Christmas in April

 

Every few days, a new bud or two shows up on my Christmas cactus.  And then later produces the largest, prettiest bloom.  It's almost like the the Christmas cactus is competing with the spring blooms starting to show up outside.

The milkweed plant has emerged and I'm so happy about that.  The iris are blooming.  Some late emerging plants are starting to show up.  I think there's a life lesson in those plants that show up just when I've given up.  

(Did anyone else read Leo the Late Bloomer to their kids?)

There has been a weekend out of town - but not very far.  More about that later.  Sarah and Winnie are traveling back home.  I always hope they will get home before dark but that rarely happens.  I guess it's a mom wish.

Collaborative Baby Quilt

A different kind of baby quilt, with blocks made by several people and  pieced ogether by another,  I was luckky enough to do the quilting and binding.

The women who did the piecing were Arboretum friends, and that was reflected in the fabric choices.  Some of the fabrics were used by everyone, some were added by the individual quilters.

I'm so pleased with the way this turned out.  Thanks to June Jollu for making everything fit together so nicely.

Weeding

 

Granddaughter Nora came a couple of times to weed the front yard beds,  She did a good job, and they look better.

The Felco pruners are here, a Christmas gift from aunts Sarah and Winnie, with her name engraved.  She's landed on landscape design as her major so it was an appropriate gift.

It was such a win/win.  I could pay her, over her objections, and feed her.  And I'm sure the neighbors are grateful.

I'm still hopeful, but it loos like a few of my favorite plants didn't make it through the winter.  Still, the ones that did are filling in nicely.

Except for some top soil, I've put off any visits to the nursery.  Probably just as well, there are frost warnings tonight and tomorrow night.

Hot Cross Buns

 

I decided to not make red beet eggs this year.  No one in the family is as impressed with them as I am.

There may, and may not, be egg coloring at my daughter's house.  The grands are 18 and 21.  The Easter baskets (pails) with goodies and plastic eggs with dollar bills - those will still be there.

At my house, hot cross buns are still a tradition.  I got them yesterday at the little bakery in the downtown area, family owned since 1927, open 3:00 am to 3:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday.

The clerk put an extra one in my package because it was a little small.  It was delicious.