A Special Family Birthday!

It's your birthday!

Looking at these pictures brings back lots of memories of you, today's birthday girl!

You were born the last Saturday in April while Grandpa and I were at the Perth Maple Festival. A surprise phone call from your dad (calling from a hospital in Toronto) informed us that you had arrived. We were shocked! We didn't know anything about being grandparents! You (and your parents) had to teach us! (As you know, I still break a lot of grandparenting rules - but I think that a secret rule allows grandparents to occasionally do that!)

So many changes in nine short years!! We've had lots of good times together. I'm really glad you live closer to us now... 

... and closer to the Maple Syrup Festival, where we spent some time last Saturday.

It's so much fun to be part of your life! I hope you have a wonderful birthday and a wonderful year ahead!!

Flower Update

There aren't many flowers in bloom outdoors yet, but blue scillas add welcome color in a few parts of the yard.

The are small patches of hellebores in several flower beds...

Not sure why some grow more successfully than others.

Tulips are coming up. I have to keep my eye on this bunch in the front yard.

The squirrels bite off the flowers as soon as they bloom. I sprinkle paprika around them, in hopes of deterring the squirrels - but I'm not sure it helps!

Indoors, my biggest flower surprise is the re-blooming of the Christmas cactus. Watering the plant more seems to increases its blooming.

I wonder if the pink tips on the ends of leaves indicate more flowers are on the way!

Other indoor flowers currently in bloom are two potted peace lilies, one in full bloom, the other still in bud...

My one and only orchid, with a mass of flowers, sits next to the sparcer African violets.

At this time of year, I appreciate them all!

What Did I Accomplish?!

I've been going through photos I took this winter - and it occurs to me that I've been BUSY! (In any event, I took a lot of pictures.)

BUT ... there's so much I often do in winter - like pottery and painting - and for some reason, I was busy without them!

Now that speing is here, I'm a little disappointed there is so much on my "to-do" list that I DIDN'T ACCOMPLISH: things like tidying, quilting, reading, knitting... 

What did I do?! I did go walking for an hour or so most days. I did participate in a weekly Lenten study group for a month and a half. (That took about an hour a week.) I did spend half an hour at the gym once or twice a week. I did visit with family and friends - but not THAT much - not daily or even weekly... unless I count phone calls...

Did I spend too much time following the news?! Did I spend too much time playing Wordle and solitaire?!

What happened?!! Am I just wasting my time?? Or... am I "slowing down"?!

Play Day

It was a "play day." Terry and I were hanging out with our grandkids...

We first headed to our nearby community museum - where they often have fun things for kids to do.

On this day, they were print making using lego pieces.

Fun!

Next, we went to a gym with lots of play structures...

I couldn't follow them into all the nooks and crannies...

But I could see that they were having fun and getting LOTS of exercise...

So I wondered... if they had safe climbing structures and obstacle courses like this for SENIORS LIKE ME...

Would we come - exercise - and have fun like this, too...?!

I wonder!!

Neighborhood Stroll

A few days ago, my son and I took an evening stroll around the neighborhood.

Walking through the college grounds, we stopped next to this "snow mountain" - made by snow plows clearing snow from parking lots all winter long. I wonder if this is the only pile on the grounds - or if there are more elsewhere.

My son - the figure in black at the foot of the hill - is six feet tall - so the snow pile must be at least 20 feet high!

Later at home, we stopped to see if any flowers in our yard were in bloom yet.

Just the hellebores!

Practice Required!

Coming across these photos from last spring was a reminder...

That practice is needed...

To get from that...

To this year's performance at the dance competition (where she is doing standing splits...)

Also a reminder that helping others is one way of improving yourself.

Maple Memories

Appreciate that maple syrup!

It takes a lot of work to make it: 40 litres of tree sap need to be boiled down to make just 1 litre of syrup!

We were reminded of this when we recently visited Fulton's sugar bush for a tour.

It was such fun!

Walking in the snowy woods - having a horse drawn wagon ride...

Tasting!! Lots of tasting! And chatting with the experts!

We saw how the boiling USED TO be done - in a large cauldron over an open fire.

I was tempted to buy their maple-flavoured mustard or ketchup... and the jams sweetened with maple syrup... (But I was trying to be "good"!)

Next time!!

Amazing Dance

There are "hockey moms" (who get players to games in all kinds of weather);  "soccer dads" (who drive van loads of kids - to tournaments many weekends a year).

I've never gotten too involved in hockey or soccer - but I have been a "dance mom" - supporting my daughter's love of dance by sewing her costumes...

And now I'm a "dance grandma" - my favorite role of all!

As a "dance grandma" I do nothing but watch, in awe, as my granddaughter and her partners perform splits, back flips - and more - to music - an "acro-dance" I could never ever perform!

Amazing job, kids!

You're great!

Looking For a Nest?!

Every spring we see ducks in our neighborhood. 

(Are they looking for the creek that used to run through the field where Home Depot now sits?)

We recently noticed this pair in our yard, looking a little cold... (Or is it my imagination?!) Later I saw them resting in our front flower bed.

Do they think it's a giant readymade nest?! 

Are they trying it out for size?! The female looks so comfortable!

For their safety from foxes, coyotes and skunks, I hope they move on!