BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

Hello, all. I just realized that it has been ten days or so since my last post. I just haven't had that much to say and I haven't been very good about checking in with all of you on your blogs either.

I have been doing the usual in Violetlady's world: reading, watching old movies on television, cooking, shopping for goodies at the local thrift shops, playing around with the family genealogy, working some, talking on the phone, etc., etc., etc. While searching some on-line records I found that someone who had once been very important in my life had died -- nine years ago. I had been meaning to contact this person for years and never did - now it is too late. I have been truly bothered by this for the last few weeks. I think my sadness is caused mainly by the fact that it just brings home to me how a chapter in our lives can end so suddenly. If there is someone you think you should get in touch with, you should do it before it is too late.

Well, at least Spring is here...sort of. There are a few things blooming and the weather is getting slightly milder. I will share with you a photo of my youngest cat, Chloe, who was sitting on my desk looking at me. Isn't she sweet? What is she trying to tell me? Probably, time to open a can, Mom.

Always,

THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING!

The first day of Spring and things are starting to bud and bloom and the birds are very busy. I have been putting seed out in several feeders and they are really enjoying it. I am going to have to start buying the seed in bulk. I think the squirrels are eating as much as the birds, though.

The view from my home office window:

I don't know what that is that blooms every spring, but it is very pretty.

I attended an auction last weekend. I really should stay away from them. I always come home with things that I really don't need. This time I got a primitive bench (which I love), a Gone With The Wind lamp that is missing the top shade, three Wallace Nutting prints, two of which need work, and a set of brand new lamps for my grandsons' bedroom, but I realize that they are so heavy it will cost more than I paid for them to ship them. I usually get so caught up in the moment when the bidding is going on that I often forfeit my better judgment. While I was at the auction I did one of my favorite things to do there -- eat. I had a scrapple sandwich for breakfast and a hot dog and chips for lunch. Healthy, huh?

Always,

NOTE:

A few commenters have asked what scrapple is. I forgot that this is not a common dish in some parts of the country. Here is a description from Wikipedia:

"Scrapple is a savory mush of pork scraps and trimmings combined with cornmeal and flour, often buckwheat flour. The mush is formed into a loaf, and slices of the scrapple are then fried before serving. Scraps of meat left over from butchering, not used or sold elsewhere, were made into scrapple to avoid waste. Scrapple is best known as a regional American food of Delaware, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland."

Here in Delaware we even have an "Apple-Scrapple Festival" every year. I grew up on scrapple, my mother's mother made it herself from scraps from the hog butchering on their farm (before I was born), and I LOVE it.

GIRLS NIGHT OUT

Last night I hosted a jewelry party. This particular one was for sterling silver jewelry for which I used to be a representative. I decided it would be fun to do a little get together and if some friends would like to buy something, fine. But this is a very low pressure line to sell--the stuff is beautiful. My thought this time was just to get some friends together - I wasn't the one selling the jewelry, my rep was. I planned this about a month ago and invited about twenty women. I decided to serve a light supper and also have a drawing for a piece of my silver jewelry from my collection. I also planned to have Mama Mia- the sing along version - on the television for fun.

The menu was white chicken chili, cornbread, guacamole, salad, brownies, and beverages, to include sangria. If you knew me well you would know that I am a terrible procrastinator. By yesterday afternoon I was ready to have a major meltdown. I kept shopping for more things I needed and put off the prep until very late. People were due to start arriving between 5 o'clock and 6 o'clock. I gave up on my from scratch cornbread and used Jiffy mix and added a can of corn. Guess what? It was excellent! I also gave up on the brownies and bought frozen mini cream puffs and some strawberries. Guacamole - no. Just added the avocado to the salad. Sangria -- just bought the bottled kind and added slices of orange and a little ginger ale. The recipe I use for the chili is the one from Bush's Beans and I spice it up a little more. Served with shredded cheese and sour cream it is delicious.

And the twenty or so people invited? Almost everyone came and the party was a big success, if I do say so myself. Some people did buy jewelry and that means I get some free jewelry for being the hostess. Yay!

Everyone left by 8:30 or 9:00 and I was beat. I left the clean up for today. It is really tiring to be the "hostess with the mostest" - ha, ha. Actually I haven't done much entertaining for many years until recently.

I actually had another "girls night out" late this afternoon when a few girlfriends and I went to a concert at a local venue and saw the Diamonds perform. Do you remember them from the 50's? Well, maybe you aren't as old as I am. They are not the original guys, but they did a very good oldies show. We were rockin'! Four old (not really) chicks, looking around at all the old people in the audience and wondering if we looked that old -- no, of course not. Anyway, it was a lot of fun and I was home by 7:00!

Always,

SNOW!!!!!!!!

I am so happy -- we finally have a decent snowfall. Here in coastal Delaware we get very little snow. It has something to do with proximity to the ocean. I am from Pennsylvania so I grew up with lots of heavy snowfalls. I remember when I was little we could hardly open the front door after it snowed a lot. I lived on a great hill and all the kids in the neighborhood would sled on it. Actually there were a lot of hills and sometimes you could start on our hill and if you had enough momentum you could keep going around the corner and down another two hills. Our dog, Teddy, would invariably get out of the house and chase the kids on their sleds.

I am sitting here in my little home office looking out at the snow coming down. It started last night and it is now 10:40 a.m. and still snowing a little. It is so beautiful.

My daughter is in Massachusetts and she is expecting a total accumulation of 15 inches -- on top of the foot or so they already have! My grandsons are in one school district and Beth teaches in another -- they are all home today. And little Ian's 9th birthday is today -- what a great present. Happy Birthday, Ian!