A Grand Weekend

Spring finally arrived Saturday morning last and John was so surprised by it that he had to sit right down to soak in the sun.

That's very nearly how it happened anyway. We had the grands for much of the weekend and had to come up with innovative things to keep them busy. We began with a rousing game of pick up sticks as in pick up real sticks. They were zipping all over so fast that they were nothing more than a blur. John was supervising.

We spent most of our time outdoors. It would have been a crime not to. And, as a reward for a weekend well spent, we drove to Giffords for ice cream on Sunday afternoon.

~not my barn~

The greening has begun in earnest and it is lovely to see.

~not my meadow~

~not my home~

It's much easier to take photos of the scenery than of little boys since this is how they feel about the camera these days...

Enough With the Camera! We're busy with Fruit Pop.

Pink Moon

Wow. That's kind of a mess. I still had fun.

I took this picture...the best of the Pink Moon (Worm Moon, Grass Moon, whatever!) shots taken last night ...

and slapped it over the top of my favorite tree branches (Tri-Colored Beech).

A happy weekend to you and I hope that you get to see the beautiful Pink Moon.

So Much Depends...

so much depends

upon

a red wheel

barrow

glazed with rain

beside the white

chickens

William Carlos Williams 

Poetry 101. I sat in class studying these simple lines and thought how stupid. I was the stupid one. How often these lines have returned to me throughout the years.

So much depends on the yellow forsythia blooming behind the barn...

So much depends on the white foam rolling in on the wave...

So much depends on the you-fill-in-the-blank...

Last Sunday, I thought of it again when I saw this bit of red popping out between the great tree trunks and beyond the rock wall.

so much depends

upon a red bird

house

standing in the 

sun

beyond the gray

rock wall

Go ahead, try it! It's fun.


Thanks to everyone who has tried my challenge. You surprised me and it has tickled me to no end. You're the best!

Playing With My Camera

It's been another busy day with yard work and then I had the brilliant imbecilic idea that I should rearrange the Volkswagens. Perhaps I really should try one of those Pinterest recommendations for room arrangement. Nah. That would take all the fun out of it. I love not only the challenge of shoving furniture around, but also the challenge of a good traffic pattern. Now I've got it just the way I like it: we must slide into the living room sideways. Well, John doesn't, but I definitely do. Sigh. This probably means more Volkswagen shoving in my future.

Lest you think that it's all work and no play around here, John and I had an opportunity to meet another of my blogging buddies and her hubby. Did the title of my post give it away? I don't know how I found Pam (or how she found me), I'm just glad that I did. My earliest memories of her blog were her wonderful posts on King's Landing in New Brunswick from whence she hails (NB, not KL). They should hire her as their official spokesperson and photographer. She does the historical settlement proud. Then I began to be smitten by her amazing photography and landscapes. We have that Maine~New Brunswick connection.

I don't know how you handle blog meets, but I've discovered that it takes upwards of ten emails or more to get the details all ironed out. I started off by telling Pam that eating meals just doesn't work, yet that's what we wound up doing—having breakfast at Cracker Barrel at my suggestion. Poor Pam. BTW, I don't recommend breakfast at Cracker Barrel. I think it's best to go with a good local restaurant for that local ambiance and food. I do like the charm of Cracker Barrel, though.

Pam is so stinkin' cute it isn't even funny. Her smile lights up a room now let me tell you, even on a cool, rainy morning in Maine.

Here she is being taken by complete surprise by my sneaky deviousness and that rotten camera. Just when she thought she was safe!

I really like this one. What a cute couple!

What does one chat about at these meets? Mostly about you. ☺ There's always plenty to talk about right, John? Ha! All of my future blog buddy meets should consider themselves duly warned. John loves nothing better than to hold up his end of a conversation.

Knowing this, I had the usual heart to heart conversation as we traveled south on I-95. I think I even warned him that if he overdid it, I'd be tunking his knee. Well the tunks got quite pronounced at one point and John turned to me with such a perplexed look that I nearly snorted my coffee. Next time, I'll have to include the directive not to give me the What In The World Ails You?! look whenever his knee gets bruised. Lest you think that John was the only one getting a tunk, nah, I'd best not tattle.

Pam came bearing gifts...

Beautifully presented and all wrapped so nicely. My very favorite thing is the stack of notecards that she gave me using her own photography. I have already used one as my son's birthday card. Those chocolates were delicious. The cookies are safely set aside in my hospitality pantry. The magazine was a
fun Saturday afternoon read and I know that I'll pick it up again. The napkins will be perfect for an afternoon tea.

