It is the lilac's turn

Burgeoning buds

I noticed these lilac buds last week, taken from the driveway. That sure happened quickly, in my mind at least. Today I went out to the back yard to check out the perfect lilacs, all in bloom and looking as beautiful as I've ever seen them.

Lilacs in full bloom

You know, my favorite springtime blooms are short lived, but that just makes them seem more impressive when they are at their peak. I've noticed around here that the white ones come out first, then the light-colored lavender ones, and lastly, the dark purple varieties. 

When I was a teenager living in Puerto Rico, we had to order our school clothes from a catalog, and I was the proud recipient of a cotton shirtwaist dress made with a pattern of bouquets of lilacs and their green leaves. I can't look at lilacs today without being reminded of that dress. Today that would be a vintage look and unavailable from any store. My memories, however, are just as vivid as ever.

Deep purpIe

I spent some time online looking for an image that would remind me of that shirtwaist, but for one thing it was so long ago that I found myself looking at vintage stuff, and it reminded me also that I don't trust my memory that much, either. Did it button down the front? (no idea) I remember it was sleeveless, and I perused a bunch of old Simplicity patterns that I might have actually used long ago. I have forgotten all those habits that were once part of my everyday life. You can trust me, though, that it was cherished and well used by the time it disappeared from my wardrobe.

:-)