If I had the time...

I would tell you all about the lovely wedding we went to yesterday at Fauntleroy Community Church. I did not bring my camera as it was the wedding of a photographer and about a third of the guests were photographers or stylists and they certainly had it covered. The bride and groom were co-workers of the DH when he was in advertising at Macy's. The reception was at Salty's on Alki and the food was a wonderful surf and turf buffet. Delicious! The view of downtown Seattle as day faded to night and the lights of the city came on, was breathtaking!

Or I would tell you about the picture that DH took of the elderly lady walking with a cane in White Center as she led her miniature PONY down the sidewalk.

Or I would have a list of the treasures for sale at Florabundance, the yearly Arboretum sale. I exercised restraint and only bought tomatoes, beets and peppers.

But, I must write the parent letter for my classroom and I want to maybe, just maybe, get out into the yard, now that the fog is burning off.

Weekends are altogether too short!

Cock a Doodle Doo!

Cock a Doodle Doo!
Originally uploaded by mtnester.

I didn't get up with the roosters today but I was at the Kornowskes' by 9:15 this morning watching their 'bad boy' roosters sequestered in their mini-pen to prevent them from picking on 'the girls' who have free rein of pecking and scratching everywhere in the yard and pasture. The 'boys' were crowing with all their might as if indignant at their segregated status.

I was back in Kent to run with Lindsey as Joe and Val hiked behind us. We covered six miles of long hills around Lake Youngs. I managed to keep pace (sort of) with the long legged strides of my teen aged running companion. A quiet doe crossed our running path, frog chorus greeted us from trail side bogs, and the smell of skunk cabbage was unmistakable at some points.

As I was having my rural run the DH was on a flight to Port Townsend with our pilot friend, Tom. It was a lovely day of clear skies and temperatures of about 65.

So much is blooming; really too much to mention. Tomorrow I will go to the NW Perennial Alliance Plant Sale. With all the compost spreading I have been doing I have become very aware of my plant inventory and I hope I will be able to exercise some self control in my purchases.

Easter Sunday...

Easter Dinner
Originally uploaded by mtnester.

...was very wet but relaxing just the same. We went to our friends' Joe & Valerie. We were joined by their other friends, Penny and Emil. The food was plentiful and delicious and served in their newly remodeled kitchen. It is SO lovely and spacious!


The Egg Collectors: Galen, Lindsey, and Nathaniel found 99 eggs hidden in the pasture in about a half hour's time. I think we all enjoyed the gathering a little more than usual knowing that Valerie begins her chemo for breast cancer this Friday and cooking food and entertaining are going to be on the back burner at their house for a while. As Penny said at one point during our conversation today, there is no woman stronger than Valerie, she will get through this and we are all here to help her in what ever way we can; both practical and prayer-wise. Click on the mosaic above to see more of today's Easter celebrating and Valerie with her new SHORT haircut! It is very stylish and looks great on her.

Rejoice!

Happy Easter everyone! Although spring has been slow in coming, plenty is in bloom here in the Pacific Northwest. My camera focused low to the ground today but there are plenty of bushes and trees in blossom too. Our own pear is close to bursting out; my guess is a week away...if we get sun. If you run your cursor over the pictures during the slide show it will show you the titles and names of the plants.

My mom is in the hospital tonight recovering from gastrointestinal problems that we all hope are getting closer to resolution. It is NOT cancer, and for that, our family offers up prayers of gratitude this Easter Sunday. In fact, she fully intends on being home for Easter dinner. She was quite upset at not being able to fulfill the role of Easter Bunny for her youngest grand kids and she was VERY particular with my sisters about the details for the Easter dessert she had planned, even as she left for the hospital Friday night! I love you Mom! I wish I were with you in Green Bay!

Clear Skies At Last

The rain stopped yesterday and everyone is talking about it even Flat Suzy the Duck who is visiting from Lodi, WI was getting a little peeved at all the gray skies.



So besides carting Suzy down to Pike Place Market, here is the short list of what I have done with my Spring Break;

1. Went to SAM with the DH to view the Colonial America art exhibit on display from Yale. Very good from a perspective of learning about American history but not really my favorite type of painting. I had to think of it as a history lesson, not art appreciation.

2. Went to a play: The Underpants (Not at all racy, as you might think) The play was set in Germany in 1910. It was originally written as a satire of what the playwright saw as the ridiculousness of the emerging middle class. The lead in the play has her bloomers drop (she didn't tie them tight enough; pre-elastic days you know) during a parade, as she is standing on tiptoe to wave at the king as he passes by. All kinds of silliness result between her, her totally embarrassed husband, a gossipy neighbor, and males attending the parade who also saw her drawers drop. It wasn't gut busting humor but light hearted and I appreciated trying to understand the lens through which the play may have been viewed in 1910.

3. Lots of chores: cleaning files, cleaning the oven, paying bills.

4. Talking and writing: on the phone, on the computer; to the daughter, sisters, mom and dad. it is so nice to have time to talk, time to listen.

5. Reading: Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold.


This is actually a reread for me. I first read it in the 1970s. Then last year when I read Omnivores Dilemma and Sand County was referenced, my memory was jogged so here I am reading it again, with new eyes. The book was published in 1949 by his son, Luna. Leopold is considered the father of conservationism. I find his writing style very lovely, almost poetic. Also, the setting is Wisconsin, near Sauk County, and the flora and fauna he writes of are familiar to me from my youth. I get a burst of nostalgia for days gone by tramping through the woods with my grandma or grandpa DeNoble, having them point out flowers, bushes, berries, and signs of wild life.

6. Today I have 4 yards of compost/manure to spread in various needy garden beds. But first there is breakfast and I will stroll around my yard, cereal bowl in hand, looking for, as Leopold suggests, 'birthdays' amongst my plants.

"Tell me of what plant-birthday a man takes notice, and I shall tell you a good deal about his vocation, his hobbies, his hay fever, an the general level of his ecological education." from Ch. 7 in Sand County Almanac.

My 'Little Black Dress'

I wish I could say this is me IN the dress, but it's not. It IS the dress I bought today at Ann Taylor which is not a place I regularly shop, this was most certainly a splurge. I already have the perfect red shoes to wear with it and I think I can find a scarf or jewelry with red to spark it up. We have a wedding to go to this month and I have not bought a dress in over a year. Skirts yes, dress, no. I am not overly fond of shopping, especially if it means I must look for something specific, so I was really glad to find this little classic in less than two hours. Why is it that I can find a dozen or more dresses that would have looked good on me when I was 30 but next to nothing for middle aged me? Dress Barn is OK for work clothes, Marshalls is good for browsing and finding an occasional 'steal', Chicos has colorful clothes but nothing with staying power, Target and even Fred Meyers are OK for jeans or t-shirts, and don't even SPELL Macy's in front of the DH, we crossed that store off my list when he was laid off! So today was my lucky shopping day!



Pleated Skirt Sweater Dress
A classic sweater dress with a removable self-belt. Rolled edge at scoop neckline and short raglan sleeves. Waist seam with pleating details at front skirt. Pull-through loops at waist. 20 1/4" length.