Hayfield in a Radio Flyer

     I am not a farm girl, therefore I have little experience with hay except for Halloween displays, garden mulching, and the mounded stacks at the horse stable (which are meant for fodder but are exceptional playgrounds). Therefore when we took a look at these bales this morning, we were amused to see them growing! Bought for garden mulch, they were temporarily parked on the driveway while we waited for a dry day to apply the stuff around the new plants. But two weeks of extremely wet weather hindered our plans, and now we have our own mini-hayfield!

Dirty Rotten Deceit - A Faked Pregnancy

     A cruel deception astounded my extended family recently. The story played out like something from a movie or a novel or even a scripted "reality show", but it was an actual event, or series of events, that in the end seemed unfathomable.

     It began at the end of last summer with the announcement from "Donald" and "Daisy" that their six year old daughter, "Dora", would be joined by a little brother or sister in February. The whole family - grandparents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles - rejoiced with the young couple. When the first ultrasound (which was delayed several times by either a doctor's absence or conflicts with the parents' work schedule) confirmed that the baby was a boy, a name was chosen and work was begun on the nursery.

     During the Christmas holidays, Donald was thrown from a motor vehicle in an accident. He suffered multiple contusions and a concussion, and while his injuries were not life-threatening, they were serious and he looked pretty awful for awhile - the episode was sobering for the whole family. Therefore, the elaborate baby shower held by Daisy's mother in late January was a celebration of a life saved as well as a new life about to begin. Daisy beamed with joy that day; it was remarked that pregnancy agreed with her as she had no swelling and her belly did not seem hugely expanded. Those observations seemed more understandable when her due date arrived and the doctor told her she wasn't ready - she should go home and wait another week or two. Donald, Daisy and Dora visited a professional photographer to pose for a set of pregnancy portraits and then, three weeks after her due date, a Cesarean was scheduled.

     Daisy posted updates and comments almost daily on Facebook. My sister received an affectionate message from Daisy the night before, "Aren't you excited? Tomorrow you will hold your grandson for the first time!"

     Next morning, I anxiously awaited the phone call heralding the birth of my new nephew. I didn't have to wait long. My sister phoned at nine o'clock. There was a short silence and then she blurted, "There is no baby!" With disbelief I countered, "Was it stillborn?" and she replied, "Daisy is not even pregnant!"

     I was horrified but in retrospect not totally surprised. Poor Sister's grief and disbelief were of more importance at the moment, although she admitted that she, too, had had doubts but kept pushing them aside. As the story unfolded, the magnitude of the deceit was overwhelming. Daisy claimed that she lost the baby shortly after Donald's accident but didn't tell him (or anyone else) because she felt he would feel responsible for the stress that caused the miscarriage, and that fact might hinder his healing. A story that might be remotely plausible but didn't explain why she continued the charade for two months after Donald had recovered, why she allowed the shower to proceed, why she had the photographs taken, why she sent heartrending messages to her family. On a whim, I did a search for ultrasounds on the internet, quickly found a stock photo that was identical to Daisy's except for her name and the date, which had obviously been photoshopped.

     When confronted with these facts, Daisy said she was sorry that people couldn't just put the past behind and move on.

     She did not apologize.

                             tag (fake pregnancy)

Graham Cracker Cookies for Easter

     Luckily there are leftovers from Easter other than eggs and candy. These cookies, topped with pastel M&Ms, are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside - good by themselves but even better with a glass of cold milk!

Decorating for Easter

     Decorating for Easter is a delight because of the lovely colors and the welcome spring motifs. The cold drab days of winter quickly become just a memory tucked away with the snow boots and mittens. To set the spring stage, on my front porch is a metal hanger painted with vintage images and adorned with three beribboned miniature eggs.

Three very simple, very appropriately colored candles light up the foyer.

Long-eared bunny candles stand sentinal beside the anniversary clock.

Dwarfed by an arrangement of hydrangeas in the guest bedroom, are a grocery and a flower shop fit for visiting elves or fairies.

The enchanting tea set was a gift from my mother.

Bunnies of Easter

Rabbits of all kinds inhabit my house and garden at Easter. The live ones, wild of course, are numerous but not included here. First are my dapper porcelain couple in the living room, clad in their Easter finery of lovely pastels.

In the foyer are another couple who are not so fashionable but posess their own natural charm.

Near the front door is another simple unadorned bunny of white china. The pure clean color is pretty as a lily against the ivy vines.

This group graces a shelf in the dining room. Plush peeping chicks enjoy the company of the rabbits, some of which are also plush and two little treasures composed of clay. Michael made these in elementary school many years ago and they get a place of honor every year.

A close-up of my favorite bunny shows the detail those little fingers achieved.

After an Evening Storm

     The showers of April have been numerous and eventful - bringing high winds, torrential rainfall and hail of varying size. After the most recent line of storms moved out of the area, the setting sun was allowed to present a majestic but momentary display of outflung rays.

