Today’s new bloom! . . .

 

My. Valentine. Flowers. !!! . . .

Oh, Hello!

So funny to me how nostalgic and great actually to be in this little space typing away mindlessly (already, haha) about to blather on about this, that and the other. The ol' blog is still here. And, what is it that brought me back? Valentine Flowers? Really? Awww, how special...now who else has received Valentine flowers today or sometime and yippee, yahoo right?

BUT...Oh, my friends...how amazing and beautiful and fun and glorious and my favorite are MY Valentine flowers...oh my gosh, I didn't even think of this before (because, of course, how these became MY Valentine flowers isn't as direct as the now famous song line)...but...in a very round about way...I could, and did, buy myself flowers. But in a very Me kinda way, not as regular as the song's way..."I can buy myself flowers," that has just won it's singer a Grammy. Hey...I won a Grammy before...And, I bought myself flowers (again, in a roundabout way! Haha...oh my goodness, there can not be one reader that is finding this entertaining or possible to follow along with I'm sure).  Anywhoo...for real, I was part of a performance & recording that won Best Choral Recording in I think 2009 or about there. Ok, on with the show...THE FLOWERS ALREADY! 

My Valentine Flowers!

Wait, what???

Amaryllis...

the Christmas flower???

Yep,

Amaryllis

The Christmas Flower!

My Valentine Flower!

They began to bloom yesterday, just in time for Valentine's Day today!

This picture does absolutely nothing for the glory of those beautiful flowers that set the dining area to "dazzle" mode, especially when the sun has occasionally been lighting the place up. And, by the time all the blooming is finished, I could have well over 13 flowers. I am stunned!

This picture though DOES show that I have fully gotten back on the "bring as many plants as possible in for the winter" habit. The fresh herbs have been a delight this winter and I'll look forward to instantly having my annuals back in their pots come warmer weather. (side note...last week's warmer weather, up to an unheard of 60 degrees...nearly snared me like a siren's call into considering that it was possibly the right time to transplant my hostas, hahaha! I didn't do it, but came close).

So, how'd this all come to be anyway, that I have Christmas flowers for Valentine's Day (which, let's not overlook that it's Ash Wednesday today as well, so there is that too)? Well, lemme tell ya...you see, after Christmas 2022 (yes, 2022, that's not a misprint), I saved my three Amaryllis bulbs in a box in the basement after googling, how to grow amaryllis for next Christmas...or some such query. Then, when the ground was suitable, I planted them outside in the summer of 2023, as instructed. Then, in probably too late in September-ish, I brought them into a box in the garage for a little down time before planting them in some pots and bringing them in the house in late October-ish...2023. I was super excited to see them shoot up and bloom for Christmas...but nothing...New Year's flowers? Nope. MLK Day flowers, zilch! Groundhog's Day? nothing...and then, the excitement grew and the countdown began as I saw the buds filling up with petals but staying closed. Would they bloom for...Valentine's Day???

Why, YES THEY WOULD!

Just about on the dot.

My original three are tall and gorgeous and they've even sprouted out five more little amaryllis baby shoots. I'm going to have a literal amaryllis farm around here. Since I seriously can't intentionally kill a plant, I simply plan to start growing my Christmas presents now...or maybe, as the case may be...start handing out Christmas/Valentine Flowers to my friends and family!

💖💖💖💖

14! . . .

Yesterday we had the three birthday’s together with the fam for a fabulous Buca meal and improvised cake design! Really great afternoon.

I was intentionally keeping the “cake” a small bites event as I knew our Buca meal would load us all up and because Thanksgiving is was four days away. (-:
 

Birthday morning today arrived with this most amazing sunrise!! My body clock doesn’t have me seeing many sunsets by choice, haha, but during the school year I do get to partake with those natural early risers. I didn’t even doctor the photo at all, those were the true colors. Such a gorgeous 32 seconds while I rushed around getting ready! 😂 (blogging by phone, we’ll see how this turns out). 

In Livia’s 14th yr, her freshman year, she made JV

Volleyball, skipping over the freshman team, and is again on the highest playing club team to start in December. She’s been a “Middle” since she started due to her height (5’9”), but if she doesn’t grow any more she’ll like shift to an outside front position, we’ll see. She still is the initiator of all this volleyball and could play every day if she had the chance. She’s also very strong in math ending her first trimester in AC Geometry with an A. Whoo-hoo! She will also still play games at the dinner table with me if the two of us are eating alone, which I LOVE. Our most often played game still is Aggravation (from Aunt S & Uncle D 🙂), played four games in a row the other night because 1 won the first three and she’s competitive. But I recently introduce a four person Shut the Box and we’ve been getting into that too…with just us two. This gal is just growing right up and doing a great job at it! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Hello!

