We Celebrate May In A Quiet, Sweet Way

You see that cat? 
Of course you do. Well that innocent-looking, deeply sleeping creature tormented Mr. Moon and me all night long which was even more annoying than usual for me because I was having a hard time getting back to sleep when I woke up around three and every time I did, she'd do something to wake me up. 
She came in and shredded the bottom of our bed, as she does, leapt up and seemed to settle in, then jumped back off the bed as if she remembered she'd left the kettle on. 
Again, I struggled back to sleep and she interrupted that little bit of bliss by meowing frantically at our bedroom door which I assumed meant that Glen had accidentally closed it on his way to the bathroom so I got up and went and opened it and she kept on meowing and it was that sort of meowing that let me know she probably had a bloody prize to give us but we weren't turning on the light to see. And yes, Glen was having the same struggle I was. 
After all of that she finally settled in for real after scratching around on that pillow and falling deeply asleep herself. She was still completely oblivious when I got out of bed this morning. 
And, yes. I found some extremely well-cleaned guts of some small animal by the door into my bathroom where she loves to leave me things, knowing that I tread that path every morning. 
I have no idea what kind of animal nor do I want to. I just swept it all up and then scrubbed the floor. I'm getting good at this. I don't even bother asking Mr. Moon to do it. 

The rest of the day has been much better. Much better indeed. 

We met May and Michael and Rachel at a restaurant that's about ten minutes from here if you take the interstate which we did, for a birthday lunch. Everyone else was working or, in Jessie's case, asleep as she worked last night and will work again tonight. And we missed everyone but it was pretty sweet and special, just having the five of us. It's impossible to talk to everyone at one of our all-the-family meals so this felt quite civilized and a lot quieter too. The restaurant is very much farm-to-table and they even grow a lot of their own vegetables and keep chickens and ducks and grow mushrooms and herbs and also  flowering plants. 
I don't think a bit of my lunch came from their garden. I had a salad of mixed greens with seared tuna on it and those mixed greens looked exactly like the ones you buy at the store but they were good. 
After lunch, Glen left to do something very, very sweet for an old friend of his who is quite ill. What he did was to go load up his truck with some of that composted horse shit and take it to his friend's house because he and his wife are dedicated gardeners and the friend just doesn't have the strength or energy to do that chore. 
I am married to a good man and that's all there is to it. But while Glen was loading and hauling and unloading horse shit, Rachel, Michael, May and I did a leisurely tour of the gardens and chicken coop. I took a few pictures.

STOP THE PRESSES! I sort of knew you could grow artichokes here but I'd never seen anyone do it. 
Guess what I'm planting next year? 

They had rows of tomato plants and pepper plants, some fruit trees, lots and lots of different sorts of herbs, and a good number of pollinator  plants. I've been watching the progress these people have been making over the years and I am so impressed. They are working hard to make the dream real. When they first opened and only had a few beds planted in front of the restaurant, it was easy to scoff but here we are and they are actually doing it. 

After we all hugged and kissed about ten times more I went to Lily's Publix where I got to see both Lauren and Lily. I think I mentioned that Lauren is the deli manager there now. I got the few things we needed and was able to have a little visit with Lily. While I was there, I took a picture of the tattoo she's recently gotten. It has taken awhile to have this one done because, well...
Check it out. 

The Owl and the Pussycat who went to sea in a beautiful pea green boat. 
That is art. Look at the detail, the coloring, the shading, the eyes! I am so impressed and I love it. 

And then I came home and had another experience that was sort of profound. May brought me a very large bag of clothes that I had given her some time back. I had no memory of doing this but she said that I told her, "There are my favorite clothes and I doubt I will ever wear them again," and I gave them to her. 

So when I pulled each garment from the bag a distinct memory came back to me. I feel as if the woman who wore those clothes so long ago was not the same woman trying them on today. I mean yes, of course I am but no, no I am not. 
It was the oddest feeling. And I can't believe that May has kept them so well, treasured them, and has now let me have them again. 
But that's who and how she is. 
I have told her that if she wants anything back, to just let me know and I will gladly return it to her because the thought of her wearing these things is pretty much the same as the thought of me wearing them. 
And I'll tell you something else.
I believe I have some pretty good damn taste. Not a one of those garments looks grossly out of style and the colors and fabrics are all still strong and sturdy. Now that's due to May's care, but I am the one who picked out those things and bought them originally and at least half of them came from...a thrift store. 

Which just goes to show. 

I'm not sure what it goes to show but something, I'm sure. 

Not to change the subject but here's the basket of vegetables I picked yesterday.

And guess what? The cucumbers are not bitter! Well, at least the ones we tasted. Perhaps there will be pickles after all. 
And talk about farm to table...
Throw in some fresh caught snapper and grouper and you have supper at our house.

And to top everything off, we got some rain last night and more this morning. Not a huge amount by any means but water did fall from the sky and I am as relieved by the knowledge that can still happen as I am sure the plants are all relieved that it did. 

Wait, wait, wait! 
I forgot these.

Rachel took the first one, I took the second. 

Pictures from a very happy, albeit small, birthday celebration. 

I feel all kind of ways tonight but all of them are good. And interesting, too. I am so grateful for all of them. 
I have so much to be grateful for. 

Love...Ms. Moon