The Frugal Cook On Shopping Day (Ground Beef)

     This is such a simple idea and I have practiced it for so long that it seems no big deal to me, but when I mentioned it to co-workers during a recent conversation about the price of meat, I got two widely differing responses: "What a good idea!" and "I don't have time for that!"  I only buy ground round or ground chuck (or any other meat, for that matter)  when it is on sale. Two pounds yields a couple of dinners and prep time is only a few minutes. While pressing out five burgers, the rest of the beef is browned with onion, and then all is frozen to be used at a later date. The way I see it, this forethought saves a lot of time on a busy night after work - the burgers can be popped out and grilled, or noodles, rice, beans or tortillas can be used with the browned meat. And either is a quick fix if we have an unexpected extra mouth or two to feed.

Farmers' Market

     A recent Saturday in April lived up to the month's reputation of rain. Gray skies, a chilly breeze and a heavy mist persisted throughout the morning, so we went in search of some color and fun. Although it is not a short drive from home, the Kirkwood Farmers' Market is one of the first to open in our area and it didn't disappoint -  colors, textures and smells delighted the senses.Vegetables, fruits, flowers and bedding plants in abundance, along with the friendly vendors, really brightened up our day (and our pantry!)

Beagle Puppy is the Batter Up

    Monday always needs a feel-good boost and when I downloaded these photos from my camera this morning, I smiled and thought, "This is it!" Little Cupcake (whose real name is Kojak but we misunderstood the neighbor/owner the first time we heard his name being called, and the puppy was so darned cute, it just stuck). Cupcake is always running around with something in his mouth - a toy, a blanket, a pillow, a door mat and once even a red bra. A children's plastic baseball bat was yesterday's entertainment. 

Banana Cream Cupcakes

     Since Brother just had a two-week stay in the hospital for a burst appendix and acute infection, I figured he would welcome a freshly baked treat for his homecoming. Didn't take long to make these fine-textured banana cupcakes filled with a smooth vanilla cream (reminiscent of Banana Flips) - two dozen so there will be some for Brother and some for us!

Spring Illumination

     The season has been lavish with weather changes, as is usual in this part of the Midwest. Today the morning brought an early thunderstorm, then a little sunshine, and now again in the early afternoon, it is quite overcast. However, for one short moment the sun did peep through the ominous, billowing storm clouds and illuminated the brilliant spring green of the trees - a splendid sight!

Back Seat Silence

     Three little girls in the back seat will provide quite a cacophony - alternately a gab fest or a "harmonious" concert. On this particular ride back from an afternoon outing with Rissy's day care group, Pop and I were enjoying the lively din and therefore were puzzled when silence ensued for more than a few seconds. Thinking it unlikely they had all been lulled to sleep at the same time, I glanced in the back seat to investigate. For no other reason except silliness, the nametags on their jackets had been removed to their mouths, which of course, warranted a photograph.

Peanut Cookies

    Peanuts are a favorite in our house and they don't last long but after a recent party, I discovered a whole jar of the roasted variety left over. The cookie jar was empty so I found a shortbread-type recipe that called for a coating of finely crushed peanuts that seemed just the ticket. The dough was formed into balls, dipped in egg white and then into the peanut crumbs. After baking and cooling, the cookies were given a little slap of vanilla frosting and topped off with chocolate chips. Pop had his with ice-cream - definitely not a low-calorie dessert but he loved it.

Spring Eternal

     A recent drive west from home provided lots of scenic pleasures but none better than this enchanting view of a pear-tree lined driveway. The overcast sky, the new emerald grass and the stately old farmhouse served to highlight the delicate traceries of dark wood and ethereal blooms of the trees. If it had not been a private residence, it would have been delightful to travel up that lane and be utterly surrounded by the magic of spring.

Color of Spring

     Closer to home and actually right outside the back door, are more lovely harbingers of spring. Rising on stately stems that have recently withstood several days of gusty winds, the delightful blooms of these daffodils display the purest of white and the most brilliant of yellows.



Polish-American First Communion in 1930

     This beautiful plaque framed in simple stained wood was hidden away in my mother's attic for decades. When my sister found it, she gave it to me for safekeeping as she knew of my interest in family history, and I was thrilled. It is a treasure that need not be filed away in a cabinet with other genealogy records although it is hung in the guest room which is darkened most of the time. The colors in the image and the printing would almost certainly fade with exposure to sunlight.

     My father's parents were born in Poland and emigrated to Michigan in the early 1900's. Dad grew up bilingual and it is fascinating that his First Communion Commemoration, and even his name, is in Polish.

Catnapping

     A taste of summer weather yesterday prompted lots of activities, including an afternoon nap. Miss Molly and her Pop shared a quiet time in the cool dark bedroom after a morning of yard work.

Perennial Welcome

     One of the most enchanting aspects of spring is the emergence of perennials. Almost overnight they awaken and push their first tender shoots through the soil and lingering leaf cover. Only one week ago the ground was hidden beneath a layer of snow and ice, and seemingly overnight - voila! Fragrant lemon mint is pictured to the right, and below are dusty miller (an anuual that often behaves otherwise in my garden), heuchera, astilbe, and oregano.

Peonies were already in the ground when we bought the house twenty-five years ago. Along the back fench are a gorgeous pink Sarah Bernhardt type peony, which is just now poking it's little fingers through the soil. And the last photo is of the white Festiva Maxima, which flowers much sooner, possibly because of the warmer micro-climate against the southern wall of the house.