Happy@Home

Sometimes ...

2012-01-30T11:55:00.000-05:00

it really is the small things in life.

As much as I enjoy gardening, I rarely buy flowers for inside the house and I rarely force bulbs.

On a recent trip to the grocery store I added a hyacinth bulb in a vase of water to the cart.

Over the weekend it bloomed which has led me to wonder why I don't buy my own bulbs and do this every winter?

A small thing, but such a beautiful sight to winter weary eyes and the smell ... oh my, a breath of spring.

Another small thing ...

look what was sitting on top of my mail on Saturday!

An anonymous note ~ simple and sweet and sure to put a smile on the face of the recipient.

Today, I'm forwarding this note to each and every one of you.

Wishing you a happy start to your week!

Baking on a Saturday Afternoon

2012-01-28T15:34:00.000-05:00

Since Saturday is baking day, I decided to spend a little time in the kitchen today. Unlike the bluebirds I'm not baking a cake. Instead I am baking cookies ... oatmeal cookies to be exact.

We like our oatmeal cookies with dark chocolate bits, dried cherries and toasted pecans. Do you toast your pecans? I do if I have the time as I think it really does intensify the flavor.

Now that our nest is empty, I no longer buy packaged cookies.

If we get a hankering for cookies, I make them. This way we don't eat them as often if they're not sitting in the pantry all the time and to be honest I really don't think the taste of a store bought can compare to fresh from the oven homemade cookies.

That smell in the air as they bake ...

Can't get that from the package ;-).

My husband is out running errands.

I'm trying to hold off tasting them until he gets home.

Geez, how long does it take to get the oil changed????

Happy Saturday to you.

A Happy, Hoppy Helper

2012-01-24T18:03:00.000-05:00

After the Christmas decor was returned to the attic, it seems there was a kitchen counter that remained rather bare. Something needed to be done, so ...

I wandered out into the meadow and gathered up some flowers.

A bunny in blue shoes followed me back into the house.

He got busy drawing a sunny picture as the gloomy days are getting to him.

While he was busy with his artwork, I went to the cupboard to fetch ...

My Carolina Gems and ...

a pair of birdie vases.

Mr. Blue Shoes was still working on his masterpiece so I headed outside with my clippers ...

to snip a few pieces of rosemary. It's one of the few things that are blooming in the garden right now. Once I got back inside I gave the birdies new hats ...

and nestled them in with the gems.

it wasn't long until the bare counter was done.

Well, almost done.

It seemed the other end needed something too.

There, now we're done.

So glad that bunny hopped in here today.

I never could have done it without him ; - ).

Prepare to be Inspired

2012-01-23T14:43:00.000-05:00

Recently I was contacted by a young woman named Heather Von St. James. As a new, first-time mother Heather was diagnosed with a deadly form of cancer. She invited me to read about her journey on her blog. As I read what she has gone through I was so inspired by the brave and optimistic manner in which she faced her illness.

Heather wondered if she might also share her story here on my blog. As she so eloquently put it "I'd like to turn my pain into purpose and become someone that other parents can look to for guidance, inspiration and hope in situations like my own."

I am honored to share a guest post today .

I know you will be equally inspired by what Heather has to say.

If you would like to read more about Heather's story, I have added her blog button to my sidebar.

Now, I'd like you to meet Heather Von St. James:

I've been an optimist all my life. Some have accused me ofwearing rose-colored glasses, as if that's a bad thing. While my "glass ishalf full" outlook on life has not always been popular, it never served mebetter than when I was diagnosed with a deadly form of cancer at the young ageof 36.

The diagnosis was malignant pleural mesothelioma. It came on November 21,2005, just 3.5 months after the birth of my first and only child. What wassupposed to be the most joyous and rewarding time of my life as a new motherwas instead marred by the three words everyone hopes they never have to hear:You Have Cancer."

I realized then that I had a choice: I could give in to thefatalism and have a pity party. I could curse God and ask him, "whyme?" Or, I could suck it up and do the only thing worthy of my tiny,precious little daughter: fight it. And that's exactly what I did.

Cancer is generally thought of as this terrible thing thatnobody wants to face. And to a certain extend it is. But it is also adouble-edged sword, because some of it is good. When facing a cancer diagnosis,parts of your life will be irrevocably changed, some of it for the better. Youlearn to be a survivor of the disease rather than a victim. You draw strengthfrom trying to make light of your illness. I learned to strip the disease ofthe fear it usually imparts on people. In doing so, I decided I needed to alsohelp others do the same. Far too often, people diagnosed with mesothelioma losefaith and hope. I chose instead to find the good in having cancer.

I was referred to the world's foremost mesothelioma doctor,who scheduled me for surgery on Groundhogs Day in 2006. I decide to nickname mytumor Punxsutawney Phil as a result. We also christened the day Lungleavin Day,since I was going to have part of my lung removed. Every year since then on thefirst weekend in February, we still celebrate Lungleavin Day.

Another positive I can take from my experience with canceris all the wonderful people I met during my journey. These people are some ofthe most amazing, strong and passionate people you will ever meet. I met fellowmesothelioma warriors who are trying to bring awareness to a disease that isstill largely misunderstood. These people have enriched my life. It has morepurpose in it now than ever before. I am going to continue to focus on thepositives and help others keep hope alive like I did.

~ Heather & her beautiful, happy family ~

Amazing, isn't she?

Thank you, Heather, for allowing me to share your story here.

Morning Joy?

2012-01-12T17:09:00.000-05:00

Not long after I got up this morning, I realized the sun and blue skies had returned. After three days of gray skies, rain and g.l.o.o.m. I can only say it was a sight for sore, sleepy eyes. I say sleepy because shortly before the alarm went off the little boys next door were bouncing their basketballs on the driveway which just happens to be outside our bedroom window. Soon their dog joined in the merriment and began ~~barking~~ yapping non-stop. As much as I don't want to become the old crabby next door neighbor, I find it odd to let your dog yap incessantly at 6:15 a.m. Ah well, since they are fairly new neighbors I am trying to wait it out and see if things change.

Feeling it was pointless to try to go back to sleep, I made my way to the kitchen and appreciated the coffeemaker being Ready To Brew. I needed my coffee and I needed it soon. :-).

Brett and I don't buy Christmas gifts for each other anymore, but we did make two recent purchases. The first one is the Keurig which we okay I had been contemplating for awhile. I say I because I am the sole coffee drinker in this house. However, he has been enjoying the instant hot water feature for tea and the hot chocolate and cider that were part of the purchase.

We are both enjoying the convenience of hot beverages and don't miss washing the coffee pot and dealing with the grounds.

Purchase #2 was this old coffee can.

"Morning Joy" ... my goodness ... what a charming name for a coffee brand. It just seems like a pleasant day would be ensured if we started our day with a cuppa this. Personally I was also smitten by the blue and yellow and the little songbird.

As I stood there watching my Keurig brew my cup of coffee in mere moments, I couldn't help but think how much things change through the years. Even our morning cup of coffee.

But while the way we make coffee is a lot different, some things remain.

Birds bring Joy in the morning.

Bouncing basketballs and barking dogs ... not so much.

Well, at least not until I've had my Morning Joy.

A Little Indoor Gardening

2012-01-10T09:55:00.002-05:00

Since there's not much to be done in the outdoor garden at this time of year, I decided it was a good time to tend to the indoor garden.

A few of my houseplants were in need of a little TLC.

The brown leaf tips were detracting from the beauty of the pretty green leaves on my Peace Lily plant.

Nothing that couldn't be fixed with a little "haircut".

I basically followed the natural leaf line and trimmed off the brown part.

Next it was time for a "bath".

The leaves had gotten a bit dusty and I think I even heard them gasping for breath. "Help, we're suffocating."

Using a soft, damp rag, I carefully wiped off each and every leaf.

It is a bit time consuming, but worth it in the end.

On my plants with smaller leaves, I sometimes rinse them off in the shower or with the hose in warmer weather.

Some of the leaves had gotten long and scraggly looking.

So a bit of "judicious pruning" was in order.

This made for a nicer, more compact plant.

Not to mention I will no longer be catching those long leaves in the vacuum cleaner. ;-).

" Hooray, we can breathe again"

;-)

The Comforts of Home

2012-01-06T12:33:00.001-05:00

This week I'm taking great delight in slowly returning order to the rooms of my home. Each and every bookshelf is being emptied, dusted and I'm sorting through all of the books deciding what no longer applies to my life now. I'm letting go of the idea that someday I might take up cross-stitch again or that I need twelve books on the subject of herb gardening when two would be sufficient.

Mirrors and picture frames are being polished, lists are being made of bigger jobs that need to be tackled (carpets cleaned, windows washed) furniture is being vacuumed, crevice tools are being used and order is being restored after the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season.

As the new year begins, I find comfort in the tick tock of the grandfather clock, the washing machine humming along, the scent of lemon from my candle and fresh air coming in the window as our temperatures rise into the 60s today. The soft hits channel on satellite radio is just the thing I need to keep me moving and singing as I go. Looking forward to homemade soup for lunch and some fresh fruit.

It may be a lot of work, but at the end of the day it feels so good to sit and survey my surroundings. Clean enough to be healthy, messy enough to be happy. Just the way I like it.

Home ... the place where comfort reigns.

