“What day is it?” asked Pooh. ” It’s today,” squeaked Piglet. “My favorite day,” said Pooh.♥
And on a day like today, we like MUSICA. So we can chair-dance.♥
It’s usually still dark and freezing outside in March when I bundle up, grab some sharp clippers, and go out back to cut some branches of forsythia or crabapple to force into flower in the house.
The flowers, still not quite in bloom here yet, are so pretty and fresh and look so natural; it just makes us happy to see them. This year, because of the warm weather we’ve been having (relatively speaking) the buds were much further along; it took no time at all for the flowers to come out once we brought in the branches, only four days.
If you haven’t forced branches of flowering trees into early bloom, it’s really easy. Choose branches with lots of buds; clip carefully so as not to disfigure the bush. Bring the branches inside, hit the ends of them with a hammer in order to split them up about an inch to help them absorb water.
While the cuts are still fresh, plunge the branches into a bucket or vase of warm water. This year we went directly to the vase and onto the tables around the house. In other colder years, we keep the branches in the pantry, out of direct sunlight, where it’s cooler until they bloom (trying to mimic spring conditions) and then bring them out to the warmer and dryer heat of the house.
Either way, I don’t think you can make a mistake. They have always bloomed for me (although I worry every time!) and I figure if they didn’t, what have I lost for trying. So far so good! They make spectacular, and might I add, free, bouquets.
A taste of spring fills the rooms of your house. Good time to invite the girls for tea!
So I thought I’d give you a quick view of our first bloom in Vineyard Haven right now . . . lots of daffodils on the island!
Lots of crocus too . . . the bravest little flowers, like all the flowers this time of year; even if we get another snow, as long as it isn’t a prolonged deep freeze, these little guys will keep calm and carry on, shining right through the snow.
Everywhere you look, spring is popping; very quietly, poking up out of the cold ground, showing its true colors.
Blue skies, smilin at me, nothin’ but blue skies, do I see.
And then I have to go dance with the Quince bush too, because she is called, “the Cinderella of the Garden”; making springtime the Fairy Godmother (giving the dowdy leafless bush new cute clothes). We don’t slow-dance though, Quince has thorns!
We walk out to the water every day . . . this was yesterday. Nature is working her magic everywhere we look. Speaking of which, did you know there are cameras on birds nests you can watch on line? My two favorite are both nests with eggs 
in them; here’s Phoebe on her Hummingbird nest in California (remember when you see this that a hummingbird nest is the size of a quarter! The eggs are the size of a pea, and baby bird comes out of them! Click on “Phoebe Facts;” it will answer lots of questions — also remember, this bird cam is live and ongoing; if the screen is dark, it must be dark in California!). On the other end of the size spectrum, we have the majestic Eagles nest in Decorah, Iowa, where the mom sits on the eggs and the dad brings home the bacon. If you scroll down you can click on a link that will take you to Youtube for the laying of the eggs. One of the things I love about this one is the sounds of all of the other birds in the forest around the nest. It’s pure nature music. Anyone who’s seen these nests knows how mesmerizing they are. ♥
Apparently there is money to be made on these wonderful works of nature; commercials have been added to both of these sites. Just turn down the sound, bite the bullet until its over; I promise you, it’s worth it. It’s a great service these cam operators are providing us, I guess they deserve to have their time (for the maintenance involved) somewhat paid for. Rather than complain (too much), I’m saying, thank you webcam guys! I love these birds!! ♥
What are you doing this weekend? Besides bird watching? I already made my wreath … it’s on our front door showing my true colors, being cheerful; and I just found out, we have a new yarn/knitting store on the island! So that’s where I’m going this weekend! Very excited. Yes, it’s the little things!
Joe and I have a date with the newspaper on Sunday; for breakfast in our favorite hotel bar in Edgartown where we can sit in the corner, spread a big white napkin on our laps, feel luxurious and pampered because someone brings us fried eggs over easy with lots of pepper that we can mop up with toasted English muffins; where we can people-watch while reading our paper, looking out the windows at the lighthouse and harbor. Yup, we’re on a quest to slow down time a little bit this weekend. ♥ TGIF girlfriends! Have fun!
♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣
What a lovely walkabout on your beautiful island; thank you SO much! I’m headed outside to cut some flowers and forsythia to bring inside…far more springy than bought flowers.
If you’re interested in seeing spring on the farm, look at the Wednesday, March 21, 2012 entry…New Life. I was able to hide and take photos of Mama Cow giving birth to her son…miracles surround us, daily!
How cool that you got pics of the birth!
What a wonderful sequence of photos, Sandra! Another miracle of spring. Thanks so much.
Susan your weekend sounds like my cup of tea! Hubby and I are going to be putting down mulch. We buy it every year from the boy scouts. They deliver it right to our driveway and unload it there for us. It is bagged, so Hubby wheelbarrows it to the right spot and I spread it on the beds. I know it is a lot of work, but we like how happy all the flowers and shrubs like it! Maybe the rain will keep us from completly finishing the job–it will wait for a better day. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. We’re going to see the grandsons play soccer this evening–Love the warm weather even if it is weird for this time of year! ♥
I have been enjoying my beautiful daffodils outside for a week now–so cheerful! And, my tulips are also blooming! I have the supplies to make a swag with artificial forsythia and pussy willows for inside the house, and I cut a few daffodils and hyacinth to bring in also. Looking forward to hearing about your new yarn shop. I’m knitting my first pair of socks!
Have a great spring weekend!
Good morning, Susan! And, Happy Friday to you!!! I love all the bursts of color and happiness with the flower photos this morning. We’re having an overcast, coolish, damp start to the day here in the mid-west. BUT, the birds were singing their sweet little hearts out this morning inspite of the weather and it just puts such a spring in one’s step!
I have a fun time planned for tomorrow, hosting a creative gathering for a few friends. We’re getting together one Saturday a month, taking turns at each other’s home and creating whatever we want. We each have varied hobbies, so it will be interesting to see what we have at the end of the afternoon besides a full tummy. Because you know nibbles are a must as well as chocolate. It’s delish chicken salad on croissants, the fixins and chocolate mousse for dessert. And, I put bowls of treats out just in case a sweet fix is needed to spur creativity. 😉
Then Saturday night we have a surprise 60th birthday party! Fun. Think Sunday will be a leisurely breakfast with CBS Sunday morning and we’ll see where the spirit takes us…
Sounds like you have a delightful weekend planned. Enjoy!
xoox,
Jeanette
What a Fun, Fabulous, reFreshing, Fantastic post for this Fine Friday!! Loved the pictures of sunshine!! I have been working hard out in my yard cleaning up and today I am so sore and exhausted, so I am with you and Joe for a little “slow down” time this weekend. Thursday, I had a weed wacker in my hands almost the whole day, no wonder I still feel like I am moving!! LOL!! Smiles!! Have a great weekend!
not having to deal with snow is nice…
but it also means never seeing a
“real” Spring! one day i’d like to
experience Spring! ;} {oh! thx for
the hummer cam! they are just THE
cutest darn things, ev-uh!}
HAPPY WEEKEND!
m ^..^
I get so excited and giddy when I see a new blog, not that you give us so much always, I am so Thankful for you! 🙂 Yellow is such a HAPPY color whether it’s in nature or one of your watercolors, the brain just brightens up ten folds. I’ll be sing Doris Day songs all day now. I’m outside today working on my new Kitchen garden, digging in the dirt. Oh just one more question and I won’t bug you again, How high is the picket fence, I thought 3feet ? Have a wonderful loving weekend, you, Joe and Kitties ! 🙂
Yes, that’s right, 3 feet. Have fun!
