Garden of Ovaska

We are spending lots of our afternoons and weekends lately in the dirt with warm sunshine on our backs. It is time to plant around here and, this year, I am not pregnant or nursing a baby so I have a little more time. The kids are really into it -- we had to get few more garden tools to prevent fights.

My favorite season is spring. Everything comes alive, and with a little work, things start looking pretty good.


The lilacs are in full bloom and both the girls have brought bouquets wrapped in wet paper towels and tin foil to their teachers. In Minnesota, they bloom on my birthday; in Los Alamos, they bloom on Mother's Day. Our neighborhood smells so great right now with all the old lilac bushes.

I treated myself to a strawberry pot to remember my mom and Grandma Jan. Steve, how is your doing?

These are my special Lilies of the Valley. When I was pregnant with Maddie (7 years ago!), my mom brought them wrapped in wet paper towels from her house in Minnesota across the country in her little red convertible (along with a wooden rocking chair!). She planted them in a planter in my front yard and I forgot about them...I was a new mom and I didn't care about anything but that baby! :) Every year I seem to forget about them but they come up. My mom always told me they were "my flower" since they bloomed in May.

She is with me everywhere...