There was a wind a few days ago and while on a walk we found these sweet little bird's nests on the ground. On the same walk we went down a path

and found wisteria in full bloom everywhere. There were lots of bees too, you could hear them from quite a ways away.

Really Fresh Asparagus

Two days ago it was finally ready!

We have had wild asparagus come up in the field behind our house before and we have been scanning it for a few weeks hoping to find a spear or two poking out of the grass. We found some old dried stalks from last year (the ones we didn't find) and at the base of one it looked purplish green, so I carefully broke off the top in sections. Inside was the beginning of a new spear only about two inches long. We have been watching it grow an inch or two a day and finally it was ready to eat. We decided to just eat it raw. My husband and I took turns taking bites off the top and after about four total bites, it was gone. Mmmmmmmmmm, it was tasty.

Cookbooks

I really like to cook and having a nice selection of cookbooks is a real treat. We are moving soon and I plan on marking the cookbook boxes with a big red mark so I can open them first and get to it! That might not be on the first night though!

Photoshop Play

I spent some time last night teaching myself a bit more Photoshop. This image was created playing with layers. I really like this collage...all of the photos I used you've seen on this blog in the past, but now they have been combined and layered and colored differently. It was a lot of fun.

Violets

Is there anything lovelier than a bunch of violets? They are all over my yard.

Goats

There is a field near my home that has always had goats and once in awhile sheep, a llama and a calf or two. But always goats and usually baby goats. A few months ago all of the animals were gone and didn't come back. We were sad because if we were ever feeling down we would go park our car by the goat field and watch the babies romp around. You couldn't leave without feeling a lot better.

This morning my friend Connie called to tell me the goats were back! I immediately went by the field to see them and take some photos. Here are the cute little goats.

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Strawberry Season

There are strawberries everywhere. I made these chocolate covered jewels to take to some friends for dinner last night...accompanied by ice cream. What a tasty treat and as easy as pie.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

8 washed and dried strawberries

1 ounce semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 Tbsp cream

dash of almond extract

Combine chocolate and cream in a microwave proof dish. Microwave at 50% for about a minute. Watch closely so it doesn't burn. Remove from microwave and stir in almond extract. Let cool for about a minute. Dip strawberries in chocolate and place on parchment or wax paper to cool and harden. Ready to eat in about 10 minutes. Yum!!!

More Spring

Hi! I was wondering what I might blog about today and my eyes lighted on these cheerful little egg bunnies I made quite a few years ago. There is really nothing like having fun little handmade things around your house. I hope you find time in your day to make something with your hands today...maybe it will be a quilt, a new garden or lunch. Whatever it is, remember to delight in the act of creating.

Signs of Spring

I was out for a walk this morning and decided the flowers around my yard needed to find themselves in a spring photo montage. Enjoy!

Another fun thing I've been doing is making a doll from a pattern from a book dated 1938. Go here to see the full story.

Elizabeth Berg

Well, hello there. It is spring and I am finally back to blogging. The daffodils are covering the hillside near my home and the redbuds have just started drawing their purple lines through the forests. This is all fine and dandy, but one of the best things that has happened is I've found a new great author, Elizabeth Berg. I discovered a shelf of her books in my local library. The first book I read was "The Art of Mending" then went to "A Year of Pleasures." She seems to speak so well about emotions in tough situations and how the characters work their way through them with grace. I'm happy to say, that she is a prolific writer so I will have many fine hours of reading. You can go to her website here.