Saturday, March 30, 2024

Spring at Last


Hello, Dear Friends, and Happy Spring! 
We've waited so long and finally, 
the birds are starting to sing, the flowers are blooming, 
and the earth is coming back to life. 

It's been a busy month for me out in the gardens, 
and catching up on my spring cleaning. 
When those beautiful sunbeams come 
streaming through the windows
you get to really see all those dusty corners
that have been neglected all winter!

But I've caught up with things, for the most part, 
and can now sit down and do a little catch-up
with you all. 


I've completely missed sharing St. Patrick's Day
and almost missed Easter, too! 

But I have an excuse. 
You see, my dear Ramblin' Man just 
celebrated a milestone birthday, 
and his wonderful siblings (younger sister, brother and wife)
came all the way from the east coast to
celebrate with him. 
It was a surprise, planned for months, 
and coordinated by our generous son, Gabe and wife, Erica,  
and executed by all of our children, 
down to the last detail. 






It was a fabulous party, filled with love and laughter, 
with lots of memories and more in the making. 

How we all kept the secret was quite a feat, 
and he notably quipped, "Now I'm wondering 
what else you all have kept from me over the years!"
xx
We'll never tell! 
xx
My dear man has now reached the dignified age of 70, 
and I am not far behind. 
We are both a little bit taken by surprise at how 
quickly this has come upon us. 


Then...1974.

We were high-school sweethearts,
and now here we are, growing old together. 

Just like we planned. 
xx


"Do not complain about growing old. 
It is a privilege denied to many."
- Mark Twain -

" Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet."
- Sarah Louise Delaney -
 

There was one notable absence from the happy reunion, though. 
His youngest sister had a serious health scare just two weeks 
before the planned event and was not able to make the trip.
 
The good news is that she is home from the hospital
and recovering, slowly but steadily, which is such a blessing and a huge relief. 
We missed her happy presence, but she was with us in spirit
and in all of our hearts. 


Speaking of hearts...
My daughter, Heather and cousin Shawnee
and I went to a local flea market a few weeks ago
and found some sweet treasures. 

I couldn't resist this one. 


And look at this little sweetie I found on a shopping trip 
with 'the girls' during their visit. 

The perfect thing for chocolate eggs. 


Spring is such a fun time to decorate. 






I've been sewing a slipcover for my settee', and have 
the seat made, so far. I'm working on the back now. 
It hasn't been the easiest thing to figure out, but 
I managed better than I expected. 
The original upholstery was stained and threadbare
and I've been using pillows and throws to cover it up. 

I didn't want to try to replace it, as it is the perfect size 
for that space. Not to mention how expensive furniture is 
now. I used a painter's canvas for the fabric. For $20 
and a little bit of effort, I am able to give it a face-lift. 

If only real face-lifts were that cheap! 


Isn't this a sweet face?
xx


I found the tiny wood box years ago on a shopping trip with my Mom. 
It has a cute bunny scene painted on it. 

She's been gone now 13 years this month. 
I started this blog a month before she passed. 
Never knowing...
She never got to see it. 

You, my dear friends, helped me during that sad time
with your kind friendship. 
Time passes and the ache in my heart has softened 
and been replaced with precious, happy memories.

We had a complicated relationship, and I had a difficult childhood, 
but I found my way to forgiveness, and we created a loving 
relationship despite the past.

It gave me peace. 


Despite the fact that it is officially spring, old man winter 
is still hanging around here and there. 

One minute it is sunny and warm, and the next 
minute the wind starts blowing, the clouds move in
and we are pummeled with hail. 

Ten minutes later, there is a rainbow and the sun comes out once more. 

xx

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."
- Lao Tzu -



These little faces are cheering spring on. 

" A flower blossoms for its own joy."
- Oscar Wilde -




The viburnum and sweet box are blooming with a sweet perfume 
that scents the whole yard. They are wild and rangy 
and overgrown, but stay evergreen all year, and in spring
they make up for their unkempt ways. 

"Where flowers bloom so does hope."
- Lady Bird Johnson -





I found these metal signs at the flea-market, too. 


My little grandson gave me the birdhouse for Christmas. 


Everything is wild here, especially the forsythia. 


The grass will need mowing soon. 
It's been fertilized over the winter by the deer and rabbits! 




I planted these daffodils last fall and am so pleased with the results. 

There are still many more buds. 

I am getting serious about planting things that the deer won't eat.
(They won't eat daffodils) 
 I have researched this and sent away
for seeds to grow some of them.
 

"My garden is my favorite teacher."
- Betsy Canas Garmon -


The three on the right are for my pots on the deck
and the coleus and cactus are houseplants. 


Ramblin' Man cleared the back corner so I could plant a wildflower and herb garden. 
He has to finish fencing it, obviously, before I can seed it.
Deer-proof flowers and herbs, of course!  
I am also insisting he put in a higher fence along the whole back as an extra 
precaution and he has cleared the fence-line so we can have a 
clear view of the forest beyond. 

"The wilderness is a place of an encounter with the creator."
- Lailah Gifty Akita -



I've been practicing my watercolor skills. I think I might frame these 
for next Easter. 

