Spring Fever!

I ran into a friend yesterday and she made the comment that she is "really over" this winter weather. We cracked up as it has been ridiculously mild this season and we both feel lucky not to be in snow boots. Speaking of which, ours are already packed up for the season. The sleds are put away and the kites are in the foyer closet, ready for that first wonderfully warmish but windy Spring day.

This past weekend I picked up several tulip plants from Trader Joes and placed them all over the house. Which to my mind means winter is over.  So here is to the heady anticipation of Spring...I'll be ever so grateful for your arrival!

Valentine's Day Cupcakes!

I had to share a picture of my latest attempt to make cupcakes. They were for a Valentine's Day party and the trays came back empty. The children also enjoyed pink sparkling lemonade. We enjoyed looking through all the little cards and homemade ones are our favorites. We didn't decorate much this year for Valentine's Day but it was nice just the same.

Turkish Coffee

When I was first married, I was asked to make Turkish coffee for my in-laws. This was serious business meant to determine whether I was good in the kitchen. I had practiced and knew I had it in me to make an excellent cup with just the right amount of the rich coffee to water. As to custom, I asked if they preferred sugar and took orders from smiling, expectant faces. Long story short, I mixed up the sugar with salt (my Turkish was dismal back then). I still recall the shocked then amused expressions and the polite sips. My husband burst out laughing, giving up their attempts to hide my gaffe. Today my husband makes our Turkish coffee as often as I do and I had to share this picture of his latest attempt. A desire to please the ones you love is always delicious.

Perfection

Here is my most recent favorite possession. My son made this for me at school and it lost an eye somewhere in the car on the way home. It reminds me of how much he loves me and how perfect imperfection can be. So although I was tempted to add an eyeball from clay we have at home to this lovely creation (ashamed to admit this), I immediately recognised the folly. Love is magical because it is unconditional. It is never "perfect" but it is perfect to us. We see the best in every moment we share - albeit it with one eye or two.

Book Club!

One thing I am grateful for this month is my new book club. I now have three intelligent and insightful friends to share my love of books with. We are embarking on our third meeting and it is a lot of fun to meet over a glass of wine (or a venti latte) to share our literary journeys - even if we do talk mostly about our children!

I am enjoying their saucy suggestions for book club names as well as a refreshing new way to feel like an adult who is not at work - make sense? Like there is more to my soul outside my home and office. Wow. That's deep. And we are not even reading anything by Tolstoy or Joyce. My husband teases me that I am turning into a wild woman. One day a book club, what's next? Skydiving? Never know...

Cub Scouts

This is our first year enjoying Cub Scouts. As a former Brownie and Girl Scout, I appreciate the fun of campfire singalongs and building ice sculptures with friends (yes, we really did that one year). My husband did not belong as a boy so he is enjoying for the first time. Of course, Cub Scouts is a bit different. They do Pine Wood Derby races and recently did a winter camping trip (large heated cabin with electricity but you'd think they'd visited the Arctic Tundra and slept in a Yurt).

We love watching him have a good time learning basic skills like compass reading. Is there a badge or belt loop for putting one's clothes in the hamper?

Sledding!

Not long ago we took advantage of one of the few weekends thus far this season with snow. I even wiped out myself (auspiciously to avoid a child or two but truly because of my poor steerage of plastic death traps). Is there more fun in life than laughter, snow down your neck and friendship? All that and a child so worn out he conks out after just one bedtime story (followed swiftly by his parents).