Happy Monday! As I look at the calendar…can it be that we almost at the middle of this month? My mind was thinking it was still the first week of April (and maybe too early for a daybook entry), but that is not the case. Oh my. I think when the weather turns lovely, my mind drifts into “la la” mode! Nevertheless, my window is open, the sun has been playing “peek a boo” all morning (in and out/in and out) and the pollen still seems to be manageable. We are off to a good start for this new week! With that, I might as well jump right into the daybook….
The Weather – has been quintessential spring! Every week, a different group of trees burst out in blooms. We had the white Bradford pears, the pink dogwoods, the red leaves of the maple trees and, this week, we are enjoying the fluffy pink flowering cherry trees!
As I look outside my window – our neighbor’s cherry tree is huge! It has just about taken over their yard…and spills into our yard. Both of our lawns are carpeted in the pretty pink petals. Also, as I look outside, I smile when I see our azalea bushes! Yes, the azaleas that had been a victim of our brutal, icy winter and we thought were dead. But…no. They are budding. Yes, they look a bit worse for the wear but they are not dead. I’m so glad we did not pull them out too quickly. I hope, after they bloom, they will continue to fill in and look healthier.
This morning, I am – dragging a bit after too much sugar yesterday. I do not eat much sugar (as in added and/or processed sugar), but we had a birthday here yesterday and I certainly joined the celebrating! My son’s birthday was yesterday. We had plans to go out for a birthday meal, but he had to work. But we did manage some time for his favorite treat – banana pudding! We also had a birthday to celebrate in Junior Church and I may, or may not, have started my morning with a birthday cupcake:) It was fun but, well, the birthday treats have left me with a stomachache. And little energy. Sigh.
Lately, I have been thinking about – my forever home. Am I in my forever home? Most days, I don’t think so. I would love to live somewhere else. I have lived in Virginia my entire life but would love (as in, LOVE) the chance to live in another state. Another part of this country. Truthfully, my dream would be to experience living in another country but I do not expect that to ever happen. But even if Virginia were my forever residence, I desperately would like to be in a different part of this state. I dream/think about it often. Sometimes, too much. It can make me discontent…and that is not a good thing. I love my home – honestly. I just wonder if it is the last home? The forever home?
What I am wearing – (at this moment), my walking clothes. This low energy translates into low motivation for walking. Or any other kind of exercising, if I’m honest. I knew I had to “put on my walking shoes” as soon as I got out of bed, or it probably would not happen.
Around the house – I hear my family working on a room project. Two men with two different approaches to chores and projects. But working together to make it all come together. Sometimes that happens smoother than other times, but this morning it all seems to be going well. I also hear the washing machine. Monday mornings are for washing the clothes. In this season of life, I wash clothes one day a week. And I have zero complaints about that. Remember the days of a load a laundry a day??
From the kitchen – the banana pudding I made was a bit of risk. We tend to like things “the regular way” but I decided to make one little change. Risky, I know. Instead of vanilla wafers, I used Nutter Butter cookies. Not only did they fill my dish perfectly, but they also looked so pretty AND the result was delicious. I had to have a second helping (see above comment about my stomach hurting….ugh)! The cookies held up better, in my opinon, than the vanilla wafers, which can sometimes turn to mush. Of course, you have to like peanut butter but the pb flavor was not over-powering. A great compliment and addition. A risk that became a win!!
My To-Do List – is full of the ordinary household chores. Which is pretty much what I said last month. Mondays are like that, I suppose. Bible study resumes tomorrow, after a three week break. We will be studing Jesus and Women. I don’t exactly know what to expect with this one but I am anxious to back to “regularly scheduled programming” for Tuesday mornings. I’m also taking a friend to lunch for her birthday on Tuesday. Thursday evening, we are meeting friends for dinner and, yes, more birthday celebration! So many April birthdays!! (and we haven’t even gotten to mine…lol!)
And, from my camera – these sweet pansies! These beauties spent the winter in the garage. I did not really expect them to survive. It was simply freezing and I thought I should, at least, bring them “in” off the patio. So, into the garage they went and they were all but forgotten about. Several months later, the weather was warming, the sun was bright and I set them on the driveway. And they started to smile! I pruned them a bit, actually gave them some water and, goodness, look at those flowers! I love nature. And flowers. And all the lessons learned from it. (There are plenty in just those blooming pansies!) I just love pansies:)
Well, thanks for coming by the blog today. And for reading my daybook entry. I hope each of you have a wonderful week ahead!! I’m looking forward to visiting your blogs later today!
Happy Birthday to your son. This our first warm day in a while. It was nice to take a walk with no extra layers needed.
Hooray for spring-like walks!! Glad you stopped by, Hena!
