Happy May!

Oh how I love May! In my front yard I have a tree called a May Day (how appropriate!) and it blooms for about 1 week. They are these delicate white blossoms that have the sweetest smell. When you walk out on to the front deck you are engulfed by the beauty of the aroma. Then as quickly as the blossoms are there, we usually get a wind or rain and then poof! The magical display is over. I look forward to this Spring display every year because it is right around my birthday. It sort of feels like it is Mother Nature's special gift for me.


So I'm kind of on a rant today. Just warning everyone ahead of time! Ha!! I may have to back up a bit to explain myself before I go on my rant though so bear with me. I'm not sure how universal the 'ribbon' is to support certain causes such as pink ribbon for breast cancer, or the yellow one to support the troops, but here in Canada and in the United States I've seen them everywhere. Now before anyone gets their panties in a knot...I think these ribbons are a great idea. Or they were a great idea...

Let me explain...Back in the day when they first started...it was such a unique idea, it stood out. People saw that ribbon on your car or pinned to your jacket and they knew you were supporting an important cause. Then these causes started having special walk a thons...then special days...then months...all good things. But they over shadowed the 'less popular' conditions.
I think some conditions has been very creative with their 'ribbons'. Men's prostrate cancer uses a necktie, autism uses a ribbon with puzzle pieces and fibromyalgia incorporates a butterfly with their ribbon. But how often do we see the unique ones? How often do you know when does Autism have a Walk a Thon, or is there a Prostate Awareness Month? I only stumbled on Fibromyalgia Awareness Day (May 12 FYI) because I saw a clip art similar to this on posted on a friend's Facebook page. And folks...I HAVE Fibro!!!

And how uncoordinated is this? In the USA, May is Arthritis Awareness Month. Again..something I stumbled on as I did a bit of research for my rant today. But guess what? Arthritis Awareness Month is September in Canada! So either Arthritis got lucky and we get double exposure, or the two countries could not get together and coordinate a month together and make a strong front and really gain a lot of exposure like Breast Cancer or the Heart and Stroke Campaign do every year. (Bet you know what color ribbons those two are & what months they are in!)

Now like I said..I was in the mood for a rant...not a fight. I know each and every cause is near and dear to everyone out there. The purple and blue are fights I deal with every day, but I have close friends and family who have fought the pink and red, the running shoes...the daffodils...the list goes on and on. All I'm suggesting is hey folks...lets let the little guys be heard too. I know the pink ribbon is important...but I want to know when the other guys have their months too. I think they deserve more then a 2 minute blurb on the noon news. They deserve the whole month of awareness just like the bigger campaigns do!

So my friends...May is  Arthritis Awareness Month! I may be just a wee little blog but if we all take a few min and realize hey..blue is arthritis...we all learned something new today!

Thanks for the rant!! Enjoy your afternoon!!

Happy Mom Day!!

Wow! Where did Spring go? Seems like just last week I was I was planting my seeds in containers on my counters and glaring at the snow piles on my yard. Today, the sun is shining, grass is green, buds are close to blooming on my trees and bushes and my seedling are ready for my garden. Welcome May! Welcome to sitting on the deck and laughing with friends, or laying in the sun and listening to the birds. Freedom from the indoors! Shorts, sunshine, long lazy days ahead! Can you tell I'm a warm weather girl? Ha!!

Well, one of the wonderful things about May is that my mom usually makes her annual visit to our house to come spoil her grandboys and my husband and myself. This year was no exception with her arriving in late April and staying until the beginning of May. This year she was even able to extend her visit by a few days, but it never seems like it long enough!

One tradition my mom and I started a few years back is having our 'Girl Day'. I must admit I look forward to our girl day. Living in a house full of boys, 'girlie' stuff is limited to flower prints on my paper towels. Our day involves NO boys! We run off to the spa in the afternoon and get pampered with either manicures or pedicures. This year the spa was having a special that started the day that we went. All the spa services were 50% off!! Well we were in girl heaven!! 3 hours later...pretty toes AND pretty fingers!!

Next stop...supper! Another part of the tradition is going to a restaurant called Cheesecake Cafe. We usually get this yummy soup that is put inside a yummy fresh baked bun. Well...our 'luck' was holding out, because we walked into the restaurant and they had a fantastic meal deal that even included a piece of their famous cheesecake. Ohhh...it was sooo good! But ohhh were we so very full!!!!
 

So, pretty toes, pretty fingers, very full tummies...only thing left to do on our girl day was go shopping!! So off to the mall we waddled! ( I would say ran, but we were way to full to run any where!! ha!!) Our luck held out even at the mall too, because every store we went into was having some sort of sale also! It was truly a perfect 'Girl Day' !

I just want to take this opportunity to send out a great big thank you and Happy Mother's Day to my mom. I love our special day and I very much look forward to it each year. You come and help and support me. You sat through all those doctors appointments, drove down to pick up the kids and eagle eyed my medicine! Thank you mom! 

 I love you...Happy Mother's Day!