Showing posts with label sweet treats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sweet treats. Show all posts

Thursday, June 18, 2026

A Day In The Life-June

Welcome to our Day In The Life link up. If you've posted about a typical day where you live add your link at the end of my post, then hop over and say hi to your neighbors there. Day In The Life posts only please and thank you. 


I love reading these posts and think they harken back to the early days of blogging, and even social media, where you got to know people through their writing and felt connected through the ordinary moments of life. We're bringing it back today. 

I chose June 1st because just because. Mostly because it occurred to me the night before and I have to set some alarms to remember to snap pictures throughout the day. Here we go-

Monday, June 1, 2026

Rise and shine, today at 6:36 am. I didn't set an alarm and am often up far earlier, but on this day it was 6:36. 


Start the coffee (I always set it up the night before) and feed the little brown dog. Mondays are trash day here so the pup likes to accompany hubs outside when he hauls the bins to the curb. We don't put them out the night before because bears love a good trash can meal. 

I'm glad when hubs is home to do the lugging, because the bins are heavy and our driveway has a slight incline so it's not my favorite task. 

Once this is done I pour coffee and settle in to my comfy space on the upstairs deck. I read my Bible, write in my prayer journal, browse emails, check to see if there are Tiny Beans updates, and play my word games to keep my brain working. Tiny Beans is a photo sharing site my girls both use to share pics of the grands. It's by invitation only and it's nice because aunts, uncles, and great-grandparents can all see the pics there. 

The first cup of coffee is my favorite. 

Hubs sits with me and does similar activities, although he doesn't play the word games like I do. 

Today we notice something yellow on the curb beside the lower garage so we walk down to investigate. From the deck it looks like, for lack of a better descriptor, dog vomit. 

Whadda ya know? I snapped a pic and my trusty plant identifier told me it is a fungus appropriately named-dog vomit slime mold. It's also sometimes known as scrambled egg slime and it's common after a lot of rain. We had a gully washer here all day every day over the Memorial Day weekend so this makes sense. Fortunately it disappears as the ground dries out. 

You didn't know this was going to be educational, did you?

Anyway, I couldn't linger with my morning coffee as long as I normally do because I had a facial booked at 9 AM,  and it's almost an hour drive so I needed to get moving. 

There are places I could go much closer to home, but I love everything about the experience in this particular spa and I love the girl I see there. Now that my mom lives in that general direction I'll combine the trek with a visit to her, or I'll stop at Costco or Trader Joe's which are also very nearby the salon. 

I go with a clean face, but I did shower, outside of course because that's the law here once winter ends, plus the view cannot be beat. Then I put on my comfy yoga pants, ate a small carton of yogurt, and was on my way. 

The facial lasted an hour (pure bliss) and then I headed one town over to see my mama. 

When I arrived she was in a chair yoga class and when that wrapped up she was going for some p.t. I tagged along and it was fun to see what all she does with the therapist. She cracked a joke too and we all laughed. After therapy we went outside and sat for a bit, then back to her room. 


Pay no attention to my shiny face. I had a facial and am still sans makeup. 

I walked with her to lunch then got on the road to head home. I grabbed a box of chick-fil-a nuggets and a diet lemonade for the ride back to the lake because I was starving. 

Once home I spent some time on the deck working on my blog. 

It rained a little and I love sitting outside listening to it fall. I move the deck pots out from under cover for some free watering. 

Daughter2 facetimed and I spent 57 minutes talking to her which is always a treat. Her kids were resting so we actually got to talk.  


Continue to ignore my still shiny face and my slightly oily hair. Shower number 2 is coming up because hubs and I had signed up for a wine dinner that evening. 

This was not our normal monthly wine dinner, but one the owner of the wine shop had put together. The wines were French and the winemaker was there to do the presentation. 

They had the most amazing charcuterie board as a starter, and then short ribs followed by creme brulee for dessert. The food was yummy. 

Course I neglected to snap a pic of hubs and I, but in true to me fashion I did get one of the sky when we were walking back to our car. The sunset was a beauty. 

I tried to snap a picture as we drove across the bridge coming home,  but didn't fare too well. 

We were home about 9:30 and headed to bed soon after. 

