‘Tis the Season
Happy Mother’s Day to My Mother, the Reader
This picture was taken shortly after my mother’s first Mother’s Day in 1956. That’s me on her lap—her oldest child. She loved reading, and she started teaching me early. Despite my mother’s early lessons, I spent the first thirty years of my life trying not to be like her. It wasn’t until around my 30th birthday that I realized how much alike we were. For more on this topic, see my post here. My mother died in 2014, but I’m thinking of her this week. Maybe I’ll read a book in her honor. What do you recall most about your mother from
What Was in Your Kids’ Easter Baskets?
When I was growing up, my Easter basket always contained a toothbrush and toothpaste. The Easter Bunny continued that tradition with my children, and sometimes added other useful items like socks. My children complained, of course. Particularly when the Easter Bunny kept the toiletries coming through their college years. But one year after my daughter was on her own, my husband and I met her over Easter weekend for some spring skiing. The Easter Bunny didn’t leave her anything. “Where’s my basket?” she asked. “I was counting on new toothpaste.” What did the Easter Bunny leave your kids this year?
Sweet treats for Easter!
I had a lot of fun putting together the dessert table for Easter yesterday. I forgot to get a pic of the full spread complete with cupcakes, lemon swirl cake and coconut cream pie. But I snapped a shot of this sweet little charcuterie. Did you make something special for the weekend?
The Tax Man Cometh
I hate the weeks leading up to April 15 (this year it’s April 18) when I have to gather all the information for our tax returns. I start worrying about this process in January, but don’t start doing anything until February. Or maybe March. This year, I have been responsible not only for my husband’s and my joint return, but also for an LLC related to a family business my husband operates, as well as for my mother-in-law’s returns. We use an accountant, but the process is no better than when I did our returns myself in TurboTax. Now, I
I Hear Lawnmowers!
I hear lawnmowers! Big ones, that circle around the HOA that I live in. It’s a welcome sound, because the grass in green and waving in the breeze. Spring is here!
It’s Still March Madness
Wowza! My alma mater is still going in the NCAA men’s college basketball run. I didn’t fill out a bracket this year, but the top spot always goes to the Jayhawks! 🙂 Fingers crossed for Monday night! Rock Chalk!
Anne Garney Park
I just got home from a walk in Anne Garney Park, a little jewel in Kansas City’s Northland with a two-mile paved trail. I was searching for signs of spring. The park is mostly prairie and scrubby woodlands, and most of the vegetation today was still dried grasses and seed pods from last year. I didn’t see much new growth except grass in damp places along the trail. But a few trees have budded enough to appear faintly green. Can you see the green?
St. Patrick’s Day Food
I grew up with a mother who celebrated her Irish background. She gave us green milk on St. Patrick’s Day and cupcakes with green frosting. Those were the best parts of our St. Patrick’s Day traditions. The milk with green food coloring was mostly for show—it didn’t taste any different than regular milk. But it did go well with cupcakes. Dinner on St. Patrick’s Day consisted of corned beef, potatoes, and cabbage and/or carrots. I hated both cabbage and cooked carrots. I managed to choke down the corned beef and potatoes, then tried to hide the carrots and/or cabbage under a scrap
Rain, Hail, Snow, and Flowers!
I love seeing the tender shoots of crocus, daffodils, and tulips — even when it’s still freezing. Robins and other birds chirp loudly most mornings now, too, getting ready for nesting time. I love these signs of spring every year and am always thankful for them. And, this Sunday we change our time again: spring forward one hour. Yay!
It’s weather whiplash
Wow! We had a beautiful day in the low 80s this week, a little dip in temps, then back to 70. The beautiful weather had me enjoying lunch outside with a friend and discovering the first crocus of the year in my yard! And now the forecast for next week calls for snow!! Typical early “spring” for KC.