ICK!! EEEGADS!!!! Spring has sprung.... so let Spring be Spring! I HATE HATE HATE these cold snaps that occur in spurts in between beautiful warm weather Spring days.... you know.... the ones called... Blackberry, Redbud, and/or Dogwood Winters... that occur supposedly so that these trees/plants will bud and bloom.
My personal opinion... not that anyone is asking... but here it is anyway.... I don't think it is at all necessary to be teased by beautiful, warm, sunny Spring days and then get jerked back into sweats, boots, and sweaters with the cold snaps for these trees/plants to bloom... I think they will still bloom quite nicely with non-stop sunny days! However.... I guess that would also mean no more Indian Summer's once the cooler weather of the Fall season begins too. As you can tell, I'm a HOT weather gal!
I know... whine, whine, whine.... but.... I was having such a nice time with the warm weather last week... and I feel my body starting to smile already at the promise of the warm weather that is returning tomorrow through the weekend. No matter how hard I try... I can't help it... I just get plain ole grumpy and frumpy when cold weather rolls in after several nice warm sunny days. Heck... I seriously don't mind the rainy days of Spring... as long as the weather stays warm!
However... I do LOVE the beauty of the blackberry bushes, redbud and dogwood trees in bloom. My all time favorite Spring blooms are the forsythia bushes and the bradford pear trees... of course... I can't forget the daffodils and the tulips either! In fact, when I was a child, my family home had millions of daffodils that would bloom each Spring. My brother and I would gather them by the handfuls each morning to take to our teachers for weeks until of the last daffodils withered away and became just dried stalks.
My husband and I always plant forsythia bushes in our yard and can't wait to see the bushes grow and bloom each year as they expand into a huge mountains of bright Spring yellow. Just last year we doubled our forsythia bushes so that we would have a wall of Spring yellow behind our iron fence... but alas... we moved last summer and did not get to enjoy the new wall of forsythias this Spring. And when you move into a new house during the Fall months... you just don't know what plants/trees you have until Spring springs and they show themselves. We have discovered that we have no forsythia bushes in our yard... but I guarantee that by Fall there will be new forsythia bushes planted for us to enjoy next Spring.
April first arrives in just a few hours... and I hope with it... the last of the cold snaps!!!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Tis The Season.... for SANDALS!!!
YES... YES... YES!!!! It's time for sandal wearing again!!!! The grin on my face goes from ear to ear now that Spring is here and Summer is approaching on it's heels! I have been living in boots for the past several months... and while I do LOVE me boots!.... I LOVE me sandals ooohhhh sooooo much more!
Yesterday I actually went sandal shopping, and am delighted to announce I have bought my first pair of sandals for the 2011 Spring season. They were on clearance and from Target! For the most part I'm a 'cheap' shopper.... always looking first for clearance items in my favorite stores of Target, Old Navy, Payless Shoes...etc. Then I go for the "new arrival" selections to find a new favorite sandal(s) for the current season. I have such a teeny tiny foot (teeny maybe... but thick and wide like Fred Flinstone!) that my best and favorite place to find shoes that are currently in style, and trendy for the season... whether it be Summer sandals or Winter boots... is Payless Shoes because their shoe sizes typically run wider than most shoe stores, and I can find children's shoes... that believe it or not... actually fit my foot better than adult shoes. However.... on those rare times I need a "big girl" fancy shoe for a fancy dinner party or party event... I have to shop on-line to find a high heel that will fit my Fred Flinstone short, fat foot!
I actually would go barefoot all Spring and Summer if it were socially acceptable... nothing better than fresh soft grass that feels like walking on a sherpa blanket under foot, or feeling the warmth of the sun baked into blacktop/concrete areas! As children... me, my brother and my cousins pretty much lived outside from the first day that school ended, until the first day that school started again... and we were usually barefoot everyday.... except for when we had to put those dreaded shoes back on for Church! Heck I could walk on the hottest blacktop surfaces, and run across rocks without ever feeling a thing. However... us kids usually had constant bee stings on the bottom of our feet... but even that couldn't stop us from scampering right back outside barefoot once the stingers had been removed and pieces of wet tobacco under a bandaid applied to the sting. By the end of Summer my Mom and my Aunt would have the hardest times getting us back in to wearing shoes for school. Thus the reason for my love of sandals... because sandals are the next best thing to going barefoot when shoes MUST be worn in public! My feet get to feel the freedom of the fresh air surrounding it, yet also being stylish and socially acceptable by being covered at the same time! The reason I need to go sandal shopping at the first sign of Spring each year is because by Summer's end, I've absolutely worn all my sandals to near shreds... with their straps barely hanging on the shoe, and the tip of the shoe scuffed and peeling. Yet... it always makes me sad when my favorite pair (and there is ALWAYS a favorite pair) have disintegrated beyond wearing.
