Jim and Chuckles

 Jim has come to play at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Chuckles is concerned. She hasn't spent any time around small children. She found this box full of bags and is perfectly concealed during the day.

She emerges from her hiding place to investigate.

Both are interested in the fish. But for different reasons.

Jim is a good model for Grandma. This is a good time for Grandpa to replace the hot water heater.

Cleaning up

 Paul sat down to rest for a minute and Chuckles thought that was an invitation to crawl into his lap. We're about ready to light this pile.

Look how gorgeous this is! April can be glorious, but there are still months to go until warm sunshine stays around. Our Spring in the PNW is January through June. It's a slow warmup.

Easter 2017

 We stopped by Katie's house in Snohomish to see Jim on his first Easter Egg Hunt. It's so fun to watch children experience finding candy for the first time. There's just giving it away?

Grandpa hiding an egg very carefully.

Oh, he is so smart.

Got it!

I got another one! Happy Easter!

Walk with Grandpa

 Growing up in the PNW means puddles. And to a little boy, this means jumping and throwing rocks. Our driveway is perfect for both.

Grandma is blowing bubbles just for fun.

Siblings

When Tami married Paul Savo on the deck of our Escondido house, we all dressed up for the event. I loved the opportunity to dress up, play the piano a bit, and enjoy cake and mints. I don't know that I miss Tami yet. It feels uncaring to admit it. But Tami was a tornado to live with and difficult for me to understand. 

I remember the screaming and the plates flying. We didn't have very many good times together. And as the youngest, I was always being told what to do. Not endearing. But I did always want her to be happy. It just seemed too hard for her to do.

My Childhood

 When I was a little girl, my mom gave me a new set of sheets. The artist was Joan Walsh Anglund who was a children's book author who lived from 1927-2021.

All these years later, I still have kept this pillowcase. But it's time to go. It is thin and faded. You should have seen it in its glory. On Etsy you can find fabric that looks like my sheets for $60/yard.

The Wild uncontained

 I have two plants that must be confined to their beds. They are a little too exuberant. One is a golden raspberry and one is an own-root rose. The raspberry plant's roots and crown are perennial, while the canes (stems) are biennial. A raspberry plant survives and produces fruit for many years. However, individual canes live only two growing seasons and then die.

These stems have no thorns, thankfully, but I must be careful to cut only the ones from last year and not next year's crop. Raspberries like to crawl out of this bed into the walkway. 

The rose has decided to wander around a few other plants and must be extracted. 

Happy Easter

 I love this picture of Bonnie. She is such an innocent, sweet little girl. And she doesn't mind having her picture taken, which is great for us.