It is Spring! I’m sure it’s here to stay! We don’t have forsythia in West Texas, but I could do that wreath for my door and pretend I still live in Ohio! Thanks for telling everyone about the Decorah Eagles! We have been watching them at work, this is our second year! They successfully raised 3 eaglets last year and they (the raptor resource project) actually caught one of the juveniles and attached a transmitter so they could continue to track her. They have 3 eggs this year and this weekend they are expecting the first egg to hatch! That’s when the fun begins. Google Decorah eagles and look for the U-stream link, that’s the live web cam. Off to DFW to pick up my daughter-in-law and my grandkids…I will have them for the whole week!!!!!! We are going to have such a GRAND time! My grandson and I are going to make cupcakes…with dancing chickens! Hope everyone has the best weekend ever!
Thank you for showing us the Quince Bush, I have one and never knew what it was, it is nice knowing I have cinderella in my garden. I now know why allthe birds are always flying around that area. Daffoldils are blooming, but the Crocus’s are almost done. Have a great weekend, We will be weaving baskets with Emily’s friends, celebrating her 13th birthday.
Happy Birthday to Emily! Thirteen!
thank you
Love seeing the beautiful flowers on M.V. Our Forsythia bush is already in full bloom here in Michigan, the best it has bloomed in a few years. It is special to me because my Grandmother planted it since we built our home on my Grandparent’s homestead. Expecting showers here today so I am planning on making new Summer curtains for my living room. Have a wonderful, relaxing weekend!
I adore Winnie the Pooh . . my favourite quote begins with “Mind you don’t get blown away little Piglet . .” I wonder why that is? So, a perfect lunchtime visit to the laptop begins with a double blessing . . Susan Branch quoting Winnie the Pooh . . and sharing her beautiful springtime images and tips. Spring is all out of whack here in not-so wild, wet, windy, wonderful west Wales. My snowdrops never showed, the daffydowndillies are all leaf and no blooms (well, 5 blooms out of about 100 bulbs is a no show in my book) the crocus and muscarii seemed to do their own thing, the only thing doing well at the moment are the weeds . . so I am deeply grateful to see your garden in sync and so pretty . . I can pretend it is mine!
Oh! and you have a quince tree . . They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon . . will you make Quince jelly?
Thank you for Willard . . I woke up to it in my inbox yesterday morning . . what a lovely way to start the day!
The garden beckons, unruly as it is, but I’m off to dig and delve some more this very afternoon . . work of that fish and chip lunch I treated myself to today . . tonight is the big Sport Relief charity fundraiser with eight hours of laughter filled television viewing . . then tomorrow there is a surprise 80th birthday party to attend, and if the weather holds then a walk along the coast path beckons . . Happy Friday! Happy Weekend!
PS — the cupcakes are fantastic –our friends and neighbors will be thrilled !
PPS …..hmmmm “forcing the branches” , is that why they call it “Forceithea ? “
🙂 You are a font of creative one liners these days!!
Jack, you make me miss my Dad. He was always coming up with the same kind of funny witty comments…love reading them–thanks! 🙂
Jack……Thanks for always making me laugh! And may ” The Force-ith-ea
be with You!” Happy weekend!
OMG. You belong together. 🙂 Let’s just say “For-thith-ia” and get it over with. I know it’s coming.
Jack, Keep them coming!
Good morning Susan! Love all the beautiful flowers!!!!!! Tomorrow my daughter is sending me to a very elegant hotel (that I’ve always wanted to go to) for a overnighter! She has been sending me somewhere every year for my birthday present – my birthday is next Wed. And she keeps my husband while I’m gone, since he can’t be left alone for that long due to his stroke. I’ve been looking up shops to stop at on the way! I’m excited for my little break!!! They are rare!!!!
Happy Birthday Francine — have a wonderful time!
Thank you Susan!!
You made my day….being wished a Happy Birthday from Susan Branch – Wow!
Good morning all! A rainy coolish day to start today here in the midwest, but that is o.k… I wasn’t really ready for the 80’s we had been having!! I think the soul needs Spring to get tuned up for what is to come …Loving my forsythia bush and had already cut some branches to bring in for the dining table… I may have to go get more to spread throughout the house now!! LOL.. I didn’t smash the ends, but they seem to be surviving pretty well! … After working Saturday, getting together with friends for fun and to divide our STL Cards tickets we share and then Sunday am hoping for a beautiful, lazy brunch and maybe a little drive/picnic would be nice… the fun is that it is all open! THanks for the picture into your spot in the world Susan and have a wonderful weekend!!
Your weekend plans sound perfect! I hope you do a knitting post some day! I just learned to knit~took a few classes at a darling little yarn shop & now I am making a scarf. Just like that!! 😉 My Grandma and Mom taught me how to crochet when I was 8 yrs old and I still crochet a lot, but it has been so much fun learning something new. I’ll be working on my scarf this weekend! Have a wonderful weekend!
I had every intention of “forcing” Forsythia this year. But, spring came hot and early to NEOhio, and beat me to the punch! One day I was convinced that the buds were almost non-existent, and therefore not ready to bring in, and a few short days later, they were in bloom. The joke was on me! =)
Sally, are you near Bath, Ohio.? I miss Ohio so much. I’m in Texas, but will always be a buckeye!
Oh my – yes! Not far at all. We are in Springfield Twp. about 10 min. SE of Akron!!! Greetings from your homeland! LOL =)
AMEN on the slowing down! Isn’t this early and hopefully long, Spring just the best? The birdies are soooo busy in my backyard – and the sound is heavenly! Wish all you girlfriends could see the Texas Bluebonnets – oh my – they are BEAUTIFUL!!!!! Have a wonderful slooowwww weekend Susan, and give the furry children a big hug for me!
Happy, happy Spring Susan and girlfriends!! Susan, loved the pictures of the daffodils on the Island…I could almost smell them. I’ve never forced forsythia branches indoors, but may try it this year. I have five blue hyacinth bulbs blooming in my dining room, they smell heavenly!!
Had the most wonderful second day of Spring on Wed. We went to our camp, cleaned up brush, raked, (actually, Hubby did that!)I went on my earliest ever kayak paddle. Three and a half hours of “discovery.” What a treat. It was around 80 degrees – that never happens up here so early.There were a couple of coves that still had ice in them – I could paddle through some of it – it was like kayaking in a punch bowl!! 🙂 Saw evidence of raccoons on some of the beaches – piles of mussel shells – and on one beach…bear tracks! The ravens, crows, ducks of all kinds were very busy and had the pleasure of watching a bald eagle soaring against a perfectly blue, cloudless sky. What a perfect day.
