The Library, the Lilacs, and Mr. Badger!

News Flash:  Mr. Badger has left Ireland and arrived in England.  Here are the links and I highly recommend clicking over because the hostesses (Mags and Betty) are playing along beautifully! Mags' blog  Betty's blog

 We went to the library today.  Samantha bounced up and down with joy because she now has her own library card!  Sister Plum liked the children's area very much!

 And then to the park!

 I don't mean to bore you with MORE lilacs, but I can't resist them!  They are really lasting a long time this spring.  

 One year my pansies thrived all summer long.  I'm hoping they will again!

 I don't remember planting this bulb so I am thrilled that it is about to pop!

 I guess I was in love with lilacs last year, too!

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul."
  ~John Muir

A Spring Stroll and a Book Browse

 I wish you could hear the birds singing here. I decided to take more scenic strolls instead of quick loops on the nearest sidewalks.  

 The weather is just cool enough for a light cardigan.  

 I picked a small sprig of lilac because soon it'll all be gone.  Sad.

Before I took the delicious walk I was at my old school reading with just one student today.  I stopped at the book store to buy my two regular readers new reads and I indulged in a little knitting book browsing.  FUN!

 Someone put the Shaker Furniture Projects title in the wrong place. Funny.

 I think going to the book store is something I am going to do a bit more often.  It was so relaxing and enjoyable!

When I go to school everyone I talk to asks me how I'm doing with all the grandchildren.  Smile.  I like telling them that it's wonderful, but honestly, I don't see grandchildren every day.  Some days I do no more than write in my journal, read my bible, drink a lot of tea, iron a blouse or two, pull ten weeds (ha!) or read.  I talk to Bill. I cook dinner. I sleep for eight hours almost every night. I knit - all very commonplace and absolutely delightful.  I'm so thankful!
Some of our grands are on a vacation and I am thinking about them a lot.  Missing them.

 If I had to choose a vacation locale right now, I would choose this - Guemes Island in Washington State.  My favorite island!  Click on the link.  Maybe you'd like to visit it, too!
In a bit over a week my mom is coming to visit!  Aren't you excited?  I am!  I hope the sun shines so she doesn't get chilled.  We'll be together for Mother's Day!  Yay!  What a treat!

I am going to make taco salad and corn bread for dinner tonight, but first I'm going to pull a weed or two.  Thank you for clicking in today!  I appreciate it.  

Knitted Woodland

 (In the spring we can grill!  YUM!)
Hello spring chickens!  As I look out the window from my chair (reclined, of course!) I see SUCH friendly green!  Our across-the-street neighbors have the loveliest maple trees and they are almost in full leaf.  Every year I love spring more, do you?

 Look at the book below!  Adorable, right?  I think I am going to knit a good amount of the components found in a woodland! When the book came Bill asked me what book I ordered and when I showed it to him, he raised his eyebrows and said, "Really?"  Ha ha ha ha!  YES!  Who doesn't want to knit their own little woodland, I ask? I tucked my hedgehog finger puppet into the gathered yarn.  He can help.

 There is a gnome pattern and A BADGER!  Mr. Badger of The Wind in the Willows fame is still at Mags' house.  He's pausing before flying to Betty's, but we'll keep you posted on his progress.  Meanwhile, I might knit a badger very soon!

 The birds are so cute hanging on the feeders.  I love their shape, don't you?

 The snow didn't crush the spirit of the lilac!  Wow!  I am thinking about having the two photos below reproduced on canvas.  I think lilacs deserve to hang around all year long (in the living room, of course!)

 The same neighbors that sport the violet-like flowers have these firm and stout tulips.  Aw, yellow again!

 Today I am meeting with Ginny the kitchen lady and she wants me to bring some photos of our existing kitchen.  It's been a sweet little serviceable room.  I am looking forward to the cottage-y green cabinets and the hole above the sink!  Woo hoo!

 Our son-in-law turns 33 tomorrow so we had dinner and cake earlier this week.  He'll be in Florida for his actual birthday.  The cake was way too chocolatey but I had success getting the two layers out of the pans.  This rarely occurs so YAY for my improving cake baking skills.  Sorry to boast.

When I was 33 we had a 2 year old, a 4 year old, a 7 year old, and a 9 year old.  Those were happy times, corralling the kids in our funny mini-van, eating kid-friendly meals, doing mounds of laundry, and in the summer, packing up to go to camp for 3-4 weeks.  When we'd go to the grocery store I would say, "Order of the ducks!" and they would obediently stay in line in the dangerous (smile) parking lot.  Those were such happy days.  Now having grands in the house is very joyful!  

I finished Swift Rivers by Cornelia Meigs.  I must say that I truly appreciate the way she highlighted the noble qualities of the characters.  I fear we've come to expect less from the characters in books today.  Thankfully, there are still some great ones created by Frances O'Roark Dowell (our own Left-Handed Housewife!), Kate DiCamillo, Sharon Lovejoy, and others.
Thank you for stopping in to say hello.  I hope your spring day is sweet and reassuring.