This...

It's been a long time since I blogged, and there so many pictures (some from back in May...) I think I'll have to do two posts.

This is that one day at lunch he was so sleepy, he just wanted to be held.

This was the last Tuesday small group of the semester.  (Chelsey is in the middle and Raylea is on the right.)

Love these ladies so much!  Loved our discussion time together.  Loved all the snacks-and-British-movie nights we had.

They are both gems.

This is from the yearly tulip festival a couple hours away.

I went by myself this time - and a bit earlier than I had in the past, so not as many tulips were in bloom just yet.

But what was in bloom was stunning.

Tulips will forever be my favorite flower.

This is Dutch dancing at the festival.  Fun to watch, but I can't imagine it would be fun to prance around in those klompen for too long.  It makes my feet hurt just thinking about it.

This is the end of the bissap I brought from Senegal the last time.  It was a sad day when I poured the last drops into a glass.

This is because mint is the essential companion to the afore-mentioned bissap.  Well, that and lots of sugar.  So much sugar.

This is Cashew, my squirrel-neighbor.

I'm rather fond of him.

This is rain drops from the roof, just because it looked cool.

This is from the peony bush out back.  I thought they were pretty enough last year, but this year I enjoyed them so much I think they might be in my top five favorite flowers now.

Of course they're done blooming now, but it was lovely while it lasted.

Side note: I quite like having lived in a place long enough that I know (more or less) when things will be in season.  Like, first come the crocuses, then the daffodils, then the tulips, then the irises and peonies...

There's just something satisfying about the anticipation of what you know will come next.

Happy Thursday, y'all!