I have the supplies for a forsythia wreath – I started it last year and never quite finished it 🙁 so it WILL get finished this weekend. Also will be packing for our big trip to Boston to see the “Boss”. So excited!!!!
Have a wonder-full weekend Sue and girlfriends. See you next week.
xoxoxo from SW Hbr., Mt. Desert Island, Maine
* Hi Lori from Maine *
I saw your post today, from Susan’s Blog “My Favorite Day” March 23.
Have a wonderful and I know you will have an amazing time in Boston with the “Boss”. When do you and your husband go? Tell us all about it when you return.
By the way, I don’t know if you read them…but I left you a few personal posts, in reply to some of yours to me, on Susan’s previous blogs. Scan through and look for them on these dates: 3/3, 3/4, 3/9, 3/19 (Happy Birthday, Lori on St. Patrick’s Day!).
Have a wonderful weekend and keep in touch.
* Dorothy Ann on Cougar Mountain, Washington *
~Hi Dorothy Ann~
So nice to hear from you! I did read your post from previous blogs, thank you. Hubby and I leave for Boston via Bangor on Mon. the 26th. The bus leaves at 7:00, which means we have to leave our house at 4:45 (I don’t think I’ll even go to bed Sun. night!) Taking the bus is great – they show two ususally yukky movies and presto! we’re pulling into Boston. Much better than driving. I’m quite excited about seeing Bruce…our third time 🙂 ! We’re staying in Boston until Wed. – our bus doesn’t leave until 6:15, so we’ll have the whole day to wander around.
Thank you for the birthday wishes. I told hubby I wanted “a couple” of Susan Branch books. So…last night I went on Amazon and ordered seven (!) of them, including the blue daisy recipe binder. I got some really good deals. I can’t wait to get them. I’ll be busy when they arrive and will probably do up a whole pot of tea!!
We have some green grass here and there in our yard, other than that, not much but the weather has been amazing. Hope things are “springing up” on Cougar Mountain. Take care and have a good rest of the weekend!
xoxo from SW Harbor
Happy Spring indeed ! Wonderful post and photos ! My Daffodils are all open as well it is soo nice to see such colour in the garden again ! I am waiting for my Hyacinths to open next , purples , pinks and blues .I love your Forsynthia so pretty I just love yellow flowers lol I love all colours of flowers I just love flowers lol . I will be getting a Forsynthia bush for this year in a week or two from my favorite gardening centre plus all my perenials and then I will get in the dirt and plant YIPPEE ! Waiting for the return of our Hummers & Oriole’s ! Have a wonderful day !
Happy Spring morn!
We have a hummingbird family in our neighborhood! They love to come and feed on the bright red blooms on the pineapple sage in our yard. Occasionally one will sit on the wires outside the kitchen window so we can see them more closely.
Beloved husband finally home from assignment in Woburn, MA! He has worked on it since last Sept. & hasn’t been home in over 4 weeks! So now we start on our list of things we need to do before his next job assignment begins! We will take some time to just relax this weekend though! It will be a treat just to be together!
Sunny days to all! We’re having overcast and drizzle here on the California coast!
You’ve always encouraged me to love those little things and you’re at it again – you’re spreadin’ that sunshine! 🙂 Life is so lovely!
xo
Thank you for the daffodils, spring is just now arriving in Idaho and my tulips are 2″ high. There is something special about daffodils and white picket fences….. My goal this weekend is to finish 4 patterns for spring quilt market!
All the beautiful colors look so lovely; thank you for sharing. My weekend – heading over to Palm Springs to see a Chris Botti concert – love his music. The desert is a different kind of beautiful…but still very beautiful. Noted above someone mentioned my very favorite show forever – the CBS Sunday Morning show. Just lots of little vignettes on people and areas of interest. Always loved this show. Happy Day All. Linda from San Diego
Oh Linda!! Lucky you!!! My BFF and I were lucky enough to hear Chris Botti in concert when he was in St. Louis a while back! Enjoy… I love his music also and he puts on a very good concert! Have fun and I think I need to play some Chris Botti while I am working!!!
Lovely as always…and such a delightful way to begin my day. Thank you, Susan! We discovered the Decorah Eagles last season and it is a wonder to watch them. We were nervous about them during storms, curious about them as they cared for one another and delighted with them when the eggs hatched. A joyful experience to watch those majestic creatures protect and nurture their young. Didn’t know there is a hummingbird cam…have to check that out too! We had a nest several years ago outside our kitchen window. We were even able to observe the flying lessons, quietly encouraging the two teensy birds who launched so fearlessly (so it appeared!). One egg was intact in the planter below the nest and I have it still. The nest was so tiny and expertly crafted. Truly awe inspiring. Have a blissful weekend!
I’m loading up my little bug and heading clear to the other end of the state and over to the beach for a ‘girlfriend-gab’. I hope my bug has enough room for all my book bags, art bags, food bags…..(i don’t know what i would do without bags…i think you could say I’m a bag lady..ha). I hope you have a great weekend….how romantic.
On another note….I have quite a few old embroidered pillowcases passed down to me from my Grandmothers….any idea how to use them? I’m tired of keeping them folded up in my drawers ‘safe’. There so pretty though. For some reason your spring blog reminded me of them!!
Yes, put them on your pillows!
Thanks for another enjoyable post, and for the links to the bird cams. I already check in with the MV cams (through MV Times site) to get an idea what the weather is like where you are on any given day! Voyeurism in action … 😉
I do that too when I’m traveling! Wait for someone I know to drive by! 🙂
My husband just texted me what he’s looking forward to this weekend. Sure, there are a few prosaic errands on the list but he also included bike riding, a trip to the organic grocery store, brunch at our favorite brunch place, a trip to the wine shop, some general puttering about and verandizing: our word for enjoying a cocktail in our porch rockers while watching the birds in the feeders and the dogs rolling around in the grass. I can’t imagine that there’s anything more prefect than an early spring weekend!! Have a lovely one!
I think this weekend I will be making bunny food cupcakes with the adorable Peter Rabbit kit. (Thanks Susan!) Hope all the girlfriends have a wonderful weekend.
Our forsythia has been in bloom for a while here in Maryland. I have been enjoying them in the dining room in a big crystal vase all week. Love the wreath idea; wonder if it would work with real ones? I guess I would have to keep refreshing it so might as well get the silk ones. What a lovely Sunday you have planned! We’re going with friends to dinner tonight and then going to see a group called the “Hubcaps” who sing and perform the oldies.
