{Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real}~ March 30, 2014

Joining Like Mother, Like Daughter . . .

{Pretty}

A snowdrop!  Lookee!  So it's a month later than usual, but the first flower in spring is always a big occasion.  Next will be the crocuses.  Hurray!

Please ignore the dead leaves.  We never really got this flower bed properly cleared out last fall before the snow started.  Then we had snow constantly all winter except for a few days around Christmas when we were busy with other things (not surprisingly).  

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The view from the end of our street.  There's no green yet, but the trees are putting out their buds and the sky was the bluest of blues.  

{Happy}

It's a terrible picture, I know.  It was very back lit, but I wanted proof that it was warm enough to open a few windows for a little while today. Felix was grateful.

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A visiting pastor and his wife stayed out our house this weekend, and I made apple panakucken for dessert.  It's always a hit!  The batter is a little bit custardy, and you can't go wrong with apples, sugar, and cinnamon.  Plus, it's easy to make.

 {Funny}

Not really laugh-out-loud funny, but curious how the tulip leaves are growing through a dead leaf!

*~*~*~*~*~* I'm so glad you visited! *~*~*~*~*~*

{Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real}~ March 23, 2014

Joining Like Mother, Like Daughter for {phfr}, as usual. :)

{Pretty}

I know, you're thinking, "Enough with the robins already," but it's so much fun to have them back.  Last week there was a flock of dozens and dozens in our backyard, all with white patches on their bottoms.  This one even had a largely white tummy, and what red there was was subdued.  Did you know there is such a thing as a white robin?  There is, and though this one is far from all white, it was the whitest robin I have seen.  This particular flock of robins has not appeared in our yard again.  They must have moved on.

I wish the picture were better, but Birdie was not very cooperative!

{Happy}

Last week, I told you we had planted our tomatoes.  Guess what?  They're up!

The fact that these little seeds will grow into large, bushy plants that will produce oodles of tomatoes is still amazing to me.  

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The Winnie the Pooh stories are favorites of mine and always will be.  My granddaughter (with the help of her parents) gave me this darling book for Christmas.  I keep it on the coffee table and take a few minutes to look through it now and then. I mean, just look at it!  How can I resist??

It has E.H. Shepard's original illustrations and flaps and moveable parts and pop-ups.  And see Eeyore's tail? What's not to love about this book? I ask you!

Thanks for visiting!

{Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real}~ March 16, 2014

Let's just dive right in, shall we?

{Pretty}

I took this through the kitchen window.  I had to or Birdie would have flown away!

The robins have returned, whole fat flocks of them.  The first winter we lived here, I didn't even notice they were gone until they returned in the spring.  I'd never lived in a place before where the robins left and I was glad to see them back.  I'm grateful to hear their song again!

This little fellow (gal?) sat on a rock and looked around for the longest time.  Robins are such sweet birds and I'm happy to see them in the yard again.

{Happy}

I started the tomato seeds yesterday.  That's a sure sign of spring!  I hope they "take" this year.  Last year, they didn't, so we had to buy some seedlings from the nursery, which is not as frugal or satisfying.  We started 24 to allow for some misfires.  We want about 16 in the end.  Gardening season will soon be in full swing!

{Funny}

The snow is melted (except for the great mountains the snow plows made) and we had a day or two in the low 50's, so I wandered out to the garden beds, which I hadn't visited in months, to see how things were. This is what I found:

I know not whence they came or to whom they belonged.  They were just sticking halfway out of one of the gardens.  I keep thinking some little boy with a hole in his pocket passed by on his way home from school and forever lost two of his treasures. 

{Real}

I have no reason to post this in the {real} category.  I just want to include it and I don't have another photo for {real}. :)  Hannah likes to concoct in the kitchen.  Here, she is making delicious soup mostly out of odds and ends. :)

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{Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real}~ March 9, 2014

The pictures I took this week have all disappeared.  Poof.  Just like that. Into thin air.  Someday I will probably find them in some dark corner of my computer, but this week's {phfr} will be archival (in other words, fairly recent pictures but not from this actual week). 

{Pretty}

One of the ways I tried to keep February cheery was with fresh flowers.  These are just from the grocery store, but they can't help that, and besides, they are still pretty!

Flowers really do add color and vibrance to a room.  The difference is amazing.

{Happy}

One cold but sunny day when I came home from being out and about, I caught a fresh glimpse of our living room as I came through the front door.  I was struck by how comfortable and inviting it seemed, so I grabbed my camera and took some pictures.  I am always happy to come home!

The view from our front door, just as I left it before going out

We call the chair Earl Grey.  It was a gift from a parishioner whose husband died.  She was downsizing
and wanted to give her husband's favorite chair to the pastor (that's Dave!) who had helped
 him prepare for eternity.

{Funny}

We regularly chat with our daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter via Skype.  (I love you, Skype!)  One Sunday evening, the conversation turned to music and Dave and I were persuaded to get out our flute and viola and play for Arane.  She was fascinated!  We thought it was a pretty amusing way to make music for each other!

You can see Arane on the computer screen, listening with rapt attention.

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{Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real}~ March 2, 2014

Is it spring yet?  No, not here, as in most of the rest of the country.  I've just been informed that it's going to be a cold spring.  Gosh, I hope not, but I don't have very high hopes.  We had four inches of additional snow last night . . .

I'm not complaining, just stating the facts. ;-)

{Pretty}

We took a quick trip to Missouri to visit Dave's parents last week for a couple days.  They have had a challenging autumn and winter as far as health goes, and we wanted to check in and offer help.  Their house sits on some acreage with a pond, plus it was warmer there and sans snow, so we took the opportunity to wander through their woods.  Landscape without snow was a welcome sight!

There was skin of ice on the pond.

The house overlooks the pond.

This little screened-in porch is off Dave's folks' bedroom.  I love it!

{Happy}

On our way home we stopped at shop that carries antiques, seconds, and discounted items, and I got six new dishtowels at an excellent price.  Cheerful, thick, new dishtowels help brighten up the deary end of winter a little.  I got two each of three designs.

One towel was in the wash.

{Funny}

This little guy spent quite some time digging under our window for berries that had fallen in the snow.

{Real}

I know, I know, not another snow picture.  But just look at it!  

Taken from inside even though I understand it's bad form.

Our town normally has 23.5 inches of snow a year.  We are nearly double that now, and I don't think it's over yet.  I really try not to complain about the weather, but . . .

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