MOTHERS DAY

A warm and sunny day in Buffalo. And now at dusk there is thunder, lightning and a fresh Spring rain. The yards are green and the flowers almost grow as we watch. The tulips are blooming. Spring may come after all. We had a nice dinner at our local historic hotel. A day for remembering our Mothers and Grandmothers, all gone on to their reward. And we remember our friends and relatives, who are Mother's to those we cherish. May the good Lord bless us one and all.

Waiting for Spring!

We have just returned from a few days enjoying the sun and warmth of Phoenix and Las Vegas. It is nearly "summer" there-but here it is still windy, damp, and chilly. We had a nice visit with friends and family in AZ. And a change of scene brings a freshness to our point of view. We hope seeing the highways and stores filled with people means that our economy is getting better. We slept a bit later than usual, ate to much good food, and did some shopping and left our donation to the Vegas economy! Now we are home and caught up with mail and house chores. We will share the Holiday dinner with our family at their home, so no cooking for me- Then Monday we will return to work. Perhaps next weekend will be warm and dry and we can do some work in our yard. The grass is turning green and the flowers are coming up! And it is almost May Day! So Spring and Summer can't be far. The mail just came and we have Easter greetings from several , so we will think of them and say a prayer for them, each time we walk past their cards on display.

EASTER

The season for reflections, Spring and Easter, life and death. The cycles of life. We bought hair ribbons and barrettes, and frosted animal crackers for three precious little girls in our town. Gifts from the Easter Bunny! Youngsters give us hope for the future.

A dear friend lost her Mother recently and an acquaintance in our town was buried yesterday. Two friends are having serious health issues. A look in the mirror reminds us of our own destiny. So we try to live in the moment. Enjoy the sunrises and sunsets. Hug and pray for those we cherish. Wear the new piece of clothing. Eat the fattening dessert. Write a note to a friend. Forgive and try to make amends for our own shortfalls. Life truly is short and we should never put off to tomorrow, those things we really want to accomplish.

Ada's TREASURES

My husband's Grandmother made beautiful quilts. Over the years, she gave quilts to her 5 daughters, to her grandchildren and then provided baby quilts for the great grandchildren. These treasures were all hand pieced and hand quilted. A few years after her death, two of her grandsons gathered as many of her quilts as they could find and held a public display. There was a video done at the display and photographs were taken of each entry. Books were made for the 5 daughters and some of the family. One book was given to the Iowa County Historical Society.

After the display was over, one of the baby quilts was sent to the Iowa State Historical Society for possible acceptance for their collection. It had been finished in the early 1960s and was a gift to my husband, her grandson. It was a gift for our son, who was born a few weeks later on 19 January 1965. The quilt featured the "fan" pattern. We used it carefully. The quilt was accepted and a few years later it was one of the items chosen for a HEARTLAND show.

One of Ada's greatgrandsons, Chad was married a few years ago. His grandfather, a woodworker, made a beautiful quilt stand for Chad's home. We sent them one of his Great-great-grandmother's quilts to display on it. In a variation of the log cabin pattern, the 3/4 size quilt had been sewn in the 1950s and had never been used. Now, Chad's brother, P.J. is to be married in the Autumn of 2011. We have located another of Ada's quilts(unused) and it will be passed on to him.

SPRING!

We have had a "real" winter. After many years of rather warm and dry seasons, we have had lots of snow and several sieges of very cold weather. The added moisture should make our grass green and the wildflowers exceptional. Every cloud has a silver lining, if we only search for it. And those who have complained about the weather will voice additional laments when it gets very warm come summer. My husband says "Some people wouldn't be happy if you hung them with a new rope!"

A warm weekend gave us the opportunity to wash windows, inside and out, and to begin the chore of gathering up the leaves that the winter winds have packed in the corners of our yard and patio. No matter how well the yard is cleared in the Autumn, it needs a spring clearing as well. The light rains of the past two days have the grass beginning to turn and the flowers peeking thru. SPRING!!

Inside we are working at clearing and cleaning as well. Need to work quick, as once the days are warm, no one will care to stay inside. Each year we survey our kingdom with an eye to the future. Less is MORE. What was once a treasure may have lost its appeal. And a treasure to us may not to a treasure to those who come after. As we sort, we send packages off to others. Family photos are shared with the appropriate people, as are family "treasures". Fewer things are laid back for "some day". And everything is put to use,nothing is saved to be used for "good"! And still there is way to much! So an unending project.

Holiday Season

A beautiful bright day in northern Wyoming. Our town is decked out in its Holiday finery! There is a skiff of snow, making the landscape clean and pretty. A damp fog moved in last night and left the bare trees and bushes with a coat of "frosting" to sparkle in the sunshine. The year is drawing to a close. A time for reflection.

Recently, a dear relative passed away at age 103. Then a phone call today to tell us of the death of an old friend. A coworker buried her Fathr-in-law this week. We've become the older generation. Several friends are ill or struggling to deal with recent surgeries, so we keep them all in our thoughts and prayers.

There is a new girl in our family and we have so few girls! So we are thrilled to welcome her. One of my coworkers has two small girls. They got to visit with Santa Thursday at Library story hour and sit on his lap and get their picture taken. Their beautiful eyes sparkled as they shared their adventure with me! So we must look to the young ones and hope they will enjoy a good life ahead. The best gifts are the gifts of hope and peace and good health. May they be so blest. A local couple are working with their family to build a new home. They hope to have it ready and be moved in for the Holidays. What a special gift to each other, a new home in which to spend their retirement and make new memories with their sons and Grandchildren, this Holidays and hopefully many Holidays to come.

The matriarch of my husband's family made a relish of cranberries and oranges each year. A part of our Holiday tradition. I fixed a big batch today and thought of her. Then I mixed up special fruit cakes, a tradition and recipe shared with us by friends from Texas, it features lots of Texas pecans! The shadow of Alzheimers clouds the Holidays for them. But we celebrated so many Holidays together in the past. So we will speak of them and the good times we shared and keep them in our prayers. We will join our son and his wife and attend an Open House this evening. Our friends live in a lovely log home at the foot of the Big Horn Mountains. We will warm ourselves by their fireplace and enjoy the view of the snow capped mountains and perhaps get to see an elk herd grazing on the lower meadows. There will be a huge tree, delicious food and lots of happy chatter, as we all pause a minute to enjoy the season and the simple pleasure of catching up with old friends and perhaps meeting a new friend or two.

And so new memories are made.

MOTHERS DAY

A nice weekend! Everyone celebrates and shows their appreciation to their Mother and/or the Mother of their children. My children brought me flowers and took us out for a wonderful brunch at our local historic hotel. And we thought of our Mothers and Grandmothers, gone on their final reward. Families are precious and appreciated and should be--everyday of the year. But very nice to have an excuse to dress up and do something "special".