Welcome May

Posted byRebecca BuddPosted inLadyBudd, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Spring, Sunday Evening ReflectionTags:, , ,

Welcome May

Tonight, I am welcoming the arrival of May, the month of gentle green leaves and vibrant spring flowers, warm afternoons and cool evenings.

The month of May is thought to have its origins in the Roman goddess Maia, the embodiment of growth. Whenever I look back into mythology, I am amazed by how we still go back to ancient times. We are forever linked to what has come before and what will come after.

Each season comes with gifts that come from earth. When the spring rain comes with the subtle greens, we think of planting, even as we sense harvest time when the sun shines amber. Summer’s warmth conjures up picnics and sandy beaches. And those long, dark winter nights give us time for rest and reflection.

And the Spring arose on the garden fair, Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere; And each flower and herb on Earth’s dark breast Rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.”

Percy Bysshe Shelly, The Complete Poems

Published by Rebecca Budd

Blogger, Visual Storyteller, Podcaster, Traveler and Life-long Learner

53 thoughts on “Welcome May”

    1. What a great idea for a zoom quiz. I had never heard about Zoom before last Spring. And now, Zoom has become a household word. I am grateful for those who have brought us technology to connect during a time of social distancing. Thank you for entering May together!

      Liked by 2 people

    1. How very very well said, Shey. I agree – May offers hope, renewal and continuation. As Pablo Neruda reminds us, “You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming.”

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      1. Indeed it does, CM. Over here, it got off to a lovely start on Saturday 🌞, but has gone down hill since then with heavy rain and winds… 🌧🌬 I prefer to think of May as a state of mind though, rather than be being dictated to by the weather gods 😉

        🙏✨

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  5. These are all wonderful reasons to love the month of May! Your flower pictures are charming and so hopeful that spring has really arrived… 🙂

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    1. Spring has come and so has that lovely rain that tempts the flowers to grow faster. There are so many reasons to celebrate May: May Day on the 1st, Bird Day on May 4th, and Cinco de Mayo on May 5th. There is more to come – Iris Day, Mother’s Day & Nation Limerick Day, – the list goes on. It is time to party!!!

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  6. You have chosen such beautiful flowers to represent May ( Maia ) .
    How right you are, we are linked to what has come and to what will come. I often think of this and find
    it beautiful.

    Thank you, Rebecca

    Miriam

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you, Miriam, for stopping by and for your heartwarming comments. When I stop for a moment on a nature walk and take a deep breath, there is a sense of being part of the past and future as well as the very real present. I agree wholeheartedly – it is a beautiful thought. Hugs!!

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  8. I enjoyed your welcoming of May with such beautiful flowers. I think I’ve heard the music in the video before, but I can’t place it. It complements the flowers very well. This weekend, my husband and I took a drive up to northern Vermont to get some photographs. It’s too early for flowers, but the land was celebrating with the most vibrant green grass covering all of the fields.

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  10. A beautiful welcome to May, Rebecca! It’s always a wonderful month (or usually so … stormy cold weather here!) I spent the holiday weekend planting out 40 flowers and look forward to them in full bloom in the coming months!

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    1. I am delighted that you joined me in welcoming May. We may live on opposite sides of the world, but we have the sun, moon, stars and nature in common. I am looking forward to seeing your photos of your 40 flowers in bloom. Hugs!

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      1. Fingers crossed they survive the weather fluctuations… we are a month behind on our usual season! I’ll definitely share later in the summer. Have a lovely day, Rebecca. Xx

        Liked by 1 person

    1. I have been thinking about Rachel Carson lately since commemorating the anniversary of her passing on April 14th. She issued a call to action that alerted us to the dangers we are now facing. While much has yet to be accomplished, we are now responding as a global community to save our earth – our very existence depends upon our resolve to be part of the solution. “Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.” Rachel Carson, Silent Spring

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  13. How lovely to read your post and see the gorgeous images, dear Rebecca. Thank you for reminding us that each season arrives bearing its own precious gifts. As always, your poetry reading is delightful. 🤗🤗

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    1. Dear Sylvia, thank you for your lovely comments. These past months have brought me greater insight on how Nature influences our lives, the power of seasonal transitions, the cycle of planting, harvesting and resting. I am learning that Nature has a different construct of time based on the certainty of transitions, whereas I have always thought that stuffing “more” into my 24 hour days would add more time, more living, more experience. But breathing deeply on a nature path, listening to the sounds of the wind, crows chattering (we have an abundance of crows) stopping to photograph a single flower, gives me the sense that I have grasped eternity. Sending hugs!!!

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  15. Thank you for this lovely post, lovely photos lovely music, lovely words–now I know where our month of May gets it name. May is such a beautiful month of renewal. I am hoping that by the end if this month we will have the pleasure of having some together time. Sending love in this stressful covid time–I am praying it will soon be over.

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    1. I share your hope that this time will soon past, Frances. We have learned to connect via technology, but I look forward to the time we can meet for coffee in person. I am delighted you enjoyed the video. Sending much love and hugs back your way.

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  16. Thank you for sharing this beautiful video, poem and music. Your flowery tribute to May brings hope and faith. Such simple gorgeous gifts bless us richly during this troubling time. You remind me of the story of a wonderful little mouse, Frederick by Leo Lionni whose precious memories gave comfort during a winter of discontent. 🙂 So many hugs for you!

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  18. Welcome May!!!
    Rebecca, your photos are stunning. I wish Toronto lavished that kind of beauty on us, but we will have to wait a titch longer. We do have tulips, and the Cherry Blossoms exploded in High Park. However, due to the stupid Virus, no one was allowed to go see them in person. It’s an event that draws extremely large crowds. They did use a Drone to capture the beauty, and they did a fab job with that. Still, there’s nothing like the real thing. I live minutes away from High Park, so it is an unfortunate time we are living through.
    Happy May, and a bouquet of May hugs to you!

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    1. The other day, I created a family video of my young great nephew to celebrate his 5th birthday. We haven’t seen my brother’s family in over 18 months since our last trip to Alberta in 2019. As I was viewing all of the photos, I felt the tears come. We have missed so much by being separated. Now, I see photos of him in a mask and realize that children will now have this in their cultural memory. And yet, they are laughing and smiling behind masks, still eager and unafraid to explore. It was a reminder to me that life continues, that children remind us that fear can be mastered, that spring comes, and that drones can capture beauty. Resa – thank you so much for you comments and connection. Sending many hugs your way.

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    1. Every day is a celebration isn’t it? I am enjoying the warm afternoons, cool evenings, and later sunsets. Thank you for entering May together. Hugs and more hugs!

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      1. We try! Hopefully there will be lots more to celebrate soon. May is Truly lovely. Did you know Brittany did not hold the month of May as a good month to make commitment, such as marriage. I always thought it a beautiful month for weddings! Hugs and love! Have a wonderful day Rebecca!

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  20. I join you in welcoming May, what with your beautiful flowery temptation, and Marianne’s gardening talents, already in action, Spring cleaning for the many perennials and arranging in readiness for the load of annuals to be planted, all to accommodate my favourite bumblebees, as well as the hummingbirds, butterflies and the variety of other winged visitors that spend the summer with us. Years ago I would have said, can’t wait for them to arrive, but now I’m much less in a hurry to rush time away, being happy to wait patiently for their arrival…!

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    1. You have the best way of saying thank you, Robbie!! I am delighted that we can travel across the world to meet up virtually. Thank you for the music!!!! Love ABBA!

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