New Year's Wishes

2012-01-01T09:29:00.000-05:00

** Happy New Year **

Since the Christmas decorations are still up at my house, I will be spending the first day of 2012 returning them to their storage boxes in the attic. It's interesting to me how those things that looked so beautiful a few weeks ago are now starting to seem more like clutter. So it will be nice to spend a leisurely day restoring order to my home.

How was your New Year's Eve?

For the first time in our entire marriage, we were at home ... just the two of us. We had talked of going to dinner and a movie with another couple, but one of them wasn't feeling well, so we had dinner out with one of our sons and then came home to watch a movie. We did watch the ball drop and clink glasses of sparkling cider at midnight.

As a new year begins, I'd like to wish you all a year of happiness and good health. I know that some of my blog friends and real life friends are facing difficult things right now and it makes me feel sad. Please know that I think of you and pray for better days ahead.

With Love,

Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T10:21:00.000-05:00

And so it was...

Christmas 2011.

No small children here anymore, so we all watch Peanut rip into the tissue paper.

Many things change through the years, but ...

alot remains the same ~ family, food, fun.

Hope your Christmas brought joy to you and yours.

It's pouring rain here today and I have nowhere I have to be except ...

the chair with a good book,

the couch to watch an old movie (& try to stay awake ;),

or the computer to catch up on blog reading.

As you can see, I have a tough decision to make.

Thoughts at Christmastime

2011-12-23T11:38:00.000-05:00

The baking is done. It was nice to get up early this morning before anybody else was up. After a rainy day yesterday, I was greeted with blue skies and the sun shining into the kitchen. No chance of a white Christmas for us, but I will gladly accept the bright, cheerful day that lies ahead. I worked hard all day yesterday baking and scrubbing floors, but what a great feeling to wake up to a counter full of baked goods ready for gifting and sampling ;). This year I added a new one called Pecan Tassies. See them there in the round container. They are like a petite pecan pie with a bit of cream cheese in the crust. My mom used to make them every year, but I think this is the first time I've made them. Won't be the last though as they are quite delightful and as I was baking them I felt my mom's presence in the kitchen, which was nice.

Speaking of feeling my mom's presence, I'd like to share a little thought with you, particularly if you are feeling the loss of a loved one this holiday season.

Shortly after my mom passed away 2 years ago, I was given this frame with a sentiment I found to be comforting. It reads:

** Perhaps they are not stars in the sky but rather openings in Heaven where our loved ones shine down to let us know they are happy **

Isn't that lovely? It can be so hard to keep on smiling and doing what's expected of us when we are dealing with an empty chair at our table. My dad passed away ten years ago on December 15th and I remember just going through the motions that year.

I certainly don't claim to be an expert, but if you are facing a recent loss, I hope you will be kind to yourself this holiday season and know that it's okay to cry if you need to or maybe step outside for a breath of fresh air and a short walk and, of course, look up and count the stars while you are out there.

Since the sun returned and I was enjoying a few peaceful moments this morning, I snapped a few pictures around the house. This little candle holder was a GW find. It has little holes in it which I think are to put little flowers or bits of greenery into. This afternoon I am planning to head into the garden with clippers in hand to snip some holly and other greens to bring in and add to vases and arrangements.

Like many of you, I have a fondness for the vintage Christmas decorations. This little angel is from Germany and used to belong to my aunt. She has been gone for many years, but she will never be forgotten as warm memories return every time I glance at the angel.

Old Christmas cards = charming graphics = vintage Love.

A well worn child's chair sits next to the fireplace in the living room reminding me to stop and enjoy the many Christmas books I have collected through the years. A cup of tea and a bit of reading is a refreshing way to face the next job on the never ending list.

It won't be long now until friends and loved ones will be seated around the table. There are still things to do so, I'd better get doing.

But, before I go, I want to extend warm wishes for a very Merry Christmas from my Happy Home to yours.

Peace

Love,

A Little Holiday Humor

2011-12-20T08:50:00.000-05:00

While sipping my coffee this morning, it dawned on me why this mug was a freebie. While it is true that I do LOVE Christmas, I'm not likely to marry it.

Ho Ho Ho!

A Sleigh Ride Together With You

2011-12-14T10:11:00.000-05:00

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the busyness of the Christmas season? Wish you could get away from it all for a little while?

If so, then I invite you to hop into the sleigh as we go for a quick trip to the mountains of North Carolina.

We'll leave the to do list behind as we make our way to the DuPont State Forest where we can soak up the beauty of nature as our stresses slowly melt away. The never ending list of things to be accomplished at home will be a distant memory as we momentarily replace the Christmas carols with the sounds of birdsong and waterfalls.

There will be plenty of time to reflect ...

to put it all into perspective ...

decide what really matters at Christmastime ...

to appreciate our families, our health ... today ~ this beautiful day that has been given to us.

After we have had time to unwind and reflect, we'll dash through the mountains to the Grove Park Inn to see the National Gingerbread House Competition in full swing. Perhaps we will pick up a few ideas for holiday baking.

See anything you'd like to try at home?

Amazing aren't they?

As a matter of fact, this sleigh we're riding in is also made of gingerbread! No worries though, it's built to last.

Before heading back home, we'll make one last stop at Lake Junaluska where we can stretch our legs by taking a walk around the lake. It's about 2-1/2 miles of lovely sights. Ready?? Here we go ...

Thank you for joining me on my sleigh ride today.

May the weeks leading to Christmas find you feeling refreshed and content.

From Where I Sit

2011-12-08T16:06:00.001-05:00

In the last few months, I have moved my laptop to a spot at the kitchen table. From here I look to my left and see the birds at the feeder. We eat breakfast together every morning, even though they are outside and I'm cozy inside. Right now I can hear one banging his beak on something. I think he's dropping a hint that the feeder could stand to be filled. He'll have to wait until I stop banging my fingers on this keyboard. :-).

Anyhow, I'm also enjoying an occasional glance up from the keyboard. I've just put the last ornament on the tree in the family room. The furniture is dusted, the floor is vacuumed ... heck, the furniture even got a once-over with the vacuum and now this room is done. Don't you love when that happens??

No doubt about it, this Christmas decorating is a lot of work.

But once it's done ... we sit back and realize it was all worth it.

Bring on the hot chocolate, good books, old movies, beautiful music, flickering candles, crackling fires ... the memories of Christmas 2011 are getting started.

Every Tree Tells a Story

2011-12-04T09:15:00.000-05:00

While I love the beauty of themed Christmas trees, there is something about the tree containing all of the ornaments collected through the years that makes my heart sing. For within the branches of that tree a story is told.

Each year as the ornaments are hung, the story is visited once again and new chapters are added. Ornaments from childhood are lovingly placed with a distant memory of a young girl who spent a lot of time playing with Raggedy Ann.

until Ann was set aside and a young man named Brett took center stage.

Perhaps the most precious ornaments of all ~ those handmade by our children. I pause and thank God for teachers who take the time to work with their students on these treasures. For as time marches on, they grow more valuable every year.

Special interests and hobbies are there among the branches reminding us of who we are and what we value.

Loved ones across the miles are thought of as the tree is decorated.

Good times are remembered. Those facing hard times are prayed for.

And those who are no longer with us are missed ... a lot.

Trips taken are remembered once again. Perhaps thoughts of future vacations begin to take shape.

The furry family members are represented here.

Whether they are still with us or not, they hold a special place in our hearts and memories.

This year I am adding a new chapter to the tree representing life at my Happy Home. As the lucky winner of a recent giveaway I was

~~thrilled~~ ecstatic when this adorably sweet little cottage showed up in my mailbox. I sat and studied every cute little detail. It was made by the very talented Becky of ...

**Sweet Cottage Dreams **

In the years to come, as I hang this special little cottage on my tree, I will be reminded of Becky's kindness. Thank You, Becky.

" From home to home, and heart to heart, from one place to another

The warmth and joy of Christmas, brings us closer to each other."

~ Emily Matthews

Cheerful Christmas Decorating

2011-11-27T10:00:00.001-05:00

Around here the Christmas decorating begins shortly after the last dish of the Thanksgiving meal has been put away. Brett's job is to bring the multitude of storage boxes down from the attic and my job is to create Christmasland from the contents of said boxes.

I will admit that I Love Christmas decorations. Always have and I guess , at this point, it's safe to say I always will. At least I hope so. I just think it's so fun to see all of the different ways people festoon their homes for this glorious season. In fact, I remember once as a teenager I was invited to a "keg party" at the house of one of the people I worked with. It was around Christmastime and most of the kids, having recently reached the age of legal drinking , were making a beeline for the keg. Me, I was more interested in making a beeline for the Christmas tree. Even then I loved to see the ornaments on other people's trees. I find it so interesting to hear the stories of the family memories attached to the various ornaments. Now, I'm not saying I never got to the keg, but that's another story for another time. Ho Ho Ho.

Anyhow, on Friday morning Brett stuck to his end of the bargain carrying box after box down from the attic. When it came time for my part, I took a look at all of those boxes and felt like going back to bed. It seemed a bit overwhelming. I daresay I felt a bit of the dreaded "bah humbug" trying to take hold. At this point I was hoping a gaggle of elves would ring the doorbell offering to deck the halls for me.

