Monday, April 27, 2015

BLOOMING AND READING AND BLOOMING


Can you see the little stone pig with wings behind the hyacinths?  I found this in Asheville a few years ago and I have a few other variations on the theme here and there.  I identify with the whole ideology. When pigs fly. 





I've been busy as I predicted in my last post.  I had a hair appointment on Tuesday.  I got to see my little Elsie as Mary Clare was off work early (I have my hair done by her sister, Katie at her mom's house for those that don't know).  It's always so fun with Elsie and Katie's little baby, Margot, six months now...so lively and happy.  

Wednesday I had a doctor's appointment.  It was so crappy out...rainy and blustery.  He asked me if it was still that way when I showed up at 1:00 p.m.  I said yes, but isn't this the norm for April?  We laughed.  Yes, it is.  We are so silly to think that this is unusual after a brief warm up.  We've had some below freezing temps at night and I lug my big pot of pansies off the porch into the house, but otherwise I'm good.  I never plant anything until after Mother's Day.  That's sort of a rule of thumb in our area. 

 
I follow a great blog, Back Road Journals, and this lady not only knows the local back roads, she's a world traveler and has the best recipes.  She posted a recipe for Chicken Avocado Suiza.  I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand and what wonderful meal it turned out to be,  My picture doesn't do it justice.  You can find the recipe here.  The only adjustments I made were to use a jar of tomatillo sauce by Rick Bayless of Frontera Grill (You can find it in your grocery store near the tortilla chips, I'm sure).  And I did everything in a skillet.  That's it.  Thanks, Karen!  Get the recipe, you'll love it.







  Gone Girl fans will devour this psychological thriller.”—People“   

Like its train, the story blasts through the stagnation of these lives in suburban London and the reader cannot help but turn pages.”—The Boston Globe

 



Enough.  Just read it.  

And I started another...Little Bee.  It's older and maybe many of you have read it.  It's new to me and again, I'm letting dinner burn and laundry languish as I lose myself in this amazing story.  Forget those magazines.  I'm on a roll.

 The lives of a sixteen-year-old Nigerian orphan and a well-off British woman collide in this page-turning #1 New York Times bestseller and book club favorite from Chris Cleave.



See you soon.  Or not.  I have a library wanting attention. :)

41 comments:

Row homes and Cobblestones said...

Jane,
All your flower photos are gorgeous. The flying pig adorable! Love Mexican food ... thanks for the book recommendation, I'm gonna read it. Heading upstairs to sleep now, sweet post my friend.
xoxoxo,
Vera

Bluebird49 said...

Oh! As soon as I looked beyond the pretty blue flowers (no, I do not know what all different flowers are. Well, maybe roses, orchids, tulips and daffodils--and iris? lol), I saw the flying pig! I thought of "When Pigs Fly" immediately. Yes, I know you named the flowers, but I've forgotten already!;)
In this life, Ed and I won't be caught going and exploring new towns, or even old ones! not his thing! :(
You know, I have been looking at The Girl on the Train book in the Kindle section on Amazon for a couple of weeks. I guess I'll have to break down and get it--it's gotten so many great review, and now yours! I love suspense, anyway. (Well--you KNOW I do!) I need to see if it has it with audio added--I've come to love audio books, since it gives me headaches to read much now.

Glad you got to see the little princess when you got your hair done. I hope you and The Husband will have more--and more dry-- adventures this weekend. Oh--by the way, if I'd had 2 Pepsis, diet or not, I'd probably have been wide awake for the whole day! Maybe I should get some to keep me more alert! Ha!
xxx Trudy

Linda said...

So good to catch up with you and - once again - I notice how very different our weathers are! It is a lush wonderful spring here in Texas and we all hurry to plant as much as we can so it can get established BEFORE the heat of summer arrives! This deep vivid green in the landscapes here will fade with the intense heat and sun and actually brown around the edges and struggle until fall. We must water EVERY day to keep that from happening and with water rationing - it must all be done by hand and sparingly.

I am reading a book about a couple from England who buy a property in Provence France. I am loving it.

I will tell you a secret. Ruth Ann and I saw the movie Gone Girl. We were so distraught we vowed we would never again go to an R rated movie! I guess we are elderly ladies with movie tastes of 12 year olds. Although we DO watch PG13!! haha!!

Wishing you warmer temps and blue skies!!!

Art and Sand said...

I have heard about Girl on the Train and been thinking about reading it next.

I hope your cold weather is over soon.

Val said...

Little Bee was impressive to me in what it tackled. And I actually prefer the look of Tulips that HAVEN'T opened-up yet. I love any flower that stays in the bud shape like that--like Lupines' petals. Your flowers are lovely!

Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe said...

