Just Some Things In April

Good Morning!

Spring is starting to show its face here, and the first sign that the season is alive are the pink blossom trees in town and on the edge of the highway standing alongside the pine trees when I drive down the mountain road. These trees are on main street, and are a much lighter color than the ones on the highway.

I washed down the front porch area and soaked the plants.  There was a lot of debris and leaves piling up, and I need to get a landscaper out here soon to cut the lawn; it's growing rapidly.  Everything will start to bloom soon.  And speaking of blooming, isn't this the prettiest flower bed at my church?

My son made a rack of barbecue ribs, and they were so tender that the meat just fell off the bone.

For you, Pope Francis.  Thank you for being a good and true leader of the Church, filled with faithfulness, compassion, humanity, love, and genuine concern for the world.  

I wanted to show you the cake Nel made for her 13 year-old niece.  She asked for a garden theme, and Nel surely delivered. 🎂

Nel sent me this picture recently.  She saw a hummingbird flittering around one morning when she took the dog out to go to the bathroom.  They were standing under a pine tree, and all of a sudden he looked up sharply, which made her look up, and this little hummer popped off one of the branches and started dancing around the tree.  It was very magical, and she thought it was a sign to wish me a happy Sunday.

Homemade Chili and spicy ranch pretzels.  So good.

I went to see my friend, A, at the home shop.  I love browsing through her shop, and she mentioned that she has some new Spring items in.  We talked for a long time, and when I left and got in my car, I realized we had been talking for an hour and a half!  She told me she's remodeling the place, and it will look a bit different and updated soon.  I bought a little angel that I've always admired in the shop.  This angel is unique, as she sits lying on her back with her leg up in the air.  She's symbolic for me, as I have been knocked down many times in this lifetime, but the Lord always picks me up again.

Remember the flowers that Mia gave me at the fundraiser dinner?

They are very special to me, and I want to keep them forever.  As they are drying, I thought I'd wrap a bow around them, so A. gave me some sparkly ribbon that she thought would go nicely.

Jess set up a Barbie camp-out for the girls!  It's delightful, and Oh, how it brings back memories of my Barbie days as a child.

A nest was built near my porch area right around the light fixture outside.  I don't know what kind of bird it is, but I saw one fly away when I opened the screen door.  I have not seen the mama come around at all.

April offered many good things.....I hope May does the same.

~Sheri

The Color Was Coral This Year

I attended the fundraiser dinner a couple weeks ago with all my family.  For my new blog friends, here's a little of the story....when my dad passed, our family set up a fund to provide clothes and shoes and backpacks for the children in the school district, and this fundraiser dinner is to help raise money for the shopping spree they have with each school season.👧👦

Every year for the dinner, I like to choose a different color to wear than the last year.  This year it was Coral.  I've always loved Coral in the Spring and Summer months.  I found a cute blouse with flared mesh sleeves, and I wore dark blue jeans with it.  I found some dangling earrings to go with the outfit too.

  Nel fixed my hair, and she has such a talent with hair styling.  She suggested a French Braid, so I said, "why not?"

After she did my hair, Mia wanted a French Braid also, so Nel patiently did her hair too.

We were all dressed up and ready to head on over to the fundraiser dinner.

This was the 35th,

 and I think it's awesome that it's kept running all these years (with the help of so many dedicated people).  The dinner was really good, and the tables were nicely decorated with glass vases, and wrapped inside them were drawings that the children drew.  It was one of the most special centerpieces we've had, as each drawing was handmade by a child using their precious imagination.  Inside the vase held the prettiest purple flowers.

What makes it even more special is the fact that I started taking my children when they were 5 and 8 (my son wasn't born yet), and now my daughters are carrying on with the tradition and taking their little ones.  They are becoming close to their cousins, and are all developing their own personalities.  Here's Francesca with her cousin.

After taking a family photo with the Photographer, we went outside to see the fireworks.  This was not planned for our event; they were just in training, and we had the delightful pleasure of watching them.  It was an extra treat for us.

