Memorial Day

"You seem a little distracted today. Big plans for the holiday weekend?"

"Holiday?"

"Memorial Day weekend, A.J." With a shake of her head, Diane tucked her pencil behind her ear.
 "You know, three days off, the first weekend of summer. Sand, surf, sun."

Mind over Matter

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By Trent Yarnell tyarnell - https://unsplash.com/photos/a2QvtNSK5UM, CC0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62194768

25 Original Party Ideas For An Unforgettable Memorial Day

Memorial Day is this Monday. A lot of people only know the holiday is coming up because they get an extra day off from work or school, extending their usual 2-day weekend to a 3-day weekend.

LIFE BUZZ

Fun Ideas for Memorial Day

Memorial Day Made Simple

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"First thing Tuesday morning I'll put the squeeze on. Right now I have to go marinate."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Big barbecue this weekend," Abe told her with a wink. "It's the only time my wife lets me cook. Want me to put a steak on for you?"

She smiled, grateful that he'd brought simpler things to her mind. Hickory smoke, freshly cut grass, burned meat. 
"No, thanks. The memory of the last one's a little close."

"The butcher gave me bad quality meat." He hitched up his belt and thought about spending
 the whole weekend in bathing trunks."

"That's what they all say. Have a good holiday, Abe."

Mind over Matter

Throw an Instagram-Worthy Brunch

“Since you’re going to join the family, you might as well get used 
to certain ironclad rules and traditions. 

Sunday brunch,” she continued when he grinned, 
“is nothing to play around with.”

Partners

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By Annie Spratt anniespratt - 
https://unsplash.com/photos/TQSB-suJu1k, CC0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61818059

Brunch is all about the Instagram-ability. Each one of these recipes is so pretty, you'll be convinced it was made with hashtags in mind -- and they taste as good as they look. These brunch recipes, which include ingredients like sweet strawberries, spicy salsa, and crisp bacon, are #brunchgoals.

BETTER HOMES & GARDENS

The One Thing 11 Relationship Experts Think You Should Know About Your Partner Before Marrying

"Why do you want to marry me?"

"That's it?" His brows rose, and then he was laughing and holding her close. "I thought you were going to ask me a tough one. I want to marry you because I love you and I need you in my life. It changed when you walked into it."

"And tomorrow?"

"A two-part question," he murmured. "I could promise you anything." He drew her away to kiss her cheek, then her brow, then her lips. "I wish there were guarantees, but there aren't. I can only tell you that when I think about tomorrow, when I think about ten years from tomorrow, I think about you. I think about us."

He couldn't have said it better, she thought as she touched his face. No, there weren't any guarantees, but they had a chance. A good one.

"Can I ask you one more thing?"

"As long as I'm going to get an answer eventually."

"Do you believe in Santa Claus?"

What made it perfect, even more than perfect, was that he didn't even hesitate. "Sure. Doesn't everyone?" Now she smiled, completely. 

"I love you, Sam." 

The Name of the Game

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By Hannes21061984 [CC BY-SA 4.0 

(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons

Before getting married, it's important to come to several layers of understanding with your partner. Obviously you'll want to discuss where you think you'd like to live, as well as fun things like how often you'd like to go on vacation. (You know, couple-y stuff.) But you'll also want to have some serious conversations before getting married.

While not always the most fun, it's important to ask the hard questions and learn as much as you can so you know who, exactly, you're marrying. 

BUSTLE

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It was very odd waking up with a man in your bed. A man took up considerable room, for one thing, and she wasn’t used to worrying about how she looked the minute she opened her eyes in the morning.

She supposed she’d get over the last part, if she continued to wake up with this man in her bed for any length of time. And she could always get a bigger bed to compensate for the first part.

The question was, how did she feel about sharing her bed—and wasn’t that just a metaphor for her life?—with this man for any length of time? She hadn’t had time to think it through, hadn’t taken time, she corrected.

Closing her eyes, she tried to imagine it was a month later. Her garden would be exploding, and she’d be thinking about summer clothes, about getting her outdoor furniture from the shed. Henry would be due for his annual vet appointment.

She’d be planning Jenny’s baby shower.

Laine opened one eye, squinted at Max.

He was still there. His face was squashed into the pillow, his hair all cute and tousled.

So, she felt pretty good about having him there a month from now.

Try six months. She closed her eyes again and projected.

Remember When

Is Love at First Sight Real?

“You don’t believe in love at first sight, do you?”