Hello Susan: I live 90 miles south of your father’s home town. We received about a foot of snow. I was worried about our peach tree, but it loved the moisture. The blossoms are popping and the bees are a buzz’n. Loved Willard and your new blog! I must remember to bring in some peach branches next year. Later this fall I will be asking how your father did with the blueberries in Flagstaff. They would be so yummy fresh picked. Your Sunday sounds dreamy. Give the kitties and Joe a big hug from one of your GF’s in Arizona
It was perfect to see your forsythia…thank you for sharing your gorgeous pictures and “walk-a-logue” to the beach…haven’t seen a bud or bloom of anything here in western Minnesota…the last few days have been rainy and cloudy…the grass is showing bits of green here and there so I’m hoping the spring flowers can’t be far behind…can’t remember if I’ve mentioned http://www.bear.org ~located in northern Minnesota~Dr. Rogers has been studying bears for years and has put cameras in bear dens…Jewel had twin cubs earlier this year…their names are Herb and Fern~a boy and girl!!!…have a wonderful weekend everyone…no matter what you do…xoxo…
RayAnn,
We are seeing a little more green here in central MN. I saw my first cute little crocus today while on a walk. My daffodils are still “greenery” but they’ll be showing their sunny faces soon.
Jeanne
Just a smile, just a smile at the lovely spring blooms 🙂 Thanks
Hello again . . being of a ‘certain age’ I have forgotten for days now to tell you more on the pomegranate preparation (remember way back last year I think it was?) Well, there I was, watching Jamie Oliver and his Meals in Thirty Minutes, and the way he did a pomegranate was quite something . . all he did was cut it in wedges and start “whacking” (in his own, inimitable style) the back with a spoon . . the seeds were flying out the skin into the bowl, and there were only small amounts of yellow pith to pick out . . seemed almost too easy! I have not tried it as they are not in season now, but will most certainly be giving it a go . . anything to avoid washing the precious juices away!
Happy Friday, Susan!
Our dwarf peach tree – and other fruit trees – already have blooms. In fact, the peach tree was before our last bit of cooler temps, and my husband covered it – and others – with sheets overnight so they would not be damaged by the possible frost.
The daffodils are long gone here, giving way to the tulips. Our daughter, married on St. Patrick’s Day, did choose daffodils for her wedding bouquet, obtained from a supplier, and they were lovely.
Your week-end sounds like something needed – a break from the usual. How refreshing that will be!
Have a good Friday! xoxo
Hello Susan,
Happy Spring to you! Enjoyed all your posts this past week and Willard. I got a chuckle to your reference of (Treefrogs aka Pinkletinks). How did this name evolve? Loved the pretty hat you drew at the end with the bunny!
Love your flowers…….so pretty, and thank you for the delicous cupcake recipe.
Have a great weekend.
Barb from Ludlow, MA
My guess is that it was a kids name that stuck! It’s a small island!
Oh how sweet..I just know our apple tree will soon be ready to cut a branch off of and will our home with sweet scents! I have a prong wreath on our front door already ….just says ‘spring’…smile…
Your weekend sounds so lovely! We had plans…but I’m still suffering from strep throat..so not much going on for me!
Enjoy.”spring” on MV!
Gert
Feel better Gert!
Hope you feel better Gert…..and a nice cup of tea with honey is always soothing!
Thanks for the sunny post this morning! Daffodils are my favorite flower so it was fun to see the photos of their sunny cheerful faces. It has been rainy all week here so nice to see them…they aren’t quite blooming here in Minnesota yet but are definitely up and after all of the rain this past week, the grass has turned green–odd here in March but guess I won’t complain as long as the temperatures don’t go back up to high 70’s and low 80’s! I wilt when it gets too much above 70 degrees…Hmmm, no forsythia here at our townhouses. Wonder if anyone would notice if a planted a bush? Can crabapple tree branches be forced? What are we up to this weekend–we’re in furniture-moving mode here this weekend with my cousin coming to help on Saturday. Also are moving a couple of floor-to-ceiling bookcases completely with books. Good exercise! 🙂 Also have two schnauzers who need baths, lucky dogs! (though they don’t think so…will disappear when the stack of doggie towels come out) 🙂 There is something I’ll bet you kitty people don’t have to do–you don’t bathe kittys, right? Church on Sunday a.m. and then brunch on the deck if this beautiful weather continues…Have a good weekend! 🙂
Kitties bathe themselves! Have a good weekend Pat!
good morning everyone, how are we all this fine spring morning??? i love the pictures of the daffodils, crocuses and the quince, love all the pretty flowers coming up. my crocuses are coming up, so are my tulips and my daffodils still have not bloomed, hopefully by easter. have lots of errands to run today, grocery shopping and heading down to the grange for feed for the chickens, ducks and turkeys, they are at the bottom of the feed barrels..YIPES!!! no big plans for the weekend, just clean up the yard debris again left by the winds and heavy rains, and maybe watch some old movies this weekend, bbq a steak for supper and just enjoy the all the pretty colors popping up all over the yard, even found some pretty violets in the front yard. may even get busy on my new easter outfit and hat for the town’s annual easter parade. love it. awww its spring, still feels a bit like winter here, but i know its spring when the crocuses bloom and the daffodils pop out. enjoy your day and have a lovely relaxing weekend everyone. hugs…… 🙂
oops i forgot i have an interesting iced tea recipe will gladly share it with you, and for all of you where the weather has been warm this should hit the spot. actually its 2 recipes and both are so easy. first one is really simple, here goes: 4 teabags of celestial seasons lemon zinger tea; 4 teabags of celestial seasons red zinger tea; 6 cups of boiling water; 1 large bottle of apple juice ( Motts or Martinelli). place the teabags in a large heat-proof pitcher and add the boiling water and lat sit for 15-20 minutes. cool, add half the bottle of apple juice and chill . serve in glasses with lots of ice cubes and garnish with mint leaves. the next recipe is for honey-apple tea: 4 teabags ( any tea so long as it is not flavored like lemon spice tea); 3 cups water; 1/3 cup honey; 3 cups unsweetened apple juice; lots of ice cubes. garnish: apple slices. place teabags in a heat-proof pitcher; set aside; bring water to a boil; pour over teabags and let stand for 15 minutes. discard teabages; add hoiney and apple juice. chill. serve over ice and garnish with a apple slice!!! easy easy!!! enjoy!!! hugs….. 🙂 i also add a stick of cinnamon to it sometimes…delish!!!!
Yum!
enjoy, they both are very refreshing. and healthy ( but shhhhhh we won’t tell anyone 😉 )
Last year, Jan. – June, I was absolutely hooked on Phoebe and her nests! My family was close to staging an intervention, because when it came time for the babies to fledge, I was rooted to my computer screen for days on end. (Bathroom breaks were about the only thing that could move me from my viewing post!) This year, I have purposely stayed away, knowing that once I see that darling nest, I’m immobilized! (In my heart though, I know they’re out there …!)
Did you see the lizard come?
Yes, I did, and I was terrified! You, too??
I was screaming at the screen! It was like Godzilla was in New York!
