Friday, April 2, 2010

Spring at last!

Oh no, wait, we skipped Spring and went right on to Summer here in Chicago this year. It was in the 70's and yes, oh yes, the 80's!!!! It was almost too hot yesterday. The Huskies and I were on the cusp of our heat tolerance level.
It will really hurt when our regularly scheduled Spring weather returns. It's really a cruel joke by Mother Nature if you ask me.
I took the opportunity to plant some of these babies:
My friend Dee is a Mastergardner, so I asked her last weekend at my lockin if I could plant them yet since I always plant them too late and they don't produce hardly any peas. She said to wait a couple of weeks, but I couldn't help myself, it was 70 degrees! I had to plant something! I figure, if it's too early and they don't make it, I'll just plant more. They always give you a ton of pea seeds in the envelopes, so nothing ventured, no peas gained!

Today, in preparation for Easter, I'm molding butter! It's the thing my family and friends mock me the most about, but deep down they really love the molded butter. I mean really, who isn't impressed by bunny shaped butter? I even splurged and got the good Irish butter.                                                The offset spatula is the key to butter molding. That and the freezer. They don't unmold unless frozen. Now you know my butter shaping secrets. Martha-by-Mail sugar molds, an offset spatula and the freezer. See, nothing to it. It would be crazy not to shape the butter, it's that easy! (Donna loves it when I say it'd be crazy to not mold the butter, I threw that in for her).

The linens are all lined up and ready to be deployed to their appropriate table and counters.

Unfortunately I bought the daffodils too early and they are all ready past their prime, so I'll need some new flowers.
And the other thing on the agenda is to find some batiks that coordinate with these beauties:
Lantern Bloom by Laura Gunn.
Aren't they gorgeous? They will be for a gift, but I can't say for who just now. I was able to find a couple of different shades of turquoise and greens in my stash, but nothing else. Hard to believe, isn't it?
Apparently Robbie's boney hind legs form the perfect chin rest for Magic.

I'm off to do the thousands of things that need to be done by Sunday.
Have a Happy Easter everyone!
Vicki

2 comments:

Jennie said...

YAY for planting peas!! I am going to *try* to hold off for another week so my new garden beds can settle a bit :) I did get my broccoli, tomatoes and pepper seeds started on Wednesday, though.
And I do laugh at your molded butter, but I'm secretly impressed by it. Just so you know :)
Have a happy Easter!
Jennie

Ashley Everett said...

I have to say I missed the molded butter, no joke! It's the little details that I remember and that's one of them. And you would be crazy to not mold the butter it sounds so simple who knew!

I have total garden envy and am excited about your peas!