There is nothing wrong with an enjoyable extended weekend with spring doing its last hurrahs and summer looming around the corner. I do hope, however, that we never ever come to call days like this a bank holiday. It was the common people who let their own blood for this day. Farmers who put down their hoes, paperboys who traded in their caps for helmets, fathers, brothers and sons and also daughters, wives and sisters. I made my rounds to the cemetery plots to lay flowers and revive memories and more than a few of my family gravestones were adorned with the flags of veterans. My father's footstone records service in three wars from foxholes in Europe to the DMZ in Vietnam and many points between. My Uncle, his brother, who died in Normandy. A cousin who served in Vietnam, and died shortly after his return, a broken man. Two 2nd great grandfathers, both of whom were prisoners of war in the War between the States. A grandfather who served in Europe in WWI. I can go all the way back to the first line of my family to have come to this country.....Quakers who took up weapons against their own beliefs to fight in the Revolution. A great Uncle who survived the Spanish American War and volunteered to serve in the Phillipine Rebellion and died there, but his stone sits on an empty grave in the local cemetery. Yes, it's a day in our family we always remember respectfully.

Thank you all! I'm grateful to be remembered. There's been so much fun and celebration lately I'm a little overwhelmed. Earlier in the week I went out to dinner and Cirque du Soleil with a couple of good friends. Yesterday I had my third of three cocktail making classes, went home to recover from the "homework" for a little while, and then went to an unbelievably fabulous dinner with a couple we really like to celebrate her birthday and mine, which are within days of one another's. Tonight, this same friend and I are ditching our husbands to go out and celebrate all over again with a girlfriend. Tomorrow night Steve and I are meeting a couple and their young child for dinner to celebrate my birthday and her "Name Day" (a big deal in Eastern European circles). Later in the week Steve and I hop on a plane to spend nine days in Lisbon, Portugal. He's speaking at a medical conference and I'm along for the adventure. I have a market tour/cooking class scheduled for myself on one of the days he's busy, and I'm confident I can entertain myself for a couple days until his conference is over and we can both go play for the rest of the trip. I'm still tutoring ESL about six hours a week, and learning new things at work. In a nutshell, I'm busy, but it's mostly "good busy." Dorph, I love the whole pagan-fertility-festival aspect of my birthday. Spring is, by far, my favorite season, and if I could have chosen a day to be born, this would have been it! mwheel, be careful what you wish for! Here are a couple photos I snapped earlier today: Izzy is on the "injured reserve list" after piercing her paw with an unknown object while standing in nasty dirty muck yesterday (she was having a the time of her life up until that moment). She's dazed and confused on pain killers and doesn't seem to mind her inflatable airplane pillow at all. This is Toolie out by the daffodils in our back yard. She's getting so big, but is still much smaller than Izzy. Tallulah isn't very good at sitting still for photos. This one made me laugh.

Busy weekend but would like to attend--I love this type of festival!! Here is a link that might be useful: Herb Days

sandi, I think my friend got this one on ebay! I did see some at Ben Franklin before Christmas and they had a green one that I wish I would have bought because now they don't have any. :( luvstocraft, I am missing a couple of plates and saucers but otherwise still have most of the set (set of 8) and also the vegetable bowls and the big round platter. And NO chips on any of them! lol! The yellow tablecloth is as old as the dishes and has had lots of wear! kathleen, I didn't know there was such a thing as a olive tray before my friend sent me that one. I think they are so unique!