In the career of female fame, there are few prizes to be attained which can vie with the obscure state of a beloved wife, or a happy mother.
-Jane Porter
A Very Happy Mothers Day!
May Day
A Happy May Day to everyone! May Days in the past have often been so lovely….as a young, single woman in Williamsburg I celebrated with “the Little Family” as I called them. Kitty, the mother, inspired me to become the breastfeeding, homeschooling, creative mother-of-little-ones that I became, after watching her in those sweet Williamsburg years. We walked the streets of downtown Williamsburg in the early morning leaving flowers on a few friend’s doorsteps and doorknobs….once even carrying flower-garlanded sticks. When we moved to the countryside, for a few precious years I had friends within walking distance and it was a pleasure to leave flowery surprises on thresholds in the dewy morning. We always had a Maypole up (that we kept up year round!) with long, colorful ribbons that were a joy to behold in the breezes. One year we even attempted a May Pole dance at my son’s birthday party….which was quite a laugh, in the end. Do you think I could suggest it for his 18th birthday tomorrow?
May Day has been sadly neglected these past few years with no friends nearby and nearly-grown boys. I always hope that someone will remember, but so far that hasn’t happened. I know that in the future, I will have the opportunity to find new ways to celebrate this day. For today, we are going to do our “together lessons” this morning and then drive to the Japanese market in the Big City to buy odd and wonderful food for dear son’s party this weekend. And then grocery shopping for the birthday-cake-baking tonight.
It is ok that celebrations alter over the years. Just now, to try and maintain all our traditions would be more of a strain than a pleasure and that would defeat the purpose of “banner days”.
So I will enjoy the May Day celebrations I am sure to find in the online world, and perhaps pluck a violet from the bed near the kitchen when we get home today to lay at our supper table.
*Last night I printed out the long list of comments (thanks so very much for all the good wishes and appreciation!) and cut each into a strip and folded each strip into a little rectangle and filled a basket with them. I played my Little Women soundtrack for “atmosphere” (the first track is so quietly dramatic) and took my son and the basket to the dark porch and he selected the comment from patience for the Stationery Satchel. That process was so enjoyable, I suddenly decided that I had enough made from the recent show that I could give another little something to a second Dear Reader, so we chose again. The second comment chosen was from Michelle W. And then my son said that there is always a “third place” in such events and he really thought we should choose one more. So the comment from Mary was chosen. Then we put that enticing basket out of sight…who knew the power of “drawing names from a hat”?
Not I, until now. I will enjoy preparing these three packages this week, in between all our special days and the filling of orders and the savoring of this gorgeous month.*
