The Most Wonderful Time

/ Ann Coleman

May has always been one of my favorite months.  When I was a child, I loved it because May started with my birthday celebration and ended with the last day of school.  (I know some children actually liked going to school, but I was never one of them.  I can still remember the pure joy of walking home on that last day of the school year, knowing that I had almost three months of glorious freedom before I had to go back.)  These days, I don’t greet my birthdays with quite the same enthusiasm and it’s been decades since I graduated from school, but I still think May has an awful lot going for it.

In May, it’s usually warm enough to enjoy being outside, even if I sometimes need a sweater or light  jacket.  It’s when I plant the flowers that brighten my yard, and almost always the month when my azalea bushes bloom.   I love eating dinner outside, either at a restaurant or on our own patio, because this time of year the insect population hasn’t yet exploded and it’s possible to enjoy a good meal with out fending off hungry flies or blood-thirsty mosquitoes.  (And if you’re ever making the argument that even Mother Nature makes the occasional mistake, just bring up mosquitoes.)

Early May also brings Mother’s Day gatherings and, for racing fans, the  Kentucky Derby, which I traditionally celebrate with a small party and home-made mint juleps.  I didn’t really intend to start an annual Derby party tradition when I threw the first one all those years ago for some church friends, but the following year the church secretary called and wanted to know the start time of this year’s Derby party so she could include it in the church newsletter.  And let’s face it, once an event is in the church newsletter, it’s going to happen, so you may as well just go along with it.

o+cRJw0HQJOhXYdVsqWIMgThis year May was a little different, since I was on my beloved Sanibel Island for both my birthday and the Kentucky Derby, spending a quiet week with family.  But it was still a very good month.  My granddaughter turned one, and few things are better than celebrating your very first granddaughter’s very first birthday.   I was also able to host a small backyard family gathering in honor of my sister-in-law’s recent marriage, and to attend a barbeque with good friends, some of whom I hadn’t seen since the pandemic started.  One way or another, this year’s May brought many happy moments, which were all the sweeter because last year’s was basically a washout.

But now May is drawing to a close, and that means one thing and one thing only:  Summer has arrived.  Yes, I know that the calendar says Summer doesn’t arrive until late June, and that those who live in the southern hemisphere are actually approaching Winter.   But I firmly believe that when Memorial Day ends, Summer begins.  And I’m ready for it:  bring on the picnics, the open swimming pools, the temperatures that allow me to go barefoot outdoors, the long days and short nights. Bring it all!  All of it, that is, except for the mosquitoes.  Those nasty little things can stay far, far away…..

72 thoughts on “The Most Wonderful Time”

  1. Farewell to May and hello to June. The mosquitoes will arrive soon. It has been dry here, sot ey are delayed. I am a wee it torn when I wish for rain. Happy summer Ann. Allan

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    • Yeah, wet Springs are a mixed blessing…they bring lovely flowers, but they also bring mosquitoes! I’m glad you’re getting a little break before they arrive. Happy Summer to you too, Allan!!

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  2. Yes, those mozzies are no fun at all are they! Well, today here in Australia it’s officially the first day of winter and fittingly the sky is grey. But I’m hopeful for good days ahead and hopefully soon the end of our lockdown. Thanks for sharing your wonderful moments in May and bringing some summer joy to my morning. Enjoy the season ahead! 😊

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    • I hate very few things, but mosquitoes are on my list of hated things! I hope you have a good Winter, as that season does have it’s gifts, and even more, I hope your lock down does end soon. They are so very trying, and honestly, I keep thinking that with all our scientific advancements, surely we would figure out a better way to handle a pandemic than never-ending lock downs. They are borderline inhumane, in my opinion. Take care and know you are in my thoughts. And I also know that you have a gift for finding the good in most any situation and sharing that good with others…thank you so much for that!!

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    • Thank you! It was very special. And yes, I can’t imagine how hard it was before we had screens and people had to choose between an open window or now bugs!

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  5. OMG, Ann, you’re speaking to me about those nasty mosquitos. They feasted on me last summer. I am not ready for that!
    But I love your enthusiasm. “May” I tell you – I agree!

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    • Thanks, Judy! May is so nice…and I really do love being outside at night without having to wear insect repellent. I honestly think mosquitoes and flies, etc., are the only reason I’m ready for Fall at the end of Summer. Otherwise, it could just keep on!

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    • Me too! I used to refuse to eat outside at a restaurant if it was above 75 and below 70 degrees out. Now, if it’s between 95 and 40, I’m quite happy outside. I guess it’s just all a matter of what we get used to.

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  8. Your granddaughter is cute. Soon, it will be time for her to got to school and as far as I know, few kids if any enjoy going to school! We have a rather harsh summer out here. By the time it completes its stay in June we are all hankering for the rains to rescue us. Hope you enjoy your summer to the hilt!

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    • Thank you! And yes, she will be in school before I know it, and probably not care for it much more than I did. Sometimes our Summers are mild, and sometimes they are rather harsh, but I’m hoping this year isn’t too difficult…for you either! Take care and stay well!

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  9. Our May has been a mirror of March! Cold and hot by turns! I’m hoping that June shows us a little consistency! Your Granddaughter is a real cutie!! I love the smile! And I’m with you on the mosquitoes – though only the females bite (they have to have a blood meal to reproduce) – sort of a “love bite”!