My husband tho is a different creature altogether... he and his siblings grew up NEVER going barefoot and always wearing socks with their shoes! When Joe and I had our children and I would allow them to run outside barefoot like I used to do as a child... he would call them back in and insist they put on their shoes AND socks! It was a battle waged in our household for years... and of course like all good wives.... I would encourage them to wear their socks and shoes when Daddy was around... but once Daddy left for work... off came the shoes and socks and scampering barefoot was enjoyed until time for Daddy to come home from work and then back on the socks and shoes would go! To this day he still insists on household members wearing both socks and shoes in the Fall and Winter months... but he has finally come around to wearing flip flops and shoes without socks during the Spring and Summer... but never ever does he go barefoot! He claims the bottom of his feet are soooo tender.... and I always say it is because they were never exposed to toughen up.
Dear sweet Joe has finally learned when it comes to me... there is just no keeping shoes on my feet no matter what the season is. In cool/cold weather I wear footie socks and sometimes sherpa lined slippers... but it has to be really cold for me to don the slippers. Mostly I walk around barefoot in the house and outside as much as I can. Even when I HAVE to wear my 'fancy' and/or high heels shoes for dinner engagements or business events... unbeknownest to anyone else at the table... my shoes usually come off under the table, and stay off until I HAVE to put them on again to leave the table. When we are at weddings and parties where there is dancing... again... off come my shoes the instant I hit the dance floor! And he knows the instant we return home from any outing... the first thing I do is to take off my shoes!
My Grandmother LOVED shoes... she was always buying herself new and stylish shoes... it was her one and only vice she had for herself. My Daughters have inherited the love of stylish shoes from her. While they too enjoy going barefoot a lot... they also LOVE and enjoy shoe shopping and have closets full of shoes! Grandma would be proud!
Let the flip flopping and slap slapping of sandal/flip flop wearing begin as our feetsies and toesies rejoice in full exposure!
Yesterday I actually went sandal shopping, and am delighted to announce I have bought my first pair of sandals for the 2011 Spring season. They were on clearance and from Target! For the most part I'm a 'cheap' shopper.... always looking first for clearance items in my favorite stores of Target, Old Navy, Payless Shoes...etc. Then I go for the "new arrival" selections to find a new favorite sandal(s) for the current season. I have such a teeny tiny foot (teeny maybe... but thick and wide like Fred Flinstone!) that my best and favorite place to find shoes that are currently in style, and trendy for the season... whether it be Summer sandals or Winter boots... is Payless Shoes because their shoe sizes typically run wider than most shoe stores, and I can find children's shoes... that believe it or not... actually fit my foot better than adult shoes. However.... on those rare times I need a "big girl" fancy shoe for a fancy dinner party or party event... I have to shop on-line to find a high heel that will fit my Fred Flinstone short, fat foot!
I actually would go barefoot all Spring and Summer if it were socially acceptable... nothing better than fresh soft grass that feels like walking on a sherpa blanket under foot, or feeling the warmth of the sun baked into blacktop/concrete areas! As children... me, my brother and my cousins pretty much lived outside from the first day that school ended, until the first day that school started again... and we were usually barefoot everyday.... except for when we had to put those dreaded shoes back on for Church! Heck I could walk on the hottest blacktop surfaces, and run across rocks without ever feeling a thing. However... us kids usually had constant bee stings on the bottom of our feet... but even that couldn't stop us from scampering right back outside barefoot once the stingers had been removed and pieces of wet tobacco under a bandaid applied to the sting. By the end of Summer my Mom and my Aunt would have the hardest times getting us back in to wearing shoes for school. Thus the reason for my love of sandals... because sandals are the next best thing to going barefoot when shoes MUST be worn in public! My feet get to feel the freedom of the fresh air surrounding it, yet also being stylish and socially acceptable by being covered at the same time! The reason I need to go sandal shopping at the first sign of Spring each year is because by Summer's end, I've absolutely worn all my sandals to near shreds... with their straps barely hanging on the shoe, and the tip of the shoe scuffed and peeling. Yet... it always makes me sad when my favorite pair (and there is ALWAYS a favorite pair) have disintegrated beyond wearing.
