This Perfectly Imperfect Life

Feeling all the feels on this the last day of my 30s! Even with all of the hardships, illnesses and traumas, it's truly been the best decade of my life thus far. I was excited to leave my 20s behind and welcomed my 30s with arms open wide. I'm sad to leave my 30s behind, surprised at how quickly they passed, and am still not sure how I feel about 40. (And please, no 'wait until you get to be my age' replies - they don't help me (or anyone) feel better - it's all relative, all I know is now. Thanks!)

Sundays are such a special day, even when you spend a good chunk of it running errands & doing chores like we did! It's also the perfect day to appreciate blessings & what gives us joy. I frequently share under the #simplepleasuresgreatestjoy hashtag on Instagram because I full believe that the "simple" things in life bring us the most joy. (I've also found as a spoonie anything you can do to focus on the positives helps you through the muck).  In no particular order: This photo because it so captured this morning - spending the weekend with Hubbs with doing this & that and not running ourselves ragged - honoring Veterans at the cemetery yesterday - smelling the salt air down at the harbor this morning & feeling the misty fog on my skin - finally getting a handle on my novel - staring at 40 (in 4 days!) and no longer feeling shell-shocked   Now it's your turn! If you'd like to join me in sharing some of these things today, be sur...

A sampling of what's blooming here at The Portable Homestead for the week ending 5/15/15. The azalea, hostas and bleeding heart are really taking center stage now! Another wacky weather week as well. Started off feeling like Summer and by Wednesday it was in the 40s and 50s again! And thanks to those early warmer temps, I'm dealing with rose slugs and spider mites in May vs July or August when they usually appear en force. He'll hath no fury like a gardener with critters infesting her roses! It's soapy water time...

A sample of what's blooming & growing in the garden for the week ending Friday, 5/8/15. Cleanup around The Portable Homestread has been slow & steady over the past couple of weeks, and I'm happy with how everything is shaping up around the yard, in the garden, and on the front porch. Seeds I direct sowed last Sunday have already sprouted! I'm still holding out hope that at least one of my Julia Child floribunda roses makes it, but it's looking rather more likely that neither will.  The lettuce pictured above (7th from the top) is actually from last year! I direct sowed the seeds in the raised bed, but what seedlings weren't eaten by the resident rabbit were drowned in a flash flood from a severe thunderstorm. I can't believe the lettuces have returned this year after all that plus the stormy and ridiculously cold winter that just passed!  Also on the return after a year or two...

A sample of what's blooming here at the Portable Homestead for the week ending 4/30/15.  The first photo, of the ranunculus, I took at the nursery on Monday and just had to share it! With colors like that, who needs filters?!