Any Similar Revival

. . .for impromptu outdoor dinner parties!

We somehow threw together an awesome dinner at Billy & Julie’s last night–steak, brats, roasted potatoes, bread, chili-cheese dip, asparagus (did you know that Papa John’s garlic sauce will replace real garlic in a pinch?) and PEACH COBBLER.  Yum. . .I love our friends!

And look, real wildlife in Medina:

Other than that, it’s been a kind of stressful, exhausting weekend, and believe it or not, I’m looking forward to Monday!  I had a bunch of ladies over to make cards yesterday, our toilet started leaking into the basement, and I’ve been a bad-girl all weekend.  My attitude hasn’t been the greatest, and this morning at church, I was a giggly, couldn’t-quite-hold-it-together even on stage for worship.  It’s ok though, only like SIX people noticed.  Hopefully, tomorrow I’ll be less bad.

Ok.  Five guilty pleasures, as demanded by Jenn:

1.  This is so embarrassing:  X-Files and Stargate fanfiction on the net.  I can’t believe I just wrote that.

2.  Spoonfuls of chocolate frosting that I keep in the fridge.  You know, "extra"

3.  Dr. Phil.

4.  Doritos, cheesy Pringles, Cheez-its, Sour Cream & Cheddar Ruffles, and extra cheddar Goldfish.

5.  Buying myself fresh-cut flowers from the grocery store every week.  They put them by the entrance on purpose.  I just can’t pass them by. . .sucker.

Kim tagged me today. . .my list of Life’s Simple Pleasures, or What I loved about Today:

1. Playing all day with HEIDI–shopping, talking, eating, laughing, gloating over our great deals

2. Getting really cute clothes at the thrift store for sooo cheap, including a smart little Ann Taylor skirt for $5.

3.  Felafel, hummus, baba ganoush, tabouli, stuffed grape leaves. . .baklava,  super yummmmmmmmmm

4.  My grape hyacinths are blooming

5.  Realizing that my normally 10lb, $7-something bag of basmati rice from Sam’s morphed into a 20lb bag for $10.38.  This is great news, because I eat a lot of rice!

6.  Being cozy with the cats while reading

7.  LEFTOVERS from yesterday’s feast!  Cheesy potatoes are always better the second day. . .

8.  Deciding to be a vegetarian for the day, since I think I ate an entire pig yesterday. . .a little detox goes a long way

9.  Surprise after-work visit from Hannah, lending me Proof.  I love having good friends who live within a mile of me!

10.  I don’t have to work tomorrow!  Another whole day to be my own boss!

It all started with breakfast at church:  fruit, french toast sticks, canadian bacon, "breakfast casserole," cheesy hashbrowns.  It continued at home: ham, cheesy potatoes, green bean casserole, Heidi’s bread, broccoli salad, green salad, angel food cake, and Easter bread.  Then it was off to Granny Annies: sausage, orange potatoes, cabbage noodles (sigh!), jello with little oranges in it, homemade applesauce, salad, and apple pie & zucchini brownies for dessert.  Finally, at Billy & Julie’s, I begged a Reese’s peanut butter egg and a small (very small) piece of pizza.

And believe it or not, today I feel fine!

Four of the most beautiful words in any language.

"He is not here. He is risen!"

And that is the point to just about everything!

Favorite verse from my favorite hymn from my favorite holiday:

Vainly they watch His bed–Jesus my Saviour!

Vainly they seal the dead–Jesus my Lord!

Up from the grave He arose, with a mighty triumph o’er His foes;

He arose a Victor from the dark domain,

And He lives forever with His saints to reign:

He arose!  He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

[Jenn and I always thought this song sounded like an old English drinking song, especially the chorus, which isn’t too off-base, since a lot of old hymns had common tunes that used to have other words.  But hey, I’ll drink to this!]

