Bold Fabric, Can I bring Someone for Dinner?, Not Needed

1. I found yards of hideous fabric in splashy purples and pinks that have been tucked away for years. Steve's grandmother gave it to me back in the 80's. I decide to cut out a mu mu pattern for myself. Boy, will I be conspicuous. I'll wear it inside the house only.
2. Spontaneous guests for dinner and all goes well (and delicious).
3. The guys are in the basement playing darts, the girls are upstairs playing dolls and I'm off the hook.

Dogwoods, Hello?, Daydreaming

1. The white dogwoods are a brilliant contrast against the gray and purple sky.
2. A welcome phone call from my cousin-by-marriage, Seamus. His New York accent is punctuated by an Irish brogue.
3. I wander up to Tess's room and sit in her window seat. The view down the valley is pretty. I could sit here for hours and daydream...

Growing, Talking, Hiding

1. The garden "morphs" each time I work out there. This is the beauty of gardening; that it is ever changing.
2. I realize that I talk to the plants. Sometimes by telepathy : )
3. A little mouse has been playing hide-n-seek with me. First I glimpse it under a bush. The next day it runs from under the lawnmower. Where will he scurry from next?

Dancers, Mango, Dusk

1. We stand in the empty ballroom, imagining it full of dancers.
2. The knife glides through the ripe mango.
3. A beautiful evening to be outside. I stay outside until dusk, making mental notes on what to accomplish in the garden tomorrow.

Warm Morning, Lost in Space, Handyman

1.Coffee on the porch for the first time this season.
2. Steve and I laugh as we watch the first episode of "Lost in Space".
3. Steve is lying on the floor, on his back, surrounded by tools, upper body hidden in the cabinet. This is a typical husband pose.

Spring Song by Robert Louis Stevenson

THE air was full of sun and birds,
The fresh air sparkled clearly.
Remembrance wakened in my heart
And I knew I loved her dearly.

The fallows and the leafless trees
And all my spirit tingled.
My earliest thought of love, and Spring's
First puff of perfume mingled.

In my still heart the thoughts awoke,
Came lone by lone together -
Say, birds and Sun and Spring, is Love
A mere affair of weather?

Singing, Photographs, Cooler

1. The mockingbird sings with abandon. I think it sounds insane, but then chuckle to myself thinking we could all do with this kind of insanity.
2. The piano teacher has her teenage son photograph each student under the dogwood tree.
3. We enjoy the garden at dusk after the heat of the day has dissipated.

Early, Warm feet, Summer Air in Spring

1. I am out in the garden before everyone is up. My favorite time of the day!
2. I sit on a friend's front porch rocker. I am mostly in the shade, but my feet are in the sun and the warmth there feels good.
3. Doors and windows wide open today.

Another Coat, What's Cooking, Tired

1. I feel victorious getting another coat of paint finished. One more to go.
2. My mom tells me the worker glances at her stove to see what's cooking each time he steps into the kitchen.
3. An audible sigh when I finally sit down after a very productive day.

Lexington, Old Smells, Roar

1. A strolling tour of Lexington brings my attention to the rich history here. I appreciate the tour guide and her knowledge as she spends the day with us. So much to see for such a quaint little town.
2. The sweet, musty smell as we enter an old chapel.
3. We turn as we hear the roar of baritone voices. Following the sound, we enter an archway to the courtyard where hundreds of cadets are cheering in unison and singing to visitors from the class of 1949.

Kindness, Cozy, Heath Bars

1. The church secretary has a kindly manner. She guides me through my questions and helps me in a personable way, adding a "tsk" at the right moment.
2. The good, cozy kind of rainy day.
3. Ben and Jerry's coffee heath bar crunch ice cream.

Rain, Broken, Monk

1. I set out to the garden and soon it begins to rain. The rain is light and the temperature mild so I decide to continue along.
2. The sound of a hollow, chocolate Easter rabbit being broken to eat.
3. Steve, Tess and I sit huddled close on the sofa to watch an episode (or two) of Monk on the laptop screen.

Plants, A Drive, Jefferson Pools

1. I eagerly leave the house early and make my way to a church's local plant sale. They are selling perennials for $1 and $2 as a fundraiser. I pick up a Forsythia, Blue Flag Iris and Hosta.
2. Barbara takes me on a wonderful drive up through Highland county. The farmland is mountainous and beautiful. We snap photos along the way. A stop at a quaint country store finds all grades of maple syrup at good prices. I buy a quart of dark amber.
3. A much anticipated visit to the Jefferson Pools! We soak for an hour in the naturally warm, spring-fed pool. The pool's enclosure is wooden and old, voices are subdued. Tiny bubbles seep from the bottom and tickle our skin. The experience is both unusual and wonderful at the same time.If not for the foam "noodles" used for floating, we would be transported 150 years back in time.

Henri, Farewell, Blooms

1. Henri ran wildly through the house, bursting with energy, squeaking a toy as he went- just when Steve decided to lie down for a rest. I was in the basement and heard his little feet running, toy squeaking. What a good laugh he gave us.
2. A farewell dinner for a church friend moving to Vermont. We all meet to wish him well and dine on Chinese food.
3. The crab apple tree is in full bloom. I can't help but pause to look at it each time I pass the window.

Hunting Plants, Click, Lilac

1. The rain has finally stopped and Tess and I are on an adventure to hunt for garden plants. We stop at three nurseries. She has her camera and we have a great hunt.
2.The sound of Steve's key in the door after he's been working late.
3. I found the right spot to plant the other lilac that someone gave me! (It had been waiting for months.)

