Spring Fever

This gorgeous weather means it is time to put away the St. Patrick's Day decorations and forge ahead to Easter.

 

It's funny how when the kids were little, I went for a more formal look (lots of white, glass and matchy-matchiness), but now I'm so very sentimental about the preschool

crafts that couldn't match anything if they tried.

And oh how I love the paper mache tombs the kids made in elementary school.

 

 Naturally, we need colored eggs EVERYWHERE

 

So today, new pansies are planted, the piles and piles of winter dog poop are gone, and somehow Easter eggs sprouted up on our bushes.

 

There's nothing like a little sunshine and warmth and a few unnecessary plastic items after a LONG winter to make even a Monday seem better.

 

What do you like best about spring?

Friday Photos

Thought I'd catch you up a little bit on some of the spring happenings at Casa Donaldson.

Margaret and friends made a Peeps Cake, 200x the size of a regular Peep. She found the recipe in her Food Network Magazine.

Peep cake recipe here:

So it doesn't look EXACTLY like the magazine picture...


I had a quick trip to Richmond on a blustery day with my college friends. Here we are in my friend's fabulous clothing store, "Heidi Story," in the heart of Carytown.
Jack's classmates planted a butterfly bush in his memory in our back yard for us to enjoy while we eat dinner on our porch. I love those kids. One of the girls even made Picklesicles-- popsicles made out of pickle juice, because Jack had told her how we did that once.

We watched the Yankees game on tv on Opening Day. So NOT the same without Jack, but the Yankees jersey I bought for Shadow helped keep the mood upbeat, at least for the people in the room.

Margaret made egg-shaped funfetti cakes. Can you tell I've been eating a lot of sweets lately? I am enjoying her new hobby.
We had a very quick girls' trip to Philly with our dear neighbors. Saw the Liberty Bell and the Betsy Ross House, but tried not to do "too many historical things" per the girls' request.
We also watched too much tv and made multiple trips to the mall with thumping music and shirtless Abercrombie teens.

I haven't thought much about the HOLY in Holy Week this year. Just trying to get through, I think. But I wanted you to know we are here and we are okay.

And even though the trappings of Easter are so painful this year-- one Easter basket to fill, no egg toss, etc, the real meaning of Easter is the only reason we can keep going.

Life doesn't end.

Thanks be to God.

1 Item, 2 Uses?

Collapsible egg dye cup and female condom?

Talk about multi-tasking.

Keeping Psycho Anna at Bay

Well, my dear sweet in-laws left a few minutes ago after a nice Easter weekend. The weather was good, the kids had a wonderful time with their grandparents, we ate great meals, and my in-laws were their kind and helpful selves. My FIL even made a serious dent in the To-Do list on the fridge, and my mother in law sewed on buttons for me!

I am pleased to tell you that Psycho Daughter-in-law Anna stayed away for the most part.

There were several examples of this such as my blood not starting to boil and my not wanting to poke out my frontal lobe with an ice pick during any number of conversations about coffee, wine, health food, golf, tennis, and how to pronounce the word "Pulaski."

This morning presented the most striking evidence that Psycho Daughter-in-law Anna was not in the building.

MORNING CONVERSATION DURING OUR LAST VISIT:

In-laws Said: "Well, Good-morning, Anna!"

Anna Heard: "Thanks for finally dragging your lazy butt out of bed and gracing us with your presence, Princess! Do you really think it's fair to sleep all day while our beloved son cooks, cleans, tends to the children AND earns a living supporting you and all of your profligate habits? All of our lives we hoped our baby would find someone with our New England Work Ethic and he has to go and find a southerner, and a protestant, who doesn't exercise, can't tell the difference between a flavanoid and a free radical and has about as much gumption and self-control as that disgusting Bill Clinton!"

MORNING CONVERSATION TODAY:

In-laws Said: "Well, Good-morning, Anna!"

Anna Heard: "Well, Good-morning, Anna!"

Whew. Now can I please take my lazy butt and go back to bed?

Love Letters

During each of my moves, a few boxes of letters have moved with me. They are all special to me, but one box stands out. It is a box of love letters. I am a saver, so some of these date back to high school when boys finally started to notice me (quite a few years after I first noticed them). Others are from college and beyond. The letters are worn out from being read, studied, and examined to the nth degree. Through these letters I learned of the writer’s character, how he felt about me, and his plans for us. I learned his strengths, weaknesses, and his values.

I remember walking to my mailbox with my breath held, hoping for a glimpse of familiar handwriting (maybe now it’s the feeling we get when we check our in-box for emails). As I look back over these letters, I laugh at the jokes and sigh over young romance. I remember studying each word, each nuance, each punctuation mark—analyzing the messages within. The contents filled me with joy and excitement, or, as relationships soured, with sadness and feelings of inadequacy. I cringe when I think of how I hurt the writers, or how they hurt me. I remember how sometimes we tried to make a relationship when there was no substance at all. Each one of these relationships held a degree of disappointment or disillusionment the more and more I got to know the person.

You see, even the letters from the man I would marry could not satisfy all the longings of my heart or explain why I am in this world. I have come to understand, as much as I enjoy these letters, there is only one love letter that cannot disappoint me. It is filled with stories of the past and plans for the future. It tells of ultimate sacrifice in the name of love. Its author is infallible and by His very nature cannot let me down. This love letter is to you and to me. It is God’s word in the Bible. I sometimes forget about this love letter and look elsewhere for my hope, leaving it unopened on my bedside table like a glorified coaster, and during those times I know I miss out.


Jeremiah 29:1

“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

Happy Easter!

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