Hi Susan! Everything is in bloom here in Ohio. We went directly from Winter to Summer! The flowering trees are beautiful and daffodils are cheering up yards everywhere! Your weekend sounds perfect. Enjoy!! xoxo Debbie
Hi Susan, I think Winnie-the-Pooh is the most important philosopher of all time! I love the quote you used to open your post. The color of quince blossoms is so rich! Our crocuses and daffydowndillies here in the Syracuse NY area are at their peak. Soon the tulips, forsythia and magnolias will be entertaining us. And then, the wonderful lilacs! Following Nature’s calendar of events is a joyful undertaking!!
It’s like baby steps, that turn into a waterfall in June!
Beautiful Spring flowers….!!!! I have been watching the Eagles at Decorah ever since it was mentioned in a previous blog. I actually saw all three eggs laid….how amazing. Those Eagles have such a bond and total dedication to taking care of the eggs and egglets. I have really enjoyed learning about them. First egg to hatch soon…….pretty exciting!
This weekend I am working on some Easter wreaths I will be sending to my Mom and a couple of friends. I had an idea to use a wreath base……bought bright yellow feather boas ( that look like chick feathers) to wind around the wreath bases……..and then I have painted, decorated, and glitter sparkled numerous hollow eggs to attach to the wreath. Will top each off with the cutest polka dot ribbions. Keeping my fingers crossed they turn out looking like as much “fun” as they do in my mind ! LOL.
Happy weekend girlfriends…..Jake and Jake too!
Oops…..meant to say Jack and Jake too!
Ahhhh…..love this post and seeing the photos of daffodils and crocus in full bloom around your island. Spring has been slow in arriving here in western Washington, and March has been wild and woolly. When I see daffodils in bloom, I always think of that poem by Wordsworth. I had to memorize it in my 8th grade English class and I’ve never forgotten it! (many thanks to my wise teacher!) I’ve been itching to stop by our local nursery to buy pansies for my deck. I have one sturdy little, purple pansy plant in a pot that has survived our winter, which included being covered with a foot of snow! Amazing!! I Love your idea of making a spring wreath for the front door! I’ll have to make a run to the craft store, too! Wish me luck! I’ve never decorated a wreath before!
It’s one of those instant gratification projects! Have fun Laura!
P.S. Loved your latest Willard, too! I print them out and keep them in a 3-ring binder. Fun!!
Yellow blooms say “Spring” so nicely 🙂
Enjoying the photos in the post (as usual!).
Happy Spring!
Happy spring!
If I start seeing knitting pictures on your blog I may burst from happiness – it’s too much! I love knitting (among other fun things) and can’t imagine a better way to spend a Saturday than buying yarn! We have to support our local yarn shops. Have you joined Ravelry? (www.ravelry.com) – it’s awesome. The last 2 years I’ve added knitting socks to my usually list of baby blankets, baby hats, mittens, sweaters etc. Socks are great because with one skein of yarn you can knit for a while, so it’s a good take-a-long project (good for the ferry rides!) cause it fits in a small bag. I knit socks on the train commuting to NY for work.
Here in NY the forsythia bloomed last week! Good gravy – spring is a month early. I never got a chance to force anything since it already bloomed.
LOVE your blog.
I’ve loved to knit since I was a little girl, it’s like therapy! Makes me feel like I’m doing something while hanging around doing nothing!
When do you ever do nothing?????
LOL! It happens. Waiting in the Drs. office or something like that!
I feel the same way! This is really dorky – but I bought headsets for 2 of my phones and when I’m on a call that is going to take awhile (girlfriends/sister discussing boyfriend issues can take hours!) I pop on the headset and with my hands free I knit. Car rides, commuting, etc. it is fun to feel productive!
It is therapy – there’s a great deal of research on the meditative benefits of knitting! I find it so relaxing.
It’s wonderful busy work!
Hi Susan! thanks for the cheerful post today! I have been enjoying my daffodills and the bright glow from my forsthyia, but now it’s my little magnolia that is stealing the show….big beautiful pink and white flowers….I’m so in love with it…. and this morning as i was watching it get daylight… the sky had a few little streaks of the most beautiful pink and it was the same color as my magnolia!!!! ahhhh What beauty we are blessed with! My week-end will be pampering my yard and garden and making the wreath for my front door….. Enjoy your week-end sounds like alot of fun!!!!!!!!
Happy Friday! The sight of new leaves on the trees and blooming tulips and daffodils always fills me with optimism and delight. Thank you for sharing your photos – I enjoyed them and your post very much!
Good Afternoon~
Aren’t (lazy) weekends the best?
Fish fry on Friday night, estate sales on Saturday and church and breakfast out on Sunday.
We love the little….and I mean little… restaurant we go to. Seats are at a premium and people will wait outside~ forever ~ just to get their famous secret recipe potato pancakes!!
(If you get seated on the east side you can see Lake Michigan.)
It’s a place us “regulars” love and the out of towners tell us how lucky we are to have such a special little place… On Monday it’s back to the healthy(ier) eating….. you have to live a little right?
Have a great weekend!
Susan,
Thanks for the colorful and interesting post. I have a forsythia bush that is in bloom right now. This is the first year that it has had any blooms to speak of. Never thought of cutting branches for force blooming though. Will have to keep that in mind for next year. Amazing web cam video of the eagle and hummingbird. Called my son so he can have my four grandchildren take a look at it. Know they will enjoy it. Sounds like you have a relaxing weekend planned. Wish I could say the same, as I will be studying for a biannual recertification test nurses take. Will be glad when I am done with that and can concentrate on Spring, flower beds, and cleaning out my garden. Thanks for the bright Spring break!!!
Good luck with the exam!!
Susan,
You may already know it. But I bet you’d like it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVi0UvFu8Yo
Enjoy 😉
Loved it, hope the link goes up, sometimes they don’t!
The link was working. Nice song, makes me want to grab my guy and dance, dance, dance…….
Susan,
We are on the same wavelength this week. My daffodils are up, I have a basket of artificial crocus on my front door, have a vase of forsythia that I forced in my kitchen, have the eagle cam turned on, and am planning (for the very first time!) a scheduled day of rest for Sunday.. Love your dad’s jokes. For those of us that no longer have our dads here, he is a treat!
He’s cute too!
🙂 ♥
This is me with my finger in my dimple:-)
Please. Girls don’t talk to him anymore, he’s going to be hard to live with.
Oh the daffodils and crocus are lovely,,I think spring flowers are the best,,thanks so much for sharing,,planning on making your cupcakes next week for my quilting group,,,,Judy
Oh, I love all the spring flowers, daffodils are my favorites. Mine are white with creamy yellow trumpets but I need to remember to plant some yellow ones in the fall. I planted a forsythia bush last year and it is blooming up a storm, but not big enough to cut too many branches for vases yet. It’s gotten hot here too fast and feels too much like summer for March. I love going to the hummingbird site and watching them, thanks to your link, I started watching back when the last two babies were still in the nest. Now I have to go out and clean off my flower beds as summer perennials are coming up already! Thanks for all the great pictures of spring!
I have a forsythia wreath on my front door too – sooo cheerful!
