Too Pretty to Stay Inside

It was too pretty a day to spend all of it inside, although that is what I needed to do. I needed to finish putting together my tax information for the accountant. In past years I have done our taxes myself, but with retirement, selling the land and other changes this year I decided it was past my capabilities. However, I still needed to round up my receipts and get things into a spreadsheet and that is not my skill area. I resist as long as possible--which means that on a lovely day like today, I had to stick at the computer and work. Yuck.

I did sneak out for a bit however; even a numbers slave needs a coffee break. I took mine with Two Lane Livin', out on the deck with a cup of hazelnut coffee. Life can be very sweet sometimes. Flowers, bees buzzing, soft cool breezes and the spring sunshine were completely beautiful. The little cherry tree we planted two years ago is in full bloom today, and promises enough cherries this year to make a cobbler, maybe?

Blooms are everywhere: dogwood, redbud, apple trees, crabapple. These spring colors are heart-breakingly lovely. Even the oaks are beginning to leaf, at least 2 weeks ahead of their normal time.

I gave in to the call of outside to do some weed-pulling, trying again to win the battle of Aging Granny vs Creeping Charlie, that insidious vining weed that is pretty in a dangerous way. The little plant seems so innocent, and then suddenly it is taking over the world. I knocked it back a bit while I cut back lavender, rosemary and sage and pulled up trailing vinca and the stout annual hollyhock that apparently is a perennial here because it usually blooms right up to Christmas and lives through the winter.

The bird house is still waiting for a resident, but with the cats in close proximity, I doubt there will be any takers.

My sister gave me these beautiful chimes and they sang sweetly today in the breeze.

Just hangin' out on the porch--the dried leaves are a "hand" of tobacco that must be 20 years old. Larry found it in the little cabin he tore down this winter. Our neighbors Dan and Belva used to grow tobacco and put it up in the old way of "handing" it, which means tying several leaves of the same grade together with another leaf. When we grew tobacco, we baled it and I never learned the handing method. I am glad to have this reminder of our good neighbors.

A little Easter decorating ended up on the washstand on the porch; I don't do much for holidays other than Christmas, just a touch to welcome the celebration.

And then it was time to go back inside and get to work again. I finally did finish--I hope. We'll see what the accountant has to say. Tomorrow, maybe I will have more time to enjoy this incredible spring weather.