Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Narnia

No, the date on my camera is not wrong.  It is indeed April 23.
I woke this morning to this!  At first I thought, "you have got to be kidding me!"
But as I looked out the window and saw lots of birds feasting on our feeders, I was immediately in wonder.  The beauty of all this white stuff this late in the season captivated me.  I slipped on my boots ( perhaps for the last time this season? ) and tromped through the drifts and the piles the snow had made throughout the night.
The tree limbs were hovering close to the ground, the weight of the snow testing their will.
At some places in the yard, the snow was deep enough to make its way inside my boots!
Eat your heart out West Coast!  You have the sand, and we've got the snow!
  
Throughout the morning I could hear icicles dripping,  no match for the sun's rays beaming in on them, as if to say, "Jack Frost your time to leave has come."
The weatherman states 60s for the weekend.  I'll believe it when I see it!

Monday, April 22, 2013

Afternoon Tea

Antique tablecloths spread across round tables with fine china and cloth napkins, set in circular fashion  to greet its eager guests for an afternoon of gaiety and laughter.
Women came dressed in their finest.  Black dresses, pearls, gloves, furs, and hats.
Oh the hats.
(Yep, that's me in the yellow hat!)
Colors of every kind.  Some with netting, others with feathers.  There were red hat society ladies in their distinct red and purple apparel.
Vintage was in vogue.

Each table tried to out do the other with their own designs.  My friends and I (all 8 of us)  went for the silver platter, black gloves, Downton Abbey theme.  We, regrettably did not win, but hope to still make it front page in one of the area newspapers!  I will keep you updated if we do!
There was food to be eaten, and tea to be drank, and prizes to be won, and lessons to be learned.  The speaker communicated so eloquently the importance of change.  Change in life is good.  We need to move out of our comfort zone.  What are our goals?
She then spoke of the Daffodil Principle.  I had not heard of this so I intently listened.
There is such a real place in California that bursts of thousands of daffodils.  All because one woman planted each one, bulb by bulb.  One at a time.  This place inspires all who go.  Anything is possible.
What is stopping you from your goal?  "Our thoughts confine or make us"
I encourage you to look up...The Daffodil Principle.

This Afternoon Tea brought such glorious sunshine on an otherwise gloomy day.  I am grateful for such fun friends and just this opportunity to enjoy a few of my favorite things!
Hope your Sunday was just as fun.  

 
  
 

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

One amazing kid

Shame on my complaints about the weather.

The mother of this precious soul writes with such depth...like a mother.

A must read..

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/Zacharysobiech/journal 

It is spring right?

Daffodils are usually showing off their unique teacup bright yellow cheerfulness,
tulips are freeing themselves from the confinement of the earth, and the grass is turning green.  This time last year we mowed our lawn twice already.

As I peer out my front window, the look is cloudy, bleak, discouraging, dreary, and every other gloomy word one can think of.
It is cold and rainy and cutting and downright brisk.

I am tired of this weather.  Sick sick sick of it.  I keep hearing, "we need the moisture."  I think we have surpassed the "need" mark!
My car thermometer has been reading 39 degrees for far too long.  I think it's broke!
I am eating too much, complaining too much, bundling up too much, and not getting near enough exercise.

I want that blazing, radiant, big orange/yellow ball that reflects glorious heat and gives sunburns if you don't wear sunscreen,  to come out and play.  The sun that makes us stay up late because it doesn't set until at least eight, to come out and play!   The sun that scatters joy everywhere just by burning brightly up in that brilliant sky.
It has been awhile, a long while, so please come out and play.




Saturday, April 6, 2013

Good thing I wore my boots!

 This has been our month to see the wildlife.  First we saw the eagles, and now this!  This morning my husband was on his way back from going to the garbage dump.  (got out of that again!)

He came into the house so excited.  He yelled, "Gail, get the binoculars and come quick!"

I thought...what in the world is he talking about?

"You have to see this...hurry!"
"There are so many swans I can't count them all" , he declared.
He was beyond delirious with excitement.
We drove just about two miles from our home, and there they were.  At first I was thinking that there is no way that they are swans!  Some kind of geese
maybe, but swans...no way.
I wanted a closer look, so I got out of the car and
started walking in the field.  I was soon knee deep in mud, but I didn't care.  I was going to get a great  
picture.  I wanted to get one of these two swans close enough together that it would look like a heart
formed when their two heads were together.  Hmmm...as you can see by the picture that didn't work out too well.
We sat just staring at these creatures for about a half hour.  It was great.  Still can't believe they were so close to our home.  When we returned back home, we went straight to the internet wondering about swans in this part of the country.  We found there are 200 nesting pairs of swans in WI.  The trumpeter swan comes to this area in late March.  We also learned they mate for life!  I am guessing we probably saw at least 35 of them in this marsh area by us owned by the WI DNR.  We were privileged to see these beautiful creatures.  It made this gloomy day in April, exceptionally bright.  

Thursday, April 4, 2013

I won!

I posted back a few weeks that I was in a reading program at my local library.

I brought in my book reviews feeling like I was back in middle school.
I did not win the grand prize, but was tickled to have won a cup that says, "Reading is my cup of tea!"
I had to chuckle when I went in to pick it up.  Little do they know how much these two things are definitely A Few of my FAVORITE things to do...

Read and have tea!
I think I will go and enjoy that cup of tea and my latest book that I am reading right now!