I wait all year for these peonies to bloom.  They are not the super fluffy multi layered kind that I really love, but they came with the house, so I will take what I get.

Once they bloom, they only really look good for a day or two, before turning sort of inside out and collapsing on themselves.

All my company from last week has gone home, and Mark is back and things are feeling less intense.
One nice thing about last week was that both my brother and my cousin came down, and we had a nice visit.
Here are my nieces with my kids. Freyja was being naughty and putting the dolphin doll over her face, but it is otherwise a good photo.  You could pick us all out, as relatives, in a crowd, by our cheekbones!

 A bunch of leeks came in the food donation this week, and since the school doesn't use onions or garlic, I got to take them home.  I made a leek shortcake, which is leeks sauteed in a white sauce, with a biscuit topping.   Even Ripley liked it!