Bluebonnets Are Back - Must Be Spring!

Every spring I start looking for bluebonnets as soon as February is finished, and I always think maybe this year they just won't show up. Of course, that's just me being impatient. They always come back and they usually seem to appear overnight. One day, nothing; next morning, the roadsides are covered in blue.

We took our annual looking-for-bluebonnets drive a couple days ago, and I took a few snaps. In some areas, you find huge patches that seem to go on for miles. And in other places, just a few flowers poke up amidst all the weeds and roadside litter.

This year it seems that the other wildflowers are getting a little later start, but we did find a few Texas paintbrush blossoms mixed in here and there.

And we even have a few brave little plants coming up in odd places in our front yard, even though the deer seem to love munching on them.

Linking up with: 

Saturday Snapshot (West Metro Mommy Reads)

Six Word Saturday (Travel With Intent)

Saturday 9: Easter Parade

The Saturday 9  is hosted by Sam Winters. Nine questions posted every Saturday — sometimes random, sometimes with a theme. This week, the theme is...

"Easter Parade"
("In Your Easter Bonnet")
from the 1948 movie

Listen to it HERE.

1. This song is about a special Easter hat to be worn with your "Sunday best." Will you be getting dressed up this weekend?

Not a chance. But I have a small collection of Easter hats from years ago when I did get dressed up for the day.

2. Judy Garland's partner in this movie was supposed to be Gene Kelly, but he was unavailable because he broke his ankle playing volleyball. Have you ever lost a big opportunity because of a medical issue?

Can't really think of anything. I remember I was really disappointed in first grade when I was supposed to be in a school play and then came down with measles before the performance. Not that that would have been such a "big opportunity," but it would have been my stage debut! And my grandmother was making a special full-length party dress for me to wear. It never got finished, I never wore it, and I'm getting all misty here just thinking about it.  

3. Garland later confessed that, at first, she would have preferred Kelly because she knew him well and was intimidated by Fred Astaire. By the end of filming, she found she enjoyed Astaire a great deal. Can you think of a friend with whom you had a rocky relationship at the beginning?

Hmmm. Not really. I guess if a relationship starts out rocky for me, the relationship doesn't go very far. 

4. This song was inspired by New York City's Easter Parade. Does your community host a similar event?

Not that I know of. We're a pretty small community and there are a lot of local churches which will all be having some sort of Easter activities, I'm sure. But I don't know of any planned civic celebration. 

5. The biggest chocolate Easter egg was made in Italy, measured 34 feet tall and weighed a staggering 15,000 lbs. Do you think it's possible to have too much chocolate?

I'm sort of getting Willy Wonka vibes here. Yeah, I guess one could have too much chocolate, theoretically. Fortunately, it's never happened to me. (I want all the chocolate I can get!)

6. Jelly beans are also popular this time of year. A 2013 poll tells us that red is by far the favorite jelly bean color, with yellow a distant second. Do you have a preference?

Licorice-flavored. After that, red (cherry).

7. We've been talking a lot about sweets this morning. The only holiday that generates more candy sales is Halloween. When do you eat more candy: Easter or Halloween?

Definitely Halloween. (My favorite holiday.) Every year, we buy Halloween candy just in case we have trick-or-treaters. We never have trick-or-treaters. Somebody has to eat all that candy, right?

8. Easter is considered the season of rebirth. What makes you feel refreshed or rejuvenated?

A nice tall gin-and-tonic usually does the job pretty efficiently. I feel instantly rejuvenated. And then go right to sleep.

9.  This year, April Fool's Day happens to coincide with Easter Sunday. Do you expect to fall victim to any pranks this weekend?

Hopefully no pranks. But I'm sure I'll fall for some stupid joke or rip-off. I always do. I'm just way too gullible.

Happy Saturday, everyone!
Also Happy Easter, Happy Springtime and a Joyous Passover!
And have a great weekend.

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SkyWatch Friday: Recent Rainbow

A shot from last week. Looks like the end of this rainbow is somewhere in Lake Travis.

