Thursday, February 26, 2015

Spring?

Hello out there!!!!  I have been gone much longer than I meant to be.  Again.  I feel like I have been rather boring.  Not a whole lot going on in my world.  I am busy. All the time.  But nothing that is very exciting, or blog worthy.  Just normal everyday stuff.
The entire month of February has felt like Spring.  Some days, like summer.  We reached the 90's a few of those days.  The trees bloomed.  The birds began nesting.  The chickens began to lay.  It was weird.  I would have loved to have had more winter.  But I have to say, being outside has been kind of nice too.
The other night, Drew's girlfriend Christine, brought over the most beautiful lemon cake!  Drizzled with a tart lemon glaze, and sitting atop a pretty cut glass plate.  I just so happened to have this bowl of lemons on the island.  We have been picking fruit in the grove every few days.
  
She made it with lemons that were from our grove.  Her parents and brother came over last weekend and  picked lots of oranges and avocados and grapefruit and lemons.  This was their thank you.  And boy did we enjoy it!  Christine said it was one of Ina Garten's recipes.  It was moist and dense, almost like a pound cake.  The glaze drizzled on top was the perfect finishing touch.  Sweet, but puckery too.  So good!  It was a lovely afternoon snack with coffee!  Speaking of coffee.....a friend of mine recently told me about this instant coffee from Trader Joe's.  I turned up my nose, and said, "oh no...I wouldn't like it!  I am a coffee lover, and brew a pot of coffee every morning."  If I want a cup in the afternoon, I use my new Keurig.  So she brought me some to try.  And I'll be, if it isn't just delicious!!!
I love the way it is packaged.  And it looks so cute in one of my red jars, at the coffee bar next to my new red Keurig.  Mix one packet with boiling water, and voila, you have a nice hot cuppa to pick you up in the afternoon.
Each packet contains a little cream and sugar.  Another thing that I didn't think I would like about it.  I do take creamer in my coffee, but no sugar.  This is very lightly sweetened.  It is delightful!  I will be stocking up on more the next time I go to TJ's.  They would be great for travel, or a picnic, or tailgate party.  YUM!
I was doing a little yard work today, and it struck me how beautiful everything was.  The grass is getting nice and green.  Things are beginning to bloom.  I couldn't resist putting a pretty yellow Primrose on the porch.
I still need to put my Spring baskets on the front doors.  The flowers on the porch are beginning to put on a show.
My Kalancho is bursting in pretty pink blooms.
Little lavender blooms in a pot with a bird on a stick.
I love it when the roses take on that rusty hue, a few weeks after they have been pruned.
I gave them a boost today with chicken poop tea.  Best fertilizer ever!  I simply use a scraper to remove the, ahem.....chicken doo from the roosts and below roosts in the coop, scraping it directly into a large bucket.  Then with high powered nozzle on hose, I fill the bucket and let it "steep" for a while.  Give it a stir, and then pour onto bushes around the base.  Being careful to not make it too strong, or it will burn the plants.  I have found just the right balance.  It won't be long before my roses will be showing off dinner plate sized blooms!
Although things are springing to life on the ground, the trees, still skeletal in their appearance, looking out of place with the signs of Spring around them.  Do you see Miss Maui standing guard in the corner?
There are two swings in the front yard.  They both get an awful lot of use.  One is on the lawn, the redwood A frame that we brought back home from the cabin.  The other one is a glider on the porch.  We have had it for about 25 years.  It still keeps gliding along just fine for me.  I love to sit in both.  As well as the swing in the grove out by the chicken run.  There is just something about swinging.
Another sign of Spring, is the huge population of Bunnies around here.
Can you see him?  There under the orange tree, with the little cotton tail?  When I open the shutters in the morning, there are often several eating grass.  So cute.
So, I have spent a lot of time thinking about what it is exactly that has prevented me from my usual posting schedule here on my blog.  I have wondered, could it be the Insta Gram craze?  It is so fast and easy to post to IG, and it is fun to see what everyone is making and doing.  Is that filling that blogging slot for me?  Is it that I feel like I have already written about everything of interest to me, and shared it with you?  That I am really just very boring, with not much to tell?  I have no intention of stopping my blog.  I continue to get a lot of pleasure from both blogging and reading all of your blogs.  There seems to be an ebb and flow to most things, and so I suppose with blogging as well.
As you know, I am on a quest to learn to knit better this year!  I have been having a lot of fun, finding projects, learning new techniques, and trying something new.  I am working on socks now.  I have a friend who has graciously shared her time and knowledge with me.  My socks are of the easy sort.  They are tube socks,  made of chunky yarn.  However, I am learning to use double point needles.  VERY awkward for this crocheter!  I also learned how to do the Kitchner Stitch to seam the toe.  And I have learned a lot about how the stitch should look when correct, as opposed to incorrect.  And how to fix it if it is the latter.  I learned the correct way to back out of stitches, and how to use a stitch counter.
AND, today I ordered my first big girl set of interchangeable knitting needles and cords!  I ordered them from Knitpicks.  I also got two balls of sock yarn.  My next project will be real socks.  With a real toe.  And a heel!!!
I have been doing more knitting than usual, and a few of my regular chores have been neglected!  Like ironing!!!
It's supposed to be a rainy weekend, so I think I will rent a movie, and iron away on Sunday.
One last thing.  I haven't been doing a lot of thrifing lately either, but this find was fantastic!  I walked into one of my favorite haunts a week or so ago, and there it was.....calling my name.
A beautiful aqua leather purse.  It was clean, and appeared to be only very gently used.  The label on the inside said Coldwater Creek.  The price tag read 7.00.  And it was 25% off of that!  I was in love!  It has pockets on the outside for my phone, which I like.  It has plenty of pockets inside too, with magnetic closures on both the top of purse, and on the two outside pockets as well.  It is soft and supple, and screams Spring!
I hope this finds you all well.  I know that while we are experiencing an early Spring, there are many of you who are being hammered with storm after storm.  It must feel like Spring will never arrive.  I hope you stay warm and safe, and that soon,  the snow will melt, and bright sunny Daffodils will be in your yards instead.
Be Sweet!
XO  Kris

