I like Thursdays: April 26, 2023

 

Happy Thursday friends!

It's time for a weekly round of "I like Thursdays" hosted by LeeAnna.  You can find more happy posts at her website, Not Afraid of Color!

This week's prompt is about language.  Have we learned/speak another language?  What was it like to learn and are there any words that make us happy?  

I took 2 years of Spanish in high school.  I was sure I had forgotten most of it.  But then in college, I studied Russian.  It was difficult but when we got to the part where our teacher would verbally communicate with us and expect a response...the teacher would hesitate for a moment and then tell me, "You're speaking Spanish."  I can still read some Russian but it's been so many years since I used it, I've lost most of it.

I love language and there are lots of words I love but today I'm just thinking about words that are rarely used anymore...simple words like "scram."   Then there are those Pennsylvania Dutch words...

The old man that used to live behind me said to me one day, he would do such and such but he "dersent".  Meaning he dare not.  That's a childhood phrase to me.  I live in Pennsylvania Dutch country and we grew up using a lot of phrases and words from that language.

Other things I like:

I've been doing most of my work outdoors in the garden.  My husband and I were amused by this little fellow who had come to visit and watch us work.  We let him be and he seemed to enjoy himself in the garden...

In the wintertime, the kids look forward to snow days.  This spring, I look forward to rain days.  I haven't sewn in a few weeks and we are expecting a rainy weekend, just perfect for sewing!

My husband and I are enjoying our Phillies and they seem to be getting their groove back as the season progresses!  Go Phils!

Whatever you are doing this weekend, have a safe and happy time!

I Like Thursdays: April 20, 2023

 

Well it's "I like Thursday" and time to celebrate the good in life.  Be sure to visit other participating bloggers by visiting our hostess, LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color!

This week's prompt is:  "make a list of some of your favorite smells.... scents...what do these make you think about? was there a special memory associated with one of them?"

I have always loved the scent of coffee.

The aroma reminds me of Nana Betty's home.  She always had a percolator on the stove, her preferred brewing method.  When I was very little, I would hug her and tell her that I loved her and I loved her 'coffee breath' which made her laugh.  She would make me a beverage she referred to as "coffee-tea" and I loved it.  The cup would be half full of coffee/half of milk with lots of sugar in it.  My father was pretty tolerant but drew the line at "coffee-tea".  "Children shouldn't be drinking coffee," he'd reprimand her.  Nana Betty gave me my mugs when he wasn't around or looking 😊😋

I'm allergic to perfumes and the scent of some flowers--like hyacinth and viburnum can make me ill.  My favorite natural scent is lavender. I grow lavender in my garden and harvest it into sachets each year.  I like lavender scented soaps but I have to sniff the soap before purchasing it (some have other scents mixed in and some don't smell like lavender at all).

Despite my love of lavender, I have never wanted to bake or cook with it.  I've seen that done on the British Baking Show but that's totally uninteresting to me.

Other good things going on here:  

💖A nice get together with our former neighbors.  Their dog tried to come home with me which I adored!  

💖Retiring my business as quilt lecturer.  Last program was Wednesday.  In a way it was sad.  The caregiving part of my life felt relief.

💖Only about 6 more weeks of tree pollen!  I'll be wearing a mask some days when I get back to the garden.

Wishing you a bright and fun weekend!

I Like Thursdays: April 13, 2023

 

I hope all of you had a happy holiday!

Ours was rather low-key, just my mom, hubby, and I shared a meal.  It's been a rather hectic couple of weeks which will slow down after next week so we were grateful for a slower paced day.

This week I'm grateful that my mom's latest hospital visit turned out well.  Her anemia is starting to subside and now I have to take her for vitamin B shots.  Hopefully the B shots will make her more energetic.  It's been a couple of crazy weeks with just her health challenges.

Other than that, I've not got much done.  I'm hoping to get more work completed on the garden.  My neighbor, a wonderful young man named Andy, has been asking me when I want him to mulch the garden and I want to get that done soon.

The prompt this week is whether we are night or morning people.  We are morning folks, usually in bed by 9 or 10 pm and up around 5 am or 6 am.  I get most of my work done in the morning.  By 6 or 7 pm, we are spent and usually settle down to watch tv.

Wishing you a safe and happy weekend!

Happy Easter!

 

Have a safe and happy holiday!

I Like Thursdays: April 6, 2023

 

Happy Passover!

Happy Easter!

Happy Thursday!

Today is the day that we share what makes us happy as part of "I like Thursdays."  Bloggers participate and you can read more posts via our hostess LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color!

There is a cardinal that makes me laugh every single morning at daybreak.  It must have a nest down the street but as soon as a little light breaks on the horizon, this bird starts calling and she is LOUD!  The song makes me step outside my front door every morning to listen.  Perhaps because the street is so quiet, the sound travels clearly.  I asked a neighbor if the bird woke her up every morning.  Yes she said, but it beats the sounds of the crows she heard this winter.  

***

Our prompt this week is about Easter and Easter memories.  What I remember the most is the days leading up to the holiday.  Tomorrow is Good Friday.  As a child, I remember our grandmother hushing us because it was a solemn day and we weren't allowed to make a lot of noise.  We (the kids) were fed light meals while the adults fasted.  On Saturday we decorated eggs and eagerly awaited the arrival of the Easter Bunny and the Resurrection.  I never attended an egg hunt.  For many Christians, this is the holiest of all holidays and what I remember most is the religious aspect of the weekend.

***

One thing I do remember about Easter is my aunt and uncles getting chicks at Easter.  My aunt and uncles were my age and we were all fascinated by the little peeps of the chicks!  Did you ever get a chick for Easter?

However you celebrate the holiday, I wish you a weekend of peace and joy!

