I Like Birthdays

I like celebrating the lives of those we care about.  I like recognizing that however we come, we are valued.

These stunning flowers were delivered for the birthday girl to her work.  I'm still just astonished at the creativity of people.  Aren't they lovely?

I snapped this picture (through the windshield - it's been cropped way down) of the car in front of me yesterday.  And yes, it appeared to be a cellphone free zone.  That's great!

The two baby clematis that we planted (and they look much bigger in the nursery than they are all by their lonesome planted against the house) have done so well, they've both bloomed.  I so love flowers. Heavenly Father knew how much we'd need their beauty in this sometimes harsh world. This hollyhock looks especially lovely out amongst the weeds, all by its lonesome.

We don't often eat out for lunch, there's always too much pressure to get away.  Ours today left us groaning with misery - even though we saved half to bring home for dinner. And that's the best (IMO) kind of meal - one that stretches into two.  Any meal I don't have to cook is the best kind.

Our sweet neighbor has this beautiful apricot tree.  Some kind of chinese apricot I think she said. This year is truly a bountiful harvest.  She gave us permission to pick a few, afterwhich I had to wash and test taste.  Yep, I love apricots.  And doesn't pretty much everything taste best just after picking?

We've got a guy coming in a bit to give us a bid on some covers for our gutters.  We've a couple that are in inaccessible spots for cleaning out, thus we have had issues with the gutters and downspouts being plugged.  And that's a crummy mess.  It'll be nice to finally get that taken care of.  Next on the list:  re-stuccoing, maybe a whole house fan, and streamlining all those possessions we don't really need.  I'd love to feel lighter/free-er.

And I'm reading a great book about discovering the Savior in every hour of the day.  Uplifting words are something I always treasure.

I'm grateful for birthdays to celebrate (in spite of the anxiety of trying to find just the right birthday gift).  I'm grateful for lunches out.  For neighbors who are generous with their apricots.  For those who are creative and for uplifting words. I believe Heavenly Father likes us to be happily content and striving always for good - good to do, good to receive, and all the iterations of good in between.