It was time for a big ole cuppa GOOD CHEER.
This cuppa came in two forms.
One ~ I made myself a cup of coffee and sat down to enjoy it as I gave my attitude an adjustment and ...
Two ~ this mug pictured above. It was my favorite find at a recent fun day of thrifting. This year our local Habitat Restore advertised that they would be putting their Christmas decor out On November 1st. My sister-in-law and I met there that morning and had so much fun thrifting for vintage Christmas things (our very favorite kind). Afterwards we enjoyed having lunch out.
Happy memories and a 50 cent mug that makes me smile every time I look at it.

While drinking my coffee and adjusting my attitude, I reminded myself that the best way to get the job done is to get started and keep putting one foot in front of the other.

This year I decided to change things up a bit in the kitchen. Instead of filling the kitchen shelves with a gingerbread theme, I decided to aim for a bit of whimsy ... cheerful, nostalgic whimsy.

Sometimes the worst part is getting started.
I find that if I can get one area finished, it gives me inspiration to keep going. So, now I'd better get back to it before I need another cuppa cheer.

;-)

Greeting the Season With Organized Seasonings

2011-11-18T14:48:00.001-05:00

It won't be long now until the turkey will be nicely roasted and sitting on the platter tempting us with it's delicious aroma. I love that smell and can hardly wait to sit down to enjoy the tastes of Thanksgiving... roasted turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, ribbon jello, butternut squash ... mmmmm ~ I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. Something about only having this meal once a year makes it extra special and eagerly anticipated.

And then, of course, there are the pies.

Can't have Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie, can you?

Well, I suppose if you're not a fan of it you could ;-).

Either way this is the time of year when my kitchen becomes a busy place. Once the Thanksgiving pies are gone, it will soon be time to make the Christmas cookies and the soups to keep us warm on chilly days and the hot chocolate to enjoy while watching the holiday movies and we won't even think about the Christmas dinner just yet.

But something I have been thinking about is getting my kitchen cleaned and organized so that I will be all ready to face the season in a cheerful way.

Recently I have been going through all of my kitchen cupboards and drawers. Let's just say some of them had gotten a bit hard to close thus making my cheerful kitchen disposition a bit hard to maintain.

One of the drawers that needed some attention was my spice drawer. This drawer is right next to the stove which makes it very convenient to grab what I need as I'm cooking. I try to keep it organized alphabetically so that I can find what I'm looking for easier.

I also write the name of the spice on the top of the jar so that I can see it at a glance. This way I don't have to dig around pulling them all out to find one. My system usually works well, but recently it had gotten kinda messy in there and I couldn't find what I was looking for and ended up buying spices that I already had. I do use herbs and spices on a daily basis, but some of them I can never finish before they have to be discarded so I don't want to double up on them.

Anyhow, the other day I took everything out of the drawer, washed out the drawer and re-organized it all once again and this time I went a step further ...

I made a list of everything in the drawer.

This way if I'm wondering whether I have a certain spice, I can consult the list (which is also kept in the drawer) instead of rummaging around looking for it.

And there you have it ... one of my simple ways to keep the holiday kitchen better organized.

We had our first frost last night and it's beginning to feel winterish around here.

Have a wonderful weekend!!!

Orange-Cranberry Bread

2011-11-07T17:06:00.002-05:00

I'm always excited to see fresh cranberries for sale in the grocery store because that means I get to bake this ...

Orange-Cranberry Bread

If you like the flavor combination of cranberries and oranges then you will LOVE this bread. I have given this as gifts at Thanksgiving and Christmas and everybody who has received it so far has asked for the recipe or requested that next time I make it I think of them. So today, I'm thinking of you and thinking that if this flavor combination appeals to you, you need this recipe. With the holidays approaching it just might come in handy for you.

Without further ado ...

Orange-Cranberry Bread

(from the book: BHG Celebrate the Season 2003)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup butter

1 egg

1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel

2/3 cup orange juice

1-1/2 cups fresh cranberries, halved

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan or three 5-3/4x3x2 inch loaf pans. Set aside.

IN A LARGE MIXING BOWL, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

IN A MEDIUM MIXING BOWL, beat egg; stir in orange peel and juice. Add to flour mixture; stir just until combined. Fold in cranberries and nuts.

SPOON THE BATTER into the prepared pan(s). Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, allowing 60 to 70 minutes for the large loaf or 40 to 50 minutes for the small loaves.

COOL IN PAN (S) on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing (Or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days). Makes 16 servings.

Kim's Note: If you prefer to not use real butter, I have good results with "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter". That is what the pictured loaves were made with and between you and I ... I really can't believe it's not butter :).

I like to make the 3 small loaves. I think they are a nice size for a hostess gift or to tuck in the freezer for a future date when you're in the mood for eating the bread without having to do the baking.

Not only does this bread taste wonderful, but it makes the kitchen smell heavenly as it is baking.

Fall is a fabulous time for baking.

Nothing like the warmth from the oven and the sweet scents filling the air to make your kitchen a cozy place to be.

Feeling Thankful in November

2011-11-03T17:38:00.000-04:00

November has a way of turning my thoughts to the many things in my life that I am thankful for. I think as the weather cools and we are inside more ... as the days grow shorter ... as we prepare for the upcoming holidays ... the focus centers on making memories with those we love ... our family & friends.

Cozying up our nests takes on new meaning as we work towards making home a warm and comfortable place to share with our loved ones.

I suppose as we go about our daily tasks moving toward our Thanksgiving holiday, it makes sense that thankful thoughts would

come to mind.

I have been enjoying the lists that some of you are making ... one thing you are thankful for ... each day ... for the month of November.

While I know I won't get my act together enough to make my own list, I will be enjoying yours and I will be thinking thankful thoughts as I go about my day. In fact, today I'm feeling thankful for thrifted treasures like the placemats above and the vase with the acorns on it.

Oh, and backyard flowers that haven't been hit by frost yet.

Thinking thankful thoughts in the month of November. :-)

Thankful Thoughts of You

2011-10-29T21:17:00.000-04:00

Hello again gals.

I'm popping in to tell you something.

This makes 2 posts in 2 days ... for me that may be a record.

Today I took a long drive through the countryside.

At the end of my drive I met with other like-minded ladies to talk about putting our gardens to bed for the winter.

There was only one man in attendance. You can see him above.

He didn't add much input to the meeting as he's made of chicken wire. But, he was probably the best dressed person there and you may have guessed that I really dig his bike. :-).

While we're on the subject of well dressed ... didn't God do an AMAZING job with nature?

Okay, I told you I wanted to tell you something.

I always enjoy hearing from each of you through the comments you so kindly leave for me. There are times, however, when I sit down and read the nice things you have to say and I feel so happy, lucky, blessed and truly thankful to have come to know such a wonderful group of people. It's like receiving a big warm hug and it feels so nice.

This may sound really strange, but somehow I think many of you will understand this. Many years ago I saw Bette Midler on a talk show. She had just lost both of her parents and she made the statement that no matter how old you are once your parents are gone you become an orphan.

I now know what she meant. I accept the fact that my own parents are in a better place now. I accept the fact that they both lived nice long lives and I was blessed to have wonderful parents. I accept the fact that I am a grown woman, but there are times when I would love to feel their unconditional love once again.

In many ways I feel I receive that here ... from you ... and I often feel like my parents smile down on you for showing their daughter such kindness.

So, tonight I just want to make sure to tell you how much your words mean to me and to thank you. As we head into November and pause to remember all that we are thankful for, you all will be at the top of my list.

Halloween Happenings Around Here

2011-10-28T22:56:00.000-04:00

Greetings Gals (& guys ... if there are any who happen to be reading).

I'm sitting here tonight in my kitchen smelling the scents of Cinnamon-Sugar Roasted Pumpkin Seeds wafting through the air. Outside the rain is falling and the temperature has dropped significantly, but inside it is warm and cozy. Brett is busy carving the pumpkin.

I hate to admit this, but last year we did something that I always thought I would never,ever do ...

I thought it was something only old people or mean witches did ...

For the first time ever we shut the lights out on Halloween and ...

left the house to go out for dinner. Since our kids were grown it didn't seem quite as fun or necessary to be here to pass out candy, but at the same time I kind of didn't like it.

So, this year the lights will be on, the jack-o-lantern will be carved, the candy bowl will be filled to the brim and we will be happily passing out candy to each and every little trick or treater who happens to stop by.

I've invited some neighbors and fellow empty-nesters to join us for chili, cornbread, salad and apple cake. It will be fun to catch up with them as we pass out the candy.

Tomorrow we'll be outside stringing pumpkin lights from the arbor, hanging pumpkin lanterns on shepherd's hooks and bringing the jack-o-lantern outside to keep us company. Around here the kids trick or treat on the trail that runs behind our house. It's supposed to be COLD on Halloween night. Perhaps I'll warm up some spiced cider to keep us toasty out there.

Happy Halloween!!!

Pumpkins on the Porch and Perfect Weather

2011-10-19T05:30:00.000-04:00

Our fall weather has been nothing short of glorious this year.

The bluest of skies accompanied by cool temperatures and fresh, fresh air. In fact, on Sunday the weather was so perfect I wanted to figure out a way to make it last forever. I took a walk, washed my car, planted flowers and sat outside feeling so thankful for such a beautiful day.

On a day like that I find it hard not to smile.

It just feels good to be alive.

When I bought my pansies and mums, I couldn't resist adding this pretty coneflower to the cart. It's called "Hot Summer", but I think it looks more like fall.