I Like Thursdays: March 30, 2022

 

Happy Thursday!

Time to celebrate the good in life by participating in "I like Thursdays" hosted by LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color.  What are you grateful for this week?

I'm grateful that it is warm enough that I could begin cleaning out the garden.  It's hard work but it's so nice to be outside in the sunshine and warmth!  

I've been taking Kerry to the park every morning and sometimes again in the afternoon.  Walking a dog (for me) is more therapeutic than walking alone.  After Scout died, I walked the park alone but my nagging lower back was still tight and nothing seemed to help.  One walk with Kerry and it just relaxed.  I'm not sure what that's all about but my back is fine and Kerry is delighted to go to the park each day.  She has become friends with many of Scout's dog friends.

Play ball!

Our Phillies begin the regular season tonight and that makes us excited!  Yeah for baseball!

We are also happy that Call the Midwives is back on PBS.  I just love this show!

Our prompt this week from LeeAnna is special Easter foods we like.  We always have ham for Easter and whatever sides strike our fancy.  I love getting Easter bread from our local farmer's market and always put an order in to insure we get a loaf.  It's a sweeter and light bread.  I never had it until my first marriage and my late mother in law (#1) made it from scratch way back when.  Of course the thing that everyone eats around here are Peeps!

Just Born candy is located here in our valley and is always adored and devoured.  It's funny because Peeps continues to make new and unusual things with Peeps (like Peeps flavored soda) and the older neighbors always buy whatever's new to try it.  I like a Peep in hot chocolate.  My step-son always likes when Peeps get a little stale (a choice I've heard from other people).  It just doesn't seem like a holiday without them.

Well that's all my likes for this week!  

Wishing you a safe and happy weekend!

I Like Thursdays: March 23, 2023

 

Time to celebrate the good in life and participate in "I like Thursdays" hosted by LeeAnna!

The kindness of friends has continued this past week.  It amazes me the outpouring of love we've received since Scout passed.  Last week we received a letter from a local animal rescue.  They had received a generous donation from a former neighbor who had heard about Scout passing.  Of course I cried and Brad got choked up.  She was so loved.  And then LeeAnna sent me a piece of artwork that she did of Scout.  And I cried again.  Isn't it wonderful?

Fortunately, we've had some good things happen.  We saw our niece two weeks ago and the baby is now 10 months old and so cute!

Other good news!  My husband is back after a month of working in Canada and Utah!  

Spring has finally sprung in eastern Pennsylvania:

The prompt for this week's blog post is what do we grow in our garden...I have a perineal garden and although I usually add annuals for color, I won't be doing that this year.  Next year (after both hand surgeries are recovered), I am going to remove two of the big beds in the front yard so it is more manageable as I age.  They are the beds along the sidewalk and this photo is from 2020 when we celebrated the centennial of women's suffrage:

So I'll be moving and giving plants away next year and focusing more on the backyard which is more of my retreat anyway.  

Wishing you all a happy spring!

Have a safe and happy weekend!

I Like Thursdays: March 16, 2023

 Happy Thursday!

It's "I like Thursday" and time to celebrate the good in life!  Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day and that means spring is almost upon us.  It's been one of those pre-spring weeks.  A nor'easter was expected to bring snow.  It was cold and a little bit of flurries but nothing stuck to the ground--yipppeee!  After three days of cold and wind we are now expecting temperatures to climb to 57 degrees!  Spring is almost here!

Next week I'm hoping to start cleaning out the garden if the weather remains good.  Always a good thing to celebrate!

Today our hostess LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color provided us a prompt--what our favorite spring flowers?  Although it's exciting to see snowdrops in the winter or the blooming of crocus, for me daffodils really signal the advent of spring.  I love the many combinations the flower has and yellow is such cheerful color!  Here's a photo from last year, mine are just about to bloom in the next day or two.

Other things to like:  I finished a bunch of pet themed wall hangings for my goddaughter's grooming business.  There are more photos of them at this post at my Pennsylvania Piecemaker blog.  

I continue to walk my mom's dog Kerry at the park in the morning.  She has made some friends and absolutely looks forward to the daily constitutional.

Wishing you a happy and warm weekend!

I Like Thursdays: March 9, 2023

 

It's Thursday and time to celebrate the good in life!  I participate in "I like Thursdays" as a way to brighten the internet.  Be sure to visit the other bloggers by visiting LeeAnna's blog, Not Afraid of Color!

The weather has gotten cooler even as spring approaches.  I'm taking this indoor time to do some spring cleaning.  Once the warm weather really hits, I won't have the energy to clean out the garden and the house so I'm doing it now.  Yesterday and today I'm working on the kitchen, editing and changing things.  Over at my Pennsylvania Piecemaker blog, I'm celebrating hanging some vintage crocheted potholders that I'll be displaying this year. 

This week I'm grateful to be springing forward as we change the clocks.  I'm up so early anyway and my husband and I will be glad when we are awake at 5:30 a.m. versus 4:30.

We had guild this past week and it's always wonderful to be around my quiltmaking friends!  I love the show and tell portion of the meetings which are so inspiring!

My best friend Linda is a snowbird but she has already texted me that they are heading home!  Yipppeeee!

This week's prompt from LeeAnna is to discuss our dream sewing studio.  I do like my space but one thing I would change are the walls.  All the walls are slanted and I am so envious of folks who can not only hang pieces on their walls but also have a design wall.  

(Old photo of the sewing room when I actually could fit a bed in there).

Like most of us, I wish I had more storage space. Because I only have 3 of these cupboards and 5 of these rolling containers... 

I pulled up my big girl panties and decided that if I wanted my storage space, I need to use up more fabric!

Wishing you a safe and happy weekend!