

Well, so far, 51 has been a bit too eventful. I'd love for it to slow down a bit! Four sick kitties (yep, Bunny and babies), multiple trips to the vets, meds, a week of vacation that turned into becoming a nurse to Bunny and babies instead, and here we are at the weekend. Next week, I begin training for a new-ish position at work, and I'm both nervous and looking forward to something different, although, if I'm honest, I like the current job that I have just fine. But growing and learning is still important to me; new skillsets can be valuable in many ways, including self-satisfaction that you really can learn new things far into your years.

The birthday fun lingered all last week. On Thursday, my work friends had a butterscotch pie party for me! Two of my work family are retired/semi-retired, so it was good to catch up with each other. We've been together for over a decade and we are all mostly still in one piece, one way or another. They are lovely people, to say the least. I'd take a bullet for any of them. 

See my pie (what's left of it)? It's from Peggy Ann Bakery, and it's the old-fashioned, cooked butterscotch kind. This stuff is great. In fact, if they sold just the cooked part in containers, I'd buy it on a regular basis, because who wouldn't want that in their life all the time? Thick and creamy, with tons of flavor, this is the stuff I'd never bother to make since it's made so well locally. The pies at Peggy Ann are extremely reasonably priced, too.

It is hard to believe that Memorial Day is nearly upon us. I plan to enjoy every drop of summer this year. I've never been a summer person, but I find that as the years pass, I am living more and more for that summer season. I've got some red and white checked bunting hung out in the apple trees and garden, with just a bit more bunting yet to add around the porch for Memorial Day. Isn't this the best stuff? I've only started using bunting in the last five years or so. Can't imagine why I didn't do this sooner.

I feel tired today. The humidity is revved up, thanks to a storm system that arrived yesterday and has yet to move on. We've had dry heat with a good breeze for several days, and it has spoiled me. Now, we're looking at humidity through tomorrow. I'll be glad to send it packing and get my energy back, but I also recognize that the rain was very needed. The newly-planted Zinnia and Calendula seeds have germinated, and they look like they have grown inches just overnight!

Heading to the kitchen for toasted sourdough topped with an over-easy egg and Dukes mayo. Not a bad way to kick off a Memorial Day weekend. I'm sure that Grainger county tomatoes will factor in there somewhere! Have a blessed Memorial Day weekend. Never forget those who died in military service on our behalf, selfless acts of love for people they never knew. I am eternally grateful.