Happy Birthday to your son. 🙂 I have not had banana pudding in years. You have me hungry for some, any leftovers. 😉
I love pansies too. I grew some by seed a few years ago, the colors I had were so fun.
Happy New Week,
Carla
I’m rather hungry for some of that leftover banana pudding myself!!:)
The pansies are lovely, and how great it is that they survived the winter and are ‘smiling’ at you now! Birthdays are to be celebrated, even if it includes too much sugar! I enjoyed my visit here today!
Thanks, Terri…and I enjoy seeing your comments and your visits as well!
Look at you posting multiple pictures in a post. Love it! And was one of the birthdays yours? You mentioned a birthday was celebrated in junior church- was it yours perhaps? Happy birthday to anyone and everyone celebrating in your household! Using Nutter Butters sounds like a great change to your pudding. I know of many April birthdays, too- a number of friends have April birthdays! Your home is lovely but I could see wanting to be in a different location in the state or even elsewhere. No offense. I just mean, I can see what you mean knowing what I do about the area. Hope your Monday is going well!
Oh, no offense taken. It is not hard to imagine that living here will suck the joy right out of you. There has to be other places!:)
Oh those pansies are so bright and cheery! I love banana pudding and it would be hard for me to resist.
I’m already living in my forever home. It belonged to my mom and dad when they retired and they both died here. I plan to do the same. I know, kind of strange…🤔
That’s wonderful that you are in your forever home….and to be in your parents’ home. That is special!
This month is really flying by! Nothing is blooming here yet but I am seeing lots of buds. I feel the same way about CT and our home. I do love our house but often dream of selling it and living anywhere else where winter is not so long and cold.
I do hope my forever home (should there be another one) is somewhere warm and sunny!!
Lots of fun celebrating this month it sounds like. You have a beautiful home. I understand though that sometimes we just want to experience the unknown and new. I get it. I hope you have a wonderful week.
Thanks, Chrissy!
The pansies are so pretty and I am glad they survived the winter. I noticed the azaleas at the end of our driveway along the left side are full of buds and some were blooming this morning. Buds are just starting to come on the right side. Have a good week and I hope the new Bible study is a good one.
I just love all the new blooms each week! Won’t be long for the azaleas now!
Thank you, Jennifer, for stopping by my blog today. I so appreciate it! Now, how can I subscribe to yours? I didn’t find any options on the sidebar to do so. I did notice that Terri is following you, and she is a dear blogging friend that I’ve followed for years. Please let me know how I can access your beautiful blog when you can!
Martha, so sweet of you…to ask about following. I honestly am not 100 percent certain how to answer that…but I am going to work on finding out. I will get back to you!! For sure –
Hi Jennifer 🙂 My son’s birthday was the 12th 🙂 The banana pudding with nutter butters sounds like a great twist. Yes, the cookies get too mushy and then I can’t eat them. But nutter butters are very crunchy, which is more my style.
I can relate to wanting to live somewhere else. I think of the big, amazing country we live in and think “how did I end up here?” Our whole family wants to move to the Franklin, TN area and who knows? It may happen one day.
In the meantime, we have to bloom where we’ve been planted, don’t we?
I hope you start feeling better soon. I’ve been so tired lately. Surely it can’t be the ice cream I eat after dinner 🙂 Noooooo….that can’t be it 🙂
Franklin, TN would be an amazing place to live! Smart family:)
Ok, now you have me wanting some Nutter Butter banana pudding, which sounds weirdly wonderful. I am not a fan of Nilla wafers so this seems like a trade-up!
It was definitely weirdly wonderful!!
Look at those cheerful pansies. They are my sorority flower and they always make me smile. I would smile even bigger if I could grow them myself!!
The banana pudding sounds delicious. I am a big fan of the mush that the vanilla wafers become but would be game to try your new recipe with the pb cookies. Would just like banana pudding anyway I can get it. PC isn’t a huge fan of bananas so I don’t make it. Also love love love bread pudding which I don’t make either.
Happy birthday to your son. Glad he was able to celebrate with you.
That tree is magnificent. Happy your azaleas have signs of life. A late frost or cold spell killed some succulents I have left in pots in the yard. They were so pretty and lush. Made me very sad for them.
I can’t believe how quickly this month (and year!) are flying by either. I know I say that EVERY year. ha. But it’s true. 🙂 I hadn’t thought of making banana pudding with Nutter Butter cookies, but why not? Sounds delicious! Glad that risk was a win.
I was too slow to get in a comment on your March Anchoring post…so here is what I wanted to say there–>
It’s so easy to compare our “now” selves to our “old” selves and feel regret or shame. Or even pride! ha. But I love your staying anchored in these “I AMs.” It truly can keep us better grounded in a healthy way.