“Sure I do. It’s all chemicals and stuff. There was this whole program on it on PBS. I think it was PBS. Maybe it was The Learning Channel. Anyway.” She waved that part aside. “They’ve done all these studies on attraction and sex and relationships. Mostly, it boils down to chemicals, instincts, pheromones, then building on that. Besides, you know Vince and I met when I was in first grade. I went right home from school and told my mom that I was going to marry Vince Burger. Took us a while to get there. State law’s pretty firm about six-year-olds getting hitched. But it sure was the right mix of chemicals from day one.” 

Remember When

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By Garry Knight from Bromley, Kent, England (In Love) [CC BY-SA 2.0 

(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

A compelling idea, but is there scientific evidence to support it?

Love at first sight: Is it possible? Do people really meet and in moments simply know they're meant to be? New evidence suggests that yes, they do.

Psychology Today

Signs Your Cat Is Secretly Mad at You

"I wonder just what he'd do if he were really crossed. He doesn't appear to have a temper. 
Cats usually don't until they're pushed too far just that one time, and then they're deadly." 

All the Possibilities

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By Paulo rsmenezes - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10599332

15 Signs Your Cat Is Secretly Mad at You

MSN

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Nijinsky growled.

"Since I'm the first up," she said, casting the cat a rueful glance, "I'll have the shower first." 
She arched her brows at Nick. "You can make the coffee." As she darted into the bath, 
she called over her shoulder, 
"Don't forget to feed the cat."

Dance of Dreams

10 Reasons to Sail down the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW)

With that she pulled smoothly away from the dock. "How do you feel about St. Thomas?"

"Jack..."

"Only kidding. I've thought what a kick it would be to travel the whole Intracoastal. 
Take a whole summer and just cruise."

He'd thought of it, too, as something he might find time for—someday. 
After retirement, perhaps. When Jackie said it, it seemed 
possible it could happen tomorrow.
And it made him wish it would happen tomorrow. 

Loving Jack

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By Skipper Michael 16:21, 12 May 2007 (UTC) - 

Self-photographed, CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2096873

The Intracoastal Waterway, or ICW, is a 3,000-mile (4,800 km) inland waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States. It runs from Boston, Massachusetts, south along the Atlantic coast and around the southern tip of Florida, then following the Gulf Coast to Brownsville, Texas.

Sailing Britican

How to Survive Mother’s Day Without Your Mother

He'd had the marker replaced a few years before with smooth white granite. She'd

have considered that a foolish expense, but he'd needed to do something.

It held her name. Susan Lee Hawke. And the span of her life, that short forty-six

years. Beneath, in script, was the line he'd paraphrased from Emily Dickinson.

Hope perches in the soul

She'd never lost hope. She'd lived her life believing in the power of hope, and

faith, leavened with good, hard work. Even when the sickness had eaten away her

beauty, had whittled her down to brittle bones she'd had hope.

For him, Jordan thought now. She'd had hope for him, believed in him, and had

loved him without qualification.

He crouched down to lay the flowers on her grave.

"I miss you, Mom. I miss talking to you, and hearing you laugh. I miss seeing that

look in your eye that told me I was in trouble. And even when I was, you were

there for me. You were always there for me."

Key of Knowledge

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By Lupus in Saxonia - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50750390

Remember that mother-child relationships are complicated—and any way you feel about the day is totally appropriate

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He closed his eyes a moment. "It hurts to be here. I guess it's supposed to." He

touched his fingers to his lips, then pressed his fingers to the stone. "I love you. I'll

come back."

Key of Knowledge

On Mother's Day and beyond...

...I would like to thank Dan and Jason and all the Sons and Daughters that share their Amazing Mothers with me.

Your mothers enrich countless lives around the world, and inspire many with skills and free-giving of themselves.

So thank you for all you did, or didn't do, that allowed them to be, also, ours. Even if "only" during, and through, a book, a tv appearance, a movie, a nice word at the school gate...

By Ion Chibzii from Chisinau. , Moldova. - "Hands of mother - 2"., CC BY-SA 2.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12799400

Compliment Your Mom

How a Man Treats His Mother Tells You Everything You Need to Know

CELEBRATE 💮

“They’re wonderful. Charming and fun. Batman and Robin?”

Kay strolled over. “Mal gave me those for Mother’s Day back when he was about twelve. 
Gave me those humping dogs, too—didn’t think I’d put them out. 
He was sixteen then, I think, and trying to get my goat. I got his.” 
She glanced back, grinned at him and the

memory. “Embarrassed the hell out of him when I put them on the shelf.”

