This Perfectly Imperfect Life

'Love & Peace' Hybrid Tea roses from my garden. In trying to wrap my head around what's happened to us, our Country, our Nation again, I can only say this:  What we seem to forget so easily these days is that an attack on one is an attack on us all, on all of our ways of life. Stand together against hate regardless of outward differences, instead of banding together separately. It is because we show no overall unity that those who seek to destroy our ways of life keep succeeding. My prayers are with the victims, their families, our Nation, and the World. My heart hurts for us all.  *Because I've seen what happens after something horrifying like this happens, and what I'm seeing already elsewhere, I ask that you hold all comments on this post - please feel free to post your own feelings on your own pages. Given our personal family crisis at this time, and my health, on top of what's happened in Orlando, I am not up for more negativity and hate....

'Love & Peace' hybrid tea. I mean, Come. On.  In my garden today y'all! That's a 'no filter needed' rose my friends! I am so glad, relieved, happy, that I have found comfort and joy in gardening again.  What's on your Friday Favorites list today?

I'm not actually a day late and a dollar short, yesterday's post disappeared! But, that's alright because now I have a couple of more photos to share with you from my  garden taken later in the day yesterday, and this morning. The solid yellow rose is 'Julia Child' floribunda, and the multicolor rose is 'Love & Peace' hybrid tea. (Many more photos on my Instagram !) Do you garden? What are the stars in your garden right now? (PS: How is it June already?! 2016 needs to slow down a bit).

Today I'm sharing with you No One Knows by J.T. Ellison , one of the She Reads.org Books of Spring , and my third 5 star read of the year. Genre: Fiction (Thriller/Suspense) Synopsis from the publisher, Gallery Books , first hardcover edition, March 2016, 362 pages: "Madness, deceit, murder -  his death was only the beginning... The day Aubrey Hamilton's husband is declared dead by the state of Tennessee should bring the closure she needs to move on with her life. But Aubrey doesn't want to move on, she wants Josh back. It's been five years since he disappeared, since their blissfully happy marraige - they were happy, weren't they? - screeched to a halt and Aubrey became the prime suspect in her husband's disappearance. Five years of emptiness, solitude, loneliness, questions. Why didn't Josh show up at his best friend's bachelor party? Was he murdered? Did he run away? And now, all this time later, who is the mysteriously, yet stra...

We remember and honor the brave souls who have paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we may enjoy our Freedom.  Please take at least a moment to remember them and their families. We are able to enjoy this unofficial start of Summer because of their sacrifices.  Remember and Honor our Fallen, and give Memorial Day and our Fallen the proper Respect they deserve.  **And please remember, it is not appropriate to say "Happy Memorial Day" it's "Honor Memorial Day."**

Hello everyone! A bit of catching up for today. Belated Happy Birthday to me from Hubbs, and happy Pub Day to author Karen White, whose Flight Patterns was just released this Tuesday. We picked it up on what was also our 12 year anniversary together! Then we headed to our camper to spend the rest of evening, and Wednesday, our 11th wedding anniversary, at the lake.  Of course there was book mail this week! More about Last Ride To Graceland and The Fifth Avenue Artists Society coming soon. And thanks to the weather turning from chilly 50s to summery 80s, the roses have begun to bloom! Well, it is nearly Memorial Day, so I guess it's time. (How did it get to nearly be Memorial Day already?!) I'm so far behind with my writing, and reading, since Mom's recent stroke in Marrch, and the domino affects it's had on all of our lives, but, things may be leveling out to some degree, so it's time to play catch up, and create a new normal for our family. What are you currently r...

Old books = old friends. This book.  Divine Secrets Of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells. An all time favorite. So many quotes.  Right now, so much upheaval since Mom's recent stroke. A quote like this is exactly what I needed last night.  Because it's what I've been doing over & over again. Praying. Asking for help. For Mom.  And for me.  I'm losing her. I don't know how I'll ever survive the heartbreak of all this.