Susan, thanks so much for the Hummingbird sighting ,wow it was wonderful. Your spring pictures are so delightful.
Hi Susan!
Your forsythia look fantastic. Mine bloomed extra early this year and I am ready to dash out into the rain to clip some! Yes, the Midwest has finally gotten some rain after temps in the 80’s. RELIEF!
You and Joe are having my kind of weekend! And have a great time at the knitting shop!
XO,
Jane from Chicago
This weekend I’ve promised myself to be a human ‘doing’ instead of a human being. I’m sooo tired from being lazy and if I never do anything, all of a sudden; nothing will happen! lol I’m drawing a pencil portrait of a friend’s gorgeous baby (I could just eat him – he’s so cute) and need to get it finished this weekend and also, I’ll most likely (100% most likely) introduce myself to some chocolate and say; “let the love affair begin!” We could all even have a virtual coffee – I’ll have cappuccino one sugar with maybe one of your cupcakes on the side. Have a great weekend everyone!
* meant to say*…a virtual coffee together.
Did you make the spring banner hanging on your shelf or did you buy it somewhere? So cute!
It was a gift last year! My friend made it, I think you could probably do it with a trip to Michaels.
Thanks! That sounds like a great plan for this weekend.
Really loving your wreath idea- and I wish my forsythia was larger so I could bring in some branches, but it’s just too tiny still. Even after six years! I kind of wonder if it’s some sort of dwarf variety or something (it was here when we bought the house) However, it is already in bloom (though yesterday it was wrapped in a blanket of snow!) so all I have to do is peep out the window and smile at it’s bright yellow cheer!
A ‘slow’ weekend sounds divine. I hope that’s exactly what you and Joe are able to enjoy. Mine will be full of people and parties as we celebrate my youngest turning double digits. Maybe I’ll recover next weekend!
Blessings to you!
I feel so homesick!! I grew up in Newport, RI and there isn’t anything better than living on the ocean. As a child, I remember the daffodils, but I really remember the buttercups – the flowers that if you held it under your chin, if it turned yellow you liked butter, and if it didn’t, you didn’t like butter – isn’t that enterprising. It is raining in Indiana today, but the leaves are almost open on the trees and a drink of water is needed.
Love all the flowers & flowering shrubs. When I had my farm, there were lots of blooms to pick from, so I’m enjoying yours. We are building a big window box for our bay window this weekend. The kitties lay there, and chirp at the birds outside, so I thought they might like to look at flowers too! I know I would. I’m planning to put in giant zinnia seeds as it faces west, and gets hot. Also geraniums. Don’t you miss gardening in CA/west coast? I miss the plants that don’t freeze, like sage, lavender, fence tall geraniums covered in masses of colors. Also rosemary that grows forever and is used for hedges! The kitties are also getting a bird feeder or two, but it’s a surprise, so sshhh! Thanks for the great photo filled post, and your weekend sounds lovely, just the way they should be.
What a wonderful idea ! I didn’t know that was possible. I’m going to try it and have a room full of blooms ! Thank you Susan !
Have a wonderful weekend.
Nicki
Our daffodils have come and gone because we didn’t really have a winter. The Bradford Pears have also bloomed as have the other early Spring blooming trees. Now the Azaleas and Dogwoods are showing their splendar. I’ve been watching Phoebe and her babies for about three years I think. I love the little birds and always have a lot around my house. I have a feeder that hangs on the livingroom window and also in my husband’s office window. If I don’t get the feeders out in time we have a male that will tap on the window and look at Jim as if to say what the heck! So then I have to immediately fix his feeder. At least I have flowers blooming here so I know if there are scouts already they haven’t gone hungry. I haven’t seen anyone so far but it’s a matter of days now. I love my Ruby Throated hummers but would love to see some of the western hummers that are purplel and blue. I know it’s Spring for sure when they return. Happy Spring to all.
Well, I just lost another hour watching the hummingbird on her nest, which contains 2 eggs! It’s absolutely hypnotizing! Do I dare look at the eagle? Amazing! Thanks for the links, and of course the blog!
Oh, I forgot to mention how much I miss the forsythia that surrounded my backyard as a child (in New Jersey). I don’t think we have it here…..maybe further north? After watching the hummingbird nest, I think I need to check my rosebushes too.
Happy Friday! What a fun spring-y post. It’s almost spring here. The grass is starting to green , and the weather is perfect, but no flower color. I think this weekend I will cut some branches and bring them in. I hope crabapple will work. I’ve never tried that one. My daughter is coming home for spring break. Yay! I know she will appreciate tea and scones tomorrow. I love love love your “musica”. I’m still listening to Ukelale Ike from your last post…all such happy music. I think the world would be a happier place if everyone read your blog and listened to your music choices!
Good Afternoon Sweet Sue…omgggggggggggggggggg I L♥ve all Those Daffodils all Over Your Island! Your Island is Actually ♫ Singing Springtime! ♫ I am so Happy You are Truly in The Springtime Spirit! & I Adore Your Dad Jack…He Is Brilliant!…(Love The Tea~Pot Poem from The Other Blog!) 🙂 Let’s See… Herbster & I will Be going Out & About This Weekend…I’m Hoping we Get to See a Movie…Love having a “Date~Night” at The Movies…I Know You & Joe will have The Most Fabulous Breakfast~Date this Sunday…Really it’s An Excellent Idea…so Happy Weekend To All…Stay Safe & Laugh…go Out & Play…Breathe in All The Magic of Spring! Yay! L♥ve & Hugzzzzzzz & a Bit of Pixie~Dust! (Oh I Love The Doris Day Song tooooooooo ♥♫♥♫♥♫) Thanks Sweet Sue! xoxo Poof! 🙂
I am forcing apple branches now. Gladys Taber taught me that:)
Northern Indiana is in the midst of full-blown Spring! And it not even April yet! The forsythia are fat with blossums, the magnolia awash with shades of pearly pink, daffodils nodding on the hillsides like it was much farther on down the calendar. And I am …… working on my tan for a vacation next month….incredible. Something seems a tad unnatural about laying around in 85 degree weather in March but I am keeping my mouth closed and soaking up those rays. After a winter of overcast grey days and little snow, I am so enjoying getting my hands dirty in the garden, listening to the birds in the branches above me. The geese on the lake have blown town for the most part leaving the little ducks to entertain us year-round residents. This is not a bad life……
PS: I forgot to say Thank You for the Doris Day musica! She is one of my favorites. Love her movies too. My husband always teases me that all movies can’t be Doris Day movies. I say, “Why not?”
Love the daffodils! Do you have lilac bushes on the Vineyard? They were always my favorite spring flower when I lived on Long Island. I always had to have some in my bedroom. Sure miss those days! Would you believe here in Florida I’m still raking live oak leaves? I have 3 huge trees in my yard and they just stopped shedding. I think our azaleas have already come and gone also. They don’t last very long. I think our spring has already “sprang”!
Lilacs usually come in May.
