​Dear readers,
     If you’re familiar with my novels—about a small-town bed and breakfast and the woman who owns it; my memoir—on heirlooms, organizing, and nostalgia; or newspaper columns about home, family, and the challenges of getting older, you might gather that I’m a bit old-fashioned. I say that with joy and no apologies.
     Can you relate? If so, you might enjoy the traditional pleasures of hearth and home and seek out encouraging books and people.
     At heart, I identify as a Hoosier farmgirl, several decades removed.
     Maybe one day I’ll have a high-tech newsletter, but for now I’ll make do with a homemade version. If you’d like this second issue you're reading here delivered to your email, let me know and I’ll send it your way, as well as the spring issue when it comes out in March. Reach out in the comments or let me know at [email protected].
     I finished 2022 with a combined thirty-five programs and/or events relating to my memoir, There’s a Clydesdale in the Attic: Reflections on Keeping and Letting Go. For 2023, at present I’ve booked nine on the topic of Fun with Heirlooms. Here’s what Linda Davis, interim director of the Knightstown, Indiana Library says of my program:
     “I’ve been telling everyone what a lovely program that you gave and what a sweet person you are. It was a joy to have you. You have inspired our staff to come up with some sort of monthly gathering for older patrons to just talk and tell their stories. It was so interesting to listen to the amazing things that have happened in each person’s life. And how eager they were to share! A wonderful way to spend an evening.”                                                                 
     While a part of me would love to spend winter hunkering down with early-morning mugs of coffee and more time to read or listen to audiobooks, iron antique linens I’ve culled from too many I've stored in my Sellers cabinet, work on Bible Study Fellowship lessons and listen to favorite podcasts, there are other things on my mind too.
     Our house will soon be chaotic, only in a good way. We’ve got new flooring coming in for most of the downstairs, ordered from a wonderful longtime retailer in New Castle, Indiana. We’re expected to have all the “smalls” moved out of the way for the installers. If you aren’t shrieking, you have no idea how many “smalls” there are around here! It’s also a good opportunity to do some deeper cleaning and organizing.
     While the Clydesdale book is about cleaning out, organizing, and reflecting on objects in our storage spaces, getting new flooring is about all those objects that are not in storage! HELP!
     On the heels of new flooring comes a busy February: my first book-related program of the year, for a group of Methodist women right here in Madison County, Indiana; a loved one’s hip replacement later that month, and I’ll celebrate the one-year release of the Clydesdale book and the whirlwind time I’ve had with it. Then in March, things take off with three programs on my calendar. Oh, and there's our annual tax appointment, and, well ... life!                                                                                                                                              
PROGRAMS
     Winter is when committees plan spring banquets for their clubs, organizations, and mother-daughter banquets. I’ve been the keynote speaker at many such events and would be happy to tailor a program to your group. Give me a call or shoot an email and we can discuss.
     Fun with Heirlooms is my signature program, but we can talk about other themes that might be compatible with your events. I’m all about encouraging messages.
     I’ve spoken to groups of all sizes from state-and-regional conferences and annual programs to small book clubs where a few of us sit around a dining room table or out on a warm deck and talk over the life themes in my books.

BOOKS
     The three books include inspirational novels, Sweetland of Liberty Bed & Breakfast, the sequel, That Sweet Place: At Home in the Heartland, and the memoir, There’s a Clydesdale in the Attic: Reflections on Keeping and Letting Go.
     All three are available on Amazon in both print and e-book formats, and I have them in stock if you prefer a signed copy. Let’s connect via email: [email protected], or call 317-224-7028. Website is donnacronk.com. Or, visit on Facebook on the author page Donna Cronk.
     Meanwhile, here are some things readers are saying:
 
     “I love to read but reserve my limited amount of free time for those books that are able to grab my attention within the first chapter. I'm thrilled to report that I'm on chapter 8 already. As I've read this book, memories started coming to mind and had me visiting some of my own collections. The author puts such a great spin on the art of decluttering. As I clean out my own collections, this book has inspired me to not go through them in a hurry, but to celebrate the memories they conjure. I now look forward to my journey down memory lane as I once again try to downsize …” –Amazon post with five-star rating from Henry Henley Public Library, Carthage, Indiana.

