How to Shovel Snow by Bonnie Taylor

I haven't written this book yet, but it shouldn't take long:

April 2011

In going through last year's posts, I've noticed that April seems to be where things really ran off the rails. I think part of the problem is that that was when I purchased special software to help me organize my photos, and I kept putting off blogging "until everything is organized." Well, it's almost a year later, and I still haven't reached that point! Anyway, I went back through April and added a few posts, mostly just pictures I meant to get around to sharing:

Honors, honors everywhere
Harvey is watching you
You never know what you'll find . . .
Ice cream at work!
Who's a pretty girl?
Spring flowers
Two all-beef patties, special sauce . . .
Housework
Brava, Annabelle!
New member of the family
And THAT is how you pack a Sentra

Annabelle: Winter Royalty dance

Tonight is the Winter Royalty dance, which is kind of like spring homecoming as near as I can figure, at Annabelle's dance. She went over to her friend Maggie's house for pictures:



Maggie's dog Alfred got into the act:



Now they are on their way to meet more friends for supper before heading to the dance.

I hope they have fun!

Please rise

Annabelle's choir did a fantastic job with the national anthem at tonight's basketball game:

Plant rescuer

Back after Christmas, Mike and I went to Target, where I saw some Christmas bulbs that were doing their best to sprout right out of their boxes. I couldn't resist and brought one especially needy-looking specimen home:



After I got that one planted, it looked so much happier:



Over the following days, I added more to the collection. In this picture, the original amaryllis has already bloomed and faded, so I cut off the flower and am keeping the greenery going:



Here's a recent photo of the blossom from the amaryllis on the right:



I love the cheery touch they add to my kitchen!

Happy birthweekend to me!

I managed to stretch my 45th birthday out over several fun-filled days. On Friday, my actual birthday, Annabelle had a band lock-in, so Fred and I went out to dinner on our own. This wasn't a "birthday dinner"; it was more of "girl's gotta eat and isn't cooking on her birthday" sort of deal. The next day, we went out to try the new German restaurant in town.

Here's Annabelle and her friend Maggie, who came with us:



And Fred and me:



My Jaegerschitzel:



And Fred's Sauerbraten:



Tonight we capped off the weekend with a Superbowl party. Granted that was more about football than me, but it was an excellent excuse to make baked brie, which is my new cheesy obsession.

Annabelle: Thespian one acts

Every January, the drama kids at Leavenworth High put together an evening of one-act plays that are student directed. This year Annabelle played several parts in The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon, which was a funny re-telling of well-known and not-so-well-known (Devil's Grandmother? seriously?) tales:



It took a couple of days to upload, but the entire show is here: