a gloomy day outside

What better thing to do when it's grey and chilly outside than to scrapbook inside?  I signed up for the Creative Crop - an all-day, free class, full of imagination-starting challenges from Big Picture Classes.



It's a complete change of pace, a perfect way to greet spring, which I hear is right around the corner.  I promise.  Maybe Erica will bring spring here with her when she comes home from college!!  One more reason to be excited that she's coming back.  Yippee!!

spring fever

Wow, a whole month just slipped away without blogging.    I'm sitting here, just thinking about how that could happen so quickly.  Between new babies, expectant mamas (not me!!  just want to be perfectly clear about that), sewing projects, gender reveal parties, shopping excursions, and what have you, the month of March is gone!   It came in like a lion--a huge blustery snowstorm, and it went out like a lamb yesterday.  Just a whimper of wind and snow.  Spring is right around the corner, here in Minnesota!  I heard some new birds singing this morning outside in the pine trees.  New for this spring, that is.  I'm used to just hearing the chickadees with their cheerful songs.

That reminds me of a little poem I used to say all the time:

Spring is here
Spring has sprung
The bird is on the wing
My, my, how absurd
I thought the wing was on the bird

Yeah, kinda corny.  I'm a word geek--I love to play with words.  Only I didn't play with very many words in March.  I'm still baffled by that.

Ah, well.  For everything there is a season...I think it's homework season at my house right now.  Yep...I'm still taking classes.  Tuition remission is a terrible thing to waste!  =o)  I'm in the middle of my first creative writing class, and it's like playing for credit.  I'll be sad to see it end.

Huh.  I'm kinda seeing where all my words went, now.  Haha!!

But this little video is a perfect antidote to a tired Monday: kitten fever!  Not that I would be in a position to get a kitten any time soon, but this one is irresistible.  It's short, but so sweet!

he did mama proud!

If you haven't already seen this video, better find another tissue first.  This young man demonstrates such grace and maturity--it just touches something deep down in me.  I love that all he says about it is that he was raised to do the right thing.  Yes, he was.  *huge sigh*  Just a lovely way to end the eveing.

Did you watch The Bachelor? All I can say is he is one lucky guy not to have picked Ashley. She was one angry chica. Hoo boy! Good news for him. And I like Catherine...we'll see. I've liked her from the get.

But on to more good news. Well, it's kind of sad, but it ends up good.

This cute little cat named Angel must really have nine lives.

From the commentary on her youTube video: People have commented that Angel was run over by a car but she has old and new broken ribs and spine and no other damage like internal injuries so unless she was run over by 4 or 5 cars at different times, then the rescue will have to go by what the vets say which is she was stomped and kicked repeatedly. Just clarifying :(

Stupid sick people who could do that to a kitten--words fail me.

But she was rescued, and taken to a place where she is safe now. Watch how she gets around. You can't kill the spirit in her--it shines brightly! Puts a smile on my face. She's adorable.

they CAN get along!

How cool is this?! And I bet these Huskies won't be cat chasers or cat killers, either.  Teach them while they're young.  :)

It's my favorite thing when everyone just gets along. I used to say that to the kids all the time: I want you guys to just. get. along! I told them they're going to be siblings forever, so they better be nice to each other when they're young so they'll still be friends when they're older.

I don't know how well my logic worked--they were kids, for crying out loud. They don't think the same way adults do. But I sure explained it to them in great detail until they were probably sick to death of hearing it. And then when they still didn't listen, they got hug breaks. It made me feel better, but I hear now that they hated them. Hmmm...good incentive to stop fighting with your sibling. Your mom will make you stand there and hug the person you are the most mad at in the world right now. It's cracking me up still!

I have to laugh at this video when the momma cat keeps cleaning the puppy in front of her as it is sleeping, and its leg keeps twitching like it's trying to scratch. Puppies are so funny!

my sweet Valentine

To my sweet Valentine! ♥ ♥ ♥

I just want to thank you for everything you do for me, and for being who you are: the most thoughtful, most romantic, sweetest love of my life.  I can't believe how lucky I am.  I feel so spoiled sometimes.

Your love shows through every single day we are together.  It's not that you have to buy me roses and chocolate every day, or serenade me with beautiful Italian operas...no, your love shows clearly when you go out in the freezing cold every morning to start my car so it's warm for me when I go to work.  Your love is blazing bright when I come home on a Friday and you have cleaned the house, done the laundry and all the dishes so that I can relax and don't have to hit the floor running the minute I walk in the door. 

You get up early to take your shower first so I can sleep in a little later in the morning.  Your every thought seems to be about how to make my life easier.  I have to be careful about what I wish for out loud, because you take it to heart and figure out a way to work it out.  My happiness is your happiness. I love you for that.

One time, a long while ago, I said I like flowers, but I like them better when they're in the ground than I do when they're in a vase because they last longer.  You worked your tail off for several years in a row to put in a huge beautiful garden for me, and now every spring, summer, and fall, I have the most beautiful living bouquet of flowers a girl could ever ask for.  You did that for ME.  I know you enjoy the flowers, too, but our beautiful flower garden reminds me every year of your love for me.

You hear what I have to say, and you remember it forever.  You plot and you plan and you do it for me.  When I say I'd like something for the house, you figure out how to make it happen.  Sometimes it takes a minute for a project to come together, but eventually it does.  Like our coat racks.  LOL. It stretched out a few years, but now there they are on the wall...and they're just beautiful!  But sometimes, it's like snapping my fingers because it happens that fast.  When I said I wanted a picture hung in the living room, you dropped everything, got your tools, and hung my picture up right then and there.  I say I want a bench--boom! You're on it, making it happen.

You won't even argue with me anymore.  We spar, and we pick at each other a little sometimes, and then you just stop.  You can't fight with your best friend, you tell me, and just like that, it's over.  ♥  You inspire me to be a better person.

I appreciate you, my love.  And I love you!  Thanks for being my Valentine.

So, in the microwave, you will find some Fudgy Brownie Hearts with Fresh Berry Buttercream sandwiched in between them. Help yourself! There is fresh coffee in the thermos. Pour yourself a cup, pull up a chair, and enjoy.

This one is for you, sweetheart.