he missed us so, bless his heart...

  Old Man Winter couldn't decide this year, he was very unsure so he stopped in for short visits, while Miss Spring edged her way in to bless us with warm breezes and promises of things to come.  He didn't capture us for long expanses in the land of Frozen.  He piled us with snow here and there, and blew a few white-outs across our way, but he's been a sissy again this year.  (are we allowed to say sissy?  My brothers used it as a run-of-the-mill insult, they also had those metal things on the backs of their bikes, Sissy Bars...)

Anyway.  We had a winter storm warning last evening, and it did snow.  The world is a snow globe, it's sparkly and deep.  We were heading up to the city on the lake last evening to celebrate Kathryn's birthday, kind of dreading the drive home, but it wasn't too bad.  Sonja drove her spiffy Toyota, and did a fine job of it.

Can you even imagine having a birthday celebration with eight daughters?  (and one daughter-in-law, Miss Grace).  Evelyn had her little apartment all decorated and welcoming, balloons and banners and then fruit and veggie platters to go with the chicken tenders we ordered.  I brought chocolate cupcakes with chocolate peanut butter frosting, and cookies with buttercream, along with gluten free banana chocolate chip cookies, for Mariel.

There may have been a seltzer chugging contest (regular seltzer, not alcoholic), a few glasses of wine here and there, and stories about growing up and lining up to be showered, and the time like five of them threw up in the Big Van, a chain reaction.  They told awful bus stories, there was a boy who brought his lunch in a cracker box, and a boy who traded three minutes on his Game Boy for SIX of a kindergartener's birthday cupcakes...we talked wedding plans and about the babies and kids and jobs and we solved all the world's problems.  

Sonja, Camille and I went out and about yesterday to find a present for Kathryn.  She's a minimalist, and I had already gotten her bread pans, and a bag of nice local coffee beans.  Then I remembered how much she likes plants, and how she mentioned that she wanted hydrangeas....so to the garden shop we went...oh, what a place!  So enticing, with all the flowers and tropical plants and succulents...stepping into the warm brightness from the windy snow, ahhh.  I behaved myself though, bought a nice white hydrangea, and a beautiful aromatic basil plant for Kathryn.

This fine morning, Paul just finished clearing out the driveway and is headed to the dump.  We're going  back up to that city on the lake, because Sam and Grace's house is having issues with the drain in the basement again, and Paul has to see about it.  I'm going to Margaret's house for Wulf's birthday, he's exactly 20 years younger than his Aunt Kathryn, turning six today.  

Sam and Grace might be moving back in for a few days, as they can't keep running water if it's going to back up, so life will be busier than usual again.  Now I wish I had stopped at Aldi yesterday, ha...those little ones like to eat every hour!   

Sonja and Anya...Anya came to visit for a few hours the other day...we made cookies!

The banana chocolate chippers...they were really good!

Spring decor with a fake fire burning...:)

Ah well....I need to get up again, and get dressed.  I have Wulf's presents wrapped, and some little prizes for the other kids.  I want to make a nice hot coffee for my travel mug, so off I go....spring.  ha.