JUNE - Is Busting Out All Over!

"It was June, and the world smelled of roses.

 The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside."

– Maud Hart Lovelace 

American Children’s Book Author (1822-1980)

There is something special in the air and over the lands in Pennsylvania when June waltzes in with her bouquet of vibrant flowers and lush grasses that cover the lawns and fields. The entire world seems to come alive. Trees and bushes wearing their timid light green foliage change into their summer clothes of a deep green. Despite the constant rains of May, the sun peeks out. Overhead the sky is colored a soft cozy blue with fluffy white clouds floating around.

Our backyard has become a haven for our feathered friends who have arrived early. We have chickadees in a birdhouse under our patio, finch nests in our hanging ferns, bluebirds in a box on one of our fences, robins under our deck, and sparrows in a second birdhouse nearby. And let’s not forget the doves. They have taken a spot in a tree in the neighbor’s yard and are cooing back and forth to each other as early as five o’clock every morning. The chirps, cheeps, whistles, and warbles of our feathered fellows merge to make up a summer chorus filled with melodies. 

I have to admit, the smell of drying clover and other field grasses is one of summer’s most pleasant scents, along with June roses in full bloom. And who can ignore the light fragrances of lavender or sun-kissed red raspberries when they drift out into the breeze?

 

Growing up in the country, this was the time of the year when we farm kids all uttered a deep sigh as soon as we heard the sound of the tractor and its mower heading out to the nearest hay field. The odors of gasoline, motor oil, and baler twine became a common smell. Soon, we knew we’d be tossing hay bales onto wagons and into hay lofts.

June is my favorite month. It’s clean, new, and the start of summer and warmer weather. It’s vibrant vegetation. Sizzling sunshine. And, by the way, it’s my birthday! 

 

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   “Up on the Roof and Other Short Stories” is a unique collection of nineteen humorous and serious short stories that explores the lives and relationships of the young and old.

           

      A grizzled, old farmer, Pop, climbs up on his farmhouse roof to meditate, check his chimney and antenna, and ends up talking to God on his portable phone in “Up on the Roof”.

           

      In “Bald Revelations,” Maureen is convinced her husband of twenty years is planning to leave her when he purchases ten new pairs of black socks and starts singing Beach Boy songs. 

       Greta Nielsen of Inuit heritage is searching for an amulet to remind herself of home, but her money-conscious boyfriend keeps thwarting her efforts in “The Amulet”.

        Storyteller Judy Ann Davis weaves her award-winning tales to make her readers laugh, maybe cry, but always able to relate to the unique characters and the dilemmas they encounter. 

 

MAY DRESSED IN HER FINERY

It’s May, the queen of all the months, who assumes her reign amid colorful blossoms and shades of green. Above, in the blue sky, the merry warm sun dips down to awaken the daffodils, violets, bursting buds, and earthy grasses. Spring rains softly blanket the deciduous trees unfolding their delicate leaves while above in the branches, birds chatter, scold, and sing.

I always think of May as the beginning of summer, despite the real date of June 20^th. It’s the time when we shed our coats and head outside. Around us, the soft breeze carries the fresh scent of blooming flowers and wet earth. At nightfall in the northern regions, we always get the joyous sound of spring peepers calling out from the wetlands.

Every year, my husband and I tell each other that we’re going to cut back on the flowers we are going to buy, hang, display, or plant.  It’s a pointless threat. The other day, we went on our yearly search of four ferns to hang on the patio, along with other potted plants and flowers to make the area more colorful and cozier. We arrived home with more than enough sunlight to glance at the vacant beds we also plant with annual flowers and chuckled. We know we’ll be scouring the greenhouses for more vegetation.   

May is also the time we take the time to visit the Memorial Day services at Historic Crown Crest Cemetery in Central Pennsylvania where the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) take turns each year having a ceremony in honor and memory of all those who served and are no longer with us. I am part of a four-generation military family with my husband and son having served, and my husband’s late grandfather and late father also having served. It’s a chilling and heartbreaking sensation to stand in the cemetery and see the rows and rows of American flags flying from the graves of those who have served at one time in their lives. 

As we move through the month of May, named after the Greek Goddess Maia who symbolizes nature and growing plants, let’s bask in her finery, the warmth of the weather, and the rejuvenation of the living world around us.  

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EARTH DAY - APRIL 22, 2025

Earth Day in April is the one day that focuses on the crucial role of renewable energy in combating climate change and securing a sustainable future. It highlights the importance of renewable energy using sources like solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and tidal power. 

Many people are dismayed to learn that China currently leads in renewable energy capacity and generation, hosting nearly half of the world's total operating wind and solar capacity, and generating a significant portion of global renewable electricity. Whether a fan or foe of green energy, finding alternate ways to generate it to help save our planet from destruction and for future generations is a noble cause.                                                                                                  

When I look around our house, we have embraced solar energy with solar lights on and around our house. They are both an aesthetic feature and also provide illumination for safety reasons. Many schools are now building small solar energy farms to save energy costs. The Steelton-Highspire School District (SHSD) in Pennsylvania is a school district that utilizes a 1.7 MV solar array to power 100% of its electricity needs, resulting in significant cost savings and serving as a clean energy mode.

