Bringing in the May

Vintage photo circa 1907
Fourteen little girls dance
around a Maypole.

The lovely month of May has arrived! This is a traditional day to give small baskets of flowers to neighbors and friends, to stay up late (preferable outdoors) and have romantic trysts, to dance around maypoles. New life is everywhere and summer is finally here!

In honor of the holiday I wove a very delicate wreath of jasmine vines. I have a large hedge of confederate jasmine growing in a corner of the backyard. It was almost dark when I made my wreath, and the first quarter moon was shining overhead when I finished. I can't wait to see it tomorrow morning! The flowers smell very sweet and the lengths of vine have lovely curly tendrils all over.

While out driving today I stopped at a farm stand and bought 10 pounds of tiny, sweet, perfect local strawberries. Some will be frozen, some will be eaten with cream and sugar over the next few days, and some (three pounds or so) were put in a basket and dropped off at a friend's house on the way home. This was my version of creating a May basket for a friend. It was so much fun to surprise someone with a little basket of spring happiness! I highly recommend giving a little basket of flowers, fruit, or some other little personal token of spring to a neighbor or friend.

Happy May Day to everyone!