bits of sunshine

Winter Pictures on a March Day

Looks like Christmas . . .
but it is March 31.
On Sunday we had
almost 50 degrees F
and sun.
There was no snow.
Today there is
over a foot of snow
and it is drifted
two feet and deeper.

So much for my summertime wishes yesterday.

But Maddie
Zoe (our chocolate lab)
and I sure had fun
in the snow tonight.
We chased
and played fetch with Zoe
and laughed and laughed.
We enjoyed
the beauty
of the snow
and were thankful
that it is not too cold
and that Ben
will have plenty of work
for tomorrow.



We had lots of fun,
but will gladly welcome
the melt (that must come)
and some springtime
any day!

Summer Picture for a Winter Day ::

late May 2007

I went looking for a summery picture.
This is from two years ago.
My kids were so little.
And the sun was so warm.
And their toes were so bare.

Today,
it is snowing here. 
We are supposed to have
7 - 14 inches piled up
by tomorrow night.
It would mean more
work for Ben . . .

But I am wishing
for sunshine.
And warmth.
Even 45 degrees F
or so would be
welcome.

Thankfully,
we are not flooding
like our neighbors
to the north.

There is always a
bit of sunshine.
Isn't there.

All he needs . . .

are some blocks and some diggers and a lego man and his BIG imagination. And here we have a train, hauling the construction equipment across the countryside.

He has been playing with the blocks and these trucks for two days straight. He is so patient and meticulous.


And those were my blocks. What fun to watch my little buddy play with them.

Happy weekend, everyone!

A Box in the Mail

On my porch, in the snow, this afternoon, I found this :: 

I won Geertrude's giveaway from March 3!  And my box arrived all the way from the Netherlands today.  I tucked my kids in for a nap.  I made a cup of coffee.  I picked up the lunch dishes and wiped off the table.  Then, I opened the box.  And inside I found ::

And the most adorable bag - which I did not take a picture of yet.  But I will.  And I will show you all.  Because I love it!

I used one of the cloths for a table cloth tonight :: 

And there were these yummy treats ::   

Read about Stroopwafels here.  Watch a funny tutorial about how to eat them here.  We ate them with freshly whipped sweetened cream over strawberries and bananas :: 

It was one of the very most yummy desserts we've ever had! 

THANK YOU, Geertrude!!!!  Thank you, thank you. 

hello

just a quick note : 

ben and i share a computer - which has always worked just fine.  but he and my brother just moved into an office - so the computer goes to work with him most days. i have it today!  so i will get some pictures and things up this afternoon and evening. 

thank you all so very much for the birthday wishes!  and i wanted to let you know that the recipe for the strawberry birthday cake in up on my sidebar! 

more later - from snowy minnesota . . .

Ben's Quilt :: Progress

I have all the "squares" done. 

I worked on them over the weekend.

Each one is a different size and shape.

I will put them together - starting this evening.

I am getting really excited about this!

My Birthday (was last Sunday)

We have a little tradition at our church . . . the person celebrating a birthday brings change for the birthday bank and everyone counts out the age, then sings happy birthday.  It's fun and funny.  So, I brought 1 quarter and 4 pennies.  And put them in the bank.

29 sounds strange.  The last year of being in my 20's. 

My family had a little party for me.

My little grandma was in town for my birthday.

And Ben makes this birthday cake for me every year.  Oh. SO. Yummy!

One last picture . . .

from my drive last Saturday.

To tide us all over until I put up those sewing pictures . . .

Small-town Cliche

My friend Elissa lives in a VERY small town, outside another small town, in North Dakota.

On the way to visit her, I drove through miles, and miles, and miles, and miles of countryside.  Lots of it very flat and windblown.  At one point I drove past a field where about 200 deer were grazing - scavenging leftover corn and beans through the snow.  Yes, 200 is a conservative estimate. 

So, I drove down the lloonngg winding hilly road (with no shoulders) into the little town which consists of about 20 houses, a church and a bar. 

This was Thursday evening at about 6:30 and in front of the bar were about 20 pickup trucks.  No other vehicles.  Only pickup trucks.

This is the bar's front door :: 

On Saturday, in the mid-afternoon, this was the front of the bar ::

And this was across the street ::

Midwestern, small-town winter at its finest.

Tidbits

My sister-in-law Annie and I made this quilt for Dallas and Elissa's wedding 3 years ago. I got to sleep under it when I stayed at their house last week!

I have 5 pregnant friends.  I am so excited for all of them.
My sister-in-law Annie is pregnant with her 4th!
My friend Elissa (her blog here) is pregnant with her 1st!
My friend Missy is pregnant with her 1st and her 2nd and her 3rd - all at once!  And they are all girls!
My friend Kristin (her blog here) is pregnant with her 3rd - a little boy!
My friend Maria Rose (her blog here) is pregnant with her 1st!

So, this means that I HAVE to finish this quilt.  That I was going to have done for Valentine's Day.  I didn't get it done.  Ben is going to think that I really don't love him much . . . Today and tomorrow I WILL work on it.  And I will show pictures of my progress.  I will.

Because I should not work on any other sewing projects (for new babies or anybody else) until Ben's quilt is done.  After all, I do love him the most!

Have I told you how much I love this site?   I love it.  A lot.

And there are updates over at Reflections.  If you read over there, would you leave me a comment over there, just to let me know that you do?  I can't figure out how to read my stats for that page.

Later today, or early tomorrow the small-town cliche post will be up - for Elissa and everyone else who needs a laugh.