The First Day of Spring!

~feels like the first day of summer~
In my 39 years of married life, I have never had to put screens back on the windows as early as March! It is almost 80 here today and was as warm yesterday too. After a winter of no snow to speak of and now this! Wow! I have bulbs flowering that usually are not in bloom for another 3 weeks. I hope it stays this way, but oh boy, Mother Nature could still hit us with snow and frosty temps~

But for now it is simply beautiful out. I did some yard cleanup today and this is what greets me when I come in. We went to the Boston Flower Show the other day and I got some wonderful flowers, some for here,

and some for here!

~Happy Spring~

Do you wonder what cookbooks others might have?

Do you ever think about that? I love to read about books other bloggers read, not just cookbooks, decorating, DIY books and most any book. I do believe cookbooks are the most interesting to me. I thought I would share a few that I like best. When we redid our kitchen a few years back I had this small area just at the entry to the pantry that I had shelves put in for my most used cookbooks.

 

 I see a couple of our seasonal reads were stuffed in there, Scary stories and Witches of Plymouth County...great October reads along with my Susan Branch "Autumn". Just a little something to get us in a fall state of mind. I just did home made marshmallows from the Susan Branch book. Yum, they came out great.

 Look at this old cookbook I found in an old cookbook store. I loved that it looked handwritten. I have never made anything from it, but love the look of it.

 The Barefoot Contessa is a personal favorite. I use her books all the time. I love to watch her on the food network. I have posted about her here.

 My old Good Housekeeping cookbook was my first. I got it when I got married...so it is 39 yrs. old. It is my go to book. It is used and abused. I have a brown paper cover on it and the binding is coming apart, but it has many of my favorite recipes.I learned so much from this book. My Mom was not much of a cook and what I knew came from my Home Economics class at school. So I opened a book. I learned to cook. The internet has made it so different now. Not to mention cooking shows. I find my self still going back to my books. There is so much more in them the just recipes.
So tell me do you like cookbooks? Do you snuggle up on a cool fall day with a cup of hot cider and read a new or old cookbook? Look for something new to make?

January 2011

What is it about the New Year? I feel refreshed and ready to tidy everything up. Clean closets, floors, fresh paint, shiny windows and file all of last years folders from work. My Christmas is all done and packed away until next year...I have a system. Thank goodness for Rubbermaid! The door on my Christmas closet is closed with Christmas neatly packed behind the door. Phew.

My snowmen grace our home and will stay until I start Spring. Hey, I need something seasonal. My candles are lit and the fireplace on days when I can work from home. The sun is shining in and it feels like Winter here.

My son Ben is settled into his new place and at the same time our daughter moved to a new place in South Boston. Big changes around here. Having both children close by is such a comfort. Sunday dinners may be possible again. Everyone has been so scattered the last few years. This feels so wonderful. I want to start the New Year being happy about all my blessings of which there are many.

Lots of blogs are talking about their word for the year and I know I want mine to be BALANCE
This is what I need so much, balance of work, home and family. So with this in mind I will march forward into 2011 seeking balance in my life. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 to all my Blogger friends, may you all be blessed with happiness, health, and prosperity in 2011.

~feeling sad~

 Do you see how pretty the maple in my backyard is? It is the third week in October and the colors are always pretty this week. I had never really noticed before....that is until my sister started to come home for a fall visit. My sister lives 2000 miles away in Texas. I love her visits and she loved the fall, change of season. One time I picked her up at Logan and we drove to Freeport for a weekend of shopping, eating and relaxing. We laughed and talked. We stayed at a quaint B&B. I needed the time away from work and I needed to see the colors, smell the air and slow down in general. We planned on taking our Mom the next year and sadly we lost her in September and never made the trip. Our Mom was so looking forward to it....when I went to her home after she was gone, there sat the LLBean catalogue she had been looking through...see one should not wait or say next time. Anyway, we visited my sister last year and had our Fall in Texas. Now this year she could not get away and I am feeling kind of sad. Just missing our time together. Missing my sister and my Mom. Does that ever go away?

OK, I am feeling so sorry for myself, but it is a beautiful time of year and my sister has made me more aware of my surroundings and I have stopped and taken the time to smell the beautiful crisp Autum air....with a touch of woodsmoke.

I hope you all take the time to enjoy the season and appreciate your family!