Now. Was this day typical? Sort of. There's truly no such thing as a typical day here. Every day is a little different than the one before, but on this day there was a lot of driving which feels accurate, at least for the past couple of months. There wasn't any cooking which is not typical, but there was porch time, a catch up with a daughter, blog time, a fun meal out, and that facial, the benefit of which cannot be overstated. 

This was fun. I look forward to reading about your day and will plan another link up sometime late fall. Thanks for joining the party here today! 

Wednesday, June 17, 2026

Hodgepodge Fever

Welcome to this week's edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Here we go- 

From this Side of the Pond
1. June 17th, 1994 was the day of the infamous O.J. Simpson car chase. What were you doing in 1994? I'm guessing somebody is going to tell me they weren't born yet but that's part of the fun of the Hodgepodge. Lots of generations are represented here. 

What a crazy day that was. Watching the super slow police chase of a former NFL standout. So sad for those families and all that was revealed after. 

In June of 1994 we were settling in to our new home in Maryland, having closed on our house there at the very end of May. Daughter1 had celebrated her 6th birthday a little bit early, with her NJ friends just before we moved and Daughter2 was not quite four. 


And now let's pause and give these neon track suits on tiny people their due. When my girls see photos of themselves in this sort of 'fashion' they always ask, 'But why were we wearing track suits?' 

Good question. I guess they were all the rage, they came in pretty colors, and they were comfy. Also swishy. Not a single natural fiber to be found but they do look awfully cute. 

2. What's your favorite summer salad that isn't the traditional tossed green lettuce kind of salad? Do you like fresh fruit in a salad (other than in a fruit salad of course)?

I love all salads, but one of my favorites is a Caprese-red ripe tomatoes, sliced mozzarella, and fresh basil  topped with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a splash of balsamic. 


I like fruit in salads and often add Craisins to a regular tossed salad. There's a salad I make that we all love that calls for apple and pear. I like a watermelon and feta salad, a spinach and strawberry salad, and a peach and burrata salad too. 

3. Is chivalry dead? Should it be? 

Is chivalry dead? Not quite. 

Should it be? I vote no. I mean technically it might be dead because I think the original definition of the word applied to a knight's code of conduct, and there aren't many knights around in 2026. The word has taken on a more commonly used meaning in modern times, and 'typically refers to an honorable and polite way of behaving, especially by men toward women' (Websters). 

If that's the definition we're using then it's not dead in my house and I'm grateful. My hubs is considerate, opens doors, brings the car to the curb when it's raining, holds the umbrella, carries heavy luggage and bags, kills creepy crawlies, investigates strange noises, and brews me afternoon tea. I appreciate these gestures. 

Am I helpless? Not at all. But I love feeling cared for and cherished and I'm glad there are areas of life I can trust he'll take care of and manage. I don't think men and women were designed to serve the same roles within marriage and I appreciate our different giftings.  

4. Would you rather spend a week of your summer vacation in Hawaii or Alaska? Have you ever been to either? Are they two places you really would like to see? How do you feel about 'Hawaiian pizza' aka pineapple on a pizza? Have you ever eaten Baked Alaska? 

Hawaii I think.

Maybe it's in my DNA? 

I've never been to Alaska, and it's become a really  popular tourist destination it seems. I'm sure I'd enjoy a trip there, but it's never been high on my bucket list. I'd rather have sun, sand, and the sea or ancient cities and beautiful architecture. 

As far as the 'state foods' go...I won't order a Hawaiian pizza, but will eat it if that's what the group wants. I don't hate it, but there are far better pizzas out there than one topped with pineapple. 

 I've never had Baked Alaska but would love to try it. 

5. World Cup play is happening now...are you interested? Watching any matches? Did you or your children play soccer/futbol? There are eleven US cities hosting matches-

-Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York with the stadium in NJ, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle

along with  three cities in Mexico (Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey)
and two in Canada (Toronto and Vancouver)-

You get free tickets to one of these matches. Which city do you choose? Tell us why. 

We're watching. I love the patriotism on display by all the countries represented. I love that everyone is singing their nation's National Anthem with hands on their hearts. I love the enthusiasm for American culture that's had a light shone upon it thanks to the visiting spectators from around the world. I like the matches best where someone scores -ha! 

I never played soccer and my girls played only when they were very young. There were other sports/dance they'd rather be doing. 