   “You will find that the author knows just how to take you on an adventure in her attic and in her memories. We all find ourselves in that very place at some time in our life. Sorting through "stuff" brings back memories that hug our heart. Donna Cronk knows how to take you on a fascinating trip down our own memory lane. Deciding whether to keep the Clydesdale in the attic is our biggest challenge. We aren't getting rid of just "stuff" but a bit of our own story. Very enjoyable read!” -
Amazon post with five-star rating from author Janet Leonard, Noblesville, Indiana.

     “Donna Cronk has the gift of finding the compelling twist of everyday things in life, the compelling detail, and then presenting that in a delectable format for the reader. - Advance praise from career journalist/author Lisa Perry

ABOUT ME  
     A career community journalist, I live in central Indiana with Brian, my husband of 44 years. I write books, related programs, and a newspaper column for three Indiana newspapers. I’m active in church, study with Bible Study Fellowship nine months a year, and am cofounder of a writing support group, Writer Chicks.
     I enjoy home, family, and providing encouraging programs on a variety of topics for book clubs, luncheons, and banquets.

This winter arrangement was designed by Liberty friend Kelly Finch. I bought it several years ago and look forward to getting it out every winter.

Whenever the calendar turns to March, it's as though a switch has flipped in my brain: SPRING! I'm fully aware, after being a Hoosier for more than six decades, that we still can, and probably will, get more snow. Even if we don't, the temperatures will still be ridiculously cold. But still. I'm ready to wear  sandals even though snow boots might be in order.

​But I also know that good things will happen this month. We will spring forward. That means more daylight at day's end. And yes, spring will arrive. 

March came in if not like a lamb yesterday, at least with promise. Billy Bowman of New Castle arrived with his Screenmobile business and installed several new window screens and frames. This had been a chore we've needed done for a few years now, and we're happy to have this finished and off our to-do list. Shout out to Screenmobile! We're happy to recommend them.

Then word came that our new rider lawn mower would be here today. It's funny how the men in the family have been excited about this new vehicle and yes, I was in the garage watching as it was unloaded and rolled into its new digs. We're ready for green grass. Grow baby, grow. We'll mow! In fact, I think there will be several takers for the chance to do this chore for a while.

All six trees in our back yard were trimmed by Tuttle Tree Service last November. I'm looking forward to see these barren limbs fill with leaves in the weeks ahead.

Today I had my third Zoom in four days. That's the story of our lives for about a year now. 

It's time to put away the winter decorations, iron my rabbit-themed tablecloth, and get out the Easter decorations. If I'm early to the "Spring has sprung" party, so be it.

​We can use a little spring in our step. How about you?

A reprint of today's New Castle Courier-Times column. 

by Donna Cronk

If memory serves, I went with Mom to Rose Chapman's home jewelry party that evening, circa 1969. Hanging out with her daughters, Vicky and Cheryl, were my motive for going along; that and the refreshments that all women’s parties offer. 

Whatever the specific circumstances, the evidence of that home party – half a century later – remains in my own costume-jewelry collection. The Sarah Coventry leaf pin is a former resident in my late mother’s battered, pink, jewelry box with the well-worn velvet interior.

Growing up on the farm, I was equal parts girly-girl and tomboy. I cuddled piglets while Dad fed their mamas, moved cattle from one pasture to another, bridled Ginger and tore off across the pasture riding bareback, fearless.

It’s only by God’s grace that I survived childhood with my falling out of a tree, off a moving tractor, and being suddenly tossed flat on the ground from a terrified horse, startled by a German shepherd.

At the same time, there was nothing l liked more than playing house with cut-outs from the Sears catalog, tucking in my dolls for the night, and rifling through Mom’s jewelry box, trying on the colorful costume beads and bangles.