I thought I’d photograph and post my Easter lunch table.  Just in case one of my two cats acts true to her ornery instincts and messes it up.  Worst case scenario:  She jumps up there to explore, knocks over the flower pitcher, spills water, and, totally freaked out, breaks glasses on her way down.  Hopefully, this will not happen.  But just in case it does, this is what I WANT my table to look like when we sit down to eat tomorrow after church:

I also thought I would talk about my duckies today.  My Mum started this collection for me when I was just a little thing.  She and Heidi thought I had a rather duckie look to me, or something, because when they saw this guy, they immediately thought of me:

And here are two more favorites.  These remind me of little old ladies, gossiping in their pretty hats:

I was outside with the kids I nanny today.  We found a worm, named him "Slimy," then proceeded to beat him with a plastic baseball bat as soon as my back was turned to "make him move!" He was ok, and I got to explain why we don’t bludgeon innocent creatures for our own amusement.  Then it was off to the daffodil patch where we found a ladybug.  Of course, we all had to adorn ourselves, as is only appropriate when entering the domain of her royal highness, the Daffodil.

• Saved $96.57 on groceries
• Went on a fantastic walk at Hinckley–saw kissing turtles and the biggest ole frog I evah did see
• Made a couple of scrapbook pages that make me smile.  In my mind, that makes them successful
• Picked up prints from Dodd from my film camera.  Reminds me why I LOVE film–I can’t stop looking at them.  (Of course, it’s been over 6 months since I’ve gotten any film developed!)
• Made lasagne–ate one, froze two.  I feel so rich when I look into my freezer!
• Hung out with Hannah last night–traded a piece of lasagne for another one of those way-yum brownies.  Talked about everything and had fun looking up random things on Ebay
• Gloated over violets blooming bravely in my yard
• Seriously good snuggle time with Emma & Ada
• Sunny and warm and just like spring!

Found this photo of me from April 1978. 

The Post House.  One of my favorite places to eat with the Aunties.  And it’s a truck stop with NO ambience.  But they have really good crinkle fries:

Spring Yums

Me, with a lapful of KFC and a half-gallon of Mountain Dew between my feet, while Hannah drives us back to her house.  "Don’t swerve, I don’t have any hands or feet."

And the super-luscious, way-good, devastatingly chocolately Starbucks brownies, courtesy of my great friend Hannah who is SOOOOO fun. 😉   [For another fun viewpoint of this experience, check out Hannah’s blog, link located to your left.]

More pictures from the weekend.

Super-Cute Julie:

The Bonfire. The Scary Wind-blowing Sparks at us Bonfire:

They didn’t know I was taking their picture.

After I took this, someone said, "Linda, she said ‘look like a banjo-player,’ not ‘look like you’re pooping.’"

Guitar-chicks rock!

Little Julie in the Big Pilot.  As Chad would say.

**slow morning with tea and books and journal and kitties

**Lunch with the beautiful and talented Jill at Cool Beans. Yummy soup, fun times.

**Lots of little kid snuggles and cuddles plus running around outside with them in the wind until we were all bright-eyed and red-cheeked

**Squandered evening watching Stargate SG-1 DVDs (yes, I’m a sci-fi geek–I actually own three seasons.  But we’re not talking about that)

**Kung Pao chicken leftovers for dinner

**Bible study tomorrow with my favorite ladies, Melanie and Karen

** $0.99 Sunday papers at Giant Eagle–I bought two–It was a fantastic coupon week for me!

**Talked to my honey on the phone–he’s having a good time at his training in Chicago

**Finally got my Walgreens rebate gift card in the mail from February

It really takes so little to add up to a good day!

Good night!

I had a lovely walk this morning–everything was rain washed and fresh, the birds were singing mightily, and the sun was valiantly attempting to break through the cloud cover from last night’s storms.  When I got home, I went on a walk-about in my garden and found many things to make me happy:

Daffodils:

Hyacinth Beginnings:

Baby Bleeding Hearts:

Lilac Buds:

And Forsythia:  (when I was little, I also thought it was "forcynthia" after my aunt Cynthia)

Spent last 24 hours at our church’s women’s retreat.  I slept for about 3 of them–and not because I was up giggling and talking!  I just couldn’t sleep–nerves about speaking the next day, I guess.  Anyways, here are some photos.  There will be more to follow later, when I’m not so wiped out.