Easter Sunday

Wishing you all a glorious and blessed Easter!

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go! 

1. If I could go anywhere on a road trip, I'd go to New York City or Fredricksburg, TX.
2. Calculus is something I don't understand.
3. Easter makes me think of Jesus.
4. A cup of tea and a good book is the best way to relax!
5. It looks like Spring finally!
6. Strawberries are one of my favorite healthy snacks.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to working on some art, tomorrow my plans include seeing my daughter and Sunday, I want to go to Church!

Join in here!

Friday Fill-Ins

Photo by Natalie Pozniak

And here we go . . .

1. The wind blew wildly and I had to take the welcome sign off my front door because it was banging loudly.

2. Cuddling up with Hank and Shooter makes me feel warm and happy all over.

3. The smell of baking bread makes me think of my grandma's kitchen.

4. When I am feeling lazy I become a couch potato.

5.  Seaglass green is my favorite color.

6. The door creaked and I looked to see who came in.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to Barnes & Noble, tomorrow my plans include cleaning up around the house and Sunday, I want to try a new recipe!

Join in HERE!

Happy Spring!

Today is the First Day of Spring and no one can be happier about that than me! This has been a long winter here in the midwest, for me anyway. It wasn't that we had an unusually large amount of snow this winter. Rather it was the fact that every time the snow would finally melt, it would start to snow again. I no longer have little ones at home who always delight at the sight of fresh snow with visions of snowmen, snowball fights, snow angels, sledding, ice skating, etc dancing through their heads. Instead I am an empty-nester who looks at snow as the drudgery of shoveling, driving on slippery roads, bundling up with layers of clothing, gray skies, scraping ice off car windows, higher heating bills, etc.  And being a person who took several falls on the ice in my very own driveway this year, perhaps you can understand why I have had it with snow, ice and winter in general.

Punxsutawney, the famous ground hog from Pennsylvania, did not see his shadow on February 2nd predicting an early spring. But I have lost all faith in weather forecasting underground mammals since we still have snow on the ground here on this first day of spring.

So I decided to look through my old photos to reminisce about more warmer and colorful times, knowing that those days are coming....eventually. 

 That is one of the few things about life that is constant . . . after the winter comes the spring - the season of renewal, rebirth, and hope. 

So as I sit here sipping my morning coffee on the first day of spring, pouring over floral photographs, while the thermometer says it is 14 degrees outside, I cling to the hope that spring is right around the corner. 

Happy First Day of Spring to everyone!

Midwest Meet-Up

This past Saturday I attended the Midwest Meet-Up which was organized by the lovely and talented Jennifer Rizzo. We met for breakfast, which Mark Norkaitis so generously allowed us have in one of the rooms of his awesome shop, Room 363. It was such fun to finally meet the people behind some of my favorite blogs. There were women from Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and as far away as Kentucky!  I even met one blogger that lives in the same town as me. Small world isn't it?

Photo courtesy of Jen Rizzo

Jen did a fabulous job organizing the event and everyone was so friendly and freely shared lots of good information. If you ever have the opportunity to attend a similar event in your area, be sure to take part in it.  Just as we "meet" some wonderful people online in blog-land, a gathering like this gives you the chance to meet some of those same talented people in person.

Friday Fill-Ins

And here we go...

1. I was looking for a delivery from Barnes and Noble that was supposed to come today.

2. Getting together with friends is one of my favorite ways to socialize.

3. I looked at the clock and realized I forgot to change it for Daylight Savings Time.

4. A black Uniball Signo is the type of pen I most prefer to use.

5. What in the heck was I going to say?

6. Falling down seems to happen to me often lately.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to eating my leftover spinach salad for dinner, tomorrow my plans include attending Jennifer Rizzo's Midwest Meet-Up and Sunday, I want to start working on a round-robin I'm participating in and celebrating St. Patrick's Day.

Join in here.

Friday Fill-Ins

And here we go...

1. Life is good!.

2. I was shoveling snow this week and then a little black ice made me fall.

3. I knew it was love when I first laid eyes on my baby girl.

4. Today we had some gorgeous sunshine and blue skies.

5. A little nap is wonderful on a Sunday afternoon..

6. Mexican food is one of my favorite things to eat for dinner.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to reading and relaxing, tomorrow my plans include dog-sitting my grand pups, and Sunday I'm going to the flea market with my daughter.

Play along HERE!

Lunch Anyone?

I made this meatless dish for lunch yesterday and it was very yummy.

BLACK BEAN TOSTADAS

2 servings

1 cup canned black beans, rinsed & drained

6 Tbls mild salsa

1/2 tsp ground cumin (I didn't have this, so I used a dash of cayenne and a pinch of dried cilantro)

4 corn tostada shells

4 Tbls refrigerated guacamole (or you can use your own guacamole recipe like I did)

1 cup chopped romaine lettuce

1/4 cup chopped tomato

2 Tbls chopped green onion (I didn't have green onions, so used Vadalia onion instead)

Grated cheddar cheese (optional)

In a medium saucepan, stir together beans, salsa, and cumin. Heat thru and mash slightly. Meanwhile heat tostada shells according to package directions. Divide bean mixture evenly among tostada shells. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the guacamole onto each tostada. Top with lettuce. Sprinkle with tomato and green onion. 

Nutrition minus the cheese: 

258 calories, 12 grams fat, 37 grams carbohydrates, 11 grams fiber, 8 grams protein,
7 Weight Watcher Points Plus.

Enjoy!

New Addition

This little table has been in practically every room in my house as well as up at our cottage. It's been an end table, a sewing table, a table next to the front door, etc. It looks vintage, but I bought it for a song in the clearance section at HomeGoods many, many years ago. I was initially drawn to it because of it's color, but I also loved it's worn look and plaster molding details. It's latest reincarnation is as an island in my kitchen. My kitchen is tiny, so an island was never an option. But this little table fits the dimensions perfectly and for the time being, this is the new home for my shabby-chic aqua table.

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go!

1. Bert Kaempfert's - never heard of him!

2.  Naturally, I have cravings for foods that I shouldn't eat.

3. So I'm packing my bags for nowhere in the near future. 

4. I've got the winter blues. 

5. Put the calendar on the wall to March.

6. Nobody dips her donut in my tea. 

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to eating some Mexican food, tomorrow my plans include finishing up organizing my craft room, and Sunday, I want to get some Hot Cross Buns!

You can play along here!