The only time I wear the faux-gold leaf pin is the fall. Of course trees and their leaves are perfectly fashionable year-round, but I guess I just want to keep Mom’s still-shiny pin with the tiny fake pearl set apart  by getting it out at only this time of year.

In the past I struggled to fasten it to my sweater right-side up until I realized when I went to put it on Thursday that – duh – Sarah designed it to go the other way, to depict a falling leaf – thus the season called fall, right?

My Thursday outfit was on the cheap. I threw on three strands of fashion pearls of varying sizes to coordinate with that single pearl in the leaf. Probably too matchy-match for some, but I like it. I have no idea where those beads came from!

Through these almost 61 years I’ve collected lots of costume jewelry, including a number of strands similar to these. I think they are all from thrift shops or yard sales. And the goldenrod-hued sweater? I recently picked it up on final clearance for a buck at a local consignment shop.

I’m trying to enliven the way I dress with new and quirky old finds. alike. Brian says I wear too much black and gray. I think he’s probably right, although I’m drawn to those shades, especially in the winter and they'll remain wardrobe staples. 

While looking through Pinterest for fashion ideas for the – ahem –mature woman, I came across a California stylist named Brenda Kinsel (BrendaKinsel.com). While I don’t adore all the outfits she puts together, a good many of them I find striking, and very much the kind of classy/casual looks I’d like to strive for. I can also learn plenty from her tips and techniques. I also like knowing she was also raised a farm girl.

It’s fun at my age to find a style mentor who resonates, and at the same time, tweak her ideas to make them my own. I’m too old to dress too young, and too young to dress too old. So I’ll suit myself and to suit Brian, try to add more color. I had that notion in mind when I bought the gold sweater--a color I'm not normally drawn to in clothing. But don't you know, I'm wearing the dickens out of it!
​
I’m wondering what fashion finds you’re still wearing that once belonged to your grandma or mom, or pershaps something you picked up for a song on the cheap.  Share a photo of you wearing them and tell a little about them, won't you? I'm giving Courier-Times readers this challenge to send them to my work email at [email protected].

But for others out of the Henry County area, let me hear from you as well and I'll post here.

Are we ever too old to enjoy a romp through Mom’s old jewelry box or through a thrift store? I'm not!
Donna Cronk is Neighbors Editor of The Courier-Times and edits the quarterly her magazine for women. The fall/holiday issue will be inside your Courier on Saturday, Nov. 9.

With the first full shortest day of the year's arrival, Brian and I had a much-welcome low-key day enjoying some of life's simple pre-Christmas pleasures. We decided with winter's arrival, we should change out the sheets to flannel.

Of course Reggie had to check out the process. Brian washed the regular sheets and as he put them in the linen closet, said, "They're ready for spring." Spring? On the first day of winter, spring seems almost mythological in concept. Yet, time seems to speed up with each passing year, and it will  be in shorter order than we imagine that Easter will be here.

I know this: the soft, warm sheets felt heavenly last night.

When I was a kid, I didn't care a bit for cranberries. They weren't something we had much, and I have no memory of Mom doing anything with the actual produce.  Somewhere along the way, I discovered cranberries in a new way, and while they aren't something I think about apart from the holidays, that might be changing.

You might know that I've been on Weight Watchers in a serious way since Jan. 5. I love the current program, and it's working! I'm always looking for something new that works well with my program and this week, I got a hankering for cranberries.

So without a recipe, I decided to "lighten up" homemade cranberry sauce. What I came up with is zero points for the whole big bowl full. I bought a bag of raw cranberries and boiled them in a saucepan with one cup of water and several individual packets of sweetener.

It wasn't long before they were boiling and the berries popping. I turned off the heat and with the boil still going, quickly added one regular-sized box of sugar-free, instant cherry gelatin. I stirred and added a cup of cold water. I poured the mixture into a serving bowl and added some orange slices and chopped celery.  Nuts would go well, but I avoided them for the calories involved.