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Unconscious Mutterings: Week 790

Mutterings for the week of March 26th. Unconscious Mutterings is hosted by LunaNiña. And here we go....

1. Food :: for thought (like Unconscious Mutterings!)
2. Storm :: ...of the Century
3. Install :: electronics, software
4. Report :: account, description
5. Dream :: Steven Tyler
   
   


6. Analysis :: therapy
7. Redirect :: detour
8. 78 :: rpm
9. Weather :: report
10. Protect :: and Serve

SkyWatch Friday

So far this month we've had mostly clear skies with not much drama. And I'm loving that. But one day last week we had some really interesting morning cloud cover.

I'm happy to report that it turned sunny later in the day. Fortunately.

For more sky shots, click on the button above.

Unconscious Mutterings: Week 789

Mutterings for the week of March 19th. Unconscious Mutterings is hosted by LunaNiña. And here we go....

1. Impose :: Cousin Eddie in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation ("We didn't come to impose...." -- Love that movie.)
   
   
   
2. Surreal :: Cousin Eddie in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (Well, you got me started.)
   
   
   
3. March :: Spring!!!!!
4. Optimism :: Spring!!!!!
5. Conference :: meeting, discussion
6. Matter :: mean something, be significant
7. Believing :: having faith, thinking something is right or true
8. I :: me, myself, yours truly
9. Brace :: Walkies! (Gotta wear a knee brace when I take my daily walk. As my cousin keeps telling me: old age is not for sissies.)
10. Fortune :: more money than I've got

😸

Sunday Stealing

Time for a little Sunday Stealing (hosted by Bev Sykes)  -- questions stolen from all over the blogosphere. This week's list was pilfered from a blog called Fickle in Pink (which apparently doesn't exist anymore).

1. Do you tend to have a guilty conscious?

Not really, although I guess, over the years I have done (or not done) things I do feel a bit guilty about. 

2. Do you still have your wisdom teeth?

Sheesh! Don't get me started on my wonky teeth! But to answer the question, I still have one wisdom tooth, so I'm just a little wise.

3. Peanut Butter - creamy or crunchy?

Creamy, but crunchy is good too. Peanut butter is one of my absolute favorite foods -- for years, I had peanut butter sandwiches for lunch everyday. Unfortunately, I seem to have developed a very odd peanut allergy in my old age, so don't eat peanut butter anymore. Bummer.

4. Get up off your butt. Take 5 steps. Which leg did you start out on?

I'm not getting up, and you can't make me! But it would probably be the right leg.

5. What color is your favorite kitchen utensil?

Hmmm. Most of my kitchen utensils are fairly neutral in color. But I love yellow and turquoise and red in the kitchen. 

6. Did you watch the Michael Jackson memorial/funeral?

No. Didn't know there was one. This meme must be pretty old.

7. Do you know anyone who graduated from high school this year? Were you invited to their graduation party? Did you go?

I believe one of my grand-nephews graduated in 2017, and we did get an invitation to the ceremony. Didn't go -- they live in Florida, we live in Texas, and it was short notice. We sent a gift.

8. White with black stripes or black with white stripes?

Say what?

9. If we were to call your 6th grade teacher, what would they say about you?

I think my 6th grade teacher passed away a few years back. If she was still alive, and still remembered me, she'd say I had a very nice mother. (They got to be pals.)

10. Can you draw a perfect circle?

No. But I can draw a straight line.

11. What was your favorite scratch & sniff sticker scent?

I'm too old to have had one.

12. What does your sibling do for a living?

I'm an only child.

13. How many light switches and electrical outlets are in the room that you are in right now?

I really don't know. That's a hard question to answer because some of the outlets are hidden behind bookshelves. (Wait. My husband says there are eight outlets and three switches. Couldn't prove that by me.) 

14. Do you know sign language?

No. Wish I did. The hubby learned to sign, a few years back -- I think as part of a management training thingie. He says he doesn't remember much of it. 

15. Do you step on cracks in the sidewalk?

Well yeah. I'm neurotic, but not THAT neurotic.