Speaking of mums, I was thrilled to find this one at a small local nursery for an unbelievably low price. It is so huge I could barely find the pot when I went to lift it up. The mum is completely covering the pot and looks a bit like a big mum ball.

The big mum now has a big pumpkin to keep it company.

Brett and I have been slackers in the carving department since the nest became empty. I'm bound and determined to change that this year.

My goal is to have that pumpkin turned into a jack-o-lantern long before the trick or treaters arrive. Wish me luck =). I think I'm going to need it ;-).

Finding Fall in the Dining Room

2011-10-12T16:29:00.000-04:00

Wanting to create a fall centerpiece that didn't involve buying anything, I headed outside to gather up some more acorns. My oak tree has been extra generous this year. I've collected a lot and there are still a lot left for the squirrels. Way up high ... where they can reach them ... and I can't. :)

Back inside the house I dug out my chunky, fall colored candles and rummaged around for three clear glass ~~vases~~, ~~hurricanes~~, ~~vessels~~ thing a majigs. Feel free to help me out here, gals. The correct name is escaping me. Please tell me that this happens to you too on occasion. If it doesn't, don't bother telling me. ;-).

In a matter of minutes I had a centerpiece for the dining room table.

My dining room doesn't get much sunlight, so the addition of a few candles helps to brighten it up a bit.

Once I got the candles in place I stood back to take a look and couldn't help but notice the tree across the street. Although I pass it every day as I pull out of the driveway or run out to get the mail, I hadn't really noticed that all this time it's been standing there quietly dressed it it's fall finery.

Today may have been an uneventful day at home, but time spent in quiet pursuits gave me the opportunity to slow down and really see the beauty that's been there all along.

The beauty of the fall season is fleeting ~ enjoy it while it lasts.

Fun Fall Reading

2011-10-10T08:46:00.000-04:00

As the fall frenzy of cleaning and sorting continues around here, I decided it was time to go through the books and see which ones we no longer need.

I have to admit that I don't always buy books because I intend to read them. Sometimes I buy them for use in decorating and sometimes I buy them because of the cute pictures on the covers.

For instance, when I saw this book at the thrift shop one day I didn't think it looked like one I would enjoy reading. However, I did think that this little doggy reminded me of ...

this little doggy and that seemed a good enough reason to bring it home.

Because there are ~~way too many~~ an awful lot of books around here I was being fairly ruthless in what I was getting rid of. I was thinking that maybe I really didn't need to house a book just because it had a picture resembling Peanut on the front cover.

Often when I am debating which book to read next I read the first page and if it appeals to me that is what I read.

So, before tossing this one in the donate pile I decided to read the first page.

Hmmm .... jack-o'-lanterns, chrysanthemums, colorful gourds.

Maybe this would be a good book to read since it will soon be Halloween. Kinda has that Fall feel to it.

I think a good Fall read deserves a pretty Fall themed bookmark and luckily, I now have one thanks to Sherri at Sherri' Jubilee. Sherri recently held a giveaway for one of her handmade bookmarks and I was so happy to be chosen as the winner.

I think this beaded acorn is adorable.

Thank you, Sherri. My fall reading has just gotten prettier :).

Just a little note: I've been having trouble leaving comments for some of you. After typing the comment and clicking Publish Comment, the comment disappears. It is only happening on a few blogs so I'm not sure what the problem is. Anyhow, if you've recently left me a comment and I haven't been back to visit you this is probably why. I'll keep trying.

Happy Monday!

I'm off to plant pansies before the rain begins.

What are you up to?

Off To A Fresh Start

2011-10-03T05:30:00.000-04:00

Well, here we are in the beginning of October.

How was your weekend?

Here in North Carolina we enjoyed our first cool weekend with not a lick of humidity on the radar. The A/C was turned off and the windows were opened. I've been on a cleaning mission around here and this weekend it was my closet. Everything came out, the floor got vacuumed, the baseboards were dusted, the trunk of my car is now filled with things headed for the thrift shop and order reigns once again.

Hot, humid air zaps my energy.

But, cool, crisp air invigorates me.

Makes me want to open up the windows, turn on the music and clean and organize the nooks and crannies of my house.

So, that's what I've been doing.

Now, we all know what all work and no play can do to a girl ... so, I think it's important to schedule in a break or two during the cleaning frenzies.

The fresh fall air we are enjoying turned my thoughts to apple cider... hot.spiced.apple cider. We didn't happen to have any on hand, but since my husband was out and about I called and asked if he might be interested in stopping at the local farm stand to see if they had any. He did and came home with a gallon of it. He also came home with this:

Such a pretty surprise!

So once I got them situated in their vase, I returned to the closet cleaning while he did this:

U of M wins again. Woo Hoo!!

Go Blue!!

When the football game was over we migrated to the porch to sample the first warm spiced cider of the season and ...

watch the clouds turn pink as the sun began to set.

Our October is off to a fresh and colorful start.

Hope yours is too :).

Autumn's Here ... Hip, Hip, Hooray

2011-09-23T06:00:00.000-04:00

*** Autumn has officially arrived ***

When the fresh fall air starts moving in, my thoughts turn to apples. I can't wait to pick them, eat them and bake with them.

How about cozying up your kitchen with a little fall-time baking?

This Caramel Apple Cake tastes wonderful and makes the kitchen smell good as the scents of cinnamon and nutmeg mingle in the air. Last week I had a birthday dinner for my husband and I knew this was the cake for the occasion. The recipe can be found here.

Fall is such a great time to get outside and enjoy the beauty of nature.

Autumn gardening holds an entirely new appeal as the heat and humidity of summer slowly disappear from the horizon.

It's fun to freshen up the garden with mums. At this time of year I remove the plants that have been barely hanging in there all summer and add a bit of fall color in their place.

As the days get shorter it's nice to cozy up the nooks and crannies inside. Small lamps and candles in fall scents work great for this. I'm currently burning spiced apple candles, but next month they will be changed to pumpkin, only to be followed by my favorite November scent ~ Yankee Candle's Harvest.

It sounds a bit like the candle of the month club, doesn't it? ;-).

I am looking forward to lots of porch sittin' time this fall. It has been so hot here this summer that there was almost no time spent sitting outside. I plan to change that.

To me fall is the time for soups and stews and chili. It's time to dust off the crock pot and enjoy the smell of dinner simmering away after being gone all day. It's time to fill a bowl full of gourds and acorns and set it in the center of the table. An easy, yet pretty centerpiece as we gather around the table to enjoy those fall meals.

Autumn has arrived.

Time to enjoy.

As The Rain Fell Softly

2011-09-20T15:15:00.001-04:00

As the rain was falling softly this morning, I scampered around my yard like a little squirrel collecting acorns and flowers.

Roses for the living room.

Hydrangeas for the center of the kitchen table.

Mums for the family room.

Along with the mums I brought in a few sprigs of Nandina berries.

Love the pretty fall hues they are taking on now that the weather has cooled down.

I left plenty of them for the birds though because ...

I strive to be a good neighbor to the birds.

When the shelf had been dressed for fall, I went back outside for one last time.

It seems one of my rather ornate vases was in need of something simple to fill it.

And since my American Beautyberry bush has gotten ~~rather large~~ huge, I knew it wouldn't mind letting me have a few sprigs. Being the good bird neighbor I am striving to be, I left plenty for my feathered friends.

As you can see the purple berries will go nicely with the ornate vase. I spotted this vase in a consignment shop one day and was intrigued by the way three vases were joined together. As I was trying to decide whether all of the "ornateness" was a bit gaudy, I spotted this ...

A sweet little cherub waving and now she appears to have a purple topiary at her side :D. So now the time has come for me to join her in waving goodbye to you.

I need to accomplish a few things before I take my book and a cup of tea (Constant Comment) into the living room to do a bit of reading. So glad I went scavenging this morning as the reading room will be so much more cheerful with the roses and beautyberries adding their brightness as the rain continues to fall.

Wherever you are and whatever you're doing today, I wish you beauty and bright spots along the way.

A Tale of Two Vines

2011-09-14T16:20:00.000-04:00

All summer I watched as my morning glory vine grew. Taller and taller, twining and twining it went. Up, up, up ... higher and higher it grew.

On more than one occasion it tried to wind it's way into the garage until I gently directed it back where it belonged. You might be thinking that this is a tale of one of those wildly invasive morning glories. Quite the contrary. This is a tale of the morning glory I planted from seed in the spring. The morning glory that bears the name of "Heavenly Blue", which is the main reason I plant it. That blue flower is truly heavenly. It was beginning to seem like my wild vine was going to remain ,not quite as heavenly, green. That is until last week ...

Heavenly and Blue.

It took a ~~while~~ long while, but it was worth the wait.

The morning glory wasn't the only vine around here to be slow to bloom. The cypress vine (aka: hummingbird vine) did the very same thing. Here you see them growing towards each other. I think they're about to shake hands and congratulate each other for successfully keeping the resident gardener in suspense.

Finally, the last holdout is blooming to the delight of the hummingbirds and me.

And the vines have gone from shaking hands to holding hands.

A Day for Remembrance

2011-09-11T08:51:00.003-04:00

Flying my flag today and ...

remembering along with my fellow Americans.

"Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding. "

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happily, Hopelessly Sidetracked

2011-09-06T18:55:00.000-04:00

The plan this morning was to begin putting a few fall touches in the kitchen. Not feeling ready for pumpkins quite yet, I thought I'd head in the apple direction. So, off to the attic to see what I could find.

