How Busy Is Too Busy?

 I ponder that question all the time.

Not when I am busy doing fun things and my time is my own...

but it is those necessary things and appointments that are making me feel a little too busy.

The hubs has been so busy in the yard...me busy with "other" things, I don't have much to share.

Here is a look at the 

Brookly Swenson Bucket List Calendar

from April, we had a great month.

This is the Bucket List I made for the entire spring and summer.

They are just ideas for days we have free or want to plan something.

I know we won't do it all, it is just a guide.

The flowers the hubs bought for me on Monday look as good as they did on Monday.

The swans eggs at Glimmerglass Lake have yet to open...

I found this gosling at Lake of the Lilies, it was with 2 Canadian Geese.

I think I counted 6 goslings.

Don't get too busy that you have no time for fun!

A Walk Around The Yard & A Yummy Breakfast

 As spring moves forward, 

everything blooms in it's time. I'll show you what's thriving in my gardens right now.

This is a pink Rhododendron that blooms several times a year.

The white Azaleas bloom right after the colored ones...

while the pink and purple Azaleas are still in bloom.

We have about 8 Viburnum bushes in our backyard...all in a row providing a privacy wall.

They are about 12 feet high and are on full display right now.

We got "real" hungry walking around the yard...off we went to our favorite breakfast joint,

Committed Pig

We love this place and they have the best blueberry pancakes.

They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Breakfast Menu

We split the blueberry pancakes and bacon.

We also split the hashbrowns.

This golden pig greets you in the vestibule.

This restaurant is in the heart of the beautiful beach community of Manasquan, NJ.

If you ever visit, there are some really great restaurants in the area.

Do You Have A Junk Journal?

Do you know what a Junk Journal is?

I do...I have one.

I didn't really know that it had a name, or that other people save the memorabilia I do.

But they do and they put the items in a "Junk Journal".

Before I started my blog, I enjoyed preserving my memories into scrapbooks.

I have a lot of handmade scrapbooks.

I started blogging in 2010, my blog became my scrapbook, my journal.

But I was used to saving all the things, tickets, room keys, brochures, menus, business cards...

and I included them in my scrapbooks.

Not wanting to throw those things away, I started making "Memory Jars" for all the memorabilia. 

I wrote about those memory jars and their contents here, here and here.

At some point I realized I never opened the jars to revisit the items 

and thought perhaps it would be better served in a book.

- so long story longer...here's a look at my Junk Journal -

I can't really close the book, 

it's a store bought journal and I would like to recover the out side and make it pretty.

The hubs ran into the food store, just to pick up a few things...

he came out with these flowers...aren't they gorgeous?!

Talk About A Good Egg

 She was sleeping when we arrived to check on her, to see if the cygnets had arrived. 

I was hoping she would recognize our car or my voice...

I called out to her and she perked up.

I spoke to her...

she moved to the side...

to show me her eggs.

I counted 6.

She fluffed up her nest a bit...

posed for a picture...

and went back to sleep.

This nest is on Glimmerglass Lake in Manasquan, New Jersey.

I told her I would be back tomorrow!

Lake Topanemus Park

We had wandered into an area unfamiliar to us.

I immediately checked google to see if there were any parks around us...

 there was.

We had never been here before, it was a nice park, clean, well kept with plenty of picnic benches.

I read a sign stating the lake had been stocked with trout, there were several men fishing.

I did not "witness" any fish stories.

 

The water was so still...the reflections were beautiful.

We saw some large birds off in the distance, I did not see any water foul in the lake.

Everything is greening up beautifully.

There was this cute walking bridge over the lake,

and a nice new bench, dedicated to a family.

Wise Words On Sunday

 These are not "wise words" but in keeping with my thoughts this week,

- this is fun - 

I have way too many grandma hobbies!

Saturday Critters #646

 I do not have too much to share today...

we have been busy, but the camera has spent way too much time on the shelf.

My Azaleas have been covered in bees...

As much as the hubs and I love spring, it is a lot of work.

We have a lot of gardens...they all have to be edged, weeded, treated and mulched.

We have tried so hard to find someone to do this for us,

but there is not enough money in the world to get someone to do it, and do it right.

We have a company that cuts our grass, but everytime we hire them to do this, 

they just don't pull all the weeds or prepare the gardens properly.

Within a week, the gardens are once again filled with weeds.

I am going to check on the Mute Swan nests today, to see if we have babies yet!

Sharing today images with Eileen at 

Viewing Nature With Eileen 

for Saturdays Critters