Today's Blooms

We get a little sunshine

And some warm(er) temps

And all of a sudden

This pops open:

One of my most favorite daffodils, Ice Follies....

Planted these tulips just two months ago.

Sweet smelling freesia.

I forget where I've planted them ...until they come up each year

Has spring finally sprung?

I sure hope so.

Planting Seeds

Rain has stopped

The sun is shining

Strangers are smiling

Happy day indeed

Time to rip open a packet

Gently place a tiny seed

Cover with a soil blanket

Then nurture with care

And patiently wait

First tiny sprouts

Then beautiful blooms to appear

Banana Car

Saw this ugly car on my way home from the gym this morning

Don't care if the Lamborghini's price tag is six figures

It is still ugly

Especially that color...yellow?

It looks as if your are driving a squashed banana

H.I.D.E.O.U.S.

Day Light Savings Time

It has been two weeks since we changed the time

You know, when 12:00 became 1:00

And where the sun stays up longer

Well, I am not doing so good with "Day Light Savings Time"

My body clock is still on the old time

And I don't know how to adjust it.

I wake up at 6:00

I am so tired

And I go back to sleep

Did you read that?...I go back to sleep!

I'll stay in bed until 7:30, sometimes close to 8

This is so unlike me

Unheard of!

I am a morning person

Before the time change

I would exercise, work in my garden and do a bit of housecleaning

Before I'd head to work

Could it have something to do with our rainy cold winter like weather?

Or is this what happens when you get older?

Hope to get back to my early morning self.... soon.

Are You Ready to Zumba?

My sister and I went to our first Zumba class on Saturday

My sister, who is hip and up on the latest of everything

Encouraged me to try it out with her

Zumba....what in the world is that, you ask.

I didn't have a clue what Zumba was

But told her I would try it out

(If you are like me...check this here)

I approached the doors to the class with a bit of trepidation

Plopped my sweat towel and bottle of H2O on the floor

And found a spot in the very last row next to the back door

(Just in case I couldn't hack it)

It didn't take long before I got in the groove

With direction from the teacher

I tried to follow and move

(maybe "stumbled" would be a better description)

To the beat of the music

And stuck with it for the entire hour

It felt good...good enough that...

I am headed there again tonight!

Monday Morning

Saw a patch of blue sky this morning

And shouted "Hallelujah!"

Happy to see a respite of blue after a weekend of rain

And cold (we had two fires in the fireplace...in the middle of March!?)

Since I couldn't work outside digging in the dirt

Or planting some seeds

My Bed

I do not like my bed

For one, it is old.

I have nothing against being old

It's just that beds do have a shelf life

And my bed is long past it's allotted time

It is flat as a pancake and hard as a board

Every time DZ gets up in the night

(By the way, he does that quite often)

I awaken from my slumber

I want a new bed

Where one can jump up and down on one side

And the glass filled with wine does not spill

Or the kind you find at the finest hotels

Like these beds in Monterey:

Thanks to Gwen for taking these pics.

Where the bed is not too soft, and not to firm...just right

Where your 500 count sheets and duvet cover

Envelop you like a cocoon

Where you are not awakened every time the one on the other side moves

Where you sleep as sound as a baby

And feel refreshed and revitalized

When morning rolls around

I want a new bed

Green Day

No...not the band "Green Day"...

The Celebration of .....

I've always celebrated this day

And I am not even Irish

In years gone by

I'd pin a shamrock to my blouse

Decorate my house in hues of green

And prepare an Irish dinner

Of corned beef, cabbage, carrots and potatoes

But not this year

I simply haven't been to the store

Or to be honest...totally forgot

So I'll postpone our celebration to Sunday

Where the family will come over

To enjoy a very GREEN meal...

A Visit From Sweet Adeline

Had a lovely week long visit from Sweet Adeline

Love the air of exuberance she brings

A lot was accomplished (BTW...we have 14 weeks to go until the big day)

We shopped for...

* a wedding dress (not to purchase, just to find the style)

* the fabric for the aforementioned wedding dress

(I am designing it based what she tried on)

* invitations (decided on the style)

* and a pair of shoes (did this online)

We met with the wonderful caterer (decided on the menu)

Miss A and Mr. L made a visit to William Sonoma and Crate & Barrell

And had a session with a photographer.

The crowning jewel occurred on Friday...

where we went to the temple in Oakland ...a first for dear Sweet A

Nothing finer than to be with my girls....and their main squeeze(s)

Photo courtesy of Matt..thanks.

Six Fifteen

Six Fifteen AM, originally uploaded by kzensius.

My backyard at six fifteen in the morning.

Love to awaken to such sweetness.

Cheerio.

A Visit to the Farm

Adeline, DZ and I "hiked" to the farm this morning.

(Really, we "walked")

I do believe spring is finally in the air.... check out what we saw:

Two month old hungry baby goats. a.d.o.r.a.b.l.e!

Lovable lambs.

A BIG mama pig sans piglets.

Six deer munching (didn't get a pic of the other three)

A brood of chickens

A tom turkey seemingly lost without his women and a bunny hopping across the trail.

Love the peace..the green...the crisp air, and the solitude...

Can you believe the trail head to this mini mecca is 10 minutes from my front door?

The Cat This Morning

"The Cat"

(you know..our cat with no name)

Lately, our cat has claimed this chair in our study

As his bed.

I placed a towel on the seat

To catch his black cat fur

Look how he has turned it into his own little nest.

There is nothing more soothing

than hearing his purring

And his snoring

(as he drifts into a deeper sleep)

As I peck on the computer keys.

Back in the Pool Again

It has been a while since I've been swimming

I was sick

It has been very cold

And it has been dark

Dark plus cold does not equal swimming

So I've stayed home...and the bod can tell.

Yesterday went to workout at 7 am

And in spite of the chill

I slid into the warm water

Which was really too warm for exercise

But was glad, because I couldn't bear the shock

And completed a 1500

A problem arose when I was to get out

I didn't want to

I felt good as long as I was submerged

Thought of a newborn babe

Exiting a nice comfortable warm womb

And being pushed into the cold hard world

Just as a newborn is immediately swaddled

I wrapped myself with a towel,

And journeyed across the cold concrete

To the heated locker room

Where I enjoyed a warm shower

Followed by a stint in the sauna

And headed home feeling really good.

Don't you think I deserve a hearty hooray?

Cheery Cherry Trees

Can you believe this cherry orchard is the last remaining piece

Of the Olson Cherry Farm in Sunnyvale...

One block away from El Camino Real?

These are some very old trees.

I was surrounded with orchards like this when I was young

We played hide and seek

Underneath the sweet smelling blooms of spring

And made forts out of the mustard grass...

It was a sad day indeed for a 10 year old girl

When the bulldozers came to pull out the trees

Across from her elementary school

Replacing her orchard of joy

With a new tract of homes called "Oak Knoll"...

Before the fertile soil was covered

With high tech buildings and asphalt parking lots

Silicon Valley was filled with thousands of acres

Of apricot, plum, pear and cherry trees...

My heart skipped a beat

And a smile filled my face

To see a minuscule remnant of my past

On such a lovely sunny day