Mounds of Cheer

The yellow primula clusters in my flowerbeds are such day brighteners this time of year!

Bridal Shower

Lifesaver napkin rings were the perfect addition to the creativity on the table at a beach-themed bridal shower I attended last night. Besides enjoying the beautiful and tasty food, ooh-ing over the décor, examining the gifts and playing games involving wedding topics and the couple's initials, we ladies shared plenty of stories and laughter. It was such fun celebrating my niece Trish, the bride-to-be.

Birthday Meal

Last night our family had a wonderful time eating a hamburger supper, reminiscing bygone days and trips, and playing Buzzword. The occasion? Ricky's birthday, of course. His sister Kayleen made the birthday cake, which was called Snickers Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream Cake. ("Long name; amazing results")

Have a Seat

Not sure if these adirondack chairs are for sale or if the business just has them in its front yard to make people become fascinated and hopefully look beyond the chairs to the business itself, but I at least notice the chairs when I drive by. If you had a choice, would you pick one large red chair or ten smaller multi-colored ones?

Happy Birthday, Dear Ricky

From the photo archives...This little man, posing here as a Christmas gift, is all grown up now. At a brand new 23 years old today, he is still a charmer and we continue to appreciate the gift he is to us and to many others.

Indoor Picnic

First barbequed hotdog of the season. Nutritious? Nope. Delicious? Yep!

Green Roses?

I'm pretty sure this prolific plant in my flowerbed-by-the-fence is named Creeping something or other. At this stage of growth it could just as well be dubbed Cluster of Rosebuds.

Lawn Rake n Roll

When the landscaper finishes his annual spring ritual at Martin's, I think it looks like someone came and did the yard in striped green wallpaper.

Fun on the Swings

My young Syrian friends were in my care for several hours today. This fellow has energy galore. He kept me hopping. I love his smile and the way he chuckles.

Dandy Bee & Lion

This photo reminds me of poetry by Elizabeth Barrett Browning...her thoughts about the fretting cares and foolish fears that got lost in the clover-scented grass and the humming of the bees...how that can happen to one who is out in nature with God. ("Out in the Fields With God" by EBB)

Spring Flame

This young maple tree by our garden is called Autumn Blaze. Right now it has more color than it generally does in the fall, causing me to question whether its name should be Spring Flame instead. After I took the photo and was viewing it, I noticed that I had captured a bee in the image. I think the pose makes the bee appear a little wet behind the ears.

Church Cleaning

We had a beautiful evening for the annual Church Cleaning and Yard Work event at Grace. While we often have a snack when the work is done, one might say the order was upsized last night - beyond all those cleaning supplies there on the table was a full-out ice cream sundae buffet.  

Fairy Flowers

Although this picture was taken in our Ontario apple orchard, it somehow evokes "Wisconsin woods in springtime" nostalgia for me.

Nephew's Wedding

It is a delight for Ken and me to attend a wedding as uncle and aunt of the bride or groom. Yesterday my brother Tim's son Austin Schrock married Ken's cousin Merlin's daughter Cassondra Martin. Hence, there were a number of our relatives gathered for the occasion. In the photo are the new Mr. & Mrs. with the groom's grandparents, Dan & Ruth Schrock. (aka Dad & Mom)

Church Social

We surely have some talented people in our church. This creativity came through at our coffeehouse social last evening. Besides the pineapple birds and large watermelon coffee cup, there were authentic beavertails (ask a Canadian to explain) and a tasty assortment of savory and sweet pastries made by the Syrian baker among us.

Little Gifts

I spent some time with my 7-year-old nephew and 4-year-old niece today. The boy gave me his sweet testimony on my little chalkboard, and the girl gave me my first dandelion bouquet of the season. I feel rich.

Apple Delight

What fun to take my brother Tim's family on a tour of Martin's Family Fruit Farm this morning. The two youngest tour participants were so happy to get to this part of the line of operations - actually getting an apple for themselves!

Memory Violets

African Violets remind me of Grandma Anna Schrock, my dad's mom. She loved flowers. They thrived under her careful tending. She had a large table full of flowering plants, mostly African Violets and Gloxinias.

Monstrous

Why are they called monster cookies? That was the question when Kayleen made these. We only came up with speculations: recipes for monster cookies are designed to produce massive amounts? the baker is supposed to make the cookies monster-sized because they are so good? the first monster cookie was crafted for Halloween? the name came from switching up the Cookie Monster title? Whatever the reason, it is not hard to work up a monstrous appetite for them!

Thinking of You Card-inal

My heart always does a little leap of joy at the sight of my favorite bird. I perk up at the sound of cardinal music, too. One of its tunes is, Pretty, pretty, pretty!" It seems like every now and then God drops a cardinal in my day to say that He's got me in mind.

After Church Sanctuary

Away from the buzz of adults' voices in yonder auditorium and the squeals of children's activity in the next room, these young ladies curl up in the library corner with a good book.   

On Its Way

I went for a walk in the woods (or bush, as it's called here) today and two things impressed me. 1. Time stills out there; it seems like the woods tells me, "You have all day." 2. Spring really is coming: I was sitting on a stump, going nowhere and thinking nowhere, when suddenly I smelled it!

Island Fruit

This bowl of color and goodness graces my kitchen island counter.

Songbook Art

Lately I have been thinking about my childhood memories associated with singing. I remember one time someone showed me how to "draw" pictures and words by shading the embossed cover of a hymnbook at church. I wonder how many times I did it myself after that, feeling creative and somehow empowered every time. It makes me smile now to think of it.

Going Curling

These days I'm observing with interest the slow making of these unique icicles. They're growing on the eavestrough of the apple storage building across the lane from our house.

At the Kitchen Sink

Good words, right there. Any time.

Drawing the Lines

If April showers bring May flowers, what does April snow bring? April glowers? I tried to find the beauty in this 8-inch accumulation we received (after such a lovely foretaste of spring a week ago!) and I found some along the backyard fence. I loved the way the sun chalked lines in formation on the snow as it peeked through the slats.

Diehard Griller

Rolin had planned on grilling burgers to serve his fellow book club members last evening and he didn't allow an April snowfall to deter him.

Vintage Youth

These young ladies were about to head off to a social in which they were "allowed to dress up in some old fashioned style", staying "approximately between 1900 and 1929." It's a good thing there's a place called Value Village for such as time as this.

Happy Rubble

Well, it's not that the rubble is happy - or even sad, for that matter. It's that this jumble is my happy place. Scrapbooking our Europe Trip from last summer...