My husband tho is a different creature altogether... he and his siblings grew up NEVER going barefoot and always wearing socks with their shoes! When Joe and I had our children and I would allow them to run outside barefoot like I used to do as a child... he would call them back in and insist they put on their shoes AND socks! It was a battle waged in our household for years... and of course like all good wives.... I would encourage them to wear their socks and shoes when Daddy was around... but once Daddy left for work... off came the shoes and socks and scampering barefoot was enjoyed until time for Daddy to come home from work and then back on the socks and shoes would go! To this day he still insists on household members wearing both socks and shoes in the Fall and Winter months... but he has finally come around to wearing flip flops and shoes without socks during the Spring and Summer... but never ever does he go barefoot! He claims the bottom of his feet are soooo tender.... and I always say it is because they were never exposed to toughen up.
Dear sweet Joe has finally learned when it comes to me... there is just no keeping shoes on my feet no matter what the season is. In cool/cold weather I wear footie socks and sometimes sherpa lined slippers... but it has to be really cold for me to don the slippers. Mostly I walk around barefoot in the house and outside as much as I can. Even when I HAVE to wear my 'fancy' and/or high heels shoes for dinner engagements or business events... unbeknownest to anyone else at the table... my shoes usually come off under the table, and stay off until I HAVE to put them on again to leave the table. When we are at weddings and parties where there is dancing... again... off come my shoes the instant I hit the dance floor! And he knows the instant we return home from any outing... the first thing I do is to take off my shoes!
My Grandmother LOVED shoes... she was always buying herself new and stylish shoes... it was her one and only vice she had for herself. My Daughters have inherited the love of stylish shoes from her. While they too enjoy going barefoot a lot... they also LOVE and enjoy shoe shopping and have closets full of shoes! Grandma would be proud!
Let the flip flopping and slap slapping of sandal/flip flop wearing begin as our feetsies and toesies rejoice in full exposure!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Real Books vs Kindles/Nooks
I have been an avid book reader since I was a child, thanks to the examples of my parents, who have also always been avid book readers. There is just nothing better than curling up with a good book on an icky rainy or cold blustery wintery day and getting lost in the pages of a good story... but I also enjoy reading on a beautiful spring/summer day while I lay out and soak up the rays of sun and getting lost in a good book as my body gets brown and toasty.
My Mother-in-law and my Sister-in-law both were the first people I knew who became "Kindle" fans when the Kindle first came out a few years ago. They both were instant fans and both have encouraged me to become a Kindle fan too.... but... my absolute love for REAL books kept me resisting from considering trying one out. Then.... just recently several dear friends, who were also "REAL book lovers", took the leap to being Kindle users, and they too fell instantly in love with this reading device, and have joined the ranks of those trying to sway me to becoming one as well. It wasn't until I recently began traveling more when my Grandbabies started to arrive, that I decided it might be worth checking out this newfangled way of reading, because carrying REAL books in my carry on bag made the weight of toting my bag through airports just too heavy and cumbersome... yet I HAVE to travel with a couple of good books... I just can't be without a book at hand for when I'm waiting for flights or for reading in flight.
Just as I had decided to consider purchasing a Kindle for myself, my husbands company sent out a flyer that they were going to start selling the Kindle, and were offering it's employees a special discount on the purchase of one before they began selling to the general public. Well.... this was all it took for me to say "OK!!! I give!!!!" and "YES!!!! I want one"!
My new Kindle just arrived on my doorstep yesterday and I must begrudgingly admit... I too became instantly in love with this new device! It's soooooo easy to use, and soooo lightweight and easy to hold while reading. It doesn't matter if I'm in bright sunshine or a darkened room... the type is so easy to read... and... you can adjust the font so you can read the type without having to wear reading glasses! I shoulda, coulda, woulda had one of these devices long ago!! Shame on me for being sooo stubborn for sooo long! There is also a Barnes and Noble version called the Nook that I have heard wonderful things about too. Either way... a Kindle or a Nook.... they are a wonderful way to enjoy books wherever you are. To purchase and download a book to these devices takes truly a minute or so and you have instant gratification to start reading any book of your choice. Books purchased can also be shared among other Kindle/Nook devices too.