Happy Ever After

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By Scott Darbey from Canada - Mother's Day Flowers, by Melody, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42235841

We’ve also got 10 great ideas to treat your mom right—from a yummy breakfast in bed to a beautiful bouquet made of symbolic flowers.

ALMANAC

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"Right after I find something tasteful for my mother," she promised, and she proved as good as her word.

Some fifteen minutes later, she chose an ebony pin crusted with pearls. It was a very mature, very elegant piece in faultless taste.

Loving Jack

🌸 Happy Mother's Day

Cal had let out his first shocked cry in the delivery room of Washington County Hospital
while his mother panted and his father wept. 

Fox had shoved his way into the world and into his laughing father’s 
waiting hands in the bedroom of the odd little farmhouse 
while Bob Dylan sang “Lay, Lady, Lay” 
on the record player, and lavender-scented candles burned. 

And Gage had struggled out of his terrified mother in an ambulance
racing up Maryland Route 65.

Blood Brothers

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From silent births to delivering in a lobby, these are the most dramatic celebrity birth stories

Keep reading to find about the most unusual celebrity childbirth stories.

INSIDER

By Serge Melki from Indianapolis, USA - To all the Mothers, CC BY 2.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24321824

The most amazing birth photos we've ever seen

Leilani Rogers is a birth photographer who loves what she does - and she has been kind enough to share some of her favourite images with us. Be prepared to have your breath taken away.

More info at http://www.photosbylei.com/

BIRTH

Plant a Beautiful, Thriving Window Box Garden

“I know maybe you don’t actually want window boxes,

but you have to admit they’d look good, and they’d perk up the front of the house.”

The Search

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Photo by Cameron Landscapes and Gardens - More landscaping photos

Improve your chance of success with these tips for choosing, combining and caring for plants in window boxes

HOUZZ

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Needed hot colors in the flowers, he decided. 
And if she tried to do some wussy pastels, she’d have

to try again.

Strong, hot colors—nonnegotiable. What was the point in planting flowers 
if they didn’t make a

statement?

The Search

Give Someone’s Hand A Squeeze

“This will sting a bit.”

“What will?” Automatically Ben shot out a hand to grab the doctor’s wrist.

“Just a little tetanus shot,” John said soothingly. “After all, we don’t know where that knife has been. Come on now, bite the bullet.”

He started to protest again, but Tess took his hand. The sting in his arm came, then dulled. 

Sacred Sins

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By Daniel Sone (Photographer) [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

A new study, though, says that squeezing someone’s hand might be more than just a morale booster. 

It might actually be a painkiller.

MSN

Horses have a memory for emotion

Iona checked the ring, then what Boyle called his office, backtracked, circled, and found him
outside in the paddock having a stare-down with Alastar.
“He doesn’t think you like him.”
Boyle glanced back. “Then he’s an intuitive bastard.” 


Dark Witch

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By muffinn from Worcester, UK - Horse looking over a wall, CC BY 2.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34090823

Horses Can Read and Remember People's Emotions

Scientists discovered that the animals can not only recognize humans, but remember their expressions.

Popular Mechanics

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He said nothing as Alastar wandered over, oh so casually, and ignoring him, went all but nose to
nose with Iona. 
The horse, Boyle thought, looked at the woman as if she knew every answer.
“We had a good day, didn’t we?” She stroked the smooth cheek, down the strong line of throat.
“It’s a good place here. Just takes some getting used to.”
Then, the horse, who only that morning had left a welt the size of a man’s fist on his veteran
groom’s biceps, seemed to sigh as well. And stepped in, all but laying his head on Iona’s shoulder so she could glide her hands over his long neck.


Dark Witch

"My Old Kentucky Home"

Each hooked an arm through one of his and strolled to their box to the strains of 

“My Old Kentucky Home.”

True Betrayals

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Here's What to Wear to the Kentucky Derby

Quite a picture they made, he thought.

Naomi in her flashy red suit, the daughter in her flashy blue, both blond heads gleaming. 

Like a couple of sexy bookends for the tall dark man between them

True Betrayals

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By Bill Brine (Kentucky Derby 2014-0043) [CC BY 2.0

 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The Kentucky Derby is the preppy fashion event of the spring. No matter if you're watching the race in Louisville or hosting a Derby-themed party, the key to any fabulous Derby event is dressing the part. Here, we've rounded up the best tips on how to perfect your ensemble for this year's Kentucky Derby.

TOWN & COUNTRY