The Day Before May Day

"See the curtains hanging in the window
In the evening on a Friday night
A little light a-shining through the window
Lets me know every thing's all right"

(Seals and Crofts, Summer Breeze, '72)

It has been a melancholy morning. I think it's the weather, and a few unresolved conversations from this week causing my mind to weigh heavy.

I am trying to embrace the positives of the morning. The nice breeze coming in the windows and the fact that it is not raining...YET, breakfast and dishes are done, kids are dressed and playing and it's Friday!!

Tomorrow is May 1st. May Day. As children, my mom introduced my sisters and I to the tradition of making a May Day basket. We'd fill it with flowers from the yard and leaving it for unsuspecting neighbors. The baskets would start with a piece of paper, be that newspaper or sturdy construction paper. We'd staple or tape and handle for our basket made out of ribbon, or paper. We'd line the basket with a plastic bag or plastic wrap and some damp paper towels, then fill the basket with lilacs, tulips, jonquils, or whatever flower we could find in my mom's flower beds. Sometimes, it would be filled with a bouquet of dandelions because those were always in abundance in my parent's yard. In tradition, one would fill the basket based on the flower.. it's color, smell and meaning. For us, it was whatever we had so to make a nice surprising gesture to say "Happy May Day!" We'd then run over to our neighbor's homes, place the basket on the door handle, ring the bell and run! We'd hide behind bushes or a garage and wait for them to open the door and get their surprise. Seeing their faces was always such a reward. There was always a smile.

Over Rice Krispies this morning, I told our kids about this tradition. Immediately, the kids had all their houses pegged and wanted to know where the construction paper was. I told them, we needed to get some flowers first. Because our yard has very few blooming flowers, we will most likely purchase a bouquet or two to disassemble and use for our project. I think we'll do the newspaper cones because it's a positive 'green' effort and also because they hold up better and can be larger and sturdier in size. I will try to take a photo of this tomorrow and post the final baskets. I have high hopes because they are such a creative bunch and their excitement is contagious.

May Day Baskets bring happiness and I need a little of that as I end this week. I look forward to helping the kids pick out some flowers and seeing their excited faces as they try to pull off the surprise, all while squealing and giggling when they ring the doorbells of neighboring homes.