16. And the sheets on your bed look like....?

Brand new ones this week. White. Cotton. Queen size. At the moment, they're covered by a stripe-y blue bedspread and a lot of pillows.

17. What is something that everyone else has, but you don't?

Children. (Well, it seems that way sometimes.)

😸

Unconscious Mutterings: Week 788

Once again, I haven't muttered in quite a while. These mutterings are actually for this past week (the week of March 11th). Unconscious Mutterings is hosted by LunaNiña. And here we go....

1. Prestigious :: VIP, highly regarded, esteemed, upscale
2. Guilt :: criminal, wrongdoing, remorse
3. Booth :: Ronnie (Ronnie Booth was a very cute boy in my first grade class. I had a huge crush on him. He completely ignored me.)
4. Ambiance :: atmosphere, aura, feeling
5. Import :: bring in; something from another place
6. Crisp :: sheets, crackers, a day in autumn
7. Show :: movies, plays, baseball games
8. Warm :: Spring in Texas
9. Flapping :: birds, butterflies
10. Surge :: power, electricity, warfare

Saturday 9: Danny Boy

Haven't done a Saturday 9 post in a very long time. Been taking a little break from blogging. But it looks like I might be back, so....

The Saturday 9  is hosted by Sam Winters. Nine questions posted every Saturday — sometimes random, sometimes with a theme. This week, the theme is...

"Danny Boy" by Joni James

Listen to it HERE.

"Danny Boy" was selected in honor of St. Patrick's Day.

1. This is a sad song of farewell. Who is the last person you said "goodbye" or "so long" to?

The Hubs. He just went outside to do a little yard work. For some reason, we've gotten into this habit of saying hello and goodbye to each other whenever we come into/leave a room. Started out as a joke, but now it's become a part of our normal behavior. We really need to get a little more excitement in our lives. 

2. According to the 2000 Census, Massachusetts is the state with the largest percentage of residents of Irish descent. Have you ever been to The Bay State?

I have. Cape Cod is one of my favorite places. 

3. "The wearing o' the green" is one way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Will you wear something green in honor of the day? 

Possibly. I'm not Irish, but my hubby does have some Irish blood (he just got his DNA report from Ancestry.com, so he's sure of that). 

4. What color makes you look best?

Well, probably not green, although I love the color. I look pretty good in turquoise, which is sort of green-ish. Years ago I was color typed and told I was a Summer, so I look best in pastels and muted shades. Pink is a good color for me, although I don't wear it very often. Black is not a good color for me, but I wear it all the time. 

5. Will you drink something green in honor of the day (like a Shamrock shake or a green beer)?

Hmmm. Maybe green tea with lunch. Turning it green is a really weird thing to do to a good beer. 

6. A four-leaf clover is considered good luck. Do you have a lucky charm?

Yes. I've been married to him for over 50 years now. 

7. Though she's singing an Irish ballad, this week's featured artist, Joni James, is of Italian heritage. Can you think of a song as identified with Italy as "Danny Boy" is with Ireland?

No. The only Italian songs I can think of at the moment are from operas, and I'm not sure you could say they're actually identified with Italy.

8. Soda bread and potato bread are popular in Ireland. Are there any rolls or bread in your kitchen right now?

Yes, both. I love Irish soda bread, and used to be able to find it in the supermarkets up in Virginia. Since we moved to Texas, I haven't been able to find any place in this area that sells it. Apparently, I'm going to have to learn how to make my own. Yeah, like that's gonna happen.

9. Ireland is known for its whiskey. Do you enjoy Irish coffee (black coffee, whiskey and whipped cream)?

I'm not much of a whiskey drinker and I've never had Irish coffee. But the coffee and whipped cream sounds yummy.

Happy Saturday, everyone!
And have a great weekend.

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(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: Signs of Spring

The Agarita bushes are blooming all over the place.

And the Texas Mountain Laurels are getting started, too.

We even have some Bluebonnets coming up. These are hiding under a cactus, to escape the hungry deer!

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

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