pretty contrasts

  There have been times these past few days that the thoughts of stoking a woodstove seemed desirable, but today Spring burst forth and decided to warm us up once again. On my afternoon walk, under cloudless skies of blue, the redbud blossoms were dazzlingly enchanting.

The blue and pink theme reminded me of babies and their cuddly soft blankets. Yet no baby announcements are presently coming across my desk. Instead I am seeing creamy invitations from brides-to-be with approaching wedding dates.

Then as part of our afternoon, we have the matter of girls in pink boots building forts by the creek.

And maidens fair that walked amongst the woody lushness.

I melted under such warmth.

the peepers

The peepers sing,

in the dusk.

      Out of the mud,

       Their song drifts

        Sweet and green.

                                       -Kathleen Tenepas-

Actually, the month-long, haunting song of the peepers has ended, and I am missing it. But the girls find them skitting across the shallow creeks beds, ready to make acquaintance.

a moment in time

While I was sitting, and sewing on white linen,

Rose stopped by with my camera and caught me at that particular moment in time. She likes to pick up my camera every once in a while to practice manual focus.

 I love the gentle blurring and glaring sunlight.

pay it forward

I know I mentioned before that so many blessed me with providing meals when my father died. It was  appreciated, beyond measure.

So today when I found out someone in my church had lost her father just this week, I was able to help by providing a meal for her family.

The girls helped me prepare lasagna, green salad, french baguette, and chocolate cake.

Then we placed the food in baskets and carried it in our arms to their table.

We know how it feels, blessings extended.

risotto

There was a time that cooking risotto seemed out of reach. For the life of me I can not imagine why I let it take on such a daunting air. Now I cook risotto quite regularly, especially since my husband gets big smile on his face when he knows it will be on the table.

The only thing to remember is that it is not a crock pot sort of dish. You must stay nearby at all times, stirring and adding broth. (Now that I think of it that was the daunting part.) Anyway, I've matured now and staying nearby is good.

And today I snipped some parsley from my herb garden and tossed it in for good measure.

think green

The concentration of green has not gone unnoticed today. I find myself looking for green things as I go about my busy way.

• Green traffic lights while chauffeuring children here and there.
• Green street signs as I traveled along side streets
• Green, spring green, grass...oh, it is so lovely
• Green sweater thrown on as I was to review children for geography, and I know they will pinch
• Green pesto in my spaghetti sauce

And sightings of prisms, over hues of green and blue.

play for me

With both girls taking piano lessons the piano certainly has its daily enterprise.

Federation pieces were practiced so proficiently that even I could have played them in my sleep.

And all the stopping by throughout the day to play their pieces over and over paid off.

Superior ratings!

a needle in my hand

I consider myself a jack of many trades, a master of nothing. 

Too many interests, handcrafts and arts I like to do or at least want to learn how to do. With the varied projects laying around my home, sometimes I get discombobulated just attempting to decide what I want to work on:

•  the hemstitched napkins for Claire, 
• the knitted tea cozy, 
• Charlottes' Easter dress, 
• the pencil case birthday present for Charlotte's friend, 
• or embroidering on the crazy quilt table runner.

 I will not even go into the new projects I am planning to begin.

Today I went to a fabric sale and could not refuse the opportunity to add to my stash of gorgeous fabrics, it only makes the projects grow to even higher realms, and to add to this, a friend gave me a stack of some old Sew Beautiful Magazines. 

More decisions. 

Daydreaming never seemed so good.

Friday thrills

Thrilled that Friday has arrived.

This morning I began a pot of  tomato soup to be served as Friday lunch. One of the good things about this soup is all it really requires is a can of tomatoes. Any other type of produce can be thrown in and will produce a tasty soup. Though onions are probably weighty too. I like to always toss in a cube of basil from my freezer at the end of stewing, and allow it to simmer before processing.

Alan will be returning for spring break either later today or tomorrow, and since his bed was dismantled for Daddy's hospital bed, the room had to be put back in order.  Clean sheets were stretched across the mattress that had been resting against the walls in the office.

A normal day of schoolwork with Classical Conversation review and being assured Rose had completed her week's assignments.

And  beams of sunshine gushed into my sunroom this morning creating a warm sense of lemon drops after two days of cloudiness and torrential bouts of rain yesterday.

And did I mention it is Friday?

Have a fantastic Friday and supper weekend!

Puffy Maine Pancake

While watching Martha Stewart's television show many years back, I jotted down a recipe she was making that day on a scrap piece of paper.  Then one Saturday morning I made it for my family. Since it was a keeper, the recipe was then transposed on a recipe card and filed in my recipe box. Do any of you still own a recipe box?

It can be made in a jiggety-jig, which helps for those quick breakfasts when desiring a little something extra.

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup flour, sifted into the eggs
pinch of salt
1/2 cup milk
 pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Gently mix together. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in iron skillet. Add batter and bake in preheated  425 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. DO not overcook. You want it to slide out of the pan.

Dusting with confectioners sugar while warm, tossing in some fresh berries, perhaps you prefer jam, a little maple syrup, or maybe all of the above.

The most difficult choice you have is to decide whether to make it or not...I can help there and suggest that you do.

Brioche a' Tete

 There are some things I must recede to and put on my to do list. Sometimes it will just take months, and I mean months, before it possibly happens. After baking and enjoying boule bread many times from the book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day,  I had literally read and reread the recipes for the sweet bread recipes with hopes and plans of trying my hand at baking a few of them.

My first endeavor was the brioche a' tete. Served warm from the oven with raspberry jam spread across its buttery middle, heavenly ambrosia! If you believe butter makes everything delicious, as I seem to think, than the amount of butter found in this bread dough will thrill you from just reading the ingredients.

forsythia annoucement

32 degree mornings, yet the forsythia bloom.

I am convinced there is a lesson here.

They were snipped one afternoon, placed in a clear vase and set on the marble- topped table to announce spring is coming.

the funeral

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

I will fear no evil

for Thou art with me.

chocolate kisses

  





My father loved chocolate kisses. Therefore,  when he arrived at our house in December we filled a basket full of them and he would have his daily fill of chocolate kisses. The day finally came when he was no longer interested in eating them and he would call Charlotte over to his bedside and place one in her hand. She became very proficient in asking for them until the basket was empty. 


The process of grief can take sweet forms too. We made a trip to *Target* and purchased bags of chocolate kisses which were poured  into a silver-plated bowl. They were set on a pedestal beside my father at visitation Tuesday night. 

Handfuls of sweet chocolaty remembrances.

 Daddy would have liked that.

of muffins, casseroles, soups and pastries

Food for thought- Grieving does not negate hungry bellies. While mealtimes come and mealtimes go, someone must provide food to eat and nourish- plain and simple truth. Funny how I have not given much thought to it these days, the means of how it will be purchased or who puts it on the table.

But others know. My door bell rings and there is our next meal.

Thank you.