To Florida and Back

Last week we travelled to the Sunshine State.

The first few days we visited Brett's mom.  She will turn 95 later this year and is starting to show signs of dementia.  Brett and his sister went through her storage room while I spent time going through photos with her.  A lot of time was spent reminiscing about these photos.  Often I had no idea who the people were and she couldn't remember, yet she was reluctant to toss them.  I tried to explain that the younger generation isn't typically interested in these old relics so if they didn't have meaning to her, it wasn't necessary to keep hundreds and hundreds of them.  

Meanwhile in the storage room, Brett and his sister dealt with tax papers from the 1970s to the present and every brochure for every piece of furniture, appliance, etc. that they had owned.  Once done they had 400 lbs. of paperwork to be shredded.

I don't say this to be critical of my in-laws.  Instead, it was a reminder of how much has changed regarding keeping photos and paperwork in the past few decades.  

After the work was done, we enjoyed a nice lunch overlooking the water.

The boating activity and pelicans were entertaining as we dined on fresh grouper sandwiches.

Then it was on to visit our son and his family for the remainder of the week.  Jaxson was on spring break so there was lots of time for science experiments and many, many board games.

We brought our very old tennis rackets and introduced Jaxson to the game.

Somewhere in my own old photo collection I have a similar shot of my dad with his two grandsons on the tennis court holding their rackets in this same position.  My parents loved the game and wanted all of us to love it as much as they did.  

All too soon the week was over and it was time to head home.

I never like that part and neither does Jaxson :(

Good memories will tide us over until the next visit.

🌞🌞🌞

Decorating for Easter and a Quick and Delicious Cake Recipe

Last week I was inspired to pull out the bunnies, colored eggs, chicks and tulips to set the stage for Spring's arrival (one week from today) and Easter at the very end of the month.

The cotton branches adorning the top of the hutch were a gift from a friend.  I once mentioned to her how amazed I was the first time I spotted cotton growing in a field along the country road I was driving on.  Not something one sees in my home state of Michigan.  The next time I saw her she presented me with a huge bundle of cotton from her brother's farm.  At Christmastime I put it up there thinking it looked a bit like snowballs.  Now I am letting it morph into cottontails for the Easter season.

See?

One little cotton ball that broke off has turned this bunny into Peter Cottontail.

Yesterday I had a guest coming for an impromptu dinner.

Wondering what I could come up with for a quick dessert, I remembered this recipe for King Arthur's Original Cake Pan Cake.

It goes together super quick with ingredients that I generally have on hand.  Perhaps this is one of the reasons that it is one of King Arthur's most requested recipes.

Wondering what else I had on hand to fancy it up a bit, I opted for a dollop of whipped cream and a fresh raspberry.  

Moist, chocolaty and they'll never know how easy it was.

March Make It's Arrival

~ Welcome March ~

The rain is falling outside my window on this first day of March.

Along with the raindrops I see an abundance of Northern Cardinals and Mourning Doves combing the ground for seeds that have fallen from the feeders.  The daffodils are beginning to bloom.  Their brilliant golden hues a bright spot on this otherwise gray day.

Today March has made it's arrival.

Hooray!

Spring is right around the corner.

Something new to see each day as the temperatures slowly begin to rise.  I love the colors of Spring.  So welcome after the drab shades of winter.

This year March also brings Easter.  I love the pastel colors of Easter decor, candy and flowers.  Soon I will decorate the house for Easter and put away the few lingering snowflake themed decorations that are loosing their luster at this time of year.

How has March arrived in your corner today?

Rain, sunshine, wind, or (heaven forbid) snow?  Unless, of course, you love the snow ;-)