Brilliant, I say!

If you don't care to watch the whole thing and want to skip to the best part, watch part two for Alton's homemade popcorn device and ideas for seasonings. I highly recommend the entire thing, though. Just watch it!

The lilacs are blooming! The lilacs are blooming!

They're probably blooming or have already bloomed where you are, but my little sapling takes her sweet time.

All of my Columbine is back this year, and with it come the new varieties planted late last season and at the beginning of this one. This is the first of them to bloom...my favorite, wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis).

There are all sorts of new things popping up that I planted last year. Can't remember what half of them are, but that's the fun part. One of these days I'll start a garden journal and keep track. One of these days.

thank you

Just wanted to thank everyone for their kind words. It's been really hard to grasp that she's gone and the support from everyone really helps a lot. So thanks.

Not much to say here today, but mostly I just wanted to bump that last post down. I get hysterical every time I sign in and see her fuzzy little face sitting there at the top. I just can't accept it yet.

The next post will be much cheerier, I promise.

Isabelle

Our sweet little velveteen cat left us today. She died late this afternoon and luckily we were able to say goodbye to her as she passed. I adopted her from a shelter when I got my first apartment and she's been at my side ever since. Not sure how old she was when I took her home, but she lived with me for fourteen years. Feels like something is missing from our house already. She will be missed.

Little A

(photo courtesy of Kate's Flickr stream)

I had the chance to spend a little quality time with Miss Amelia last night at my house. Had a bunch of company over for dinner (steak, burgers, shrimp, roasted potatoes and cupcakes), some relaxin' time, a sit around the fire pit in the back yard, and just good old fashioned catching up. Kate and Dave brought the baby with them and she's just such a delight to have around. It got me thinking...I have no regrets whatsoever about not having kids of my own, but maybe other people's kids aren't so bad after all. Especially this little lady. How adorable is she???

Someone else's giveaway!

(photo courtesy of Hartwood Roses)

So, I've been a loyal reader of Christina's blog, The Oak Leaves, for a while now. Love her photos, love her stories, love the blog overall. Popped in there today to see what was new and her most recent post linked to her friend's blog where a fantastic giveaway is going on. I want to win this climbing rose so badly I can taste it. To enter, simply leave a comment on her blog. And for an extra added bonus, if you link to the giveaway on your own blog, she'll enter your name for a second chance at winning. Yes! I'm feeling lucky. I've been fantasizing about some sort of climbing plant growing up the side of my little brick bungalow lately, and this would be perfect! Head on over and check it out. And be sure to check in on The Oak Leaves, too. Great stuff.

it could happen to you

I have the worst luck.

A customer stopped by yesterday to ask if I’d be interested in taking her old sewing machine. It still works, is in great condition, and I’m certainly not one to turn down a backup machine for those all-too-common times when mine decides it’s too good to work for me anymore. The customer asked if I wouldn’t mind getting the machine out of her car (she had recently suffered from a back injury and couldn’t lift it herself), and walked with me to show me where she was parked. I grabbed the machine out of the back seat, thanked her thoroughly, and made my way back to the shop, smiling the entire way.

And that’s when it happened.

My underwear fell off.

And I was wearing a skirt.

I swear these things only happen to me. I’m pretty sure no one saw it happen, but as I was standing at the sink last night washing the dinner dishes, I had an awfully vivid image in my head of the one solitary person who witnessed the event telling his entire family the story, all while choking on a full-bellied laugh.

Yeah. I’ll never understand life. But I still swear by Weight Watchers.