Today's Royal Beginning

Katherine was absolutely gorgeous, almost as beautiful as my daughter and daughter-in-law on their wedding days.  Her Prince almost as handsome as my Son on his -- although neither as handsome as DH on our day. 

My Corination Mug



Getting Ready

For tomorrow's Event.  While watching Kate & William, I will be enjoying my morning coffee from this mug:

In 1953 I had a British penpal.  She asked that I send her several pairs of nylons (apparently still very difficult to get or pricey in post-war England) and she sent me this mug -- which decades later became the start of my mug collection. 

Could we say that I, a Grandmother, am having breakfast with the Groom's Grandmother prior to the service? 

 The house sparrows are very busy doing a spring clean-up on their nest which is under the patio eves.  In the morning Tri and Goldie monitor their comings and goings.


DH's Birdhouse Quilt

 While they are selecting this twig or that one, I must chose colors for my "nest" -- I'm only changing the color of the doors, but some Marketing Wizard feels that paint names need to be changed annual so there's still sample chips to get and decisions to be made.  

Spring = Shedding

But can anyone explain why an indoor-only cat grows a winter coat that needs shedding?  Goldy enjoys a consistent moderate temperature year-around.  And if the night-time setting is too cool, he could try snuggling under the quilt.   

Unfortunately he doesn't tolerate enough brushing time to deal with the shedding.  His mother should have taught him the "100 brush strokes a night" rule. 

Simple Gratitudes for Easter

• Bird song at dawn
• One's children
• One's grandchildren
• Furry companions
• Happy memories 

 and One's home - leaks & all.



Too little time

Years ago I took a workshop making the Polish Easter eggs, Pisanki.  The most difficult part was actually blowing out the raw egg.  Those eggs are long gone, but I still have the pens which were used to apply the wax.

Phone interruption. Lost Web Site Info.

After the pattern is painted on with the melted wax, the egg is dipped in the lightest color, allowed to dry, painted again & dipped again,  and so and so ending with the darkest color.  If you don't know your color combinations you soon learn.   I like the one-color look of those above.  Once the coloring has been finished, the wax needs to be removed.  

Wouldn't they make an interesting Table Runner for this season -- egg shapes with appliqued design on them and then they are appliqued to the runner's ground (green for grass? and for spring)?

Joining in common quilter's wail: Too little time; too many ideas.

The other evening Dave Letterman said in his list of the 10 top tax tips that trolls are not dependents.  After coping with IRS's electronic whims this past weekend, while others in this household dined and dozed, I know that Cats should be declarable -- as Heads of Household, as they see themselves to be. 

Goldie's Doppelganger

He's an outdoor roamer, although in bad weather he will favor my neighbor with his indoor presence.  Some mornings he naps on my front step.  Yesterday morning he checked on the cat mint in my flower bed and, as Tri watched, he took the first-of-the-season roll in it.  Tri didn't make a sound, but even so you could just hear her shouting "Get off -- that's ours -- it has to grow a bit more before our human can cut some for us to enjoy."   

When I do bring some in for them, Goldie is very much the gentleman -- he lets Tri go first.  When done, they both enjoy a long drunken nap.   

While They nap

I read.  Just finished Time Enough to Die by Lillian Stewart Carl and have begun Arsnic and Old Paint by Halley Lind.  It's the 4th in this series, one I follow.
There's this "quote" at the beginning of Chapter 1: 
Craquelure: A web of fine lines indicating age, that results in greater beauty. 
In the book it refers to paintings, but I think it works just fine for humans. 

Smell the Roses, Blow out the Candles

  Tri enjoys flowers too.  Perhaps her more sensitive kitty nose picks up a rose smell mine doesn't (these commercial roses are not bred for scent).  I do know she enjoys tasting the leaves & have to wave her off, reminding her that she has her kitty grass to nibble.  

As aways a bouquet  reminds me of our visit to the morning flower market outside Amsterdam where such flowers are auctioned off and immediately loaded onto planes for flying to the buyers.   

Blue patterned  fabric purchased in Dutch fabric shop.

April Showers

send thoughts to
Gardening.

Although, as an aside, we've had enough ground soaking precipt that the showers are not quite as welcome this spring.

I made Easter egg table runners for the kids, but not for myself.  However, there is this small quilt -- the printed fabric has garden hats & trowels and pots of tulips on it.

The little bird figure on Gram's cutting board is holding on to her Easter Bonnet.