17 comments:

Betsy said...

I love this post Kris. You are never boring. My favorite blogs are ones like yours that just tell what we do from day to day. Like sitting across the table with a cup of coffee or tea. We're heading to Annapolis, MD today and are planning a stop at Trader Joes so I may have to pick up some of that coffee for our daughter. It is so COLD here compared to the mild winter we've had in Spokane. I love my girls but I am ready for some warmer weather again. Your knitting looks great. I made two pairs of socks for Piper this week. She seems to like them. I have the Knit Picks interchangables too and I think you'll fall in love with how they work and feel in your hands. Double points take some fpgetting used to, but you'll be a pro before long.
Blessings always,
Betsy

Jeanna said...

I'm with you when it comes to my coffee...I get mine from the Keurig and add a little cream, no sugar. I've not tried the Trader Joe's instant but it would be convenient when traveling.

Spring has sprung at your place. Love the bunnies. We used to have an abundance until the fox moved next door. I do wish he and his family would move on. He ran through our yard with a squirrel in his mouth the other day :(

I started knitting a couple of years ago. Learned by making helmet liners for the soldiers. I'm also have the interchangeable needles which I absolutely love. I use them even when circular needles aren't required. I'm off today to my favorite yarn store in Vero Beach.

Hope you have a great weekend and get your ironing done.

Debbie said...

Good morning! I have to tell you first of all I NEVER find you boring, but I do understand what you say about blogging. I haven't a lot to say anymore either, lol. I lead such an ordinary life and I putter about sewing and playing with my grandkids. But I can't bring myself to throw in the towel on it all either. It's really nothing more then a journal. And I too love instagram as soo many of the ones I follow are my kids and even grandkids and they don't blog and so it is the perfect glimpse into their days. But so much of the time I enjoy the story behind the picture even more. The weather has been SOOO lovely I almost feel kind of guilty sometimes (not really! lol). Enjoy your week-end Kris!

Unknown said...

OMGosh, that purse is just it! I would have swooned when I saw it....love it. Perfect color for this season.
The cake looks awesome...and very yummy, you shouldn't talk about how good it was..my mouth was watering! ha! I think it's fabulous that you can share your orchard...so much bounty.