Summer 2016

Summer 2016

http://pierceadventures.blogspot.com/2022/11/six-years-ago-today-november-8th.html

http://pierceadventures.blogspot.com/2022/11/its-that-first-weekend-in-november-again.html

Late May, 2015...A stranger showed up at the doorway when the kids and I were home. He delivered a surprise package of papers to us all, that none of us were expecting. The papers informed me (and the kids a bit later as I sought the "best" time to share such news...though the oldest two had already been texted by their dad, while they were alone in their classes at school...hmmm, mmm) that our family was going to be broken by a divorce. A week later, SP (who likes to call himself, "Mr. Ann Arbor" as he Great Gatsby's about town) told the kids and I that he was rescinding his divorce. Ben, L and I were in the TV room when I let the two of them know. L beamed and Ben said with such relief..."God answers prayers three ways, Yes, No and Not Now...I'm SO GLAD he answered YES for our family!" The following week Ben, had this Praise of Thanksgiving torn from him as he and the rest of us learned, Nope, Mr. Ann Arbor didn't mean it after all. Then, his spiral began...

Poor Ben, but, in the end, he has won the race set out before him and we're still on the track, lap after lap.

Doing some work, found some pictures on the laptop, decided to post...Ha! . . .

Mother's Day 2023!

Liv, William and I had a romping good time going around a couple favorite haunts of mine in Detroit. This pic is from a Taco Truck that Uncle D pointed us toward a few years back.

Belle Isle Fountain

My favorite part of the day was that these two great kids just happily agreed to where ever I wanted to go, and trust me, heading to Belle Isle...again...probably isn't on the top of their list, ha! We even went in the tiny aquarium and not a peep of dismay, awwww, sweet kids! (-:

Lara sent me a pic of herself and Harrison from their Mother's Day hike out in California. Harrison went to visit her then.

The whole gang atop Brockway Mountain, Copper Harbor

July 2015

The whole gang at the end of the McLain's State Park breakwater.

July/August 2016

Our last summer of all five group photos. I am so grateful to be able to look at these pics with a peace and feeling of "joy in remembrance" (which I feel is just a little different kind of joy than saying something was full of joy that didn't have a dark pall side story to it, I can feel a joy in the picture, but in this case it's a joy with a tinge of sadness) . In those first few years I didn't think it would be possible to feel peace or joy again but, our God is loving and merciful to us, His words a great comfort and I found peace and joy again. Thanks be to God!

Happy July and thanks for waltzing back to May with me today!

(-:

Sweet William . . .

Just felt like posting on a weebly-wobbly day with no teaching and a million projects I’d like to do. I’m standing at the counter right now trying to get a sheet-pan lasagna started and weebled over to suddenly shoot off a post. 😂 Anyhoo, got some things done today but nothing huge. Little things though that have been waiting months to get done felt good though. Well, better get this new to me recipe going, the flowers in the pic are Sweet William’s from my front garden that I purchased for William’s confirmation in 2020. ♥️

June is Strawberry & Peony Month around here . . .

A Pictorial 

Picked

Then, well, these ones got eaten.

(-:

Picked Again.

Given time for their "portrait mode" photo shoot.

(Insert eyeball-rolling and laughing face emojis here, haha)

Washed & Drained.

Baked!

 Oh My Goodness were these fabulous! Recipe found here: https://www.inspiredtaste.net/25809/strawberry-muffins-recipe/

I made a double batch and still had to put some strawberries in the freezer. One thing about home grown strawberries is that if they're not eaten or used within a day they go bad quickly. Growing at home really shows you something about the fruits and produce we find in our grocery stores. When I see those golf ball size strawberries in the stores I almost shudder at what they had to pump into those to achieve that, ugh! Anyway, giving some to one neighbor and her family for taking care of Alli while I had a fabulous trip to visit Lara in Southern California (what, no blog post???!!! I know, bums me out) over Memorial Weekend and some over to the new young couple that moved in behind us. Still have plenty for us to enjoy here.

Well, hey...wait a sec, might as well just quick . . . 

Pull out some Memorial Wknd Pics

💖

Turns out Lara loves giraffes more than I knew. (-: Also, turns out getting a caricature done was on her bucket list. So, PERFECT, took a trip to the African Safari part of the San Diego Zoo and got 'er done!

Remembering that we used to do this kinda pic at the Toledo Zoo all those many years ago. She's always game for anything!