We are going to a brunch and Easter egg hunt at a club  
that my son and wife belong to, with my whole family. 
There's even a petting zoo.
The weather looks agreeable, too! 

xx

I hope that you are enjoying the season, whether spring 
or fall, and finding time to get out in the fresh air and sunshine. 

Thank you for taking the time to stop by, dear friends. 
Life is busy and it means so much to me. 
xx


"The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day
he created spring."
- Bernard Williams -

"Beautiful as a dandelion blossom golden in the green grass,
this life can be."
- Edna St. Vincent Millay -
  



 

10 comments:

  1. precious Karen it was such a relief to see you posting .
    i will come back to read this post
    hugs

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Happiest of Birthdays to your Ramblin' Man, dear Karen! Such beautiful photos of you both way back when, and today. Amazing you all were able to surprise him. How lovely his siblings were able to celebrate with him, too. Your lyrical words and gorgeous photos of spring waking up from her deep sleep has sprinkled smiles into my autumnal, rainy day.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Belated Happy Birthday greetings to you husband! You all must have had lots of fun preparing secretly the wonderful party and you all must have enjoyed it very much.
    Your photos and words are lovely, as always. I wish you beautiful and happy spring moments and lots of pretty flowers.
    As you read on my blog, we still have much snow. At least there's more light by now. :) The early mornings are especially lovely, when you notice that many birds, big and small, have come back and are preparing for the spring and summer. :)
    Happy April, dear Karen!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Happy Easter and a belated Happy Birthday to your husband. What a fantastic party you all enjoyed to celebrate the day, such a wonderful surprise for you and even better that everyone took care of the preparations! Finally we have a bit more sunshine to enjoy and the Spring flowers are underway, It's been such a wet year here. Have a great time with your family. X

    ReplyDelete
  5. Happy Belated Birthday to your husband! I love your adorable posts... Balm to the soul and feast to the eyes! Thank you for such beauty and inspiration!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Karen, there's so much lovely on here today. What a wonderful celebration for your husband's 70th! That is a grand one for sure. And so glad it was kept a surprise for so long, so he could rejoice in the day. I love the "growing old" quote and will keep that one. The bunny dish is cute to fill with chocolates. The yellow pot with the purple flowers caught my eye, it's so pretty. And that metal bird sign is delightful. There were five siblings in my family growing up, and it reminded me of that. You did a good job on the watercolor paintings, and they will be nice for Easter next year. I especially enjoy seeing your surroundings and your garden. Nature fills me with such peace, and I love to hear about the wildlife that comes to visit you. The "then and now" pics of you and your husband are treasures, as is that wooden box that you found on a shopping trip with your mom.

    Your home and all the creative projects you do always warms my heart. Happy April days to you, Karen.

    ~Sheri

    ReplyDelete
  7. Karen, spring is looking wonderful at your house. Your flowers always do well for you, Happy belated birthday to your Ramblin Man. Looks like a great party. Karen, did you reach out to me through Blogger dashboard? I got a message this AM from you saying that I could reach you anytime through e-mail and it gave your address but I couldn't open it. Was it you or do you think it is a scam? Happy Spring . Have fun wetting your plants. Love it!! xxoJudy

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  8. Happy Spring dear Karen! And Happy Birthday to Rambling Man! That is pretty epic. 🎉 You both look so young!! 🤩 I love seeing all of your flowers and the hope of blooming things, as I'm looking at snow here again. But it's melting by bits and all will start to get green before I know it! I love your watercolor bunny and carrot. So sweet! They will look wonderful framed and up next Easter. I hope you had a very blessed with your family. Blessings on the Spring ahead too. xoxo 🌷💗

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  9. Heartfelt birthday wishes to your dear Hubby precious friend Karen !!!!!!!
    you both make a divine couple ,true soul mates indeed :)))
    loved looking at your older and new photos together !
    what a perfect roll back in time and how beautiful is the feeling that God has blessed you both opportunity to grow older together :) ,may the joy be forever ameen!
    you are amazing mother and your children's love for you both reflects though all the words you speak about them Karen!
    how sweet they arranged everything personally for the birthday and what a pleasure for your hubby to have sibling on such lovely occasion :)
    wishing his youngest sister speedy recovery !
    you started blogging after passing your mother away .my mother passed away after two or three years i started blogging and it became place where i could speak my heart with friends like you because the only person to whom i used to do so was gone !
    memories are huge blessing because without them it can be terrible to lead life ahead after loosing loved one God is merciful indeed !
    your picks from flea market are so cute :) happy Easter to you and loved ones my friend !
    happy spring too ,what a gorgeous place you have called home :) (by the grace of god)

    these flowers fill heart with joy!!!!!!
    you have kindest hubby who helps you in making all your wishes comes true ,a true gift by God !
    many many more blessings to you ad family!

    ReplyDelete
  10. A very Happy Birthday to your hubby, so wonderful most of his siblings could be there, sure hope his sister keeps improving! Love all your bunnies and spring goodies, the watercolors are cute too and will be great to add next year for sure. Good luck keeping those deer away, and enjoy all those lovely flowers starting to bloom!

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Thank you for stopping by! Your comments are important to me and are very much appreciated. xx Karen

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