If I have to pick a city from that list I guess maybe Toronto, mostly because I've never been. Also, I have a friend who lives not far from there, and I've heard it's a foodie city which appeals to me. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

A quick reminder I'm hosting A Day In The Life linkup tomorrow-June 18th for anyone interested in playing along. 

If you need details you'll find them in my random thought here (Nom de Hodgepodge). Feel free to screen shot the graphic. See you there! 

Monday, June 8, 2026

The Weekend

Good Monday morning friends. How was your weekend? Ours was really nice and I hope yours was too. We celebrated our anniversary on Thursday, which is a little bit early but when your calendar looks like ours you grab the blank space and go for it. I'm going to write a separate post about that and just talk about the weekend today. 

Our anniversary celebration involved an out of town overnight but we were home by 11 Friday morning. I unpacked, started some laundry, and then sat on the porch and spent some time blogging. At some point hubs needed to pick up something from Daughter1's house and I tagged along for a ride in the MG. 

Once home we got ready for a neighborhood get together poolside and I made an appetizer to take along. I did not take a single picture but it's a yummy recipe.  A friend shared it with me, and it's easy and delicious. A water cracker topped with whipped cream cheese, smoked salmon, chopped hard boiled egg, chopped red onion, capers, and cracked pepper. We had a nice time catching up with neighbors and the food is always good. 

Saturday morning hubs and I took our coffee down to the lake and enjoyed the view. 


The dock guys finally came to do the staining (the weather created multiple delays) so hubs moved the boat to the neighbor's dock in case there was any mess. There was not and it looks almost new. 

The mancub made the All-Star team and they had a full weekend of games on tap. Game one was Thursday night and we missed that as we were away, but we made it to the first game on Saturday and it was fun to see him play. 


It was hot so after game number one hubs and I took Little Miss and Max back to our house to bake their momma a birthday cake, and the Mancub and his parents stayed to play the second game. 

We had lunch on the porch then got to baking. Their momma loves angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream on her birthday, but explaining a-why there's a hole in the middle of the cake, b-why there's no icing, c-why there's no sprinkles, and d-why we have to wait until tomorrow to eat it, was a whole conversation. 


It looks tastier with the whipped cream and berries, but someone forgot to snap a picture. Oops. 

They colored pictures for their mom and we watched a movie. Everyone was worn out from all the baseball, the heat, and the going going going so it was nice to chill for a while. 

Their parents picked them up then I made another appetizer to take to a neighbor's house that evening. We were invited with another couple to watch game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals, and it was a fun night. The host said bring a very light and easy appetizer so that's what I did. I had a jar of blueberry lemon thyme jam I'd bought when I was at my Daughter2's in Tennessee a couple of months ago, and poured it over a brick of cream cheese with crackers and pita chips for dipping. It's sooo good! 

My team didn't make the finals, but it was an exciting game nonetheless, with two overtime periods, and we didn't get home until after midnight. 

Sunday morning we went to church, then popped home for a quick lunch before taking the cake and the berries and the whipped cream, and the candles, and the gift over to Daughter1's house to celebrate the birthday girl. 

Okay so she's a few years older than this now, but whatever. Mommas gonna mom especially when a birthday rolls around. 

She had a lot of help opening her gifts and everyone loved the cake. We didn't stay too long because they were hosting a pizza party for the baseball team and we were pooped. We came home and I took care of some paperwork that needed taking care of for Monday, then worked on my blog and relaxed. 

We had an easy pizza dinner too, then watched a really sweet older movie I'd never seen-The Magic of Belle Isle. If you've never seen it I recommend. 

And that was pretty much the weekend. If you've chatted about yours on the blog today, hop over to add your link with Holly and Sarah

Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Nom de Hodgepodge

Welcome to the last Hodgepodge in this merry month of May. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Here we go-

From this Side of the Pond

1. Do you like your name? Are you named after someone (grandparent, etc)? If you have children how did you choose their names? 

I don't have a strong opinion about my name. I don't dislike it, and can't really imagine anything different.  That's who I've always been so yes, I guess I do like it. I'm not named after anyone. 

When we found out we were expecting daughter1 hubs and I immediately settled on her name. We were less sure of a boy's name, but no matter, because we were both certain baby was a girl and we were right. We just loved the name, both first and middle, and it suits her. 