Into the fridge it went and wow! I ate my fill.

Let's just say today I'm making it again. You're welcome.

I turned on some Christmas programs and finished wrapping gifts in the afternoon. Here they are, ready for Christmas day.

Some years I do paper themes or otherwise coordinate. This year's theme was that there wasn't one. I used this-and-that leftover wrapping paper from previous years, gift bags and bows recycled from previous use.  And I still have paper left over for next year.

It was a good first day of winter. Hope yours was the same. Go Colts!

I have an old iron bell from my folks' farm where I grew up, and where my paternal grandparents lived before that. There's no reason I would need a farm bell. There are no men in the field awaiting its ring to dinner 'round the threshing table.

But I like it because it reminds me of such scenes from farms of old.

For years after it left Dad's barn, it sat in first one garage, then another, until finally I asked our friend Monty Foust to post it in our backyard. I like it there and wonder why we didn't raise it sooner. It does require a bit of maintenance. It had been painted silver once, for what reason I can't guess, and I painted it black. Now it needs a good touching up a couple times a year, most notably, after the winter months. Most notably, now.

But its fresh coat will have to wait a while. Things are pretty busy inside that bell. A few weeks ago I noticed that a family called Robin had claimed squatters' rights by building a nice little home there, sheltered sweetly by the protective shell of iron. I've stayed out of Mrs. Robin's way, observing from the window that she's been spending a lot of time maintaining her new digs which she decorated beautifully with found bits of dried grass and straw.

Some years robins nest in ferns on our back porch, but I don't have the plants up yet. One year a front-door wreath hosted a family. When the family sets up housekeeping in an eye-level fern or on my front door, I take the liberty of carefully peeking into the nest. Never touching, mind you.

Sometimes the tiny birds mistook me for their mother and opened their mouths wide, only to be briefly disappointed that I couldn't deliver a juicy worm. But soon, their mother swooped in and picked up the tab for lunch.

This bell is too high and I might do great damage to the family dynamic if I got out a ladder. So I watch from afar and was rewarded while ago when I saw a tiny head lift toward the heavens and a mouth eagerly await a to-go order.

Soon enough, the cozy nest will no longer suffice, and the birds will wing away, as birds and boys do, and their mother will do something else with her time besides deliver lunch and cuddle with them.

Meanwhile, here's to you, Mrs. Robin. Enjoy your family. Stop by again next year if you want.

So it's the February that won't end. But it's April, you say? Yes, that's pretty much my point. It's cold and snow is flurrying just beyond our central-Indiana windows as I write this.

Indeed, it's a perfect day to talk about summer shoes. I'd rather be walking in them, but since that isn't likely to happen until, oh, about August, the way things are going, let's at least talk about sandals.

Believe it or not, I'm not a shoe person. When it comes to feet coverings for fall, winter and early spring, my shoe wardrobe includes one brown pair, one black pair, one pair of sneakers and some boots. The irony is that I have no odd sizing issues, wearing either a 7.5 or an 8 M. There are tons of shoes to choose from on the market and I don't like any of them.

But sandals? The shoe's on the other foot. For one thing, my feet love summer. They particularly like thick, spongy flip flops and open air all around. Most of these models tend to come with bling on top, which I could do without, but I'll take them for their comfort and ease of wear. Even though the spongy ones are my comfort zone, my favorite personal pair of sandals are the black patent-leathers in the upper left-hand corner. 

When I was a small girl, I had a pair of bright green patent leather sandals. I loved those shoes! Patent leather isn't the easiest shoe to find for an adult, but these remind me, somehow, of those shoes. Plus, they are amazingly comfortable. More so than a sneaker. I am not a sneaker person.

I like the red shoes. They make me feel stylish, but the color is limiting in what I can pair with them. The ones that get the most wear for church and work are the two neutral-toned pairs, platform-cork numbers that are pretty comfortable and make me feel of normal rather than short of stature.

