Monday Morning Musings:
Ode to May
May days are bookended in songs
of robin and mockingbird
falling over us like catkins,
pollinating our souls.
In our blooming, we hear
the germination of star-sound,
taste Earth’s turning colors and blue sky,
after the rain
feel roots swallow and river breathe,
we reach toward our own star. The reaching
our constant, every why growing like dandelions,
smalls suns in a universe of green.
The grey and rainy days have made everything green, especially as we have had brilliant sunshine in between. For all who celebrated Mother’s Day yesterday, I hope it was lovely. We went to my sister’s as usual. This time the weather cooperated, and it was a perfect day to sit outside for an all-afternoon brunch. Friday afternoon, our daughter met us at a winery, and we had a pleasant time talking and sipping a Cabernet. Saturday night, we ate homemade pizza and drank a red blend.
Merril’s Movie/TV Club: I finally got to see The Quiet Girl, the first Irish-language film nominated for an Oscar. It was playing here when some of my friends in Ireland and the UK were raving about it. Then when it finally was, I missed it. So, I was pleased to be able to stream it. It’s a Merril-movie, definitely not an action film. Beautifully filmed. Cáit is a girl who seldom speaks, and the adults around her mostly talk at people, rather than to them. I’d rather not see so much, but here’s the trailer.
We finished the Netflix show, Rough Diamonds, which we both enjoyed. It was an interesting mix of life in an Antwerp’s religious Jewish community and a more action, heist type of show.
Saturday and Sunday night, fans disappointed at not getting tickets to see Taylor Swift in Philadelphia could have camped out in our neighborhood to hear the concert. We’ve never experienced that before. I can’t imagine how loud it was at the venue! I’m glad it was cool enough, so we could close our windows.
Yesterday and today: Merril's historical musings 
Here’s to well-framed photos, family fun, and an Ode to May!
Thank you, Marian!
Pizza looks delicious. Your family is beautiful.🙏🏼❤️
Thank you very much, Melissa!
That looks a happy gathering
Thank you, the Mother’s Day gathering was happy.
Love this collection of photographs and poetry! May is a fabulous time to start feeling summer. ❤
Thank you so much, Layla! ❤️ I want it to stay at spring for a while longer. I’m not eager for it to get too hot.
What lovely tender colours! I’m glad the weather brightened enough for you to be able to eat outside.
We were just talking about The Quiet Girl. It’s showing at our local cinema. I’d like to see it though I don’t fancy coming home to find wreckage to clear up. Maybe we’ll stream it instead.
Thank you! Yes, we’ve had cool rainy Mother’s Days some years. This was lovely. The humidity from the day before was gone, and it was warm, but not hot.
If you see The Quiet Girl, let me know what you think. It’s not my culture or language, so I’d be interested in what you think.
It looks as though you had a good time 🙂
I’ll let you know. I don’t fancy seeing it with french subtitles, another reason for not seeing it at the cinema.
We did!
Of course, I didn’t even think of that. 🤦🏼♀️
🙂
Your poem is a lovely ode. I can’t get over how beautiful your photos are. I’ll have to rethink my tendency to take macros 😉
Thank you very much, Marie. That’s a huge compliment because I really don’t know anything about photography. 🙂
You have a very good “eye,” Merril, and that is what makes good photography 🙂
Thank you very much! 😊
The colors in your photos are luscious.
I’m glad you had a good family weekend–the weather was lovely here too. (K)
Thank you very much, Kerfe. I’m glad you had lovely weather, too.
My daughters took me to the Yankee game–unfortunately the Mets were on the road. They lost, but we had a good time.
That’s lovely! I’m glad you had such a good day!
Your photographs are incredible!
Thank you, Jill!
I love nature’s color palette in your header photo!
Thank you very much, Liz!
You’re welcome, Merrill!
Such a joyous time, isn’t it, Merril? 😊
Thank you, Ingrid. Yes. 🙂
Wonderful ode to May! Your pictures are as beautiful as your words.
May has been a little of this and a little of that here, too. Saturday was sit in the sun weather (if you have something to block the wind!), Mother’s Day was not as warm but still sunny, it is raining today but that’s okay, as you say, the rain makes everything so green!
We finished The Diplomat – man, was it good!
The Quiet Girl sounds like a me movie as well. I’ll have to look for it.
Thank you, Dale! I’m glad you’re having some nice weather, too. As you say, an occasional rainy day is fine. 🙂
I’m glad you liked The Diplomat! The Americans is even better, if you’ve never seen it, but more of a commitment. 🙂
I think you would like The Quiet Girl. I rented it from Amazon, but it was only about $5.
Yes. It’s been great though today is rainy and tomorrow’s hit will be a mere 37! Whattt???
We loved it. Oh… I’ll have to look into The Americans.
I am sure I would (and you know my policy on that one 😉 )
It’s a bit cooler here, but very low humidity and gusty winds we have a red flag warning (for fire). I think we could use some rain now. Odd weather.
We watched The Americans when it was first broadcast on network TV. It looks like here it’s on Hulu, which we don’t have. But if you can, it’s SO good.
We had SNOWFLAKES! Earlier!!
Ahh… I’ll check to see if I have it.
Snowflakes?!! That’s just wrong!
Thank goodness it was just a tease. The sun came out (albeit with zero warmth) right after!
Just to have the light helps though.
Absolutely. Woke up to below freezing this morning. Run? Nope.
I don’t blame you!
But tomorrow? Mid to upper 70s!
Yayyyyy!
💃Happy dance!
🌞
Gonna take it while it passes
Beautiful Ode to May! Your poem is like being on a river cruise and taking in all the sights and sounds…so much wonder and beauty unfolding at every turn. The first two lines of this poem are such a joy…an incredible prelude to what follows next. I just love the ‘bookends’ of birdsong. So good. I don’t know what else to say…(beautiful cruise photos as well.)
Thank you very much, Linda.
I’m so pleased my walks along the river had you imagining a cruise. We were not on a cruise. 🙂
There’s so much activity around dawn and dusk both–and so much birdsong this time of year.
May, what a beautiful month. Merril, your ode is a perfect picture of it. So are your photos.
It’s starting here. We’ve plenty of rain, but not much sun. So, it’s a slow happening.
Happy Mother’s Day! (belated)
For some reason, I only want to watch comedies recently.
Hahaha! Closing your windows to a TS event/music!
I would have done the same.
Although, I could think of many I would have left it open for.
Thank you so much, Resa!
It’s does look beautiful here right now–but we have a fire warning because of high winds and low humidity (and lots of pollen flying about!)
Her music is fine. I’m just not a fan of loud anything, especially coming into my house uninvited. 🙂
Yes… uninvited is annoying.
Some uninvited bedbugs came in during the first lock down. They chewed me up. Painful!
I got rid of them without poison. I was vigilant
We never had them before, so I knew it was not an infestation, yet!
Bit of a saga, but they’ve never returned.
I’m glad you got rid of them. I know it can be a nightmare.
Whew!!!
The bites are painful!
And you can sick from them.
Uch! So tiny, yet so invasive.
It sounds like you had a lovely time — despite the loud concert. 🙂 ❤
Several different days and places.🙂