Along with the apples, I brought down these wooden blocks and somehow found myself spelling this which somehow ended up next to that old photo of my mom and her dearest friends.

My thoughts turned from apples to eggs when I came across these salt & pepper shakers. Given to me as a gift by mom and her dear friend when I was a newlywed, they made me think of how much those two women loved to shop for "bargains." Remembering their excitement when they brought them to me, I knew they needed to be part of the decor.

That old photo is nothing fancy, but when I look at it I feel like I can almost hear the laughter that was always present when these friends got together. I'm pretty sure I can even smell the coffee and knowing them if there was coffee, there was also dessert. Very likely a pie. Mmmm ... warm memories.

When I was done, I noticed that there wasn't a single apple on display, but instead there were a few shelves that made me smile. My quirky collection of odds and ends conjure up memories of HAPPY TIMES for me.

As is often the case around here, once I finished that area, I decided the shelves in my glass front cupboards could use a little attention so ....

out to the garage for the step stool to get the teapot down from the top shelf and move it to the bottom shelf.

which led to moving these off of the bottom shelf.

and then subtracting a few items from this shelf. Does it seem odd to you to have a petite high chair on your kitchen shelf?

I might have thought that too, until I saw the bunny ... with the hoe and he is carrying a carrot which definitely makes him qualify for the kitchen, right ;D. I guess today he should be carrying an apple, but maybe he is as sidetracked as I am.

It's hard to tell by looking, but I was up and down the stairs and step stool today more times than I can count.

Once I was done the cupboard looked much neater and better organized.

The island ... well that's another matter entirely ;/.

Happy Trails to the Hummers

2011-08-28T18:02:00.001-04:00

Amazing that such tiny little birds can attract such a big crowd, but that is exactly what happened at the one day Hummingbird Festival we attended in Charlotte, NC on Saturday.

Over 3000 of us were fascinated to watch the petite Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds be prepared for their long migration to Central America. We watched as little bands were put around their right feet and a dot of white paint was applied to the top of their heads and wing tips.

The biologist explained that these markings would allow them to keep track of the birds when they return to the area next spring.

After a few photo-ops, she released the little guy into the wild.

I didn't stand a chance of getting a picture of that as they are so fast ~ 35 mph to be exact. We also learned that they have a wing speed of 60 beats per second and can fly sideways, backwards and even hover.

These little birds have to worry about a lot of different predators. Everything from bullfrogs sticking out their tongues and pulling them in to ...

outdoor cats to ...

(I won't enlarge this one :).

You get the idea, I'm sure.

The predator that surprised us the most ...

the praying mantis.

I had no idea that a praying mantis could eat a hummingbird, but we learned that they are often found sitting on hummingbird feeders waiting to attack.

The nest of a hummingbird is about the size of half of a walnut shell. The mother normally lays 2 eggs the size of a coffee bean. Sadly with so many predators only about 10% of the babies survive.

I have always been fascinated by hummingbirds and enjoy watching them visit the flowers and feeders in my yard. Visiting this festival gave me an even bigger appreciation for them. As a matter of fact, I'm off to clean and re-fill my feeders now.

Recipe for Hummingbird Nectar:

4 parts water

1 part sugar

~ bring the water to a boil. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Cool before filling the feeder.

The biologist at this festival advised NOT adding red dye to the food as it is harmful to the birds.

On this warm day in late summer, I am wishing all of the little hummingbirds safe travels until we meet again.

Coffee Klatsching on the First Day of School

2011-08-25T05:00:00.001-04:00

Today is the big day for the kids in my neighborhood.

Since my kids are no longer heading out for their first day of school, I was content to sit on the porch with my cup of coffee and watch the neighbor kids get on the bus. The bus stop is right in front of my house. As I drank my coffee I couldn't help but think about a yearly tradition the mom's had when I was going to elementary school. If you read my previous post and saw the house where I grew up you will know that the following scenario took place on that porch.

Back then ... think 1960s ... eek, I know ... long time ago.

Every year on the first day of school, all of the neighborhood moms would congregate on that porch and have a "coffee klatsch". As we would be trotting off to school they would be sipping coffee, eating baked goods specially made for this moment and talking and laughing. To the kids in my neighborhood the first day of school was synonymous with the mom's "coffee klatsch."

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of this, but I do have the following picture that my sister gave me on my recent visit:

Here you see my mom and her dearest friends. I think this was taken before we were born, but as you can see my mom loved a good "coffee klatsch" even then.

I may not have to get any kids ready for the first day of school, but my thoughts are with children and moms everywhere as they begin a new school year. May the first day go well and the year be a good experience for all.

Even though it still feels like summer, back to school time always gets me thinking about fall. Once my coffee is finished I think I'll head out for a walk to see if there are any early signs of fall in the neighborhood.

Hope your day is a good one.

Going Home

2011-08-22T19:27:00.000-04:00

Greetings Gals!!

Forgive me for leaving you in the laundry room for so long.

I was out of town last week and didn't get a chance to do a post before leaving.

Last week I travelled to my home state ~ Michigan.

It was beyond wonderful to spend the entire week with my sister. While she is working hard at her recovery and it is a SLOW process, there were still so many things we could do together and I cherished each and every one of them.

For starters we went to a matinee of this movie.

Have you seen it?

If not, you might want to. Soooo gooood!!

I read the book and loved it and the movie was every bit as good as the book.

We went to a nearby state park and enjoyed the butterfly garden.

While at the state park we reminisced about the many times our boys had been there for field trips and cub scout camps.

We met the newest addition to their family, Champ.

He is a very handsome cat who loves to sit on the nearest lap.

I learned that my sister enjoys playing Yahtzee and that she is a force to be reckoned with. During our first game she scored 3 Yahtzees. We played many games of Yahtzee and Solitaire while I was there. We reminisced about how it was like when we were kids and would play solitaire outside for hours. We did a lot of reminiscing. Later in the week my brother from California flew in and joined us in the reminiscing. While our time together was short, we savored every moment.

And, of course, a trip to my home state and a week of reminiscing with my siblings wouldn't be complete without a trip to our old house. The modest house that our parents brought each of us home to when we were babies in the 50s. So much has changed since we lived in that house. There have been highs and lows, good times and hard times. Our days spent in that house were the carefree days of our youth. Back then we could have never imagined where life would lead us in the future.

"Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family." ~ Anthony Brandt

Monday Morning Musings From The Laundry Room

2011-08-08T11:18:00.000-04:00

It's been a busy couple of weeks around here.

We've moved both of our boys out of their apartments.

One has moved to a condo in the city. His first time to begin learning the differences in owning vs. renting. He seems to be ready for it. We went for a visit on Saturday and found him happily running the washer and dryer and cleaning the bathroom too. I did a double take as this is a major change from his college apartment days. When I suggested that some of his work shirts needed ironing, he proudly pulled out the iron and ironing board he had just purchased. I tried to give him a crash course in "Introduction to The Iron" as I was rather surprised he even knew what this small appliance was for.

My other son has moved back home until he can find a new apartment near his campus. When that happens another move will be taking place.

All of this moving has meant for little time to take care of things on the homefront. So, today I am home catching up on my own laundry and other assorted jobs around the home.

As long as I'll be in and out of the laundry room, I thought I'd take you in there as well :). Lucky you. :D.

It will come as no surprise that I brought a bit of the garden into the laundry room.

There are plenty of gardeny pictures.

A shadow box where I've tucked in some of my little gardeny treasures.

My sister-in-law found this picture at the Habitat store and had it hanging in her kitchen. When she moved to a new house, she offered it to me. It now hangs in my gardeny laundry room. As the clothes are spinning around in the washer and dryer, I look at this picture and dream of what I want to be doing in the garden.

Speaking of gardening, I have a couple of secrets in my laundry room. One of them is hidden in that garden tool box above. Any guesses as to what is in there ??

This is where I keep all of the plant tags for every perennial plant in my garden. This way if I have a question about what a plant is called or when to fertilize or prune it, I can go to my little box and dig out the tag with all of that important info on it. At least once a year I go through the tags and edit out the ones of plants that are no longer with us.

My other secret is hidden above the utility sink.

Meet my vase cupboard.

It's so handy to come in from the garden, reach up for a vase, reach down for water to fill the vase and voila ... flower arrangement.

A few weeks ago I cleaned and organized my vase cupboard. Most of these vases have been found at thrift and antique shops. Not long after I got them all organized I was reading a post at Susan Branch's blog about her vase cupboard. Check it out here. I love when we make these little connections through blogland. Speaking of Susan Branch's blog, have you been there yet? Absolutely delightful place to visit.

Well, I guess it's time to quit talking about the laundry room and get busy doing the laundry.

I'm off to whistle while I work,

It's a new week ... might as well start it off on a happy note.

♫ Hi Ho, Hi Ho ... ♫♫♫

Another Escape From The Heat

2011-07-28T19:55:00.000-04:00

As much as I'd like to be sharing photos of my garden, it's not a pretty sight right now. The heat and humidity are taking a toll on everything. If you live in an area where the heatwave has settled in, then you know that it's getting to be a bit old. So rather than prattle on about things we're powerless to change, let's stay in where it's cool and enjoy other people's gardens.

Let's go on a Garden Walk.

This one takes place in Salisbury, NC.

I actually attended it last month, but I'm happy to re-visit some of the highlights and hope that you too might enjoy it.