The colors in Southern California are vibrant, amazing and everywhere! Upon my return I've been looking for purple trees, orange hillsides and pink, pink, pink everywhere. But, Alas. It's very green here, thank goodness not winter grey right now, but the only color are small splatters in people's yards. The color out there did absolutely dazzle me! (-:

And, can you even believe I found an actual tree that produces Heart Leaves??!!

I'll tell you what if we could grow those here.

I would have a forest of them!

We frequented a grill-side seat of a Korean restaurant twice over my four days there. Yes, it was that good and I loved watching them cook!

And, well yes...we won an oscar whilst visiting LA for an afternoon of course, haha! Another bucket list item for Lara was taking a studio tour. So, we did! (-: Please keep in mind, Lara doesn't blow dry her hair and lives on the shore of a humid, salty ocean...so...for four days, I didn't do anything but wash my hair once and let it air dry. Lara said she like the "free and natural" look, ha!

Well, this is out of order and I don't feel like all the monkeying around that goes into trying to move pics on my outdated program here, so, a selfie of us at the zoo again, with a tiger in the background. See him? Haha! Sent that to my friend who had just sent me a selfie of her and her daughter with a famous soprano soloist and an orchestra in the background. 

My fav, fav, favorite part of the trip was watching Lara surf the shore of the Pacific Ocean for over two hours! I could have easily sat there longer (well, walked the beach, read a little and such, but mostly watched and was so grateful to have time to just watch her, still gets me as I type), but she had her fill. Turns out, she's developed a love of surfing after growing up in the midwest and surfs almost every day she can. She's admittedly still learning but it was super awesome to watch at any stage. I really wanted to try it this trip but was kind of terrified of sharks. After watching all the people do it though, I got over my fear but just wasn't prepared with figuring out wetsuit rentals and all the rest in our schedule, but, next trip...watch out!

Well, better get back to the promised subject matter in this entries' title, ha . . . 

The Peonies!

This peony bush, here at this little ol' house the first time I lived here and still now, brings me such . . . 

Dear Friends, I pray for you to find joy this week and the continued summer to come. Joy in small fresh strawberries, cherished time with a child, spouse, relative or friend, taking time to bend over and inhale the sweet aromas of flowers you come upon and so much more. Sometimes life here on earth can bog us down, have us seeing the darker side of things instead of the light and colorful. Through Christ alone, you can truly find a peace that passes all understanding and encounter joy! I pray this for YOU today and always! (-:

I discovered nighttime photography! . . .

I've got a whole series of this crab apple tree at night, I find it rather stunning!

Ok, gotta go teach.

Haha!

Today, Ben would have turned 22 years old . . .

Each year is different approaching a day like this.

This is the 7th birthday we haven't been able to celebrate together with Ben, so I never expected to just be standing outside in the yard during my lunchtime yesterday and hit with...."Whoa, I am never going to see Ben again!" Like it was just this year. And then, I had to go teach again.

A Link to the past, with more links to the past: http://pierceadventures.blogspot.com/2022/05/today-ben-would-have-been-21.html

Here are a few things that brought me joy today on a date that doesn't just naturally ring with joy since 2017, it (joy) needs to be noticed now, and I'm grateful to notice it!

My first hour student, a senior, brought these to me on our last class together.

I started this day with a beautiful little arrangement of flowers.

Joy!

And she shared these sentiments with me.

Joy!

In the afternoon, this 7 year old's birthday party from 2008 popped up in my photo library memories. I've been teaching all day and not looking through photos, so this is the one birthday memory that's coming my way this year. And, wow, what a colorful, happy picture that is!

Joy!

This evening, Livia and I found time finally to shop together for confirmation weekend clothes (this is quite an event for someone most comfortable in sweatpants, whew! But we had some excellently compromising success, ha!). Upon our return home to some beautiful evening sky colors, we remembered Ben with our annual birthday dessert. This year two pieces of tres leches for Livia and William and a piece of lemon burst for me.

Joy!

November 2016.

Ben's last weekend here, he died a few days later.

May 3rd, 2017 was the first May 3rd without him since 2001.

My joy is found in the Lord, there is no other way!

April Flowers after/during many April showers! . . .

Oh my Goodness!

I fully intended to do a good ol' post here today, had the laptop out (which is my prefered way to blog, you know, with all my wordiness, haha! and which is one of the reasons blogging has dropped off so dramatically for me, I'm rarely on the laptop anymore and if I am, I'm teaching a lesson...kind of hard to blog while teaching, ha!) . . . anyhoo . . . well, one thing's for certain . . . I can still blather on like the best of 'em! So, yeah, I was going to blog a good stack of pics from the last few months and then, the afternoon flew by, the evening flew by and now here we are and it's 11:00 p.m.

