Flowers From Friends

It has been almost five weeks since my surgery, and still my dear friends are sending cards and an occasional bouquet.  This pretty arrangement brings some of summer's colors inside.

Susanne for JKPP

I haven't done any art since my June surgery, but I did manage to finish up this colored pencil portrait for the online group Julia Kay's Portrait Party.  For a while I was just to tired and shaky, but lately I just have been procrastinating.  So yesterday I just told myself I'd sit down for an hour and whateer happened, happened.

Why is it so hard to return to something you enjoy, after a long break?

Parade

I live in an old neighborhood, full of grand old houses, but also full of young families with children and dogs, which is part of what makes the 4th of July fun each summer. The houses around the local park invite the children to decorate their bicycles, skooters, wagons, or whatever, and they parade around the block and end up at a local nursing home to sing patriotic songs.

This year the weather is perfect, and lots of folks showed up. To tell the truth I don't even know the people in these photos, though some of the more mature ones look familiar from previous years. Later in the day the street will be closed off and there is a big neighborhood potluck, and games for children.

The rccord keeping for these events is a little shaky, but organizers this year think it might be the 50th year - unless they missed a year and it was actually last year.  It doesn't matter, really. What matters is that neighbors get together to greet one another, ooh and ah of wee children and pet the pooches.




Happy Independence Day.

Moving Forward

I have always loved summer, the warmth, sunshine, birds, flowers blooming.  I knew I was having surgery earlier this spring, so I did not plant too many flowers, but this little pot of petunias catching the morning light has been giving me pleasure.

I'm feeling a little stronger, more wide awake, more mobile each day.  I'm enjoying eating again, and have had some visitors.  This isn't going to be a normal summer, but I don't want to miss it.