There was just one other girl with her same name in her preschool and kindergarten class, but then all the way up through university we didn't know another. Fast forward to present day and we have three in our church besides her so maybe it's more of a SC thing? We still love it. 

Daughter2 has a name that belonged to one of hubs grandmothers and also one of my great grandmothers which is nice. The name definitely suits her. We gave her hubs other grandmother's name as a middle, and I knew and loved that grandmother so was happy to pass it on. 

My grandchildren have a combination of family names and names their parent's loved. They are all more traditional which I love. One has his dad and granddads' first name and then our surname as his middle. One has my dad's name as his middle. One has my mother's maiden name as his middle. Both grandgirls share middle names with their mommas which is sweet. 

2.  A piece of red velvet cake, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a slice of blueberry pie? You can only have one...which will you choose? If you could pick any red, white, or blue dessert other than those listed here, what would you choose? 

I'll have the blueberry pie please. That's a favorite and I make at least one every summer. Hubs birthday is early September and I sometimes make him a blueberry pie instead of a cake for his birthday dessert. 

If I were picking something not listed it would be angel food cake topped with strawberries. Red and white. I'll make one of these soon as my daughter1 requests this for her birthday dessert every year and she has one coming up soon. 

Fun fact...she has a son turning the age she is in this photo but we won't time travel down that rabbit hole today. 

3.  What's a job you'd like to try for just one day? 

I'd like to check groceries at the supermarket for a day. I can't really explain why this appeals to me, but it's a job I think I'd enjoy. I like grocery shopping and am nosy about what people have in their carts. I'm also picky about the bagging-just ask my hubs.

4. Any patriotic decor in your home currently or coming up this summer? 

I've put out some patriotic decor because it's a big year for America and I want to celebrate that. I needed new cushions for my upper deck and went with a patriotic theme. I bought hand towels for the guest bath, patriotic soaps, and I've ordered a candle for my coffee table with a patriotic label. 

I mentioned my front door wreath in Monday's post, and I have a patriotic door mat there too. Of course the dock is decked out with a flag and a patriotic wind sock and in general the lake is full of flags flying and people celebrating the freedoms we enjoy. 


I'd post pictures of my new pillows, but it's been raining cats and dogs since Friday so we have the outdoor furniture covered and the pillows tucked away. They'll be out all summer so I'm sure they'll turn up on the blog eventually. 

5. It's the end of May, so let's exercise our brains. Sum up your month with an acrostic using the word MAY. We can do it!!  

Moved my momma early May

All the blooming beauty added brightness to the month

Yearning for sunshine as we turn the page to June

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I'd kind of forgotten I wanted to host another Day In The Life link up for anyone who'd like to join the fun. New season, new routines. 

Unless you're retired then it's same old same old. Ha! I kid. 

Anyway, let's say June 18th. It's a Thursday. Choose a day to keep track of that falls between now and the link up, then hop back here to add your post to the party. If you don't know what I'm talking about here's the 411-

Pick a day and give us the play by play of your life on that day. Some bloggers do their posts by the hour, some by chunks of time, whatever works for you. Most people add photos but that's up to you. If you're like me you need to set the timer on your phone to remind you to take pictures but again, you can do your post in whatever way you like. 

I wrote one back in November you can read if you want an idea of how mine looks-A Day In The Life, Autumn 2025

These posts are fun to read and I feel like they're great connectors. Hope to see you there! 

Sunday, May 24, 2026

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 655

Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here on Wednesday (May 27th) to add your link to the party. See you there! 

1. Do you like your name? Are you named after someone (grandparent, etc)? If you have children how did you choose their names? 

2.  A piece of red velvet cake, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a slice of blueberry pie? You can only have one...which will you choose? If you could pick any red, white, or blue dessert other than those listed here, what would you choose? 

3.  What's a job you'd like to try for just one day? 

4. Any patriotic decor in your home currently or coming up this summer? 

5. It's the end of May, so let's exercise our brains. Sum up your month with an acrostic using the word MAY. We can do it!!  