The photos above plus the next few are all from one man's garden. He has over 600 roses. I will keep my dialogue to a minimum so that you can stroll along and enjoy the beauty.

Aren't they beautiful?

One of the things I really enjoy about garden walks is the inspiration I receive. The following pictures show some of the ideas that intrigued me:

I love, love, love this combination of plants.

A simple, but pretty combination of colors.

I love potting sheds and found this one to be charming. Not only was it cute, but the landscaping around it was lovely and ....

check out the wreath.

As long as we're on the subject of cute potting sheds ...

Look at what was tucked behind this house.

They say that "beauty is in the details" and I love the details on this doorknocker and doorknob.

It will come as no surprise that I like this bit of whimsy :-D

"If friends were flowers, I'd pick you"

I sure did enjoy reading your comments on my last post.

I smiled at the thought of us sitting together in my guest room munching on Mississippi Mud Cake, fresh fruit and endless glasses of iced tea. Yummy!! You could all bring your vintage books and we could share the precious artwork. Aaah... sounds like a perfect day to me.

Keep cool and thanks for being you.

Love Ya.

~ Kim

A Vintage Retreat From The Heat

2011-07-21T12:30:00.001-04:00

If you are a fan of all things vintage, I invite you to step out of the heat and into my guest room.

The room in my house where vintage pictures grace the walls and ...

mingle happily with vintage linens.

It's also the place where vintage books get along quite nicely with vintage bookends. If you like vintage books I'll let you in on a secret feature in my guest room.

Inside the closet there is a little door and behind that door is ...

my collection of vintage children's books.

These were the books responsible for starting my love of collecting vintage children's books.

When I used to read them to my boys many years ago, I instantly fell in love with the illustrations like this... so happy, so homey, so cozy. Well, you get the idea, don't you?

The talents of the illustrator to capture the sweet innocent beauty of children captured my heart. Are there many things cuter than a little girl's pigtails?

Ever since I discovered that the illustrator was Eloise Wilkin, I've been on the hunt for books containing her wonderful artwork.

Thanks to many years of thrift shopping, I've managed to find quite a few.

Along the way I've discovered a lot more children's books with wonderful illustrations and the collection has grown.

I've often thought of this collection as my little retreat from the real world. The current heatwave has made me retreat inside a little more than I'd like, but it's also given me time to re-visit one of my favorite collections.

So, if you'd like a vintage retreat from the heat, pull up a chair and join me. I'll provide the iced tea.

Proving That You Can't Judge a Book (or Pie) By It's Cover

2011-07-11T18:32:00.000-04:00

" Eat dessert first, so you'll be sure to have room for it"

~ Mildred Rowe

While planning our recent getaway to Virginia, I noticed a restaurant that sounded familiar to me. When I started to read about the down home cooking and home baked pies that were offered there, I remembered why it rang a bell.

Sure enough it was the same place I had read about in this cookbook recently purchased at the thrift shop.

As long as we were in the area, we made it a point to have lunch at Mrs. Rowe's Family Restaurant. We also made it a point to save enough room for a piece of pie. As my husband was eating his slice of lemon meringue he told me about how he used to help his great Aunt Mabel make them when he was a little boy. His job was to whip the egg whites into that fluffy meringue. After finishing the pie at Mrs. Rowe's, he said it was one of the best pieces he'd ever tasted.

Lemon meringue pie is something I'd never attempted before. But when I saw that Mrs. Rowe's delicious recipe was included in the cookbook I thought it was time to give it a try.

I followed the recipe closely and found an unexpected surprise near the end.

While the recipe said to bake for 30 minutes, it didn't say what temperature to bake it at. I read and re-read and nope, that little piece of information was missing. After consulting another recipe for lemon meringue pie, I settled on 325 degrees and cautiously watched it to make sure it wouldn't burn.

Fresh from the oven it was looking good.

I asked Brett to critique the meringue.

Because I chose the "weepless" recipe for meringue, I knew it wasn't going to be as fluffy as some meringues. Knowing that humidity is the enemy of meringue and we have a preponderance of humidity at the moment, I though this was the best choice.

The resident meringue critiquer pronounced the meringue looked as it should. Nice and lightly browned.

The recipe said to allow it to cool and then serve at room temperature or chilled.

As we ate dinner, the pie was cooling.

When the time came to serve this long anticipated pie, we put our forks away and had to decide which of the following would work best:

It seems a better name for my pie might be "Lake Lemon Meringue Pie". The meringue and crust were fine and the flavor of the lemon filling was excellent, but shall we say it was a bit ... runny.

The guys in my family didn't seem to mind and practically inhaled their pieces.

In the end, if life gives you lemons, I think I'd stick with the lemonade.

Sisters, Sisters ... There Were Never Such Devoted Sisters

2011-07-05T18:53:00.002-04:00

While looking through my wedding pictures I came across this one and struggled to keep my emotions in check.

My sister and I. We share a close relationship. Through the years we could stay up until all hours of the night talking about anything and everything ... as sisters tend to do. When I moved to North Carolina we had our conversations via the phone. It wasn't unusual for our calls to last an hour or two. She is my older sister and my only sister. We have a lot in common, but at the same time we couldn't be more different from each other if we tried.

When she had her stroke 2 years ago she was left with her right side paralyzed and aphasia. When she had her stroke I knew nothing about aphasia. I assumed that with a lot of speech therapy she would be able to communicate once again. I thought she might be left with slurred speech, but I had no idea she might not be able to talk or read again. Sadly as of today that is the case. When I call her she is able to say "yes" and "no". She always tries to ask me questions, but there are no words that are decipherable. I do send letters as I know she enjoys receiving mail, but for the most part someone else has to read them to her.
I don't fully understand aphasia, but I often wonder if it is an even worse fate than being paralyzed. Since she woke up in a hospital room 2 years ago and was told she had suffered a massive stroke she hasn't been able to discuss her feelings, her fears or ask questions. When our Mom passed away she wasn't able to put her grief into words or writing.
I once heard a man on NPR telling about his experience with aphasia. He was recovering his speech to some extent, but said it was a bit like being in prison. He knew what he wanted to say, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't form the words. I can't even imagine how difficult and frustrating that must be.

I don't know exactly why I'm putting this into a post except that some of you have asked about my sister and I haven't done an update in a while and I guess to be honest I really, really miss the girl talk my sister and I had. I think most of you understand girl talk whether it be with your own sister or your best friend.

Next month I am planning to go visit my sister. It will be wonderful to see her. Communication is a bit easier face to face, but still challenging. For now I hope and pray that I can be of help to her.

Celebrating 30 Years

2011-07-03T21:36:00.000-04:00

I've been away from the blog world for a bit to celebrate our wedding anniversary.

On June 27th, 1981 we said "I Do".

Yep, that's 30 years with the same man.

Thirty years and we're still "doing" and for that I am thankful.

We decided to get away for a few days and head to a couple of bed and breakfasts in Virginia. It was a very laid back trip. On the way we decided to stop in Mt. Airy, NC.

Mt. Airy is where Andy Griffith was born and his childhood home remains there today.

It seems there is some debate as to whether Mt. Airy was the small town that inspired The Andy Griffith Show.

Whether it was or it wasn't, it sure does have the feel of good ole' Mayberry.

After leaving ~~Mayberry~~ Mt. Airy we drove on many mountain roads with beautiful views as we wound our way into Virginia and the first bed and breakfast inn. We enjoyed eating at great restaurants, stopping at antique shops, visiting Stonewall Jackson's house and even visiting a local winery. You'll have to take my word on this as we didn't take any pictures. I told you it was a laid back trip ; - ).

Our second destination had a lovely view from the balcony. It overlooks the Pagan River in Smithfield, Virginia.

Smithfield is where the famous Smithfield hams are made. It has a cute little downtown area and The Smithfield Inn (pictured above) is where Paula Deen has filmed some of the commercials for Smithfield hams.

While I was checking out some of the shops, Brett had a chat with Ben.

The Christmas Store was having a Christmas in July sale.
One of the windows was done up with a red, white and blue Christmas tree along with Uncle Sam. Very cute.
Inside they even had Santa visiting. He was dressed in his red pants and a patriotic shirt.

Now we are home once again and as I sit here typing away, the fireworks are going off all around me. It's a week long event around these parts (much to the chagrin of Peanut who likes to hide in the closet and whimper).
It was good to be away and now it's good to be home.
I'll be around to visit just as soon as I get the suitcases unpacked and the washing machine humming.
In the meantime, Happy, Happy 4th of July to all of my readers in America!!

Ready For A Ride

2011-06-22T15:37:00.000-04:00

Hello and Happy Summer.

In honor of the sweet summertime, I have decided to get really wild and bring my old bike out of hiding. I bought it at a thrift shop a few years ago and had visions of making it a part of the garden decor. That is until my boys saw it and thought I'd lost my marbles for purchasing something so ancient. Then I began having second thoughts and let it collect dust in the garage.

But, hey it's a new day. The boys have flown the nest so I say out comes the bike. Since they aren't here to poke fun at me, I am going to do a little playing. Keeps me young ... or so I tell myself.

This morning I was doing some after the storm clean-up in the garden. We had big thunderstorms last night with lots and lots of lightning. So, while out picking up branches I noticed how pretty the hydrangeas were looking and thought why not deck out the old blue bike a bit. Hee Hee, wouldn't the boys be horrified if they saw this?

