Anniversary and tragedy...

What a mixed-up May this has been.

 

Just two weeks ago, we woke up to an unprecedented May snow.

Then Monday, I lost my 17-year-old best buddy, Butch.

 

Yesterday afternoon the weather was warm and sunny, and Mom's roses were blooming beautifully. She brought this rose with us from California (the peace rose in the foreground - the smaller pink blossoms are from a different plant). I believe she said that it was from a cutting from a rose that her mom owned. This rose bush fell over in the snow two weeks ago, but with some sun, a supporting pole, and some supporting words, it seems to have re-established itself.  





 

And this happy little rose bush was blooming up a storm.

 

And then, speaking of storms... I suppose many of you have heard about the deadly tornado that hit Moore, OK, last night. So far the authorities are reporting at least 24 dead, nine of them children from the school that received a direct hit. What heartbreak!

 

We were hit with 60-70 mph winds at my house last night along with some torrential rains and even some hail. I took the pictures of Mom's roses before the storm hit, so I doubt that there are any blossoms left on the bushes now. Mom drove over to Oklahoma City yesterday (a 3 1/2 hour drive) so that she can attend my niece's high school graduation today. She arrived in OKC to the sound of tornado sirens. Thankfully, my sister's home is far enough away from Moore that everyone in my family is safe. I have much to be thankful for.

 

With so much bad news, where's my silver lining? Well, I did mention an anniversary. Today is my husband's and my 25th wedding anniversary. Over the years we have planned many plans and dreamed many dreams about how we would spend this day. As it is, we are both at work - my husband giving final exams and me in the middle of my summer semester. Not quite what we had envisaged over the years.

 

However, we did sneak off for a quiet couple of days in Tulsa last weekend, where we visited some lovely gardens and shopped for new rings. I'll post the garden pictures later, when I'm in a more cheerful mood. I'm guessing that the beautiful flowers we saw just two days ago have probably all been destroyed by the storms of the last two nights. *Sigh*

 

But back to the silver lining... Would you like to see my anniversary gift? Good, because I'd love to show you! My husband and I were supposed to buy each other new wedding rings to celebrate our 25th, but I really like the wedding band that I'm wearing now. So instead, I got this lovely opal and diamond ring for my right hand. I just love the old-fashioned setting of this ring. The pave diamonds around the stones really flash in the light. And the white gold setting (which absolutely refused to photograph well, so I didn't include a photo) is an intricate filigree, with swirls and hearts underneath the stones. It looks very old-fashioned. *happy sigh* What a romantic gift, no? 

 

 

 

Oh, yes, and my husband got the new wedding band he wanted, but it won't be in for a few weeks. It's mixed white and yellow gold and had to be ordered in his size. It should come in in early June.

 

All around, a very confusing month -  a mix of happy excitement and heartbreaking loss.

 

 

I'm going to end with a gratuitous kitty photo - just to cheer me up. : )

 

 

I've decided that Callie is my Visa cat:  she's everywhere I want to be - on the quilt I need to bind, beside the sewing machine that I need to use... It's a good thing that the weather was so scary last night, because I sure wasn't going to get any sewing done with my little helper around! Love ya anyway, Callie!

 

Until later. Stay safe, everyone.

Debbi