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    • I didn’t realize that only the female mosquitoes bite! So that means that the males can stick around my yard, but the female ones are banned….. And I’m hoping you have a good March too. Our May temperatures have been more extreme this year than ever before too, but luckily we had many good days mixed in as well.

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  11. Your May sounds wonderful, with so much to celebrate. Children’s birthdays are the best, and your granddaughter’s first one must have been more than usually special, just because your family could be together again. I’m sure you enjoyed yours, too — and the travel. We always cross our fingers in May, hoping that the summer heat won’t begin too soon, and hoping that the first tropical storm of the season will dally. Unfortunately, the mosquitoes won’t dally — with all the rain we’ve had, we’re in for it in the next few weeks. Before I go into the marshes, I’ll be putting on my super-duper protectants. I can’t stand those little beasties!

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    • I can’t either, nor can I see a good reason for them, but I guess they have their place in the ecological chain. (Talk about a “weak link!”) I know that in your area May can be a hotter month than here, and that you have to worry about storms and hurricanes. (We worry about tornadoes, which typically hit in June.) I really do hope that you have a good Summer this year!

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  12. You happiness is infectious, Ann. It has reached me all the way here! It makes me so happy to see you’re happy. I know how hard the past year has been on you and how hard you fought to find meaning in suffering. Each time you wrote a post, you wrote in complete honesty yet you also strived to give real hope to everyone else. For me, one of the bright lights in last year’s dark skies was always a post from Ann.
    To see how happy you are now is a perfect June gift.
    Wishing you more happy days with those you love, especially those smiley, dimply babies – the ones here and the ones on the way.

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    • Thanks so much! Your comment has made ME very happy, and your ongoing support and encouragement is very, very much appreciated. It has helped a great deal in the difficult past year as well, trust me. And yeah, those babies spread the love…it was such a joy to see my granddaughter’s first birthday!!!

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    • I think you’re right. This really does feel like a time of rebirth and renewal, and heaven knows we need it. It did feel so good to get our family together to celebrate my sister-in-law’s wedding…that was the first time in more than a year. I hope your gathering is soon too!

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  19. I am a mosquito magnet. In fact, I could probably rent myself out for outdoor parties… all the mosquitos would land on me rather than the guests. Fortunately, we live where there are very few mosquitos (thank goodness) or other irritating bugs. Happy May and belated happy birthday wishes! Your granddaughter is adorable.

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    • I’m so glad you live where there aren’t lots of those pesky little critters…especially since you draw them. My daughter is the same way: she can be outside with her husband and son, and she’ll get tons of bites and they’ll get none. Even worse, she seems to be allergic to the bites! Thanks for your sweet comment and the birthday wishes!

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    • Oh, I’m so glad, Anabel! This pandemic has dragged on far too long, and we all need a break. I hope your numbers continue to drop and that the vaccine makes its way through Glasgow as quickly as possible. And here’s to a wonderful Summer as well!

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  21. It’s wonderful to read and see that you enjoyed the month of May. You made it merry the way it’s meant to be enjoyed, in my estimation. Didn’t know you loved Sanibel Island, but having been there I can understand why. Happy June!

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    • Thanks, Ally! I’ve loved Sanibel since I first went there over thirty years ago, although it’s become more popular and crowded since then. (I usually avoid the busiest seasons there now.) I hope you have a lovey June too!

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  23. Happy Belated Birthday, Ann! May was my late dad’s favorite month, too — something awfully wonderful about a new growing season and moderate temperatures. And this year, because of the vaccines, May has been especially grand. People are able to get together again, and new cases of COVID are declining. I can’t help hoping things are improving on many fronts!

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    • Thanks, Debbie! And yes, the pandemic winding down for our area is a huge bonus….it does feel as if life is renewing again and has me feeling much more hopeful than I have in a long time!

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  24. Here’s to summer, Ann! I knew when I was 7 that I had to live where it is warm all year long! Happy belated birthday 🙂 And yes, here’s to everyone enjoying summer and coming out of the “shell” that was imposed on us all. There is a lot of healing that needs to be done. Sweet Blessings for a wonderful weekend!

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    • Thanks, Lorrie! And you’re right, there is a lot of healing to be done, by all of us. Here’s hoping that things begin to improve….. And although I do like four seasons, if I had to live in a climate that was warm all year or cold all year, I would pick warm so fast it would make your head swim!

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  25. Happy Summer, Ann! I agree, summer always begins right after Memorial Day. Now we can wear white shoes and pants, too! (haha – does anyone follow those rules?) I also like May because I have a birthday and we have a lot of family members with May birthdays (2 of our kids included). And I love azaleas and all the early flowers. But June and the summer months are great too – let’s keep those mosquitoes at bay, though!

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    • It’s funny how many of my readers also have May birthdays! It’s a popular month for them, I guess, because my grandmother, my mother-in-law, and now my granddaughter all had May birthdays too. And I do remember that rule about now wearing white shoes or pants before Memorial Day…..but now I wear them year round!

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  27. That’s such a coincidence Ann. I was just writing an article and I started it with – June is my favorite month, not only because my birthday falls in this month. 🙂

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  28. Hello Anne………………….

    On Mon, May 31, 2021 at 4:02 PM Muddling Through My Middle Age wrote:

    > Ann Coleman posted: “May has always been one of my favorite months. When > I was a child, I loved it because May started with my birthday celebration > and ended with the last day of school. (I know some children actually > liked going to school, but I was never one of them. I c” >

    Liked by 1 person

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