Themes & Plans for May (Updated!) (By Sun and Candlelight)

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Themes & Plans for May (Updated!)

April 27, 2016

(Note: This is a post originally composed in 2008. I have fixed any broken links and updated the content to correspond with the current year, 2016. Hope you enjoy!)

May brings flocks of pretty lambs, skipping by their fleecy dams ...

It's no wonder it's called the merriest month of the year - there is just so much to love about May! And it's no surprise this post is a day or two late - the call of "the wild" gets stronger every day. :) I hardly ever find myself at my desk anymore - and boy, does my inbox show it!

So, what follows is just a sampling - of things to do, things to notice, and things to remember this month. I hope you might find something useful in my ...

~ Themes & Plans for May ~

Nature

Flowering trees at their peak.
Lilacs bloom around Mother's Day.
Tulips are up now.
Violets and wild pansies in the grass.
Warblers in the tops of the trees.
Orioles passing through.
Goldfinches are brilliant yellow.
Cool rainy days are possible ...
... but so are 80 degree days!
The lawn might need mowing ...
... but watch for toads in the yard!
The orchard is frothy and white.
Wood ducks are returning.
Nests spotted at the pond.
Tent caterpillars in the trees.
Morel mushrooms sprouting.
Spring butterflies are here.
Watch for hummingbirds.
Jack-in-the-pulpit in the woods.
Last frost occurs this month.
The Full Flower Moon rises on the 21st.

Folklore

Birthstone: emerald
Flower: lily-of-the-valley
"A swarm of bees in May is worth a load of hay ..."

Food

sweet onions
rhubarb
early strawberries
new potatoes
radishes
artichokes
asparagus
baby lettuces
morels
peas
spinach
mint juleps
pecan pies
edible flowers
spring herb soup
first barbecue of the year

Faith

May Devotion ~ The Blessed Mother
Season: Easter; Ordinary Time (Summer) begins
St. Joseph the Worker (1)
Minor Rogation Days (2-4)
Ascension Thursday (5)
Our Lady of Fatima (13)
Pentecost Sunday (15)
St. Isidore the Farmer (15)
Trinity Sunday (22)
Corpus Christi (29)
The Visitation (31)

Household (& Garden)

Mow lawn; leave grass clippings down as mulch.
Clean and arrange deck/porch furniture.
Clean the grill; fill the propane tank.
Inventory/organize the kids' backyard toys.
Hang hummingbird window feeder.
Visit the family graves on Memorial Day ~
- Tidy and add new flowers.
Purchase citronella candles or torches.
Famly physicals this month.
Launder spring linens and hang in the sun to dry.
Make travel plans for summer.
Clean car and organize for summer activities:
- Beach
- Picnic
- Road trips
Plant garden on Memorial Day weekend.
Hang the American flag.

Life

American Bike Month
National Duckling Month
National Salsa Month
National Strawberry Month
National Egg Month
Be Kind to Animals Week (1-7)
National Postcard Week (1-7)
National Wildflower Week (2-8)
National Nurses Week (6-12)
National Herb Week (1-7)
National Police Week (8-15)
May Day (1)
Mother Goose Day (1)
Star Wars Day (4)
Cinco de Mayo (5)
Midwives Day (5)
The Kentucky Derby (7)
Mother Ocean Day (7)
Village Plant Sale (7)
Mother's Day (8)
National Apron Day (12)
Leprechaun Day (13)
Tulip Day (13)
Letter Carrier Food Drive (14)
National Train Day (14)
World Fair Trade Day (14)
Chocolate Chip Day (15)
Hug Your Cat Day (27)
Indianapolis 500 (29)
Memorial Day (30)

Book Basket

Field Trips & Outings

Visit the apple orchard to sketch trees in bloom.
Nature walk to the pond.
Visit the cows at a nearby dairy farm.
Purchase herbs at the garden store.
Lilacs walk at the arboretum.

Crafts & Activities

Make homemade bread and butter
Decorate fresh butter with clover.
Look for 4-leaf clovers in the yard.
Find a special spot in your yard for a Mary Garden.
Celebrate Derby Day:
- Read the papers and choose a horse to cheer for.
- Make "Juleps" for Derby Day (herbal iced tea)
- Wear big fancy hats while watching the race.
Make a paper bag piñata on Cinco de Mayo.
Decorate a canvas (field) bag with leaf prints.
Decorate a plain canvas apron (smock) on Apron Day.
Make nature playdough.
Collect and press wildflowers; begin a herbarium.
Plant a sunflower house.
Make a toad home.
Attract orioles passing through.
Spend an afternoon coudwatching.
Learn about waterfowl: ducks, geese, gulls.
Visit a duck pond and observe nesting behavior.
Play Duck, Duck, Goose!
Make a feather collage.
Make wind chimes with flower pots.
Go on a mushroom walk after a few damp days.
Make a catnip toy (with real catnip!) for the cats.
Eat rhubarb stalks with dixie cups of sugar for dipping.
Paint and fill herb pots for Mother's Day gifts.
Mix up some herbal mosquito repellant.
Make a handloom; weave it with rainbow yarn.
Fill a box with food for the letter carrier on the 10th.
Work ahead on handcrafted Father's day gifts.

Whew! As posts go (and mine can go long) that was a big one! ;) Thanks for reading through, and thanks, as always, for stopping by. I hope you'll enjoy the lovely new month which begins in but a few days ... and I hope you'll let me know what you love the most about May!

See you all again very soon ... :)

"What is so sweet and dear
As a prosperous morn in May,
The confident prime of the day,
And the dauntless youth of the year,
When nothing that asks for bliss,
Asking aright, is denied,
And half of the world a bridegroom is,
And half of the world a bride?"
~ William Watson, "Ode in May," 1880

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