You can find Pam at Playing With My Camera and you can find her account of our visit *here.* You'll also get to see the iconic Portland Head Light! Please say hello while you're there. (If you don't mention my hair, you'll get bonus points.)

ツ

Around the Yard~Mosaic Monday

This season of the year, just after the snow has melted and before the leaves come out or the flowers bloom, can seem very dull unless one takes a closer look.

Grape hyacinths provide a bright bit of color; rocks, leaves and pinecones provide some texture; a chunk of bark for another sort of interest; the promise of azalea blossoms; a new wreath from the Christmas Tree Shoppe. I'll be ready for Memorial Day, the 4th of July, and straight on to Christmas. ☺

This post is linked to Mary's Mosaic Monday at Little Red House.

Let's Chat

Edited to Add: In light of all that's going on in Boston right now, the following post seems incredibly insensitive. Please pardon me. I had no idea until just watching the news.

~~~

Hope that you're up for some mind-numbing chit-chat. There's not a whole lot going on here at this little haven except for the usual spring clean-up.

It's the blessed time of year when the only thing growing is my little patch of chives, the greening has only just begun, and when my darling niece comes to power sweep 14 tons of sand from the lawn. Bless her beautiful heart!

Lest you think that I've been up to naught, I have been battling the forsythia thicket wars. I realize that one is supposed to wait until the blooms are spent, but by that time the bugs and ticks are out in earnest.

And even if my tender ministrations (whack, hack, whack) kill the forsythia, I won't care because I have a real love-hate relationship going with those things since they started taking over the world. Perhaps now the grass can come back and I won't be attacked every time I mow the lawn.

John helped with the raking, but mostly he's been lost in his own horrors. He doesn't know this, but I have shed real tears over his troubles. He may have liked to shed a couple himself. The last tenants were the filthy kind. I'm sure that I don't have to say more. He has been working very hard cleaning the mess. It was so bad that he didn't want me to have to do it. I'm sure that if I had, I'd have been chipping mightily about selling his place and he's not ready to let it go; I doubt that he ever will be. 

One evening this week, we were both so tired that a meal of cheesy scrambled eggs, English muffins, and coffee was hastily prepared. (A steak supper out was suggested and turned down — that's how weary the poor man was.) Now on such evenings, John prefers to sit in the recliner having his supper and watching the evening news because it's so relaxing. 

Just after I had delivered his supper to him, I heard a commotion and returned to find the plate of cheesy scrambled eggs and buttered muffins upside down on the carpet. Thank goodness the coffee was still in the mug. Poor John. His expression was priceless and all I could do was laugh. I asked him later if he'd ever had anything like that happen before and he said that it was definitely a first. It's at times like that when we really miss our little Molly who always did the finest job of Hoovering.

A busy weekend coming up with a birthday being celebrated and shopping to be done. As per usual, I have waited until the last possible moment. What about you? Are you organized and prepared well in advance?

A happy weekend to you!

P.S. Lest I forget to say thank you for April's Note Card Party, thank you so much. I always hear, always, always, how wonderful the Note Card Party gals are. True!

Spring Flowers~Note Card Party for April

Since this post was created, the tragic events in Boston have taken place. It is always a shock to come face to face with evil in one's own corner. Though the Note Card Party continues, I know that thoughts and prayers are with those who are suffering whether in grief over lives lost or with grief over the challenging task of recovery. When I saw this picture on MSN of a woman praying, I thought that her anguish says it all and that her example is fitting. Such events take us to our knees.

~~~

Spring flowers are important. I am in need of spring flowers. Since there are none here yet, I shall have them this way. I had fun with adding greetings, too, as so many of you have tried. 

~My Mother's Garden 2008~

~Birthday Daffodils 2013~

~Easter Tulips 2013~

~Forsythia 2008~

In Winter's Grip

It has felt for some time as if we were having a Narnia experience around here — always winter and never Christmas. Why it is mid-April and we are shivering yet and snow and ice were on the ground just yesterday morning. I have been told that it even snowed in Texas last week! Thing is, the ice and snow doesn't last long now. It can't. Aslan is on the move! ; >

~Winter's Grip~

When the snow of Narnia melts, Lewis is suggesting how winter in our hearts gives way to a springtime of faith. ~Emilie Griffin

(By clicking on the quote above, you may read a lovely essay about this very thing and learn more about C. S. Lewis's own conversion experience. So different from the Apostle Paul's and interesting.)

