A Lovely Life

Spring is officially here, y'all.  It brings much warmer temperatures, unpredictable weather and LOTS of pollen.  I'm lucky that I'm not one of the people who suffer from terrible pollen allergies, but it seems to get to everyone this time of year.  So much so that I find myself thankful for rainy days that help keep my car clean and my nose a little clearer! We recently started a new landscape project on our ENTIRE yard.  I'll post all about that when it's done!  It's our first big project for the house and something we've talked about since we bought the place.  We're learning lots of lessons in the process including the one where you start a massive project on your house only to have your air conditioner die.  :-/  It is what it is and we're thankful that the weather is nice enough for us to have our windows open while we wait the 5 to 10 days until we can get it fixed.   While we've been focusing on the bigger picture, our back deck was l

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome." -- Anne Bradstreet,  Meditations Divine and Moral “It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want—oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!”  -- Mark Twain "April prepares her green traffic light and the world thinks Go."   -- Christopher Morley Picture source here .

Food brings people together.  Think about it. Whether it be holidays, weddings, Sunday meals, funerals or reunions food most often than not is the focus of those events.  First thing I do when someone has had a baby or fallen ill: bring food (or wine depending on the occasion).  It's a common necessity that allows us to connect with another.   My family is big on food and while I wasn't always able to have big meals with my extended family, I still appreciate the traditions they've made.   We each have a favorite recipe that reminds us of "home" and I love sharing those recipes and experiences with others.  I've recently been trying to make at least one weekend meal more interesting than our typical nightly dinners.  I've been using hand-me-down recipes from friends and family and branching out by trying recipes that are completely different.  It's been fun to experiment with new foods and techniques!  There's nothing better than "slaving&