The black ones, lower middle, are in a bit of a rough state. These will likely be my yard shoes this summer. They're comfortable but well-used.

My least favorite among the summer roster are the coppery-tone ones with the beads in the upper right-hand corner. I've had them two or three years -- maybe longer -- and I think I paid more for them than for any in the group. They aren't particularly comfortable. But they are well-made and I will probably still have them around a decade from now.

I put the sandals together for a photo not originally for this blog post. In fact, the photo inspired the blog post. The idea is to photograph the abundance of my summer shoe inventory so I'm not seduced by shoes I spot and don't need. This way I can call up the phone photo in the midst of temptation.

How about you? Are you a fan of summer sandals? Is an inventory of nine an obscene number? How many summer shoes are in your closet?

 As for leaf color, I can’t say this October – so far – is a ringer. But it’s been a beautiful week all the same. Brian and I usually fly pretty low-key with birthday and anniversary celebrations, but this week we’ve been extra blessed!

On Tuesday, my boss Katie surprised me with a cake, balloon, and card signed by everyone in the building, and a beautiful bouquet of seasonal flowers.

Here it is Saturday and the flowers are just as pretty today as they were several days ago.

Yesterday, Lisa Perry, our newspaper editor who preceded Katie, was in town for her annual community walk through New Castle highlighting such stories as that of the 104-year-old unsolved mystery of Catherine Winters, a little girl who famously has never been found, making her the oldest-known unsolved child disappearance in Indiana history, along with some other tales.

Lisa and her late mother, Charlene Perry, have published books and written extensively about Catherine. But before her annual stroll through town, she took time to have lunch with her cronies at the paper.

Last night, Sam and Allison hosted an anniversary dinner honoring her grandmother Jo, her parents, John and Carla, and Brian and me as well as themselves. ALL of us got married the same October weekend. Allison’s grandmother and late grandfather were married 66 years ago tomorrow, her parents 34 years tomorrow, and Sam and Allison will celebrate five years tomorrow – all married in the same downtown Indianapolis church! For Brian and me, today is our 39th wedding anniversary. My brother Tim and wife Jeannie got married 46 years ago yesterday.

Allison’s brother and his wife, Mike and Lauren, as well as Ben joined us and it was a most pleasant evening featuring a home-cooked meal by Sam and Allison and plenty of talking and watching the MLB playoffs.

Allison surprised me with a tiny birthday cake – a little bigger than cupcake-sized, and I wish I had taken a photo! It was adorable. And, they all sang “Happy Birthday.” A sweet night.

Do you ever have something random happen that makes you feel like “an adult in the room?” This week for me it’s new “adult” table lamps for our bedroom night stands.

For my birthday and our anniversary, Brian and I went shopping for night-stand lamps. In late spring we bought a new bedroom suit, our first since 1983. We thought it was time. Have you ever wondered why these sets only come with one night stand? I have! This time we bought an extra.

I didn’t mention that I would like matching new lights for the stands. I figured all summer that when Brian asked what I wanted for my birthday, I’d have that answer in my back pocket.

I don’t know what style they are, or what era. I just know that we agreed that we like them, they are large and give out good light. We both spend a lot of time in our bedroom watching TV, reading, or working on the computer or projects. They work!

So today, another beautiful day. The week ahead is supposed to be seasonably chilly and maybe blustery too. After we get our grocery shopping done, we’re going to put away the porch furniture and tidy things up for the fall. I’m going to cut down our ornamental grasses out front and toss the summer plants. If we had hatches, I’d batten them down.

As for this trio of trees in our back yard, I tend to view them as a seasonal barometer. I’ve photographed them when they were drenched with ice and snow, making a crystal winter-scape, and when they were drenched in white blossoms. But in all the 19 years we’ve lived here, these trees have never done what they are doing now. They are covered in red berries! They are serving as bird feeders to happy birds who come and go and enjoy these fruits. One large flock of birds even happily stopped by as though they were visiting a birdie Golden Coral. They ate and were in the air again.