You really challenge yourself with the knitting good for you. I just want to do easy stuff anymore. Ha.

I am feeling the same way about blogging, I love it but just am not really in the mood like I was before. I think fb has done that to me....and less people reading blogs.

Deb~in~Denver said...

I love seeing your posts, never find them boring!! I'm not on Instagram (I don't know why!) so everything you post, here, is new to me. The pictures of your flowers are beautiful, gives me hope to see some here, in a few months! We had been spoiled with spring-like weather and are paying for it now...nothing like they have back east, though! What a lucky find with that bag!! One of my favorite colors! I can't wait for it to warm up and the ice to melt a bit so I can get out thrifting!

Have a great weekend!
xo

Valerie Cottage Making Mommy said...

Kris, Glad to see you back blogging. I don't think your boring. I'm looking forward to your garden and recipe posts. Hey a few of us on Elaine's group on Facebook got to visiting about Grape Irises the other day. Don't you have those? Are they worth the price? I'm landscaping the farm for the first time here in a few months and need irises because of my soil and I read about grape ones being fragrant. I couldn't remember where I read that someone had them and just remembered I think it was you.

Gloria Baker said...

This is a lovely post Kris!!and never Im boring with your posts! Always are fun and love yours pictures!!!
Love the cake of course!
xo

Dogwood Lane Rambles said...

Don't worry about leading and ordinary life Kris, an ordinary life is what is most appealing.My original goal was to blog three times a week but I notice that in the last year I've been lucky to get in two posts a week and I've decided that two posts will have to to do. I try to make my posts interesting and include lots of pictures and as you know that takes a lot of time at least for me so I'm choosing better quality (I hope) over quantity. I love the glimpse of your ordinary life and what you've been up to, what is interesting to you now and I LOVE your pictures so I'll stay tunes to see what's next. Patrica on Dogwood Lane

Pammy Sue said...

It DOES look a lot like spring at your house. Your yard looks great! Love the bunny and Miss Maui. Could you send me a box of chicken poop please? Not really. Our roses may all be dead since they had all bloomed out new leaves and now it is snowing and only going to be in the 20s the next two days. Yikes. I bet my Rosemary is dead too. I loved her! WAH. You are rockin' the knitting, Missy! Way to go!

Between Me and You said...

ALWAYS great to 'see' you Kris. I used to think that IG would be the deathknell for blogging but I've noticed people drifting back to their blogs so it's not all bad news. We call that cake 'Lemon Drizzle Cake' and it is indeed yummy. I think you're very brave tackling sock-knitting. You're practically a pro now with those interchangeables and proper sock yarn! Can't wait to see the finished articles. x

podso said...

It is good catching up on you. A lot of bloggers aren't posting as much I've notched. Maybe we're all talked out. Enjoyed seeing your signs of spring. The cake looks delicious! And I love, love your purse. What a find.

Teresa Kasner said...

That purse is awesome! What a score! I love the color and the nubby leather. Lucky! We're going to have to try the chicken drop soup idea for our roses. Dayle is afraid of burning ours. We didn't prune ours down and they're all budding out and tall. Naughty us. Good job on the knitting! I love mastering both. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

Leslie said...

Love the purse too!!!! Can I just say that I want to come over and make "snow angels" on that gorgeous green lawn of yours!! : )
Everything is dingy looking here, black dirty snow, barren trees, brown grass under all of that snow. We're at the finish line.. spring will be here soon. Meanwhile, I'm just gonna look at that lawn of yours again. lol.

Have a great weekend. Ironing.. what's that?

Kelli said...

I always love getting peaks into your beautiful home and yard. Love your new purse!!
Have a great weekend!

Maryjane-The Beehive Cottage said...

Hello Kris! Yes our weather has been wonderful even with the rain! I love your property! It is so beautiful! xox

Katie said...

That lemon cake looks amazing!

Gracie Saylor said...

My blogroll did not roll this post to me :( but I got the next one and scrolled back to make sure I hadn't missed one. I look forward to a visit with you and am never bored, so thanks for posting. Cheers for your knitting adventures! I love the color of our big girl Knit Pick circular needles :-) And that lemon cake is a wonderful thank you gift... Yum! xx