Birthday, A Monster Appliance, Moonlight

1. A visit to Barbara's for her birthday. Her home is decorated with blossoming branches from her property. It is always a good time at her house and we talk and laugh over coffee and pastry she has baked.
2. Claire phones and relates the saga of she and Daniel moving their refrigerator just a few feet.
3. I open my eyes to the bright moonlight shining down on my face.

Singing, Photos, Feet Up

1. The bird's songs in the morning are so vibrant. Then, in the evening, they mellow and become evening songs.
2. I have the time to sort through photographs, smiling at those that captured a remarkable, happy day. I'm glad to notice we have many of those.
3. Steve works late, so I make a single cup of coffee and read after dinner.

Pecan Pie, A List, Antiques Roadshow

1. Pecan pie with my coffee this morning.
2. I got right to the list of phone calls and appointments to set. (It must have been the sugar in the pecan pie that spurred me on.)
3. I really like Antiques Roadshow. It airs on Monday night and I look forward to 8PM when I get to see other people's treasures.

There is a Big Wide World Out There

Easter, Love, Relaxed

1. Easter is my favorite holiday. I have a good feeling all day long.
2. Phone calls from all around. We are all apart, but everyone is happy doing their own thing. Well wishes and love are shared, so we are close in spirit.
3. At the end of the day, Steve, Tess and I settle in to watch an amusing, lighthearted movie together.

A Team, New Home, Fast!

1. I enjoy watching Claire and Daniel tackle all of the moving tasks at hand with no hesitation. They make a great team.
2. We wander from room to room, imagining all the possibilities.
3. Claire takes me in the little red sports car convertible (with the top down). She makes the turn late and we careen rather quickly into the parking lot. I laugh and get out of the car as though I've just been on a carnival ride.

Good Friday in My Heart by Mary Elizabeth Coleridge

GOOD FRIDAY in my heart! Fear and affright!
My thoughts are the Disciples when they fled,
My words the words that priest and soldier said,
My deed the spear to desecrate the dead.
And day, Thy death therein, is changed to night.

Then Easter in my heart sends up the sun.
My thoughts are Mary, when she turned to see.
My words are Peter, answering, ‘Lov’st thou Me?’
My deeds are all Thine own drawn close to Thee,
And night and day, since Thou dost rise, are one.

Cookies, A Dog Bed, "Hello?"

1. Sugar cookie dough takes shape as bunnies, flowers and birds.
2. We bring home a new bed for Gunner. He happily claims it as his own and settles right into it.
3. I'm just preparing to call my mom and Steve says, "You make the coffee and I'll call your mom."
And he does! She thinks it's the wrong number.

Pysanky, Used Books, Ideas

1. I placed some of our pysanky eggs out for Easter. Each year I climb on the chair to get the cartons down, handling them with great care. The designs progress from scribbles when the girls were young, to intricate beauties done these past few years.
2. A trip to the used bookstore. Tess had a good find and I found some bookplates by Lucy Dawson of her adorable dog sketches. Something I have been looking for!
3. I joined the women for delicious coffee and bakery treats. We had a good discussion which spilled over at home with Steve. It was nice to continue it...

Flurries?, Little Eggs, Scarf

1. Are they snow flurries or pear blossoms fluttering by? I do enjoy the variable weather up here. Never a dull moment!
2. A friend has given me five little, white dove eggs. They're too fragile to blow, so I'll let them dry over time and try decorating them later with Pysanky for Easter.
3. A scarf around my neck and a shawl over my shoulders is cozy today.

Purple, Painting, Dandelions

1. The deep, bold colors of the landscape hold my attention this morning. The mountains are the deepest purple, contrasted by emerald greens in the foreground, dotted with white blossoms everywhere, (and the occasional black Angus).
2. I found an hour and a half of free time to begin painting the bookshelves.
3. The dandelions are blooming and I pluck a few and have a good sniff. They are a nuisance, but nothing smells more like spring to me than dandelions.

Riding Mower, Pear Trees, Fun & Games

1. He is riding his lawnmower up the road. It reminds me of one of my favorite movies, Straight Story.
2. Very old pear trees dot the fields. The farmers once cultivated them but now they grow wild. Their twisted, knobby branches are covered in ruffly, white blossoms.
3. It is game night and I get caught up in the fun!

Berries, Cut Grass, Ice Cream

1. We put in a good morning's work planting blackberries and raspberries. One of the pots had a recipe on it, using raspberries of course. We began reciting all of the ways we were going to eat the abundance of berries our canes would produce. (fingers crossed)
2. The first cut grass of the season smells like...cut grass!
3. We rarely go out for ice cream, but it seemed a fitting way to end our day.

A "New" Chair, Free Time, Baby Chicks

1. An old chair has been resurrected and given a new life. It is beautiful in its chic, new fabric.
2. I had several hours to myself today and ran errands at my leisure.
3. Chicks-in-a-box. New baby chicks on their way to a neighbor's farm.

Manure Tea, Pizza, Fascination

1. I have a bucket of cow pies that Audrey brought me. I am waiting for the rain to stop so I can transfer it to a larger pail to make manure tea. Ever since reading Tasha Tudor's Garden many years ago, I have wanted to use manure tea.
2. We are out on errands and splurge on a pizza for lunch. We sit in the car, rain pouring down, while the heat from the boxed pizza steams all the windows. We eat in perfect, veiled window privacy.
3. Tess plays "Fascination" on the piano loud enough so my mom can hear it over the phone. It's a pretty waltz that was sung and made famous in 1957.

Home Store, New Roof, Soup

1. We have an hour to waste so we wander around Lowe's, playing in the display kitchens and browsing all of the garden merchandise
2. An unexpected phone call to arrange a new roof for my mother. All the details fall into place.
3. I prepared a chicken soup recipe found at Bitching in the Kitchen. It uses all the leftover chicken and potatoes to create another delicious dinner- from- nothing! Voila.