Oy!

Quite likely, after such a long drought of showing up here anyway, I'm sure my four readers have found other ways to spend the 2.35 minutes it takes to work their way through all of my silly words but alas, I may show up here again.

We shall see!

May God richly bless your week to come and get on out there and enjoy the flowers!

January Sunshine! . . .

It sure has been a long string of grey days around here lately, whew! Then, the last few days we’ve had some sun peeking out on occasion and, low and behold, an entire day of it yesterday. This pic is from a walk with Alli dog yesterday, it’s the long road that runs along “our” farmer’s field and to which our horseshoe shaped road connects. I LOVE walking here and have been refreshed and healed on these roads over the last seven years. Thanks be to God!

And, dear friends, may you know that we can carry the JOY that comes from an even better source of Light. The Light that can take away all of your grey days, the Light that can give YOU peace in the time of trouble, the Light that gifts us with underserved eternal

Salvation!

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

May God bless your week to come and beyond!

Happy New Year! . . .

A fitting verse for the first day of the New Year I would say!

Thank you Bible App. (-:

Picture from an afternoon walk with Alli where these corn stalks from "our" farmer's field resonated with me just as this verse did earlier in the day. These olds stalks will also pass away and the new will come again next summer just as God created for us in Genesis! Oooo, if I might, now would be a great day for me to give you a gentle nudge to start a Read Through the Bible in a Year plan. It has served me so wonderfully over these past four years (5?), I'm starting it yet again today. It takes practice that's for sure so be easy on yourself if you start and miss days, just catch up later and also, don't be afraid to listen to some (many?) of the days while driving in the car. Join me, it's life changing!

I'm not one for New Year's Resolutions really but the beginning of this New Year I am finally ready to do what I've been hankering to do for the last 4-5 ish years but haven't been able to find (make?) the energy or focus needed as I was still helping others with some pretty heaving things in their lives. So today, finally, I started helping myself with myself in getting back to being more physically fit and conscious about my food intake. (make note, it's intentional that I don't use words like, "exercise" and "dieting," 'cause really, I can't really regulate that stuff for myself but I CAN be more physically active & fit and aware of what I'm eating. Voice teachers would know what I'm talking about here with the power of words on how the brain and body react. For instance, if I were ever to say to one of my singers, "Ok, we're going to be singing such and such "high notes" in this song," they would likely have a harder time with it, closing up, not being as free or easily approaching of the high notes as if I said, "we'll be singing in your upper register in this song." It's fascinating to me to watch the cause and effect of words with vocalists. Singing, well classically trained singing, really is about 50/50 mental/technical...anyhoo, major tangent...haven't changed that for the New Year, ha!). So, yeah, turning a many year long in waiting page to improving my own health and well-being, yay!

May you move through this New Year with all the comfort in knowing that you are never alone, never! Have a doubt, have a fear, have a concern, have a worry, have a grief, have a burden? Turn to your one true Heavenly Father in prayer, praise and thanksgiving, take a walk, hum a hymn, breath deep and know that you are held in His hand always. He has conquered the enemy that might tell you otherwise.

Happy New Year dear friends & family!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow

The gift I really wish I could give . . .

Doesn't cost anything, but really the best gift!

To grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I'm able to give these kinds of gifts, and they're fun and meaningful and we had good laughs, smiles and hugs in the process, but alas...these gifts are fleetings.

What I'd love to be able to give these beautiful children of mine, Harrison too who fills my heart with love if not my picture frames at present, is the gift of growing in that very grace and knowledge. 

Merry Christmas my dear ones and friends! 

That gift is yours for the taking, accepting, it can come to even you and yours through the Holy Spirit, through the Word, will not cost even one dime. It won't be found in wrappings under the tree just once a year, this gift comes to you each and every day and can bring light into any darkness anytime. This gift of Christ's birth, death and resurrection is given to you and me by our one true Heavenly Father, a gift that lasts an earthly lifetime and beyond. I hope this Christmas has been filled with what you love and maybe even getting "the things" you wanted, but even if that Norman Rockwell Christmas didn't exist for you this year, I hope you feel a full heart of JOY that you received the BEST GIFT EVER in the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Something I just loved from today . . .

I spied a new addition to the chalkboard wall today and it filled my heart with gladness. 

On a day where I was happy to write this morning to Lara how fortunate and blessed she is to have the amazing life experiences she's having these days (Oh, this morning? pics from San Diego where she was doing yoga in a park and going surfing, what!!?? (-:), I end the day feeling equally fortunate and blessed!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!