~ Wishing you a fun-filled summer ~

Walks, Wild Things and Pretty Things

2011-06-14T13:35:00.000-04:00

A pleasant morning greeted us today.

A perfect morning for a walk.

It has been HoT & HuMiD here for several weeks, so when there's a break in the humidity, it's time to get outside and do something.

Peanut was happy to accompany me.

As we walked around the block we counted flags.

If you live in America, you will know that today is Flag Day.

You did know that, didn't you :-D ?
Anyhow, we counted 8 flags.

When we got home, we hung up our flag, so now if you walked around our block you would count 9.

After hanging the flag, I noticed this pretty row of impatiens smiling up at me from the crack where the porch meets the house. They planted themselves there and seem to be thriving.

Once we got back from our walk I decided to check out the yard and garden. I found some other things thriving. They didn't make me quite as happy, however.

Exhibit A

Good Lord, what is this??

I've gotten used to a lot of things since moving to the south, but the reptiles still make me cringe.

We often see little chameleon, lizardy types of things and they are kinda cute. This guy looks like a mini gator to me. Look at the scales, claws, tail...

After discovering him I went over to water some plants under a nearby tree. Earlier in the spring I had hung a gourd bird feeder from the tree and was excited to watch a bird make a nest in there. Recently when I would water near there I would hear the little chirps of the babies. Today I heard no chirps. As I looked at their little home I saw someone looking back at me.

Eeeeeeeewwwwww!!!

Now this is something I will never get used to.

I know they are one of God's creatures, but they give me the creeps. Big.Time!

Not to mention that I think he ate the bird family. :-(

On a happier (and prettier) note, I have some light purple hydrangeas blooming and ...

the cone flowers are making their first appearance in the perennial bed and best of all ...

the crape myrtles are blooming. Unlike the reptiles, they are one of my favorite things about living in the south. I guess no matter where you live there are good things and not so good things.

The important thing is to take a lesson from those impatiens and ...

~ ** Bloom Where You Are Planted ** ~

**Enjoy your day and raise your hand if the flag is waving at your house. **

Meeting Julia

2011-06-10T05:00:00.002-04:00

Spotting the dish in my hand, she spoke to me.

She told me that she was glad I got the dish.

Reaching into her cart, she carefully pulled out the plates that she had found and we began a conversation about how we would hate to see these beautiful pieces of old china get chipped and broken amongst the stacks of objects on the thrift shop shelves.

She told me she had something she wanted to show me.

She knew the value to be far more than the asking price.

She told me she'd love to give it a good home, but she was in the midst of sorting through her 90 year old father's belongings and couldn't bring one more thing home right now.

As I was quickly deciding that 85 cents was a very good price for a cup and saucer with this marking ...

she mentioned that she had recently moved her dad into the memory care unit of an assisted living facility. The same facility that I had moved my mom into 3 years ago.

As we continued to look at dishes we compared notes on who was still living there since my mom passed away.

As she told me the circumstances that led to her dad's move to memory care, I had about decided that bargain cup and saucer would coordinate well with my Lenox Christmas china.

She shared with me that she was spending a lot of time with her dad because she'd recently lost her husband and isn't ready to lose her dad yet. I looked up at her and there were tears in her eyes.

She told me that he was the love of her life. They were both close to retirement and had plans to travel together. Until he was diagnosed with cancer and died 3 months later. She struggled to keep her composure. She said he had the same type of cancer that took my dad's life several years ago. I was instantly taken back to the sadness of that time. I hugged her and said "I understand". Because I do.

She talked to me for nearly an hour and I was more than happy to listen.

When I needed to be on my way, she said to me "you will never know the value of the listening ear you provided to me today."

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." ~ Plato

A Most Welcome Visitor

2011-06-09T07:27:00.000-04:00

Not long after the Butterfly Bushes began blooming ...

Look who returned to the garden.

I'm officially hanging out the welcome sign.

~ Welcome Back, Butterflies ~

I have missed you and welcome you once again.

"Just living is not enough," said the butterfly,

"one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower."

~ Hans Christian Anderson

Since Last Week . . .

2011-06-02T18:41:00.000-04:00

There was a ladies luncheon complete with hydrangeas ...

and blue & white table linens.

There was fresh fruit served alongside a croissant filled with Lemon-Tarragon Chicken Salad. Recipe can be found by clicking here. If you are looking for a good chicken salad recipe, this one won't disappoint. I didn't have time to take a picture of it, but it is my new favorite.

The magnolias came into bloom and my nose rejoiced at the soft, sweet scent.

Not far from the magnolias, the Easter lilies opened up. Despite temperatures in the upper 90s, I made sure to get out there early in the day for a few sniffs.

A new fountain was purchased.

Hubby saw a lady carrying the same one out of BJ's one day.

Hubby called me and said he thought we needed one.

Hubby has taken a renewed interest in the garden since I took him to the garden walk. Hubby is a good guy. I think I'll keep him :).

There was even an impromptu Memorial Day get-together where big cousins went tubing with little cousins, new girlfriends met the parents and the barbecue was put to good use. The camera, however, was not put to use after the above picture.

Remember back here when you all so graciously bolstered me up, shared your secrets and gently nudged me in the right direction when it came to entertaining? Well, I'm happy to say that since then I've changed my thinking on entertaining. There have been several occasions that instead of just thinking about it, I've done it and you know what? It feels good and I plan to do a lot more of it. Thanks once again for your encouragement.

A Weeknight Picnic

2011-05-25T06:30:00.002-04:00

Being "emptynesters" has it's pros and cons.

I'd say one of the pros is being able to do what we want, when we want. No longer do we have to worry about the kid's schedules. If we want to go on a picnic on a Tuesday evening, that's exactly what we do. No checking the calendar for soccer games, cub scout meetings, hockey practice, etc...

Last night that's exactly what we did.

Headed to this lovely place and had a picnic.

Last fall we bought a Groupon for a picnic for 2 here. Do you use Groupon? We've found a lot of fun places to go through Groupon. Next month we're going to 2 different Bed & Breakfasts using Groupons that we purchased a few months ago. We'll be celebrating something special. I'll be sure to do a post on it.

Anyhow, back to the picnic.

They thought of everything when they packed this picnic basket.

We selected a spot near the pond and had a toast ~ to the beauty of this day and the gift of health & happiness.

What would a North Carolina picnic be without a pulled pork BBQ sandwich?

Cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple and mangoes were diced very small. They looked cute and also were easy to manage on the spoon. Great idea for picnic food.

This picnic was a wonderful way to de-stress on a weekday. The sounds of the waterfall and the birds was so peaceful. The only way I could get you to really feel it was to include a short "movie".

Watch it at your own risk as I've never done this before and my battery was threatening to die the whole time. Oh yeah, and my husband was rolling his eyes wondering when he could eat his food.

I know ... no Oscars will be given out for that movie, but hopefully it gave you a feel for the atmosphere at our weeknight picnic.

After a dessert of banana pudding, it was time to head for home.

While my husband was busy setting the GPS for the return trip, I was busy taking a picture of this beautiful house (before my battery completely conked out). I love wraparound porches and this one looks so inviting to me.

Picnics & porches ~ two great ways to enjoy the warmer weather.

White and Blue for Me and You

2011-05-19T18:31:00.000-04:00

In the sky ...

In the garden ...

On the kitchen counter ...

and the kitchen table ...

blue & white looks right to me.

And those cookies look pretty good too; - ).

Wish you could come over and share them with me.

Shall we have a virtual cookie party?

The kitchen still smells like cookies baking.

Mmmm... love.that.smell.

When the party is over, I'll send you on your way with a little blue and white bouquet from my garden and I'll also thank you for the kindness you show to me on this little blog of mine.

"We cannot do great things on this Earth, only small things with great love." ~ Mother Teresa

Concentrating on Concentrating

2011-05-14T19:39:00.001-04:00

Concentration is a trait that my husband possesses.

Sometimes he comes to the mall with me and once he's done looking for what he needs, he finds a chair in the middle of the mall and reads until I'm done. When we meet up again he always tells me how many pages he got read. Sometimes it's 100 or more.

I find this unbelievable because if I ever attempted to read in the midst of a mall I'd get so sidetracked by one of my favorite hobbies ~ people watching ~ that I'd be lucky to read 3 pages and I probably wouldn't remember what I read because my skills for concentration are a bit different than his.

I'd like to say that the noise and activity in the mall is what distracts me, but it seems my concentration can be broken in the quiet of my own home too. For instance, this afternoon I sat down in the living room to do some reading. After reading a few pages, my eye went to this:

This yellow table is something I bought a few years ago at an antique store. It sort of got set in this location, but I wasn't fond of the bright yellow, especially next to the yellow floral sofa.

As I continued reading, my mind began wandering to a can of paint I had in the laundry room. I tried to keep reading, but before long ...

Out came the paint. Unfortunately I didn't have any green spray paint, but the first coat went on pretty quick.

As the first coat of paint was drying, I resumed my reading.

I don't know how many pages I read, but I knocked off a few chapters before it was time to do the next coat.

Okay, I may not have a great power of concentration, but ...

once in a while I can kill 2 birds with one stone.

My Wish For You This Mother's Day

2011-05-07T20:41:00.000-04:00

May you find time to smell the flowers ...

time to relax ...

time to enjoy the children in your life ...

as mother's we know how quickly they leap from toddlers to adults

I wish you a peaceful spot in which to read, enjoy your morning coffee or ...

enjoy the beauty of your garden.

