Happy Birthday DIL#1

Today is DIL's birthday. Appropriately for one born at this time of year, she adores roses so I ordered her a rose dangle hair stick from Sticks and Stones. Fox does beautiful work and her sticks are heirloom pieces. I hope you can get an idea from the photos just how exquisite this stick is. I hope DIL likes it. And I hope today we get a chance to show her how special she is to us and that we feel blessed that she's a part of our family.

I think Spring is a wonderful time for a birthday. It's a time of re-birth and renewal, of fresh starts and new life. Everything is new and fresh and the invitation to put aside our busyness and come outside and enjoy the air is almost too much at times. I guess if I had to choose a season I most enjoyed it would be Spring.

Just this past week it's been a joy to get out in the garden (between showers of rain) and discover the new treasures cropping up everywhere. I'd like to share some of these discoveries.

The First Climbing Rose (This is the rose 'New Dawn'. It obviously survived our attempts at pruning and is now beginning to burst into life):



Buds on the Weeping Cherry (I'm sure this is bursting into bloom later and later each year. In a week or so it will be just glorious and then the leaves will come and the flowers will be gone but I'll enjoy it while it lasts):



Golden Wattle (Now as an Australian I had to include this even though this beautiful blossom is notorious for causing misery to thousands of allergy sufferers. I thought our tree had actually died until I discovered these blossoms. I love them but can't get be near them for too long):



Orchids (DH inherited these orchids after his father died. Sadly, they've never done as well as they did when my FIL was caring for them. I've since cut these ones and am enjoying them inside):





While I love Spring, it's also kind of scary since it means there's only a few more months left to get back into shape before summer and light floaty clothes (no hiding under lots of layers). Oh no! I've always struggled with my weight but for a few years managed to keep it under control. Until this last year when it's just been one great downward spiral (or should I say upward?). I vowed several years ago never to get back to the size I am now so what happened?

It's so depressing. I hate myself for looking like this and being this way. I wish I'd been born thin and beautiful (don't we all). And I wish DH would stop buying me chocolates because I have absolutely no self control!