I am always in awe of the windmills when we travel. Locally, you can view them along the mountain tops on a drive to Altoona, Pennsylvania. When we visited Palm Springs, California, we were able to see the vast number of wind turbines of the San Gorgonio Mountains, strategically placed on both sides of Interstate 10 to take advantage of the 15-20 miles per hour wind that weaves through the pass in between the San Jacinto Mountains that hug Palm Springs. 

With springtime sneaking upon us, it is time to rejoice and appreciate the beauty of our planet. There are already small buds on our lilac bushes. The poppy plants, fearless of the cold, have awakened with green foliage shooting upward and daffodils and crocuses are blooming. As I look around and think how beautiful our rural landscape is, I can't resist raising my voice in celebrating Earth Day with all those who support the protection of our lands and Planet Earth. 

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ST. PATRICK'S DAY - WHEN EVERYONE IS IRISH!

St. Patrick’s Day in the United States is the only day when everyone is Irish. It’s a time for wearing green, reveling with friends, drinking beer—often also green—eating Irish food, watching parades, and generally celebrating Irish culture, heritage and traditions. 

St. Patrick’s Day was officially declared a Christian feast day in the early seventeenth century in honor of St. Patrick. It was observed by many (Christian) religions because it commemorates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland.

 

Patrick was born in Roman Britain in the fourth century to wealthy Roman Christian aristocrats. His father was a deacon and his grandfather was a priest. At the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Gaelic Ireland where he spent six years there working as a shepherd.

After making his way back home by escaping to Gaul, now France, Patrick became a priest and studied for fifteen years before returning to Ireland in 432. According to legend, St. Patrick used the three-leaved shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to Irish pagans. 

 

The first organized observance of St. Patrick’s Day in the British colonies was in 1737 when the Charitable Irish Society of Boston gathered to honor their motherland. During the American Revolution, George Washington, realizing his troops had a morale problem and in acknowledgment of the valiant Irish volunteers who served in his army, issued an order declaring the 17^th of March to be a holiday for the troops in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.

 

Throughout the years and throughout the United States, cities with Irish populations continued to celebrate the special occasion with parades and festivities. Even the White House celebrated St. Patrick’s Day, starting with President Harry Truman.

 

So to everyone, whether you are Irish or wannabe Irish, I lift my glass of ale and wish you this Irish blessing:

These things, I warmly wish for you
Someone to love, some work to do,
A bit of o' sun, a bit o' cheer.
And a guardian angel always near.

 

To your good health—“Slainte.” 

 

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Saluting Grace Noll Crowell, American Poet - This, Too, Will Pass

February in Central Pennsylvania is always a dismal, dull month. For me, it’s always been the month which I “just try to get through” to be able to welcome spring in March.

The beginning of this year in the United States has been a tumultuous time with sadness, political disruption, and tragic loss of lives. How does one navigate through and overcome the somberness, the gloom?

Denali National Park, AK

The other night, while I was reading in bed, I heard our resident owl on the roof sending out his persistent strings of intermittent “who, who, who.” In the morning, despite the frigid temperatures, our resident chickadee was calling out its name from a leafless tree beside our back deck. Talk about two tough, persistent balls of feathers who croon despite the cold, the snow, or the sheer bleakness of the day or night.

Whenever I get down and out, I think of my mother’s words when dealing with a problem, “You can’t move a mountain in your head. So, just move one stone at a time.”

One of my favorite poems is by Grace Noll Crowell, an American poet (1877-1969), who wrote over 20 books of poems. “This, Too, Will Pass” is one of my favorites.

And I hope, with all the gloom and doom we often endure, the poem will help as we move one stone at a time to tackle those problems and mountains in our path.

This, Too, Will Pass

This, too, will pass.
O heart, say it over and over,
Out of your deepest sorrow,
out of your deepest grief,
No hurt can last forever--
Perhaps tomorrow will bring relief.                               
          
This, too, will pass.
It will spend itself--
Its fury will die as the wind dies down
with the setting sun;
Assuaged and calm, you will rest again,
Forgetting a thing that is done.

Repeat it again and again,
O heart, for your comfort;
This, too, will pass
as surely as passed before
The old forgotten pain, and the other sorrows
That once you bore.

As certain as stars at night,
or dawn after darkness,
Inherent as the lift of the blowing grass,
Whatever your despair or your frustration--
This, too, will pass.

WELCOME JANUARY 2025

The beginning of each year is always filled with thoughts that we need to make changes in our lives. I think of January as the month of anxiety, tension, and resolutions. You can throw in upheaval, too, if you like.   

There are two kinds of guilt. The first is the unhealthy guilt that there will be terrible consequences if you don’t accomplish certain tasks or do certain things, such as exercise every day, clean the house every Saturday, forget to attend a meeting or an appointment, etc. Then there is the healthy guilt which is a natural response to the current circumstances, such as hoping to continue or pursue a hobby you’ve neglected, missing being with family members, or even as simple as forgetting to turn the dishwasher on.

Whether it’s an unhealthy one or a healthy one, I’m not a fan of making resolutions and putting pressure on my life or increasing stress. I do believe that we can make decisions or intentions for our betterment as we look to the future. Life itself, with all its quirks, is often pressure enough without strict guidelines, rules, or repetitive activities for successfully living each day. Maybe what we need is to make a list of all things we want to “enjoy in 2025” instead. How about that for a change?

Author Victoria Erickson says it best:
“Just a little reminder that you don’t have to make resolutions,
or huge decisions or big proclamations.
You can just set some sweet intentions and take each day as it comes.”

Happy New Year!

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