While you're out there make sure to smell a rose and if you don't have a rose, find one in your neighborhood and smell it. :)

Let somebody serve you lunch or dinner ~ alfresco style ...

and when it's time to do the dishes, go find yourself a comfy spot and put your feet up and ...

take one last chance to smell the flowers before Monday morning arrives and real life begins again ;-).

All photos courtesy of the Wing Haven Garden Walk in Charlotte, NC. That is where I spent my day today thanks to the tickets I received as a birthday gift from my son. Thanks, Mike. It was a perfect day in every way.

Happy Mother's Day!!

Love,

Backyard Babies

2011-04-26T16:07:00.000-04:00

My intention was to give my small vegetable garden a quick watering before lunch.

But on the way to the vegetable garden I noticed that the first peony of the season was blooming. Thinking this was a "baby picture" moment, I took a detour into the house for the camera.

As I was preparing to take the peony's picture, a speck of blue caught my eye. Since this is the first Japanese iris to bloom, it was necessary to capture it with a photo too.

Across the yard I noticed one bloom on the bearded iris. Just yesterday it was only a bud. This is such an exciting time in the garden. Each day brings new surprises.

Plants that were too new to bloom last season are bursting with blooms this year.

If you're feeling a bit down, a little walk around your yard, your neighborhood or a local park may be just what you need to lift your spirits. Everywhere you look there are signs of new life.

Today I discovered new life of another type in my backyard.

Yesterday there were 4 bluebird eggs in this carefully constructed nest. If you look closely you will see that one of the eggs has been replaced with a fuzzy little birdie. Now this really is a "baby picture" moment. In fact I attempted to get a better quality photo, but the next time I checked mama bluebird was firmly planted on top of her babies so I quietly closed the door and tiptoed away.

I headed back to the vegetable garden which is where I was supposed to be all along. Once there I noticed my radishes are getting ready to be harvested. Before I got the hose turned on to begin my watering, the skies opened up and my camera and I sprinted toward the house.

No need to water that garden now.

A well timed shower in my opinion.

The Flower Cross

2011-04-24T22:46:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite traditions at church on Easter Sunday is the flower cross. I had never seen this done until I moved to North Carolina. The cross sits outside the doors of the church as an empty structure made out of chicken wire. Everybody is invited to bring a few flowers to add to it. Most of them are cut from backyard gardens and it's always so fun to see how they all come together to create such a pretty cross. By the time the service begins, the cross looks like this. As we sing the opening hymn, the cross is wheeled into the church.

Once the service is over, it is wheeled outside where it becomes a popular backdrop to family Easter photos.

I love this flower cross and I also love looking at the children in their Easter outfits (A-dorable) and I especially love to listen to the powerful voices of the choir singing The Hallelujah Chorus. Always, always moves me to tears.

What are your favorite Easter traditions?

~ Easter Greetings ~

2011-04-23T15:24:00.000-04:00

This bunny is too busy for blog hoppin' today, but wants to take a moment to wish you all a Happy & Blessed Easter.

Don't Even Think About It, Mr. Bunny

2011-04-14T20:19:00.000-04:00

I planted strawberries for the first time.

I was so excited to see them turning red.

Looks like I'm not the only one who's excited about it.

There's More Than One Way To Feather A Nest

2011-04-11T23:01:00.000-04:00

I spent the weekend gardening and feathering my nest for Easter.

When it rained outside, I was inside creating Easter land and when the sun came out I headed outside to plant, weed, prune and enjoy the beauty of Springtime. A perfect weekend, in my opinion.

Come on in and I'll show you what I've been up to.

This shelf worked out perfectly for displaying a few of my vintage Easter cards.

The little lamb was in a bag of Christmas figurines I bought at a thrift shop. I think he works pretty well with this card, although I'm not sure if he's too happy about it.

While I was busy decorating the house, somebunny else was busy decorating the eggs and making the candy for the Easter baskets.

He even made some with zero calories ;-).

Gotta love that guy.

It's not often that you find a book in a thrift shop that matches your flower arrangement. When you do, you must buy it ~ mustn't you?

A little table on the way to the powder room.

As you can see there is no shortage of bunnies and eggs around here.

See what I mean?

So this weekend found me not only looking into magical eggs, but also ...

looking into magical birdhouses full of eggs of a different sort.

I'm not sure what kind of bird laid these eggs, but she sure did a remarkable job of creating a safe, soft haven for her babies.
She quite literally feathered her nest.

It made me smile to think that while I was in my house feathering my nest for my family a sweet little birdie was also busy feathering her nest for her family.

I love Spring !!!

Smilin'

2011-04-01T10:50:00.000-04:00

~ Things that are making me smile today ~

Quite possibly my new favorite bread for toasting. Recipe here.
Last night's quick, but tasty dinner which hit the spot on a cold and damp night. Recipe here.
Another new recipe that proved to be not only tasty, but low fat. Gotta love that. The closest I could get to a direct link found here.

The return of blue skies after a gray and gloomy week.
Birdsong in the morning.

Rainbows on the ceiling.

Rhubarb. I planted it last year and was convinced the heat had done it in. Guess what ... it's back. Woo Hoo! Wonder if I'll get enough to make a strawberry-rhubarb pie with? Can anybody tell me how I know when it's ready to be cut?

Cutting the first knock-out rose of the season and pairing it with a few grape hyacinths which will always, always remind me of my mom. Hi mom!!

Having a head full of curlers when the garage door repairman rings the doorbell. Oops, no, April Fool's ... that one didn't exactly make me smile. I think I set a record for pulling those babies out and tossing them on the counter while running for the door. Ever notice how when they say between 9:00 and 11:00 it's always 9 when you're not quite ready and 11:00 when you are?

A cheery picture on my calendar ... that also matches my kitchen ... and was free from the local power company ~ no fooling :), ;), =)

What's making you smile today?

A Birthday Dinner With a Touch of Pink

2011-03-29T08:02:00.000-04:00

As I have been savoring every delicious meal plan, delighting in your shared wisdom for entertaining guests graciously and actually looking forward to stepping out of my comfort zone, a small opportunity presented itself.

A special young lady (my son's girlfriend) was celebrating a birthday.

As she and Jeremy were going to be stopping by yesterday, it seemed a cake and some gifts were in order. After checking to see if they could stay for dinner, I decided to make my son's most requested recipe (nicknamed "Mac & Ham"), broccoli & cauliflower and a nice fresh salad. He'd been telling her about this recipe since they met and she was anxious to try it. It's certainly not fancy, but it's the recipe both of my boys request when given a choice of what's on the menu for dinner.

And since her favorite color is pink, freshly picked pink dogwood branches became the obvious choice for an impromptu centerpiece.

Dinner was on the table and eaten before the camera stood a chance. I always enjoy watching college kids ~~scarf down~~ eat a home-cooked meal.

** Happy 20th Birthday to Amber **

Thank you all for your wonderful encouragment and menu suggestions. My mouth was watering just reading them. I'll keep you posted on the "stepping out of the comfort zone dinner".

The Gift of Today and A Request

2011-03-23T18:11:00.000-04:00

The past few years have made me realize more than ever that each and every day is a gift. A life lesson that I wish I'd learned when I was much younger, but better late than never.

Growing up painfully shy, I wasn't one to jump into life with both feet. It was more like sticking one toe in and testing the water before feeling comfortable enough to embrace it.

The outgoing people who jump in there and grab life by the horns and "just do it" have always fascinated and amazed me. I can't imagine what that feels like, but it sure looks like fun.

Thankfully, over the years the painful part has fallen by the wayside, but it seems shy will always be a part of who I am. Something I work to overcome each day.

Shyness may be one of the obstacles in my life, but it doesn't steal my happiness and joy for life. It also doesn't prevent me from appreciating each and every day. It does, however, still make me stick with "safe and comfortable" more often than I'd like.

An example of safe and comfortable :

I've gotten in the safe habit of entertaining a couple of times per year. It's pretty much the same people (family members) and the menu has gotten very comfortable. In other words, make what I know they like and I'm safe. No danger that they won't like it.

The problem is I really want to step out of my comfort zone and invite some new people over for dinner. I've been talking about doing it for years and every time I get close I chicken out. Although I own about a hundred cookbooks, I go blank when I think of what to serve that will go over well. I think I need a nudge from all of you out there who seem to entertain so comfortably and easily.

I honestly can't believe I'm typing this and I'd better hit publish soon or I know it will be deleted. It's just that I am determined to overcome this little obstacle and soon. So, what I'd like to ask is if you have a recipe that you serve company and it's always a hit, would you consider telling me about it?

Hope this wasn't TMI for you today.

I heard on the news this morning that several states received snow. Although it is 81 degrees here right now, it's been snowing cherry blossoms all afternoon.

Stepping way out of my comfort zone to hit PUBLISH now.

Welcoming Spring With A Happy Heart

2011-03-20T16:14:00.000-04:00

We've been waiting for you.

But now the wait is over.

For you have arrived once again, carrying with you fresh air and gentle breezes . . .

The promise of new life. . .

Bright colors to refresh the winter weary landscape.

And the sweet, sweet smells that you do so well.

Now that you are here . . .

Please make yourself at home and stay awhile.

Happy, Happy First Day of Spring!