I will ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS still love a REAL book with REAL paper pages... but for my traveling purposes I just love being able to read wherever I go without having to worry about lugging and struggling under the weight of my carry on bag holding REAL books. There is just nothing like the smell and feel of a REAL book!
And of course I can't forget the joy of listening to audio books either. I have enjoyed these for several years, because they come in handy when driving long distances... or when I want to do my sewing/handwork and read at the same time. I love a good reader who uses different voices for the different characters of a book... it's like when I was young and my parents would read bedtime stories to me.
In conclusion... The most important thing is... the absolute JOY of reading or listening to a good book, whether read by oneself or read to by someone else. I LOVE watching movies too... but there is just nothing better than creating your own images in your mind from a good written story! And just because I now have this wonderful reading device does not mean I will never enjoy the pleasure of reading a good ole REAL paper book.
My Mother-in-law and my Sister-in-law both were the first people I knew who became "Kindle" fans when the Kindle first came out a few years ago. They both were instant fans and both have encouraged me to become a Kindle fan too.... but... my absolute love for REAL books kept me resisting from considering trying one out. Then.... just recently several dear friends, who were also "REAL book lovers", took the leap to being Kindle users, and they too fell instantly in love with this reading device, and have joined the ranks of those trying to sway me to becoming one as well. It wasn't until I recently began traveling more when my Grandbabies started to arrive, that I decided it might be worth checking out this newfangled way of reading, because carrying REAL books in my carry on bag made the weight of toting my bag through airports just too heavy and cumbersome... yet I HAVE to travel with a couple of good books... I just can't be without a book at hand for when I'm waiting for flights or for reading in flight.
Just as I had decided to consider purchasing a Kindle for myself, my husbands company sent out a flyer that they were going to start selling the Kindle, and were offering it's employees a special discount on the purchase of one before they began selling to the general public. Well.... this was all it took for me to say "OK!!! I give!!!!" and "YES!!!! I want one"!
My new Kindle just arrived on my doorstep yesterday and I must begrudgingly admit... I too became instantly in love with this new device! It's soooooo easy to use, and soooo lightweight and easy to hold while reading. It doesn't matter if I'm in bright sunshine or a darkened room... the type is so easy to read... and... you can adjust the font so you can read the type without having to wear reading glasses! I shoulda, coulda, woulda had one of these devices long ago!! Shame on me for being sooo stubborn for sooo long! There is also a Barnes and Noble version called the Nook that I have heard wonderful things about too. Either way... a Kindle or a Nook.... they are a wonderful way to enjoy books wherever you are. To purchase and download a book to these devices takes truly a minute or so and you have instant gratification to start reading any book of your choice. Books purchased can also be shared among other Kindle/Nook devices too.
I will ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS still love a REAL book with REAL paper pages... but for my traveling purposes I just love being able to read wherever I go without having to worry about lugging and struggling under the weight of my carry on bag holding REAL books. There is just nothing like the smell and feel of a REAL book!
And of course I can't forget the joy of listening to audio books either. I have enjoyed these for several years, because they come in handy when driving long distances... or when I want to do my sewing/handwork and read at the same time. I love a good reader who uses different voices for the different characters of a book... it's like when I was young and my parents would read bedtime stories to me.
In conclusion... The most important thing is... the absolute JOY of reading or listening to a good book, whether read by oneself or read to by someone else. I LOVE watching movies too... but there is just nothing better than creating your own images in your mind from a good written story! And just because I now have this wonderful reading device does not mean I will never enjoy the pleasure of reading a good ole REAL paper book.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Spring is Springing!
Spring has sprung
the grass has riz
I wonder where the
them flowers is....
I can't remember a single Spring when I was growing up that my Dad didn't sing song chant that little poem to me... and all these years later... each Spring I chant it myself over and over again... and think of him each time I do!
Spring has definitely sprung here in Hutchinson KS.... it was a beautiful sunny day today, reaching 83 degrees! I actually layed out on a chaise lounge and read a book, and now at days end I have a nice spring pink tone glow to my skin! LOVING IT!!!!
