HAPPY EASTER!

Isn't this the sweetest card? Jo found this for me at Graphics Fairy and sent it to me. (See the little violets?) Thank you, Jo and thank you to Graphics Fairy for sharing her beautiful collection of vintage postcards.

I have been sick for several days with the dreaded stomach flu (yuck) that seems to be going around. I finally feel better tonight. At least I should be able to eat normally tomorrow. I plan to make ham, scalloped potatoes, baked pineapple and some kind of veggie. I want some real food! I have had enough of saltines and ginger ale.

Ken and I were supposed to take a road trip on Friday to Massachusetts to spend Easter with Beth and Dale and the grandsons. I cancelled -- they don't want my germs and I certainly didn't feel up to traveling. We were going to drive so we could take the poodle with us. (Unfortunately, though, he is not a particularly good passenger.) I was so looking forward to it. Now it will just be the two of us at Easter -- well actually the six of us counting the furry, four-legged children.

Having family far away on the holidays is for the birds. I am very much a family person and here I am in Delaware with my sister and my nieces in Pennsylvania and my daughter and her little family in Massachusetts. How I envy those of you who have your family close by.

I hope each and every one of you have an Easter filled with love and promise for the new season.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!!!!

Thank you to Karen at Graphics Fairy for this vintage greeting.

THE STORY OF VIOLETTE

Today I thought I would share with you the story of my oldest cat, Violette. (I used to spell it Violet until I realized that the other three four-footed babies in my house have French names, so hence "Violette."

Once upon a time a very nice lady and her new husband lived in a condo just off the beach in a small town. There were many wild cats in this little beach town.

One day through the back fence appeared a little gray striped wild kitty. She was as wild as the squirrels who lived in the trees. The nice lady wanted to feed the kitty, but the kitty was so wild and shy she would not come close even though she was very hungry.

Each day the lady would put a can of tuna through the fence and the little kitty would eat her fill. Each day the lady moved the can closer to the back door. After many days the kitty would eat from the can while the lady sat beside her. After many more days the lady was allowed to touch the kitty and pet her.

But one day was different. On this day the lady picked up the shy, wild kitty and took her into the house. The kitty was so scared that she ran from room to room and cried to get out, but the lady would not let her out.

Finally, the kitty thought that this was not a bad place after all. The lady and the man were very nice and always fed her. She was no longer hungry. A big, old boy cat also lived there and he became her friend. He took care of her and showed her where she could sleep and even washed her ears for her.

The wild, shy cat was given the name "Shy Violet" by the nice lady. As the years passed, Violette was no longer wild and she was no longer shy. She loved her new home and she loved the nice lady and the nice man and she also loved the big, old boy cat who washed her ears.

They all lived happily ever after because that is how nice stories are supposed to end.

COMPUTER GAME CAN INCREASE VOCABULARY AND FEED A HUNGRY PERSON

Melissa, the winner of my Victoria Magazine giveaway, has done a post about a great Feed The Hungry program. Check it out at FREE RICE.COM.

You click on an answer that best defines the word given. If you get it right, you get a harder word. If wrong, you get an easier word. For each word you get right, 20 grains of rice are donated. Increase your vocabulary and help to feed hungry people. Food is distributed through the UN World Food Program.

In about 15 minutes I donated 2000 grains of rice. Every little bit helps, doesn't it? When you get to the site, read "Options" and you can set it to save your previous scores and you can challenge yourself.

Thank you, Melissa, for highlighting this very worthy program.

AND THE WINNER IS...............................

AND THE WINNER IS.................. Melissa at Off The Wall. Melissa, I hope you enjoy your very own subscription to this wonderful magazine. Please e-mail me with your e-mail and mailing address and I will send the subscription in. Congratulations! And thank you for those of you who entered.

A "JUST BECAUSE" GIVEAWAY

I am having a giveaway! No reason. Just because. The "Victoria" magazine has been a favorite of mine since the first issue quite some years ago. (See my 10/29/07 post) I was devastated when they ceased publication. A lot of people were. One day I received a letter that they were starting the magazine again. I was ecstatic.

To celebrate my "bliss" (as on the cover Bliss - Victoria) I am giving away a subscription to this wonderful magazine to some lucky lady.

By the way, I was reading the Jan/Feb issue (shown above) and there was an article about one of our fellow bloggers and a peek at her lovely home in France. Check out Corey's blog. It is called Tongue In Cheek.

Just leave a comment here and leave a link on your blog and I will randomly select your name on Sunday, March 9 at 9:00 p.m. SORRY, BUT U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY.

Good luck! You will love this magazine.

THIS IS A "STICKY" POST. PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR RECENT POSTS.

SPRING READING THING 2008 - TRY IT - YOU'LL LIKE IT

Katrina at Callapidder Days is introducing a new reading challenge and, despite my previous misgivings about my ability (or inability) to commit, I am going to join in on this one. Click here to read Katrina's post about the challenge.


I am going to keep my reading list small so as not to be intimidated by it. The Challenge begins March 20 and runs through June 19. I'll let you know my reading selections soon. I hope you'll join in, too.


A rainy, miserable day here in coastal Delaware and probably more of the same tomorrow. But - the birds were singing this morning, the worms are crawling and Spring is just around the corner. Don't forget to "spring" your clocks forward tomorrow night!

BEAU - CAUGHT IN THE GENE POOL

My dear little poodle has been scratching so much lately and I discovered a sore patch on the inside of his back leg. Yesterday we went to the vet. Beau apparently has allergies - we don't know to what. He also has a skin infection where he chewed on the sore spot, so now he is on antibiotics for three weeks and Benadryl twice a day. The Benadryl seems to help, but unfortunately it doesn't make him less hyper. (ha, ha) I know Kris and Lynne have dogs with skin problems and have written about them.

Let's see -- My Violette the cat has skin problems, so does Pierre the cat, and so do I. Did they inherit my genes?