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Monday, April 6, 2026

Hello Easter Monday

Good Monday morning friends. Also strangers and lurkers and visitors here today from both the A-Z Challenge and Holly (Pink Lady Blog) and Sarah's (Sunshine and Books) Hello Monday hop. I'm happy today's letter in the A-Z Blog Challenge is one that allows me to still share my weekend recap. Here we go-

Day 5-E is for Easter 

My theme this year for the challenge is The Things We Keep: An A-Z of Ordinary Objects, so today's post will include something that relates to both Easter and my theme. Also, light on pictures heavy on words but that's how this blog sometimes plays out.

Let's start with my Easter bunny who is more than 50 years old...

Many years ago my mom did ceramics and she made each one of us four kids a rabbit of our own. My brother's looked a lot like Peter Rabbit with his little green coat, and my older sister's was a smaller bunny that broke somewhere along the way. My younger sister and I had rabbits that looked alike except for the painting. Mine was gray and white and hers was black and white. 

This bunny has been pulled out every Easter for a lot of years now. It's sweet, and makes me think of my mama and Easter Sundays growing up. New dresses and spring coats, my family around the dining room table eating my moms delicious baked ham on the good china. 


I promise you behind that door there are four ceramic Easter bunnies sitting in a dining room ready for Sunday dinner after church. 

Where were we? Oh yeah, 2026. Lots of years and miles from that front door. 

We had a nice low key Easter weekend here. Friday night hubs and I watched the three local grands while their parents had a night out. It's all fun and games until you do an accidental awkward triple somersault while playing a harmless game of tag with the kids. Just ask hubs-ha! 


I brought them each a little bag with a sweet treat, a little toy, and pjs for the boys and a dress and shorts outfit for little miss. Not buying ALL the pretty clothes for my grandgirls is an act of will. 


Saturday morning I boiled eggs so I could make deviled eggs Sunday morning to take to my daughter's house for Easter dinner. Then, because it was a drizzly morning, hubs went with me to the store. He needed some sort of fussy battery and I needed last minute ingredients for my Sunday salad. 

We watched some of the British police series we've been enjoying (Death In Paradise) and I made an Easter chex mix (using pastel M & M's) and spent some time trying to get ahead with some of the letter posts coming up in the A-Z. I'd really love to be two ahead, but will settle for one. Or even just not scrambling on the day would be okay too. 

Saturday night I made chicken piccata (I love Ina's recipe) and we watched basketball. I got bored and ended up going to bed before the Michigan game ended. While I was all in on the brackets I don't have even the smallest connection to the two teams that made the finals. 

Sunday we had a wonderful church service with a hopeful message, beautiful music, and everyone in their Easter finery. You'll have to take my word for that last bit. Hubs and I didn't take a single picture of the two of us, and while I have cute pics of the kids I try not to share them here. The struggle is real though. 

After church we enjoyed a delicious lunch at daughter1's house with the grands, my daughter's in-laws, and her sister-in-law, brother-in-law and their super precious nine month old baby girl.  My baby girl made the most scrumptious lemon blueberry cake with a lemon buttercream and sugared blueberries on top, and I am already looking for a reason to make this recipe myself. 

Daughter2 and her hubs celebrated the day with their own church family in TN, but had a similar meal to ours because some traditions are worth keeping. 

We came home about five, the same time the sun decided to shine, and took a late Sunday nap which is also an Easter tradition. Or possibly an every Sunday tradition? We skipped dinner because we were both still full and watched a movie we somehow missed when it came out. 

It's called The Ark in some places and Noah's Ark in other places. We watched it on Prime and this one is the 2015 BBC television movie with David Threlfall and Joanne Whalley.  There have been a lot of film versions made of Noah's Ark and they don't get great reviews, mostly because the filmmakers change the story as it's told in the Bible. 

That's true in this case too, so you have to view it as a movie and not a documentary. They've taken a lot of liberties with the story, the timeline and who is actually on the Ark most of all, but as a movie it was engaging. If you've never read the first book of the Bible-Genesis,  check it out to hear the real deal. 

I've got my blood work this morning so no coffee which is not the way I like to begin the week, but I'll manage. 


Hope your weekend was filled with lots of joyful moments too. Happy Monday everyone! 

Wednesday, April 1, 2026

A is For Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge and Day 1 in the April A-Z Blog Challenge. Some Wednesdays I'll probably use the random thought space here to post my A-Z, but not today. My letter A post started running a little long (shocking I know!) so I've decided to give it a place of it''s own. You'll find Letter A posted here. 