I love when all my bulbs pop up with their beautiful spring flowers; I hate that their green can last till summer. A week or two after the bloom goes away and the greens are pliable, I turn them down with a rubber band. I used to braid them, but I no longer have the patients.

Little Bee is a wonderful book. It was part of my summer reading a few years ago.

Rita C at Panoply said...

So fun to read of the differences in our gardening regions. Hyacinths, daffs and tulips are gone, all but a straggling one or two tulips, but I love all of those - they certainly are the signs of spring arriving, no matter the wind and rain.
You're about the 10th person who has recommended Girl on the Train.
Always good catching up....have a good week.
~Rita

Courtney@Golden Boys and Me said...

Hi Jane, I have been wanting to read Girl on the Train and I think there are MANY on the waiting list at the library ahead of me. I think I just may buy that one based on your review :) I am currently reading The Life We Bury and I am totally engrossed. Another great read! Like you, I always say that I need to remember to plant more spring bulbs in the fall. I appreciate those first flowers that bloom in the spring more than any all year, so they are certainly worth the effort. Have a great week. Hope you get some sunny blue skies soon.

Cindy (Applestone Cottage) said...

Oh my goodness Jane, your flower beds full of daffs, tulips etc. are outstanding!
The book sounds great..can I borrow it when we get together.
So glad you got to visit with the baby too.
I need to see pics!
I e-mailed you a place to check out in Door County.
On the water and nice. Let me know.
Hugs friend...I can't wait to get together, I need some away time.
Cindy

Vicki @ lifeinmyemptynest said...

Your pink tulips made me smile this morning. We usually like the same books, but I have to say I found The Girl on the Train very dark in a depressing kind of way. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for a dark book because that usually doesn't bother me. Happy Tuesday Jane!

Linda said...

Hi Jane....
Love your Tulips and Daffodils....I have 2 open! Ha!
So nice to explore with hubby....
I think you are a very lucky gal....
How is the lake house coming along?
Happy reading!
Cheers!
Linda :o)

DD's Cottage said...

Love all the blooms and especially the pink tulips!

Melanie said...

Your flowers are looking so pretty! Thanks for the review and link to the chicken recipe. Looks and sounds yummy, so I pinned it. I think it would be really good with a nice salad alongside it with a lime vinaigrette. I have the Bee book but haven't read it yet. I'm not into thrillers but the husband is...I had seen this book and saw reviews, so I told him about it. He can get it from our library. I just tried reading Elizabeth Berg's new book, The Dream Lover and couldn't get into it. I'm back to my magazines for now!

Lisa @ Texas Decor said...

Your flowers look gorgeous! I love tulips, but have never grown them. Well, as you know, I started reading Girl on the Train and...I don't like it! What?! I know! I totally expected to devour it like I did with Gone Girl, but I'm just not that into it for some reason. I mean, it's good, but I'm about half way through it and I haven't picked it up in a couple of days. I'll finish it, but it's just not as interesting as I expected.

Deserae said...

Your blooms are so beautiful!!! Every fall I plan on planting bulbs and every year I forget until it is too late. Maybe this year though?!?! LOL....I love Mexican food....I could it every day I think :o) Have a great week!!!
~Des

Sandi~A Cottage Muse said...

Your garden is so pretty!
The last book I read was Gone Girl last summer (I really need to unplug and read more books)!!
Oh...and I'm craving Mexican now!

It's me said...

Love Love love ....warm hugs from me x!

Nancy's Notes said...

Okay Jane, love your flowers, you must have a really green thumb! Just beautiful! LOL, love the flying pig. Okay, again, mexican food is just delicious and I don't know when to stop! I think I'll have to buy that book, thanks for the suggestion!
How's your article writing coming along?

Hugs,
Nancy

Sonia said...

Oh I just love your bulb border! Just beautiful. I just adore tulips! Also that dish looks delicious, may have to try that one.

Doreen@foxdenrd said...

Something tells me you like Girl on the Train? lol

I know what you mean about gardens and organizing. Every year, like you, I think I'm going to do more than I do. Maybe we can motivate each other this year? ;)

podso said...

Pretty tulips. We also had bitter cold and rain last weekend, I think hard because we've already been in our summer clothes. :-)

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

Thanks for the book recommendations, Jane. I'm always looking for new things to read as I wait for my favorite authors to churn out new books. : ) I'll definitely look into that first one.

Your flowers and that bed of tulips look so pretty. I am enjoying my pansies and the Martha Washington geraniums I planted in the urn by our front door. They have survived the frosts we've had and I think I've lucked out there because we have a covered front door area.

Cheryl @ TFD said...

