smelling the flowers

outside my window

outside my window the magnolia tree in the courtyard is in full bloom. usually, it's still cool at this time and i barely notice it . . but these past few days have been so uncommonly warm that the window is wide open and i find myself gaping at the pink and white of the petals. and the birds are incredibly chirpy and happy. they make me feel like it's may or june . . it's supposed to go up to 80 today. normal temperature at this time is 57. the highest so far has been 79 in 1947. tomorrow it's supposed to be 88!!! in 1982 the record low for tomorrow was 21 degrees. you know something! i remember that 21 degrees because i was on staten island at wagner college and there had been a snowstorm. i'll never forget walking around campus with all that snow in april. i wasn't used to it because i had been in california for the past three years . . but there i was . . once again experiencing snow in april in new york.

violets on my sister's windowsill

o wind, where have you been,
that you blow so sweet?
among the violets
which blossom at your feet.

the honeysuckle waits
for Summer and for heat
but violets in the chilly Spring
make the turf so sweet. (christina rossetti)

easter day

 dyeing easter eggs . . 

 chives for jack?

 celebrating jason's birthday.

 dressed for church.

 greg stays home and keeps an eye on the roast.

 swinging in the hammock . . 

 easter dinner with aunt lorrie and grandma millie . . 

reading the paper . .

 good ol' jack . . 

 lounging by good friends . . 

 every year we hunt for gifts in the yard . . 

 playing uncle warren's guitar . . 

 nana in her easter bonnet and easter coat . . 

 hanging out with jack . . 

heading home . .

happy spring and happy easter

egg dyeing and sweet bread baking

c and i dyed eggs yesterday afternoon. we used tumeric, onion skins, beets, and cabbage leaves. we wrapped individual eggs in the leaves and simmered them for about 15 to 30 minutes. they came out beautifully into a pretty blueish grey color. we also made portuguese easter bread, from the recipe my friend sent me last year, (visit the blob post). i was better prepared for it this year!

. . this moment

. . this moment . .

(joining amanda and her friends in this weekly observance.)

the swap package . . !

the package from my swap yarn partner came late this afternoon! c wanted me to open it right away, but we had just arrived home from shopping at the coop and needed to first unpack frozen food bags before they defrosted, produce before it wilted, and chicken before jack could eat it. and then i made her practice her violin! finally as it was getting dark out i said, ok! let's open it! we found two beautiful skeins of purple and pink yarn, pretty buttons and beads, a cute little bear candle, and two very yummy cognac marzipan bars! oh la la! (i think that's my favorite!) c was also very excited about the stationery christine used, as it's her favorite (it is very pretty!) i already have wonderful ideas for what i would like to do with the yarn. i'm thinking of using the duo purple merino for the boneyard shawl by stephen west, and the pink angora silk tweed (it's a beautiful combination. . i love silk and tweed) for ysolda's ishbel. thanks so much, christine, for putting together such a lovely package for me! i especially enjoyed thinking of you all the way in frederiksberg, denmark, putting together personal special samples of your life for me in nyc.

the little candle bear christine sent graced our dinner table last night.