As we were getting ready to leave, and the crew was cleaning up, Mia asked a woman if she could have a bouquet of flowers for her grandma for her birthday.  I still get sentimental when I think about it, what a dear child.  I told Nel I wanted to keep them forever, and she told me how to turn them upside down to dry to preserve them better.

It was a fun night for my family, and I got a chance to talk with friends I went to school with, and those who have been close to my family for years.  

~Sheri  

 

Happy Easter!

 

My Delightful Little Trip

   We drove to my hometown to attend the fundraiser dinner that they have every year. This was the 35th dinner, so it was a special one.  Also, to celebrate my birthday, which is actually in May.  My son drove with me, and let me tell you, I'm grateful for that, cause I'm just not good at navigating the roads myself.  This will be a long post, just to let you know, so get a cup of coffee🍵and join me as we take a little trip to my hometown.  Our first stop was Starbuck's, of course.  We left very early, and we wanted coffee and pastries for the road.  It's only about 50 minutes down the mountain.

We made it to my hometown, and we were hungry, so our first stop was at our favorite Mexican eatery.  Jess' family met us there, and I was so pleased that my brother showed up as well.  We all loved visiting with him.  After, we headed over to Kohl's to do some shopping; Jess needed to get a few things.  That night, we met at the pizza place.  Since it was Friday, and no meat, we ordered a huge veggie pizza.  It was so delicious.  Jess was getting ready to take my picture, and I had a piece of food in my teeth, so I was trying to get it out, and I guess I made a face, and Francesca started laughing, and her laugh is so contagious that I started laughing, then she laughed even louder, and we both couldn't stop laughing.  You had to be there.  ; )

Now, I always live in the present, but I also appreciate and cherish the dear ones who have left us.  They are not remembered as often as they should be - I am reminded that my children and grandchildren also came from them.  So, the next morning, me and my son visited the cemetery to see my mom and dad.  I used to always put flowers on their site when I lived there, and wondered if there would be any on my visit.  I was so surprised to find beautiful silk roses on their site, and found out later that my youngest brother put them on there.  They light up at night.  It's good of him to keep that area nice with flowers.  There were so many birds fluttering about, it was very peaceful.

We drove over to the park, and I noticed the enchanting tree was still standing.  Do you see the pig face on it?  I used to often come to this park, coffee in hand, just to think, pray, and reflect.  I think it's my favorite park in town.

In another area of town, there were some red flowers that were unusually lovely.  I kept taking pictures, they were that pretty.  Not sure what they are; maybe a small bottlebrush flower in a crimson color?  A red-winged blackbird stopped by and said hello too.

Pool time for the kids!  Little Charlotte also dipped her toes in the pool.  They had a lot of fun swimming, and are learning a few techniques in the water that will last a lifetime.  Uncle B. surprised them with donuts and brought them back to enjoy after swimming.

  Later on that evening, we headed over to the fundraiser dinner, which I'll share later.

  The next morning, we all met at our favorite breakfast place.  They have the most amazing cinnamon rolls.  This restaurant is right next to the railroad tracks, so you can hear the sound of the train whistle blowing while eating.  The owners even have a small active train that goes around the upper part of the cafe'.  The kids love to watch it as it comes around.  Mia saw some pink flowers, and stopped for a moment to see and touch them.

In the distance, you will see a tall blue building.  It is the local theatre, and it's been there since 1940.  This is their 85th year of movies and entertainment.  The first movie I ever saw there was the delightful Willie Wonka.  I'll always remember that.

I opened up Nel's presents in the Cafe, and Jess said hers will come later.  Harney & Sons is one of my favorite teas.  Here's the gifts that Nel gave me.  If you notice, the gold spoon has a rose handle, and she got it from our favorite home shop in her town.  Now, we all have that same spoon.

After that, Jess surprised me with some chocolate cupcakes, and we were all getting ready to drive back home.  It was a beautiful time with my family.  My hometown has gotten quite crowded; we couldn't even find a parking spot at the pizza place in old town, so we had to go to another.  I was glad to be driving back to my peaceful little home in the mountains.

~Sheri