Dear Susan, I too love to force springtime branches. I don’t know what it is about this wonderfully warm spring (I’m here in SW Ohio) but the forsythia has just exploded with blooms. They are in fat full clusters, it is amazing! I too have a forsythia wreath on my front door, just like you!! Now what am I doing this weekend? Well, my husband and I are attending the Southwestern Ohio Bee School. We are getting bees next month. Winnie the Pooh would love to be at our house, he could fill all his honey pots! Have a wonderful slow down time with your sweetheart!
Oh thank you for these daffodil and forsythia pictures, Susan! Being in Florida for another week, I fear we’re going to miss ours at home……Love that wreath – I think I’ll make one when we do get home to keep the joy going!
Well, Susan, I think that I will plant this little packet of California Poppies that has been sitting on my desk since I bought it in Cambria last….oh dear! How time flies, the expiration date has already passed. Just in case they are hardy seeds, I’ll give them a try anyway. We’ll be babysitting the most wonderful grandchildren in the world this weekend or, I should say, that we will be entertained by the most wonderful grandchildren in the world this weekend. Next Tuesday, I am hosting the spring brunch for my Bible study girls. It will be fun to use daffodills and my vintage ceramic birds on the table. I think that I will make a springy wreath for my front door,too. Thanks, again, for the inspiration!
Thanks for sharing….I’m sure this is a very ignorant question: What’s up with the pile of empty shells on the land?
The pond right there is a major clamming spot on the island . . . those shells are most likely the end of a big party!
I have forced the blooms on my forsythia in the past. This year there was no need to: it has been so warm here, the forsythia has been in full bloom all week. I just love spring!
Want to see a live bald eagle nest? Go to http://www.wvec.com/eaglecam
We watched it all last spring. There are two eagles there, but no eggs yet.
Thank you for sharing the beauty of your part of this great country, Susan!
One neat thing about the bald eagle nest at http://www.wvec.com/eaglecam
is that there is a moderator in the sidebar (you can’t miss is) and you can ask questions, or just read what others have asked.
Hi Susan
I love the house with all the daffodils peeking throught the fence, and your forsythos certainly looks beautiful! Yellow is such a cheerful color.
Hope you have a haopy weekend!
Hugs,
Pat
Just spent an hour chatting over, around and beside the fence with our neighbors. What fun, stopping the garden work to talk about gardens, plans, dreams, and plants that we all will see soon bedazzling each other’s flower beds, veggie patches, and fences. I can’t wait to see where we all end up with all our grand Springtime Planning session.
I can’t wait to see the quaking aspen bunches Mark is planting in the southern corner and how the transplants from PA will fare in this extremely drastic change of environment. My peonies and lilacs should fare well, the bluebells and lily of the valleys may take root, but I am not sure about the moisture lovers, but I will give them a try and see where we stand. Oh how I about explode with excitement over the other goodies we all will grow in our little corner of the prairie.
Rejena in Warm and Wafting Wyoming
Thank you for the sunny taste of spring today. I smiled when you mentioned making a wreath for the front porch because that’s actually on my to-do list for this weekend. I had a pretty wreath last year but a couple of birdies decided to make their nest in it before Easter. We returned home after being gone a couple of days and found the tiny nest and even tinier eggs. We didn’t have the heart to disturb them. As a result (since the wreath was next to the front door) we routed everyone around the garage to the back door for Easter. By the time the mom and dad birds raised their family and the birdlets flew away, the wreath was a goner. All for a good cause. 🙂 Happy Spring to you, Susan.
Loved the Phoebe website. Years ago when we first built this house, a little green hummer flew into our Sun Room … the french doors were open, etc. Yikes I was sure he would kill himself but he finally managed to find his way outside again. Fascinating to watch something like that in your house … lol Bald Eagles are the same way. On Bainbridge Island, WA, we have a very tall fir tree to the north of our beach and have seen as many as 3 male Bald Eagles roosting in it at one time! No nests but think they sit up there anticipating lunch. They are like the USMC … when they go after something, they usually get it. A wonderful weekend to everyone.
Jackie
My husband just called from his car on his way home from work – to ask me for a date on the deck with a glass of wine! It’s 78 degrees and the forsythia are blooming for real in the yard outside my door. What a wonderful early spring we are having. Loved the video cams of the birdies. They are more than marvelous to watch. Slowing time down – now there’s a wonderful idea. Thanks for another inspriational blog. You are the best. Happy weekend. xoxo
The flowering branches are beautiful, Sue, and it makes me so happy to see the little spring garland in the midst of so much gorgeousness :). I feel quite honored that you like it enough to display it with all your beautiful things!
I don’t know if I dare watch Phoebe this year. I’ve barely recovered from last year’s lizard drama, but now that I know there are eggs in the nest again I won’t be able to stay away. I can’t help but wonder what Jack thinks of Phoebe!
XOXO, dear Sue. You’re a ray of sunshine 🙂
I feel the same way, the lizard almost did me in Phoebe-wise. Nature! Was shocking! Not to mention the crows.
Here in east central Illinois, it has been in the 80s for the past week, everything is blooming very early and so fast; the blooms are not lasting very long due to the heat. I’m travelling to Notre Dame with my church choir to rehearse with the ND folk choir and hear them sing at Mass and attend a concert. We will also get to tour the campus. I’m looking forward to a weekend away with friends! Hope your weekend is wonderful in every way!
Our daffodils are already gone and tulips are going fast, but our neighborhood is a riot of forsythia, redbud, dogwood and azalea. We have huge old growth trees and all the birds are trying to out sing each other. It’s pretty wonderful!
PS I haven’t gotten the newest Willard yet. This is the first time I’ve missed in all the years. I resigned up but still haven’t gotten it. Have they gone out to everyone yet?
Yes, all the Willards have gone out…so sorry you were overlooked. Here it is WILLARD — and you might try signing up again.
Everything yellow is blooming here in central Jersey. The bad part is my window sills are littered with yellow pollen, must of it from all the cedar trees out back. In years past I used to break off branches of forsythia to force in a mason jar on the hearth and they would always root for me. So I started to push them into the ground and before long I have a hedge growing out on the side yard heading towards the neighbors plot of land. LOL I used to keep that hedge trimmed and squared off nicely until one year it got too big and tall for me to even reach on the step ladder to give it a hair cut. Now it’s bushy and wild looking but still blooming like crazy. Reminds me, I have to get the silk forsythia branches out of the attic to display on the hearth soon. Hubby doesn’t want me making any more hedges in the lawn so I’m leaving the real things alone. He reminds me I shouldn’t be climbing any more step ladders with an electric hedge trimmer in my grip. He’s afraid I’ll hurt myself and he’s probably right. LOL Here’s hoping the rain holds off so we all can have a sun-shiney weekend. Hugs to you all……..
Yes, the climbing with the trimmer, that needs to stop! 🙂
I just logged on to the Phoebe website and there she is!! Soooo adorable!! ♥ You know so many neat things. I learn so much each and every time you post something! I have a Forsythia in my back yard and I have never tried forcing them indoors, so that is something new I learned from you too. I’m going to try it! 🙂
Hi!