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. ~Colossians 2: 6–7

Enjoy this beautiful spring day!

Simplicity

Two offerings: a simple morning view and a simple stack of linen napkins topped with a silver cake server.

Joining Donna at A Personal Photo Challenge. This month's theme: Simplicity. It's more of a challenge than one might think!

Lost in the Family Archives

Some people get the enviable/unenviable position of family historian. I have now become that person. On the one hand, I enjoy the role and on the other — well it is a lot of stuff to haul through life.

Yesterday, I readdressed the task. The "task" has been sitting in the corner of this very room, and under the bed, and in the trunk, and in the antique tool chest and in the attic for these several years now. I really need to get a handle on it and decide what to do.

Mostly, I have been shredding, shredding, shredding. Three bags full. Then, I've also been re-finding little treasures like the one you see below.

The first time I became aware of this newspaper clipping was one morning a few years ago when the pastor had stopped by to visit Nan. They were visiting in the back room while I worked on a blog post. I heard the pastor reading something that sounded interesting and walked down the hall to snoop. He was reading this newspaper clipping to Nan and she was soaking it all up with her face wreathed in big smiles. Oh how she enjoyed that morning!

Until this morning, I had no idea where that newspaper clipping had gone. I did two things: 1. I typed it up 2. I posted it *here* just in case you'd be interested in reading it. Posting it back there seemed like the most logical place.

Then, just as I was feeling all smug and satisfied, I tucked everything back where I found it and stumbled upon this.

< insert thud >

That's right, Nan's parents' wedding invitation. How far is this going to go?

Here's a picture of my great-grandparents. They made quite a cute couple I'm sure, but why are there no photos of them together? (None of my grandparents together either for that matter.)

~Alice Maude and Fred (Nan's Parents)~

~210 East Main Street Gloucester, Massachusetts~

Here's a photo of Nan on her Grandmother Corliss's porch along with said grandmother and Nan's mother.

So, are you the family historian? If so, you have my sincere sympathies. ☺

March Skies

Ahhh...that was lovely—the time away.

Last evening, while lying flat on my back icing my foot, I noticed the familiar March skies in evening light. No matter that it was now the 7th of April. It was the first time in days that I wanted to take a picture. I have noticed that sometimes it's the taking of the picture, the priming of the pump so to speak, that begins the blogging process.

One must really look up these days to see any beauty at all. Everything is brown and ugly with sand strewn in the streets and on the lawns. The garden looks dead with leaves that must be raked after all. The trees are standing like dark sentinels with no softening green yet. The temperatures have been blistering cold and spirits are more than ready for some warmth. Perhaps today a hint of spring will come.

In other news, the foot still bothers and I find myself praying that it is not
my "new normal." On our little excursion yesterday, I worriedly counted the folks who limp about and they are legion.

Two weeks ago today, we said goodbye to our little Molly. We had been talking about it for several months. She became quite ill at Christmas time and our understanding vet propped her up to get us over that time. When it became apparent that it was the right thing to do, that no amount of "propping" would make a difference for her... You can imagine all the emotions tied up in this as Molly was my mother's dog and the last promise I made to my mother was to care for Molly. I suppose that all this could explain my absence as well. Anyway, you know me, I like to think of them together again now.

Thank you so much for all your kind comments and sweet emails. You're the best!

Easter Memories

It seems as if it has been forever since I just popped in to share a photo or write a line. I have been "under the weather" with a flare of some sort. I am hobbling along like an old woman. But then, I am an old woman. I feel best when sitting with an ice pack. I need four: one for my foot, one for my knee, one for my wrist and hand, and another for my notoriously wonky back. So that explains where I've been. I've tried to keep up with you. If I haven't commented, I have been reading!

Remember that I don't do tablescapes and, in fact, used my everyday dishes because they're easier on the hands and they look best for spring and summer. I decided to just "go with it" and add the ivy as the centerpiece. I did make a new table runner in my favorite colors to add a little something (precious little). I asked my grandson if he was thrilled with his packet of morning glory seeds and he said, "Not really, but thank you anyway." LOL!

My daughter planned another wonderful activity for the boys with a treasure chest in plain sight. Talk about anticipation. The goal was to find the key that fit the lock. Sam just wanted to borrow my glasses for a bit. He doesn't wear glasses, but thought it might be fun. What a silly boy! Jake was happily borrowing my iPad.

A game of wiffle ball in the afternoon on a very wet lawn ended the festivities. 

So now I have documented that 2014 is not my year! ☺