My Daybook...

 

Outside My Window . . . It’s been stormy, windy, rainy, and cold for the past week or so. While we desperately need the moisture, it doesn’t feel like we’ve received enough rain to make a real impact on the drought. The canal near my house is full for now, but that may not last if we don’t get more consistent rainfall.  And right now, it's snowing!

Everything is greening up—the trees are getting their leaves, fruit trees are in bloom, and some people are already planting their gardens. I’ll probably wait until mid-May, maybe even the end of May, before I start planting anything.  Especially with cold temps... And snow!

On My Playlist . . . It’s been a melancholy and reflective month, and the song “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac is one of my favorites. It always reminds me of how I’ve been feeling lately. Stevie Nicks sings it so beautifully—it captures that feeling in a way that’s hard to put into words.

I'm Thinking and Pondering . . .Two weeks ago, my brother-in-law passed away very suddenly. My sister is devastated—he was her whole world. I haven’t been especially close with my family, so I sometimes struggle to know how to show up. I understand that she is grieving deeply, wishing he were still here. It’s never easy to know how to help someone heal, but I will be there in whatever way her family needs, helping her keep putting one foot in front of the other. I find comfort in the phrase, “Keep living until you feel alive again,” even knowing it may be a long time before she does.

This is a photo of my siblings.  It's the only one I have of the four of us. My sister is the one I have my arms around.  Bless her heart, she could barely stand for this photo :0(

Right Now I'm . . . Well, I just got home a while ago after having my nails done.  It was way overdo and it feels good to feel put together again.  I had, Staci do something fun and kind of whimsical, which is unusual for me, but I love how they turned out!

I’m also just trying to remember everything that’s happened over the last month. When my brother-in-law passed away, I was in the middle of painting the inside of my house. Thank goodness for my daughters—they were such a big help, and I don’t think I could have finished without them. I didn’t even take pictures of the whole project. I took down so many pictures, shelves, and knickknacks that I still need to sort through and figure out what to do with.

Something Wonderful . . . On the19th it's our 52nd wedding anniversary!  It's hard to believe that we have been married for that long.  And, with each passing year, I love Bob more and more.  We usually go somewhere for a week or so, but this year, because of the gas prices, we decided to stay home.  We'll go out to dinner, eat way too much and stay home the next day to recover.  When you get old and have been married this long, just being together is fun!

It was my granddaughter’s birthday at the end of March. Emily is such a bright light in the world—she’s sassy, funny, kind, and beautiful, and warms this grandma's heart every time I get to see her!  And to top it off, she’s even a wonderful cook. Right now, she’s taking a break from college. She’s still living there, but working hard and also enjoying time with her roommates and having some fun along the way.

When Emily was in highschool, she started making a lap quilt.  She didn't end up finishing it before she left for college.  Her mom took it to one of her friends and she finished and quilted it for her for her birthday!  It turned out very pretty!

In The Kitchen...  I just put some pinto beans, a chopped onion, a few garlic cloves and a ham bone from Easter into my Instant Pot, so I guess we’re having ham and beans for dinner. This is really the only way I make them. Pressure cooking brings out so much flavor from the ham bone, and the beans turn out perfectly every time. I set it for an hour today only because the ham bone was frozen—usually I cook them for about 45 minutes. If they aren’t quite done after that, I’ll add another 10 minutes. Yum!

I also took my sourdough starter out of the fridge, revived it, and baked a loaf of bread that will be perfect alongside the beans.  This is a photo with white beans, but I really love them made with pinto beans.

Just Sayin'...

"We keep moving forward, opening doors, and doing new things because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

Walt Disney

Hugs and Love,

Barb