"For I remember it is Easter morn, And life and love and peace are all new-born." (Alice Palmer)

A Very Happy Easter!

 'Twas Easter Sunday.  The full-blossomed trees

Filled all the air with fragrance and with joy."  

(-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

"The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world" (-W R Wallace)

OK, admittedly, I'm a total geek when it comes to this kind of thing, but are you as infatuated with the Dakorah Eagle Cam  this year as I am?   While I was watching it the other day,  I took these still shots of Mom when she was feeding her little tykes.  Aren't they sweet? 

She's such a majestic and fairly formidable-looking bird, but she's amazingly tender with her little wobbly-headed wee ones.  

I watched as Papa flew in to the nest and dumped a fresh fish in front of her.  Now,  I always thought that birds basically regurgitated food into their babies' mouths, but our Mother here tore off bits of the raw fish (and even seemed to know they had to be tiny bits,) and gently and patiently fed each of her offspring.

It's hard to imagine that even though they're so tiny and helpless now, before too long, these little guys will be fledging.  I so hope I get to see them do it!  If you haven't ever watched them, click the link above and see if they're up to anything.  (There are moments when nothing's going on, but when they're up and about, it's great fun.)

In the meantime, Saturday, I'm driving up to Virginia to see my 89 year old former father-in-law.  Sadly, he's not doing too well, and I want to visit him.  Eric is flying down from Massachusetts, so I guess  I'll get to see my own offspring, as well, which will make me happy, but the trip will be a bittersweet one.   

Hopefully early next week I can get back to picking up a paintbrush again.  Until then, enjoy the eaglets.  They really are adorable.

I realized this week that this is my blog's anniversary.  That went fast!

"The older I become, the more I think about my mother."  (--Ingmar Bergman)

"If you are a gardener, you can always put 'Plant Manager' on a resume" (-Unknown)

It's been a busy week.   

Nothing like having round two of a root canal, and doing one's taxes all in the same day.  I'd say it  turned out to be a fruitful one.    

Joe had a flurry of activity in our garden, adding all sorts of pretty flowers.  He planted some gorgeous coral roses, and these pretty lavender roses as well.  He knows I'm a huge fan of lavenders and plants in the blue family.   We have several lilacs, roses, blue salvias and these beautiful flowers, our clematis,  below...

...or, as Joe, who can never remember "clematis," describes them, "you know--that clitoris plant."  

"There are a few things I've learned in life: always throw salt over your left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for good luck, and fall in love whenever you can."  (--Unknown)

"Without ice cream, there would be darkness and chaos" (--Don Kardong)

Saturday was a fairly cool spring day in North Carolina, but it was a great day to head to the Sugarland Bakery in Chapel Hill with the local sketch group.  I met  Laura Frankstone  at her place, and we zipped off to this wonderland of sweets on Franklin St.


Not too many local sketchers showed, but we felt obliged to do our part, and immediately sampled some of the showcased gelatos.   I settled on a delectable dish of the Dulce de Leche, always a big fave of mine, and I was not disappointed.  Yes, my root canal-ed tooth has finally settled down enough to indulge.  (I know--these forays into the land of sweets are probably the reason I'm dealing with a root canal to begin with; what can I say.)  Hey--at least I took pains to eat it on the other side of my mouth!  


My eyes lit on a counter with a sample wedding cake and a peacock perched above the cake.  (My scan here is a bit wonky and tilted.)   I really hope you'll take a look at whatever Laura winds up posting, because her sketches, as always,  were amazing.   Thanks for a fun afternoon, Laura!  


"Never trust a skinny ice cream man."  (--Ben Cohen)

You don't have to brush your teeth--just the ones you want to keep." (--Unknown)

I spent a good portion of the day at the endodontist's office having a root canal on one of my back molars.   

Lots of fun, that... 

As it turns out, I learned today that "we might be talking about the involvement of two teeth."  Lucky me.  I had four canals drilled into one tooth today, and the insertion of lots of medicine.  Next week, it's back and sealing everything up after it's all evaluated.  Then, on to investigate whether the tooth right alongside this one is also affected.


So, for now, my newest two best friends are warm salt water solutions and Tylenol.   I'm pretty sore.  


I crashed for about two hours this afternoon, which helped me through the worst stretches, and when I awoke, I looked outside to a beautiful spring day, and look who's back.  


Joe peeked inside the bluebird house, and reported back to me that we have 3 eggs in this sweet nest.   I'm excited!  At least there was some good news today!


When my son learned I was heading to the endodontist, and that they'd told me I could bring my iPod or wear glasses and watch a movie while the surgery was going on, he said I should ask for "Marathon Man."  (If you're not familiar with that movie, it's a horribly stressful thriller with Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Olivier, who plays a really sadistic dentist.)  I've seen it before.  


I opted for no tunes and no movies: wanted to keep my eye on the proceedings,  masochist that I am!

"Some tortures are physical,

and some are mental,

But the one that is both

Is dental."

(--Ogden Nash)

I'll get back to sketching as soon as I can here...