The pool is ready to be opened, we brought the grill out of it's winter slumber and had grilled steaks for dinner tonight. YUMMERS!!!! My body is smiling, my tummy is smiling, I heard birds chirping today, and my heart sings with all the sounds of Spring.
2 1/2 weeks ago Joe and I drove to Cincinnati for the birth of Grandson #2... the trees were still bare, the grass/ground still brown... the look and feel of Winter was all around. But yesterday, as I drove the long drive back home from doing my Grandma duties for 2 weeks in Cincinnati... (thus again the reason for the long time since my last posting), the trees are budding, the grass is greening up and everywhere I look and I could see Spring springing! Amazing what just 2 short weeks will do for the earth, the mind, and one's spirit! I personally have been ready for Spring since Nov 1st! I am truly welcoming Spring with wide, wide, open arms!!!!
I love being outdoors, sitting on the patio, swimming in the pool, going on my daily walks, putzing and planting in the garden... whether it be herbs, veggies, or flowers.... playing in the dirt is just sooo invigorating! This year I'm in a new home, in a new state and I'm already thinking what fun it is going to be planting new flowers and herbs, and watching as they flourish all Spring and Summer.
I'm sooo excited to have the windows thrown wide open and the freshness of airing out the house from the long months of Winter. This is the time of year when I love to wash all the blankets and hang them outside to dry so they smell like fresh sunshine when snuggled beneath them. Spring cleaning fever also hits me hard about this time of year... having all the windows cleaned and sparkling to let in all that gorgeous sunshine! Spring always makes me feel so renewed and energized... I swear I feel my whole body smiling all the way down to the tip of my toesies! And heck.... I'm soooo excited and happy for Spring to arrive, I don't even mind the Spring-forward time change! Just as long as it brings Spring!
Wishing all my blogger readers a new spring in their steps as Spring Springs!
the grass has riz
I wonder where the
them flowers is....
I can't remember a single Spring when I was growing up that my Dad didn't sing song chant that little poem to me... and all these years later... each Spring I chant it myself over and over again... and think of him each time I do!
Spring has definitely sprung here in Hutchinson KS.... it was a beautiful sunny day today, reaching 83 degrees! I actually layed out on a chaise lounge and read a book, and now at days end I have a nice spring pink tone glow to my skin! LOVING IT!!!!
The pool is ready to be opened, we brought the grill out of it's winter slumber and had grilled steaks for dinner tonight. YUMMERS!!!! My body is smiling, my tummy is smiling, I heard birds chirping today, and my heart sings with all the sounds of Spring.
2 1/2 weeks ago Joe and I drove to Cincinnati for the birth of Grandson #2... the trees were still bare, the grass/ground still brown... the look and feel of Winter was all around. But yesterday, as I drove the long drive back home from doing my Grandma duties for 2 weeks in Cincinnati... (thus again the reason for the long time since my last posting), the trees are budding, the grass is greening up and everywhere I look and I could see Spring springing! Amazing what just 2 short weeks will do for the earth, the mind, and one's spirit! I personally have been ready for Spring since Nov 1st! I am truly welcoming Spring with wide, wide, open arms!!!!
I love being outdoors, sitting on the patio, swimming in the pool, going on my daily walks, putzing and planting in the garden... whether it be herbs, veggies, or flowers.... playing in the dirt is just sooo invigorating! This year I'm in a new home, in a new state and I'm already thinking what fun it is going to be planting new flowers and herbs, and watching as they flourish all Spring and Summer.
I'm sooo excited to have the windows thrown wide open and the freshness of airing out the house from the long months of Winter. This is the time of year when I love to wash all the blankets and hang them outside to dry so they smell like fresh sunshine when snuggled beneath them. Spring cleaning fever also hits me hard about this time of year... having all the windows cleaned and sparkling to let in all that gorgeous sunshine! Spring always makes me feel so renewed and energized... I swear I feel my whole body smiling all the way down to the tip of my toesies! And heck.... I'm soooo excited and happy for Spring to arrive, I don't even mind the Spring-forward time change! Just as long as it brings Spring!
Wishing all my blogger readers a new spring in their steps as Spring Springs!
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About Me
- Vickie G
- I am a short little lady with a passion for cooking and pilates. I have been married for 31 years to my high school sweetheart (my soulmate and love of my life!!!) and we have 3 amazing daughters. I am 50 years old and love living life with as much zest as possible.