Orchid Show

 My family and me at the orchid show at the North Carolina Arboretum.  There were so many lovely and unusual orchids, all displayed beautifully.  There were also vendors with orchids for sale.  I resisted, but Winnie bought three.

It was a great North Carolina weekend, watching basketball and visiting a couple of breweries, including the big Sierra Nevada brewery.  Shoe shopping, because that's what we do.

On the way home the tire pressure light came on and we discovered a nail in a tire.  We found a small tire/restaurant/gas station combo and were able to quickly get it fixed, plus we had a sandwich for lunch while we were waiting.

We were lucky, it was the exit before the long one-lane construction area on I40 - a flat tire there would not have been good.

Now today, of course, home is too quiet.  I spent way too much time with my internet provider, only to learn that my access problem was with my laptop.  And again, way too much time, trying this and that to fix it.  In the end, it's fixed, and I'm grateful, but I pushed so many buttons that I won't know how to fix it next time.

 

Chicks

 

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Thanks to my Seattle friend for sending this table runner.  There are six of these chicks, each a little different.

It's time, I guess, to look for other Easter decorations.  I'm remembering a cute stuffed bunny that will live on a couch cushion.  A few ceramic rabbits.

Yesterday, first day of spring, was the chilliest day we've had recently.  In the early morning a tornado touched down at the Cincinnati Airport, which is actually in Northern Kentucky.

Halftime, and my team is up 35 to 27.  March Madness is always enjoyable.

Strawberry Scones

 

These strawberry scones are really, really good.

Each month I like to pick out a new recipe to try, usually from Southern Living.  You can find this recipe in the March issue.

My previous attempts at making scones have been less then stellar,  usually ending up in a crumbling mess.  Maybe adding sour cream and whipping cream helped out.

Maybe it was freezing the scones for thirty minutes before baking them.  Maybe it was the juiciness of the berries.  Maybe all those things.

A few weeks ago I was reading a book series, just mindless reading, and there was a lot of scone baking by one of the characters.  People raved about her scones.  That's probably what inspired me to pick this recipe. 

Cooking, or baking, something new introduces me to new spices and sauces and other ingredients.  Sometimes it's really good and sometimes it is just a grand experiment, never to be repeated.  Since I'm a vegetarian it usually isn't terribly expensive.  Just a fun thing to do.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day.

I'm reminded of when my girls attended St. Patrick school, and this day had a special program followed by dismissal.

And when we were young, and not wearing at least a bit of green could lead to a pinch.

If I had some Guiness in my refrigerator I'd drink one tonight . . . but, I don't.

It's ok, I'll make my favorite vegetable soup, which has fresh spinach in the ingredient list, and that will be good enough.

Today I'm actually sewing and taking breaks to do some small tasks.  I have a goal of 6500 steps for today, and I think I'll get there.  It's chillier than I thought it would be, but I'll walk outside for just a llittle while and then try a walking video.  

Certain Something

I wish I had that certain something that would let me take a vase of flowers and arrange things with it to make everything fit together and look lovely, but I don't.  Winnie does though.

Sarah visited last weekend and we stopped at the Fresh Market and got a cluster of these buds that open so nicely for her to take home to Winnie.  And now I'm wishing I'd bought some for myself.

The Fresh Market is right in front of my church, so I can easily stop tomorrow.

For today, I think the storms are over.  So much rain - we will surely start to green up next week.

Rounding Third

 

Spring training in happening in Arizona, and Madtree Rounding Third beer is on the shelves here.

Opening Day in Cincinnati is March 27.

And this is a record setting day with temperatures in the seventies here.  Any minute now I'm going outside.

It's been a cross-off-medical-things week.  Doctor visits Monday and Tuesday and a tetanus etc. vaccination today.  My doctor has reminding me to get the vaccinaion for a couple of years and after seeing my grandson's whooping cough experience I was motivated.

Everyone else has been using QR codes for five years now but I finally tried it today to check in for the vaccination appointment.

The week after the time change - I find that I'm out of energy in the afternoon.  I know I'll be sad if I miss today's sunshine so I'll go outside and see if that brings energy my way.

A Bloom

 

For an unknown but happy reason, there is a bloom on my Christmas cactus and another on its way.  

Sarah came for a quick weekend visit.  There was a visit to a bike expo, a skateboard shop, and the huge liquor store.  Big as it was, the liquor store didn't have the beer that we wanted to try.

There were nachos at a favorite restaurant close to the river.  We had really planned to have dinner, but ending up having just the huge shared plate of nachos.

Sarah trimmed the last of the ornamental grasses - so new growth can start any day now.  

And then there was the time change.  The evenings are so much nicer now.