And if you're visiting from the A-Z welcome. The Hodgepodge happens here every Wednesday and you're invited to play along. Hodgepodge links only please on this post. 

And if you're here every week I'm glad you're back. Now here we go-

From this Side of the Pond

1. March is rolling on out of here. Sum up your March in ten words or less. 

March was a whirlwind of activities, events, and family fun. Whew! 

I know that's eleven words, but adding that Whew! at the end felt essential. 

2. Are you afraid of heights? When was the last time you found yourself dealing with a height, and did it make you nervous?

Heights don't bother me so much as what is often required to reach the height. I love a big, wide, expansive view from up above, but greatly dislike a sky tram, gondola, cars hanging from a string high above the earth, which is so often how you get from low to high. 

I've ridden many of these contraptions, and have to give myself a talking to the entire time we're moving. Or swaying! which is really not my favorite. 

Yes I rode a gondola above the clouds near Mt. Blanc. A crowded one too, where I wondered about the weight limit the entire ride up. It was a long, long, long way. 

I haven't dealt with any scary heights recently. I can handle tall buildings with the top floor reached by elevator. We spend a lot of time in the mountains and I love those sorts of heights/views. Driving high coastal cliff roads with no guard rail is unnerving, but also a little bit thrilling. 

Big Sur 

No post of mine regarding heights would be complete without another mention of the gondola that dangled by a thread I rode on to get up to the tea plantations in Taiwan. (I wrote a post about it here-Quake, Rattle, and Roll) The wind was whistling through the open windows and the car swayed in a way that was slightly terrifying. See those specks in the sky? 


That's me. The gondola made a stop halfway up and not gonna lie, the height and angle on these temple steps was a little nerve wracking too. 

3. What's a word you struggle to spell on a regular basis, and sometimes need to double check before writing it down? Use the word in a sentence that tells us something about your April calendar. 

necessary

Rain will be necessary here this month, if we want to get out of the current drought conditions we're experiencing

4. Love 'em or hate 'em, with Easter comes the sweet treat known as Peeps. So... do you love 'em or hate 'em? Speaking of peeps, what's your favorite way to have chicken? 

I like Peeps okay, but wouldn't say I love them. They're a fun, festive treat this time of year, but I don't seek them out. I'm sure I put a package in my girl's baskets when they were young, because more than the taste I love the look of them.  


When my daughter2 was first married and living in Pennsylvania we went to a peep and wine pairing at one of their local vineyards and that was kind of fun. 

My favorite way to have chicken? As an ingredient in a Thai green curry.  I prefer chicken baked and with a lot of flavor added, teryiaki, BBQ sauce, that sort of thing. I don't eat a lot of fried food anymore. 

5. This week's Hodgepodge lands on the first day of April, which happens to be National Poetry Month. Do you like poetry?  Share a favorite line or two from one of your favorite poems. What makes this one a favorite? 

I started thinking about copyright infringement after posting this question and here's what I found on line-

'You can safely use short excerpts from poems published before 1925, as they are in the public domain. Generally, using 1-2 lines (especially if they are not the heart of the poem) is often considered fair use, though not guaranteed, while quoting 3+ lines or more of a recent work usually requires permission.'

I do like poetry, and I wish I'd memorized more when I was young and my brain wasn't as crowded as it is today. I have several favorites, but one I love is The Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe (c. 1849). The main reason I love this poem is because my dad knew it by heart and would randomly recite it from time to time. His grandgirls absolutely loved that, and this poem always makes me think of him. 

"It was many and many a year ago, 
In a kingdom by the sea, 
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought, 
Than to love and be loved by me..." 

by Edgar Allan Poe

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

It's Day 1 in the April A-Z blog challenge, and if you don't know what I'm talking about go to this post (The ABC's of April) to get the 411. Essentially you blog one letter of the alphabet every day but Sundays in the month of April. My theme this year is The Things We Keep: An A-Z Of Ordinary Objects. You'll find Day1 in the challenge posted here. I hope you'll follow along! 

Also, I cannot let this week pass without wishing you the peace and blessings of Easter. 

May you know the hope and joy that is ours because of the great gift of God's only Son, who died in our place and rose from the grave. Happy Easter!