Dreams

May all your dreams come true. Have a wonderful weekend, dear bloggers!

Hey, Honey?

Hey, honey? Does this dress make my butt look big?

What?!

But my legs look good, right?

You wanna come over HERE and say that, Buster?

Thank You, Susie Q!

I am a very lucky woman. Over the years, I have been given birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, anniversary gifts, shower gifts, graduation gifts...you get the idea. But rarely have I ever gotten a gift...just because. Until I started blogging.

These lovely blue and white bud vases, and the cute little plate, were given to me by the fabulous Susie Q, of Rabbit Run Cottage. Just because. Just because Sue is a terrific, wonderful, lovely and sweet woman. :) I am truly blessed to have met such a generous friend!

Thank you so much, Sue! I love them!

Spring Is Here!

Well, not really, but my snowdrops have appeared, so it can't be long now. I can't begin to tell you what a joyous thing this is -- to see the snowdrops appear. For some reason, I never see them as they push out of the ground. Every year, I come upon them in bloom one day, and my heart sings. (Yes, I know how corny that sounds.) I always ask myself the same question: "Why have I not planted hundreds of these?"

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Sorry about the late post -- my daughter's school has High School Proficiency Exams today, and she doesn't have to get there till 10am, so we took the opportunity to get a little more sleep.

Have a wonderful day, dear bloggers!

Look What I Won!

Lovely Laura, from Amongst The Oaks, recently held a contest, and I won the door prize. If you do not already know Laura, you must go and visit her immediately. She is a wonderful writer, and takes the most gorgeous photographs, and she's an Anglophile, like me! Scroll down through her past posts to take a wonderful virtual trip to Great Britain. Or just spend some time drooling over her beautiful home and lovely neighborhood in California. Look at this beautiful red transferware dish! Laura obviously knows me well. :)

She also sent me this gorgeous red tassel (her home is filled with tassels), and the sweet little ticking heart, stuffed with fragrant lavender. What wonderful prizes! I love them so much, Laura. Thank you!

Edited to add: OK, I'm not sure about the new header and background color. They're looking a little odd to me. Tell me what you think. Honestly. I may change it back soon, just so I can feel comfortable again. :)

He's Baaaack! And He's Not Alone.

Lately, we've had several visits from this beautiful fellow. A few people have told me he looks like a Merlin falcon. Others have said he might be an immature Cooper's hawk. I've looked at the bird guide, and can't quite figure out what he is. We have a raptor hospital nearby, so I may have to take his picture over there and ask for an identification. At any rate, he's pretty amazing to see perched in our yard. He let me come within 10 or 15 feet of him to snap these pictures. The zoom lens helped, too. I would say he's about the length of my forearm, from elbow to fingertip. Say, about 17-18 inches. He's a beauty.

Edited to add: The experts at the Raptor Trust have identified him (her?) as a Cooper's Hawk.

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We've had a lot of other avian visitors as well. I love scattering some bread on the deck, and then listening for the bird calls that signal "birdie smorgasbord!"

Here's my favorite crow picture. I had tossed some grapes on our deck, and this glossy guy was peering through the french doors at me, waiting to see if it was safe to snatch them up.

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Isn't this grackle beautiful? Just look at all the colors in his coat. Grackles travel in huge flocks, and they are noisy and combative -- always fighting over the same piece of bread. But taken individually, they are lovely -- shining feathers gleaming in the sun.

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Finally, here is a little Slate-colored Junco. Shy and sweet, always ready to nip in and snatch a few bites before the other birds come back for seconds.

I'm so looking forward to spring this year, and these birds are harbingers. The days are getting just a little longer, and the earth just a little warmer. Hooray! Hurry, spring!

Nuts For Nutella

Ooooey, gooey, creamy, nutty, CHOCOLATEY goodness.

In a jar.

I'm nuts for Nutella.

'Nuff said.

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Have a wonderful weekend, dear bloggers!