I love spring flowering flowers, there's nothing prettier than a large bed of tulips or irises or...Can you tell I love flowers? :)
Thanks for the book rec's. I love a book that is hard to stop reading. I'll keep a lookout for Girl on the Train.
Have a nice week!

Theresa said...

You had me at blooming:) I adore the gorgeous blooms this time of year! Have a blessed day in the library:) HUGS!

Traci said...

Your flowers are so pretty! We've had a ton of rain the last 2 weeks & everything is blooming. Even things that I didn't think would come back.

Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow / Sacred Eclectic said...

Love your grape hyancinths! I have planted them at least twice and they don't like me and don't return! :)

Vel Criste said...

I still remember the weather in Chicago, you can never accurately predict how it's gonna be over there. Still, you have some blooms, that's still better than none (I would have some if I planted mine, LOL) right?! Funny, how at my home, we only have fresh flowers every so often that my hubs instantly notice. I just finished Dear Carolina and you will love it too!

Susie said...

Blondie, Love your pictures. I love tulips too. I had many in town. But none here at the farm. I am trying to get things that grow back each year ...so that would be a nice thing to plant. As you said, gardening is work and planning. Hope you are doing well and get some warmer temps soon. Blessings, xoxo,Susie

Beth said...

Your bulb bed is just gorgeous, as is the one at the restaurant. The little grape hyacinth are pretty too and I love the pig with wings! Glad you got to spend time with sweet little Elsie. Babies, especially grand babies, are so special!
Hugs, Beth

Barb said...

Hi Janie,

Your flowers are so lovely and the bunch in the mason jar certainly speaks to my spirit.

I love the pig with the wings....too adorable!

Enjoy your reading. Oh, I love Mexican food, too.

Blessings,
Barb xo

Gypsy Heart said...

Tulips are just about my favorite flower ~ they just don't last long enough. Your photos are beautiful! I've been looking for a flying pig for a long time ~ think they're adorable! Of course, here in Texas Mexican food is a part of our food pyramid. Love it!

Thanks for the book recommendation. I haven't been reading much lately and not sure why. This book sounds like a good way to reboot.

I'm sure you know this but the Aspartame in diet drinks is so,so bad. It triggers migraines in me and there are so many other negatives. I hope you don't mind me mentioning it.

Have a good rest of the week!
xo
Pat

Susan Shull said...

Hey, Jane! My hubs and I like to do the same thing-explore new places, but since we live in the boonies, we call ours "the road less traveled". We have seen the most beautiful natural beauty by taking a different path than normal. I haven't read Gone Girl, but the MOVIE-wow! Enjoy your weekend!

Elaine said...

We have just a few flowers here. Wondering if Winter did them all in. Chilly temps here too but today was lovely. First day grilling on our condo patio. We lost the last of the snow about 2 weeks ago.

I am going to have to read the Girl on the Train. I tend to read more magazines than books.

Have a great weekend. Hopefully we both have some nice Springlike weather.

Kim said...

Tulips are my favorite flower. I think that they are just beautiful. Of course, my thumb is nowhere near as green as yours, so I buy them each week, and while I take notice of their lovely presence every day, I'm not so sure my family does.

Anonymous said...

Hi Janie! Oh, you are just so busy and I love reading your posts and getting all into them. Your flower bed are gorgeous all bursting with blooms! The tulips in town are so pretty. I do want to plant a bunch this fall. The chicken dish and your Mexican food look yummy! Now you've even gotten me to want to pick up a book again! Good for you! Take care and hope progress is coming along on your lake house.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

GLENDA CHILDERS said...

Your flower beds are lovely. I am looking forward to digging in the dirt after we settle. With 7 years of renting, I have missed that.

Fondly,
Glenda

bj said...

O, what pretty flowers...I love flying pigs, too...

Kit said...

I will put that book on my list! Sounds like you are having fun. We are in Spokane for a huge foot race. 50,000 folks will run thru downtown. I will sip coffee and cheer them on, along with my hubby and daughter. :) Kit

Our Neck of the Woods said...

Those flowers are lovely! Tulips are a favorite of mine but I don't have any in my garden. I've heard great things about that book and it's on my list!

Terri Steffes said...

Stop. I read The Girl on the Train too and LOVED it. What is it about those types of books? The flower photos are lovely. I hope someday I have big batches of daffs like those. I cannot wait to give your recipe a go, I thought your picture did do it justice, yum!

Pondside said...

Hi Jane - how I've missed reading your newsy and upbeat posts! I have The Girl on the Train on order and hope to get it before I leave for my son's next week - sounds good, and your recommendation just seals the deal. I wish I'd seen the chicken recipe before I started dinner - it's chicken, but I went to an old Ina Garten recipe for mustard chicken rolled in panko - yummy!