Usually the leaves on these trees are long gone by now. Sometimes the leaves even fall in the summer. But this year, this …

What a beautiful October surprise.

Today is one of those days when I'm celebrating the home fires -- even if the extent of the fire is the pumpkin-cinnamon candle above, and the stove when I put a supper casserole in later.

Today is a work day at home. If all goes as planned, I won't be driving anywhere, but rather doing some long-overdue, deeper-than-normal cleaning (the master bathroom for one), organizing, putting up the fall decorations, and chilling.

Sometimes it's the little things, the quiet days, that we celebrate in our own peaceful, low-key way. This is one of those kind of days. The candle above and the pretty fall ring with it were gifts from our friends Tom and Char when they visited in the summer. I told them I would be lighting up in the fall, and here we are.

Brian and I both enjoy burning scented candles in cool and cold weather. While it's not cool or cold today, it's fall and that's a good excuse to enjoy a new candle and think of our friends' thoughtfulness.

Speaking of sweet friends, yesterday this "thinking of you" card arrived from my dear friend Debbie in Ohio. Debbie used to live on Carriage Lane and our kids grew up together.

She's been blissfully busy being a new grandmother! And in the midst of it all, she thought of me with this homemade card and God-breathed scripture inside: Psalm 150:6: "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD."

I think the photo below summarizes this time of year, a period of transition. I'm still clinging to my summer sandals, but the brown nail polish indicates that it's fall (a color I don't wear much in other seasons).

OK, time to get busy and get some things done around the house! Happy Hump Day, everyone. Don't forget to celebrate life's quiet times and simple pleasures such as a clean house, a scented candle, and appreciation for our friends and loved ones.

Well, hello there, ninth month.

There are two months each year that more than any other scream New Beginnings!  Those, for me anyway, are January and September. I’m not the only one who thinks so. Our church pastor has said that those two months are when people are most likely to start something new, such as church or perhaps joining a life group.

January is, of course, the launch of a new calendar year. But September, I suppose, takes us all back to that excited little-kid feeling of a new school year, which always meant a new beginning and the eternal hope of maybe finally being good at algebra or of meeting a new bestie.

Even though there’s three more weeks of summer on the calendar, for me, it’s over when September arrives. This is the fourth summer that I’ve had a book in print, and summers mean that the book-related activity calendar is lean. During each of the four summers, I’ve thought that maybe my own personal literary journey is winding down. But then …

Enter September. When it arrives, things change.

I felt this yesterday, on August’s last day, when these things happened within a six-hour period:

* Email arrived from The Liberty Herald asking for comments and information about my four mini-programs profiling four famous folks from Liberty, coming up on Saturday, Sept. 9 at Founder’s Day. (More about that in an upcoming post.) Can you guess who they are? They are a diverse group! There's a general, a doll, a TV / radio broadcaster and a queen.

* I recently agreed to edit a children’s book! The manuscript was hand-delivered to my work desk yesterday. I started last night and will have it ready for Tuesday pick up.

* Confirmation came that I’m a participant in the Middletown Library Author Fair from 1-3 on Saturday, Sept. 16.

* I was asked about possibly giving a program for an area book club in December. The invite isn’t locked in, but I presented a pitch, and now I’ll see if the official invite comes.

Really? All that in one day? And the last day of August at that? After a summer that contained exactly one book-related public activity? Yep, it’s the start of a new season. And even without the new stuff on the horizon, I’ve got some dates on there anyway, and some new leads to chase.

August was one busy month! We helped son Ben find and move into new digs. There was my 40th high school reunion, overnight-weekday company and a Reds game, a wedding, and the return of our wonderful editor Katie from maternity leave.

September brings its own packed calendar starting with breakfast with the kids tomorrow, a program for a local PEO club Thursday, Founder’s Day next Saturday in Liberty, dinner out with the MLMs next Sunday, then a community-wide musical program, Bible Study Fellowship starting in again Monday, Sept. 11, a trip, and a couple of book signings. Whew! I’m tired already.