I’m a quest for some quiet time too this weekend. Breakfast with girlfriends. Dinner with hubby. Maybe staying in pajamas all day Sunday. Yay!
I love, love, love yarn shops. Please tell us all about it.
Happy Friday!
Terry
Susan, your beautiful flowers are just what I needed to see to remind me of spring! We’ve had snow~in Arizona!! And lots of it. Can you believe it?! It has melted off now, and I do have beautiful pink peach blossoms, but no flowers yet, so thank you for sharing yours. You are sure surrounded by beauty on your island. What fun! With your gorgeous pictures and wonderful art work, you do have the prettiest blog on the block. 🙂 I will be putting out my spring and Easter decor this weekend. Hope to have my home looking almost as lovely as yours. Happy Spring!
The Washington, D.C. area (I’m in Arlington) has been so unusually warm that all our trees are in bloom. It’s a flora wonderland in various shades of pink (we’re celebrating 100 years of cherry blossoms this year) and magical. Yes, a lot of the students and teachers at school are sneezing and have sinus headaches, but we also think the views are gorgeous. The daffodils have come and gone and the tulips are here. My neighbors and I wonder what we’ll do for the next couple of months since everything has bloomed already this year. So it’s great that Martha’s Vineyard is starting to bloom – it’s like reliving all the beauty again. Your comforting description (sounds cozy to me) of your weekend breakfast reminds me of my wondrous stay at the Harbor View Hotel in Edgartown last summer. Not only was the view still a beautiful memory, but I can still hear the sweet sounds of the birds (a symphony concert for sure) when I opened my sliding door each morning. Jack, please keep cheering us up with laughter or just your presence on the blog – you’re a joy. Happy weekend, everyone!
Thank you for reminding us to stop and smell the roses.
I keep fresh flowers or potted ones in my first grade classroom most of the time. Today my students were watching the original cartoon version of Charlotte’s Web because I finished reading my favorite read-aloud a few days ago. I was checking out one of the vases of daffodils when my little Randy said-“Those are artificial right?” I was of course surprised because I have been bringing bunches in from my yard since I used a vase full as a model for their painting art project. I took a breath and reminded him politely that they were indeed fresh spring delights. I then shared with him that my lilac trees are just starting to bloom out and I couldn’t wait to bring them in so we could experience the fragrance. I was a reminder to be more explicit and deliberate and not assume my little ones got it the first time. They need to stop and smell the roses. (daffodils, lilacs…..
Thank you, Lani
Thanks, Susan, for sharing your Spring. Things are moving right along here in MN. My lilac bushes have buds. Can’t believe we might see those blooming before May. This weekend I turn 50 and I am all geared up to CELEBRATE! Family is coming over tomorrow and we are having nothing but appetizers and yummy punch and of course chocolate cake! We are going to stuff ourselves with appetizers and not feel guilty about ruining a main course. On Sunday I will start the day at church thanking God for 50 blessed years of life.
Happy Birthday Rita!
Hasn’t this just been the most glorious week on the Cape?!? Sure, we haven’t had the 80 degree days of the rest of New Engl., but, honestly, I have much preferred our more spring-like coolness–perfect for getting to gardening and outdoor chores that usually we usually don’t get to until April or May (can I actually be ahead of chores for a change?!?). The sweetest minute was when I saw a bluebird on my walk on Tues. along the bike path in Chatham. It seems we always go from winter to summer without much of a spring and we’ll probably go back to more typical March/April weather, but admiring the blooming crocuses, cheering on the daffodils, and feeling “alive” again was a gift. Gotta check out a quince–I know “of” them, but those buds are so beautiful, I have to find a place for one!
Our forsythia bloomed outside….we have to be 2 or 3 ahead with everything in Wisconsin. Today was probably the first day in over a week that we didn’t hit 70 degrees. Sleeping with open windows at night is unheard of in March! It’s raining now.
Took two days off to “slow down” myself. Such perfect days, yesterday I visited 3 yarn stores in Madison. That included lunch at one of them outside!
Hope you enjoy your slow down time—my head is cleared now, just like the rain that is falling now is doing to the air and cleaning off winter!
hi susan…couldn’t wait ’til Sunday to make the carrot cupcakes to bring to school…made them today and they are heavenly…my husband absolutely LOVES them…and that always makes me happy…got home from FL and went right to work digging out the spring/Easter decor. I bought the cutest basket last year (at our local grocery..of all places…never know..)…It’s like a grapevine-type basket but it has forsythia branches all around it…so festive for spring…very pretty in our kitchen…and thank you to you and our girlfriend for telling us about the Decorah eagles…instant fan….LOVE IT!!! they are on our “Favorites” list!! : ) Jerry and I always reserve Sunday morning for US…the paper, the coffee, Sunday Morning,the conversation, the people-watching..(if we venture out)…special time…our parks are alive with lilacs, daffodils, red buds, the dogwoods..might be a great time for a morning picnic and the camera..have a wonderful week-end Susan and Joe… xo love, cindy
It sounds like you are going to have a perfect weekend! I love the pics of the daffodils…one of my fav. flowers of all! We are experiencing Spring-time weather here and love watching all of the buds popping out on the bushes and trees! I cant wait until everything here has that light green “sheen” ….right before the buds open into flowers and leaves….I find that nearly breathtaking and I always feel excited. My husband is playing golf tomorrow morn w/his buddies and then we are going to go shrubbery-hunting. We want to plant a bunch of English Laurel hedges in our back yard this year. We moved in a year ago to our home and have been working away at making it the way we want it…and we both love the look and feel of a private garden area in the back. We also believe that “good fences make good neighbors”…lol. A little privacy never hurt anyone! Flowers need to be bought and we need to test the soil so that our other bushes and hydrangeas will be healthy and the right color. So much to do outside…..that is something that makes for happiness this weekend! Have a wonderful time with your husband!
Susan, what a beautiful blog today!!! My sweet Mother used to say “daffodown dillies” and it brought back precious memories of her lovely spring flowers. We went to a daffodil festival in Gibsland, LA 2 weeks ago, there were gorgeous daffodils everywhere – all varieties! I even bought an heirloom one to plant in my yard, it has a peach colored center. So pretty! Thanks for adding the webcam site of the mommies-to-be birdies. My little darling grandkids will LOVE seeing them. Going for fresh carrots to bake those yummy cupcakes! Have a beautiful weekend! ! !
Happy Spring! Love the webcam of the mommy-to-be birds!! Your daffodils are shouting Spring, aren’t they! We went to a Daffodil Festival nearby in Gibsland, LA, two weeks ago, and they had every variety imaginable! Really lovely! Have a super wonderful weekend!! : )
Joyeaux Printemps! Spring is “bustin out all over”, and isn’t it wonderful! We went to a Daffodil Festival recently in Gibsland, LA; they had ALL kinds, everywhere! So pretty! We are loving the mommie-to-be bird-watching on the webcam! Thanks for adding extra ways to enjoy Spring : )