coop envy...

This farmgirl has a serious case of coop envy!
 Take a peek over at Heather Bullard's blog
to see what I mean...oh my!

march...both lion and lamb

March is up to her old tricks...Thursday a roaring wind blew in straight from the north. Before long, snow was falling. Not delicate, swirling snowflakes, but large, impressive ones...the kind that could easily give us several inches of snow if it kept up all night. This snow, however, lasted only a few hours, and about 2 inches greeted us in the morning. Today we wake up to a morning that's still chilly, but with a gentle rain falling. We enjoy it's pitter-pat sound and the pretty lace-like patterns it's creating on the screens and windows.

Wasn't it just last week that warm winds and sunny days were here? The air was so sweet we raised the windows and dried quilts on the clothesline. Bewitched by seed catalogs and dreams of garden plots, I cleared flower beds and brought tender flowers outside...perhaps a bit too early. 

I'd best remember this sage advice: March days should be lived one day at a time, as it's likely early gardeners will meet with disappointment. So as the urge to plant may overcome me, I must be wary of this month. As lovely as the day may be, we may wake up to snow tomorrow.

In the meantime, birthday primroses and pansies cheerfully bloom on the kitchen windowsill brightening our days as the unpredictability of March weather continues.

a wonderful birthday!

Yesterday was a terrific day!
Breakfast in bed, hugs & kisses, giggles over a well-kept birthday secret, a sparkly gift from a faraway friend, and a yummy dinner. What more could a girl ask for?!

Oh, and this photo? Well, time flies!

for time & all eternity...

Saturday evening we had the pleasure of wishing this sweet couple happy forevering. Just look at those faces!
What a joyous way to welcome spring!

simple country pleasures...

Balmy and blue-skied...the days this week have been dazzling. Days that are absolutely perfect for drying quilts on the clothesline.

 It doesn't get much better than this...one of my favorite vintage quilts against that beautiful blue sky.

Yes, a happy day.

searching for shamrocks...

While not Irish, I'm planning a St. Patrick's Day filled with fun. We'll start the day with green eggs and ham, then for lunch the kids will have shamrock sandwiches (cut with cookie cutters). After school will find us in the backyard for a scavenger hunt searching out hidden green treasures. Dinner will be a traditional side dish of Irish colcannon paired with the Irish-American combination of corned beef and cabbage. And who knows, we just may end the day dancing a jig to Irish music!

And while we laugh and have a bit of fun on this holiday, I'm reminded that the leprechaun's rainbow and pot of gold just may be found in our own backyard. It's good to remember the Irish proverb that says,

"There is no fireside like your own fireside."

Enjoy the day!

early days of spring...

Crocuses are peeking out and puddles are everywhere. March weather has mellowed and even the snow has begun to melt.
We see, every so slightly, the promise of spring. While not yet officially spring, warmer days are beckoning us outdoors.
There's an old saying that goes: "When crows fly in pairs, the day will be fair." And true as an old adage can be, crows were flying overhead yesterday, calling out to one another. The sky was bright blue and the warm sun was shining. A day like this was just too nice to stay indoors, so after school, the kids were outside in tee shirts kicking balls around the yard. After a few games of kick ball (things were getting a bit muddy) I carefully dodged puddles to look for more signs of spring...sure enough, the first shoots of daffodils were coming up.

March weather comes and goes, and as the day ended, I could hear the sounds of a gentle rain. That's okay...soon enough it will coax out more daffodils and forsythia and spring will be in full bloom. Besides, spring cleaning is still an on-going process here...I need to remember all that needs doing indoors!

sunshine in my soul today!

I hear birds singing and the sun is shining!

We're on our way from a record February snowfall
of 49.2 inches...

to this,

and this!

That cold March wind can't fool me. Even with the constant, chilly breeze, I can close my eyes and imagine the promise of spring tulips, summer hollyhocks, the scent of newly plowed fields and of freshly mown grass. And like a wide-eyed kid staring at the sweet treats in a candy store, I look at my favorite gardening books over and over, flagging  pages that inspire me. Yes, before we know it...it will be barefoot season!

cabin fever survival...

This is such a clever gift!

Shared with me by my oh-so creative friend Diana,

I've been enjoying chocolatey bliss to get through these somewhat cloudy/snowy/blustery cabin fever days! 

Why not share some chocolate with your girlfriends?

spring fever!

March has arrived and this is the time of year that stirs my soul
to take stock of the indoors...before the season's first warm days beckon me outside.

Here at least, there is a certain need for spring cleaning...the traces of a long winter are all around. Cats and kittens have left little pawprints on the mudroom floor and little noseprints on the windowpanes, while piles of boots, mittens and hats are drying on the hearth daily.

And while I don't recall exactly when I fell in love with aprons,
I do know that slipping on one with pretty pink polkadots or cheery blue checks, just seems to make the work of tidying up a bit more fun. I have a long homespun pinafore apron with a ruffle along the bottom that rustles with each step. That apron seems to transport me back 150 years...just right for spring cleaning an 1864 farmhouse!

This vintage apron has the sweetest hankies stitched on for the pockets. Although in good condition for its age, it still seems so delicate that it hangs in a special place.

And while spring fever may be winning the battle with spring cleaning, it's time to begin. Soon, when spring is in full bloom, I can fall into it with abandon!