I like the visual of the September calendar as a fresh start.

Maybe we no longer have new boxes of crayons to create with, nor crisp notebooks of back-to-school paper. But all the same, this is a great month to try something new. If you would like to know more about Bible Study Fellowship, an international, non-denominational study that is likely to change your life, shoot me an email at [email protected].

I plan to do a special post, but I will tell you that we’re in Romans for the study year, which runs through early May. You can Google Bible Study Fellowship and learn about classes offered throughout the U.S. and world, but if you want to know about those offered in Middletown on Monday nights or in New Castle on Tuesday mornings, I’ll give you exact details.

I’ll also be reading the new memoir by my friend, author Joyce Maynard, The Best of Us, which debuts Tuesday. It is a true love story; one that ended too quickly with the passing of her beloved Jim, from cancer, following their too-brief marriage.

Welcome, ninth month! I’m coming to get you.

I kicked off September with a bowl of autumn apples arraged in my mother's vintage wooden bowl, centered on the dining room table. Recipes for our magazine's recipe contest are being collected now through noon, Monday, Sept. 11.

Rules are simple: One recipe a person with no known copyright on the recipe, and the ability to prepare it and bring it to the final judging at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4 in New Castle if contacted to participate. We'll have a blast! And someone will go home with $100! Submit /questions: [email protected].

 It's the time of year where we gather flowers in the form of baskets, plant seedlings, or seeds. What garden is complete without flowers? Here are my favorites, in order.

Hands down, no competition, game over. Number one to me is the humble zinnia. The annual requires work to get it in the ground each year, but after that, it will do the rest without fuss and offer abundant blooms throughout the growing season.

Above all flowers, this one reminds me of my mother as we planted zinnias together. I love the multi-colored packets of these seeds and seeing the brilliant hues unfold as they bloom.

In short, zinnas make me happy. Other flowers may be pretty or even beautiful but I can walk away with no emotional response other than to acknowledge the beauty. Oh, but the zinnia requires a reaction, either inwardly or outwardly.

Several years ago, and I do believe it was the summer after my mother died in May, I stopped by a summer farmer's market in the town where I live. It was mid or late July because the bounty of zinnias in jars for sale was enormous.

Maybe it was the raw emotion of losing (or thinking about) my mom, or that it was a particularly difficult summer due to Sam having surgery and then my father-in-law passed, but I recall nearly bursting into tears at the sight. I raved to crazy-lady status to the vendor about the zinnias.  She gave me a free jar, saying, "It's worth it to see someone that happy about a zinnia."

Not only are peonies soft and full and hearty, and they return each year like clockwork to bloom in May, but they speak of my childhood.

We had two white peony bushes on the farm and I associate their perennial blooms with the end of the school year, the promise of summer, and all the joy that came with it.

Now I associate the peony with the cover of my second book, That Sweet Place: At Home in the Heartland, and that they are my beloved state's official flower.

We have one peony bush, with blooms in a hot pink.

In another nod to the days of old, sweet peas bloomed in a couple of places and I bet they still do out there on the farm. They too speak to the start of summer, of beginnings, and swimming in the pond, riding ponies with my friends and family, of the carefree days of youth.

They seem an old-fashioned flower. I rarely if ever see them when I'm out and about. An heirloom flower? Something that is out of favor or considered invasive? I don't know but I find them, well, sweet.

This. The sweet-faced pansy. I admire how they bloom and endure in surprisingly early conditions when snow even falls on their darling faces. And this, yes, is my color. Not only is it my favorite pansy color, but my favorite color period.

Oh, and the sunflower. Don't they shine on their own? So sturdy and strong? They hold up so well when brought indoors but how I love to happen across a field of them. Of course I don't love them half as much as the bees do.

On this rainy May day, I look forward to a summer of seeing and enjoying flowers. Of stopping to smell the peonies or sweet peas.

What about you? What are your favorite flowers?