Musings: Memories Of May…
“Men are April when they woo, December when they wed. Maids are May when they are maids, but the sky changes when they are wives.” William Shakespeare
Musings: Memories Of May… The Iris is May’s flower
Musings: Memories Of May… The Iris is May’s flower. White Japanese Iris
1 May Day
5 Cinco de Mayo
8 Iris Day
9 Lost Sock Memorial Day
May swept in on a cloudy Tuesday announcing its arrival on the eponymous May Day, during a New York Severe Weather Awareness Week. For the next 30 days, it offered plenty to do and celebrate during what I found to be a pretty hectic and challenging month. Had I known that, in between some pretty heavy duty celebrations, there were some fun May holidays like Eat What You Want Day on the 11th, Dance Like a Chicken Day on the 14th, and National Macaroon Day today, the 31st, perhaps it might have felt a tad lighter. The Iris is May’s flower. Above and below are several holidays observed in May. What memories do you hold of this month? Did you celebrate any of them?
“The world’s favorite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May.” Edwin Way Teale
Musings: Memories of May … The Iris is May’s flower
11 Eat What You Want Day
11 Twilight Zone Day
13 Mother’s Day
14 Dance Like a Chicken Day
We anticipated Mother’s Day with great expectations and, for some, with mixed emotions… Will the day go well? Will the flowers and gifts arrive DOA? As much as it’s a day of showing appreciation for moms around the world, all that advertising and the inevitable frenzied last minute buying and selling puts a dent on pockets and egos. Those who knew of the Food Feast holiday got to eat plenty of what they want on the 11th and more on the 13th. Perhaps the rest of us could have enjoyed dancing like chickens or spent a day watching reruns of The Twilight Zone on the requisite May days…
Beneath the apple blossoms I go a wintry way, For love that smiled in April Is false to me in May.” Sara Teasdale,
Musings: Memories Of May…
23 Lucky Penny Day
26 International Jazz Day
28 Memorial Day
These three distinct holidays (above) gave me something to think about. I love picking up lucky pennies on the street, so a day dedicated to the penny was great. Jazz gives me plenty of comfort and we needn’t have waited till the 26th to celebrate it. Memorial Day brought back memories of war and an appreciation for the sacrifice made by the brave men and women we lost in countless wars. Throughout the month, blog relationships ebbed and flowed; some blogging friends disappeared, and a few others bid good bye to the process by terminating their blogs… May was full of finality; a clearing for June. More below…
“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. ” Confucius
Musings: Memories Of May… Iris
31 National Macaroon Day
31 Save Your Hearing Day
31 World No Tobacco Day
As we bid the month of May adieu, I invite you to gear up for the summer months, which tend to be slow, as friends and family make outdoor plans and set their eyes on distant climes. It is vacation season and its impact on our blogging life becomes quite pronounced as the months tick by… Don’t be alarmed, the traffic and stats will pick up again in September. In the meantime, let’s pretend it’s still May and enjoy a macaroon or two. Get your hearing checked and keep the tobacco at bay. Have a wonderful month of June!
Stay Inspired! What are your thoughts? What do you know about May Day? What memories do you hold of this month? Did you celebrate any of the holidays? Did you weather any storms? Do share! Thank you. 🙂
*Please bear with me as I continue to catch up on your blogs and commenting… Thank you all for your patience! 🙂
Positive Motivation Tip: Bid May adieu and welcome, with an open heart and mind, all that summer will bring.
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos Japanese iris, Blue iris, Purple iris, Pink iris, via Wikipedia and/or via Flickr
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
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That’s lovely and inspiring. I would love to see you do the chicken dance 🙂
TY Catherine! I’m game if you’d like to join in. 🙂
May is both my anniversary month and the first full month of my life in San diego after arriving here on April 27, 1993.
Well, Happy Anniversary to you dear one! 🙂
Thanks!
How beautiful. We say it, “Shyaga.” in Japanese. I found it at a mountain.
That is lovely Cocomino and the word is perfect. TY! 🙂
My favorite month! For spring is renewal, the coming of long days and warm nights, summer peeking around the corner! Your post gave me a smile. Thanks, my friend.
TY Karen! I’m glad this game you something to smile about… wonderful. 😉
I wish I would have known about Eat What You Want day!
Same here… but then again, we could all make that an every day holiday. 😉
TY!
Wonderful May summary and good you let us know about the slowing down in blog life…it makes sense with all the summer activities.
Happy Donut Day and have a great weekend!
Happy Donut Day to you too… we will stick around and enjoy the slower pace and any wonderful upticks that show too. TY! 🙂
I like this post a lot. I had never thought of May in quite this way. It does seem like we cross an invisible barrier from May to June and the pace of life changes. Love the Shakespeare quote in the opening too! 🙂
Yes it can be dramatic too. But we press on and keep our focus on what made us start anyway. 🙂
Great post! And the photographs are amazing 🙂
I like that blue flower 😀
TY! Me too! Welcome back Nelson. We missed you. 😉
Thanks for the comment about the impending slowdown in blog traffic. This will be my first such season, and it’s nice to know I don’t need to make any adjustments, I just need to wait it out. May is a sweet month. Not too hot, not too cold. Spring color and a lot of vibrant, fresh energy. Love me some May! Sad to see it go, but it will be back next year. Cycles are a wonderful thing.
TY for your feedback and I agree that cycles are a wonderful thing… very much like a cleansing. 😉
I love obscure holidays! How did I manage to miss Dance Like a Chicken Day?! I do a mean chicken dance. And when I say mean – I mean, Dancing with the Stars, awesome; not mean as in look out for that foul fowl. 😉
😆 You are funny! That chicken one got me too. 🙂
What a busy month!
Our May was awful, weather-wise, until the last week. Now June is starting out the same as May. Sigh.
I hear you… I’d love some miracles this month! 🙂
National Macaroon Day is my kind of holiday 🙂 May is rather cold Downunder so we tend to hibernate mostly.
stunningly gorgeous photos, I love Irises, especially the mauves and purples. I never knew so much about May, magical, mysterious, marvellous May! 🙂
stunningly gorgeous photos, I love Irises, especially the mauves and purples. I never knew so much about May, magical, mysterious, marvellous May! 🙂
My “girls” and I did the Chicken Dance at my wedding. It was one of the most fab parts of a ridiculously wonderful day!
Eat what you want day? It’s eye opening all the different events that are celebrated. May 23rd is Labor Day here. I always look forward to May as it means summer’s around the corner.
Love the quotes. I’d forgotten that unmarried women were referred to as maids (maidens).