Birdsong

"The winter is past,

The rain is over and gone;

The flowers appear on the earth;

The time of the singing birds is come."

                            -Song of Solomon

           This is a photo of a gorgeous embroidery created by my talented sister, Shelly

Favorite Scone Recipe

OAT SCONES

1 cup rolled oats, plus extra for baking sheet and to sprinkle on top

1 1/2 cups whole wheat or all-purpose flour

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

7 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces

1 egg

1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons milk or cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 425 F.  Mix dry ingredients together, then cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until coarse crumbs are formed.  Beat the egg with the milk and vanilla and stir it into the dough just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in the raisins.  Scatter some oats over a parchment covered or buttered baking sheet and turn dough out on top of them.  Pat the dough into a circle about 1/2 inch thick, then cut into eight wedges. Sprinkle more oats on top if desired.  Bake until nicely browned, 15 to 18 minutes.  Serve warm.

(This is what the dough looks like before baking.)

Delicious served with a dollop of whip cream or mascarpone!

Rant And Rave

Now I have something to rant and rave about: litter and littering........

WHAT ARE WE DOING??  This is trash that can all be recycled instead of being thrown about to clutter and mar.  Recently I spotted a super large "Biggie" plastic cup being tossed out a car window, a jogger

throwing a used coffee cup in the park, and a young woman casually dropping her drained water bottle on the walking trail.  As I was passing her and unable to hold back I yelled, "That's not right...pick up your trash!"  And then I quickly moved on..usually not being one for confrontation.

  I was truly upset because I have spent years going out of my way to recycle and not litter.  I want to lessen my footpath as a consumer and do everything I can to maintain our beautiful earth.  Each and everyone of us needs to do all we can.......or we'll be living in a.........

Yellow Rose

This week I planted two GORGEOUS rose bushes called "Julia Child".  They are stunningly beautiful, loaded with large blossoms with deep vibrant green foliage.  The flowers have a mysterious licorice scent to them.  I've always adored Julia Child and this rose named for her is so fitting...and one more reason for adoration!  If I could I would plant 100 more!

They look so pretty in these cedar boxes which I painted blue.  Yellow and blue is such a pleasing combination.  I placed them under the kitchen windows.  When the windows are open, a delicious scent from the blossoms drifts in. 

Happy Mother's Day

Mothers make the world go round and enrich our lives in so many ways. 

Have a very Happy Mother's Day!! 

A Spring Walk

The ice is out...finally.  Here are some photos from my daily walk.  There is a bit of green to be seen amongst the brown, gray and dry.  The sounds of nature surround....frogs croaking in the pond...birds with their mating calls...bright babbles from the brook....a drip...drip...drip...from a cracked birch, spilling it's sap to the path below, (almost like crying) that made me sad.

But then, I smiled.....
I had to include a photo of this beautiful, cheery colonial home.  I pass it all the time on my walk and LOVE the warmth and sunniness of the yellow paint.  It makes me smile every time.  I'm sure the people who live here are always HAPPY!!!

Milkweed

As we wait for green and growing plants, we enjoy the remnants and ghosts of plants from last fall.  Tall sculptural dry grasses, berry branches, and architectural seed heads.  My favorite of these is the milkweed plant, with it's open seed pods.....the seeds long ago sown.  I appreciate the texture and play of cool and warm color.  I included the milkweed in one of my recent still life paintings:

Milkweed is the favorite plant of the monarch caterpillar.  When my sons were in elementary school, one of the science projects was based on the life cycle of  the monarch butterfly.  Each student was given a caterpillar and was responsible for feeding it until the caterpillar formed it's cocoon.  So everyone needed fresh milkweed leaves.  Living in a suburban neighborhood, not everyone was familiar with the plant.  I was!  And I knew where to find them.  So with my sons, we gathered fat juicey leaves and supplied their entire classes.  Needless to say....we were rockstars!......the caterpillars ate, survived and formed cocoons...and emerged as gorgeous butterflies!!