Easter Basket

My mother filled my Easter basket with colorful, blooming Rannuculus plants.  They came in yellow, orange, red, pink, and white.  I planted them in a pot for the patio.  Now I am hoping that the forecasted snow, doesn't freeze them or break them down.

Eastering

Eastering has been a tradition in my family.  My grandfather loved the tradition.  On the Saturday before Easter, he would have the grandchildren, their parents and friends all dress warmly for an eastering outing.  

The grandchildren would climb into his work truck, an old green Ford  with Bachman Plumbing painted on the cab door.  The parents would get into their cars.  We would all drive as a caravan to the foothills.  

On the way, grandpa would always choose to drive through a creek.  He would stop in the middle, tell all the children in the truck bed he was stuck and make them get out to push.  This usually lead to at least one or two of the older children throwing in one of the other cousins (often my sister, she was always good at taking teasing).

On reaching the foothills, we would unload.  Campfires would be started, hot dogs and marshmallows would be roasted accompanied by a picnic spread.  After lunch, grandpa would take us for a hike.  

On the hike we would collect snail shells, and drop oranges into an irrigation cistern to see from which pipe they would exit.  We carved our initials in the oranges.  Mmm, the fresh scent of orange peel.  The oranges tasted better after being sent through the cold water in the irrigation pipes.  Or may be it was just what we needed at that point in the hike.  At a certain time in the hike grandpa would say it was time to return. 

We would return to camp, at the camp grandma and our mothers would tell us that the Easter bunny had visited, and had hid our baskets.  The Easter bunny hid baskets in trees, behind rocks, on fence post and a variety of other places.  Our basket would be filled with candy and treats, which we would happily eat or trade on the return ride.  

Our eastering tradition would also include buttercup hunts.  We would stop at a sagebrush covered field and search for yellow bell Fritillarias.  The children would call "here buttercup," and then call out when they found one.  We would take bouquets of this flower to our mothers.  Yellow bells use to be quite numerous.  I did not find out until College that this flower grows from a corm and must go to seed to reproduce.  In later years, we stopped this tradition.

Over the years the tradition has changed.  After my grandfather passed away,  my aunts and uncles started having their own eastering outings, preferring smaller family gathers.  The memories of eastering with grandpa still remain.  Recently my cousin and I enjoyed a moment or two discussing our eastering memories.

Today, my mother had an eastering outing for her grandchildren, children and friends.  We skipped the hot dogs, but enjoyed a picnic  inside as the weather was uncooperative.  We had snow overnight.

We went for  a hike.  My brother took his 5 year old son in a "Radio Flyer" antique/old wagon; upon returning the Easter bunny had hidden baskets for all of us.  Our baskets are not so filled with candy now, more often toys and games.  A continuation of tradition....

Journal entry from March 2009

Walking past the snowdrop ravine, the air is perfumed with their scent- the scent of spring.  It draws the emerging honey bees to collect nectar.  The snowdrops dance on the spring breeze.  Their outer skirt of three petals spread up and out providing a glimpse of an underskirt of dotted green, edged in white lace.

Farther into the walk, we find violets in bloom at the base of a blue, limestone and cement wall, that has been warmed by the sun.  The violet's scent reminds me of perfume candies that my grandmother bought for me when I was little.  Mmm!  And, the bouquet of violets my father would give me.  Mollie and I stop to pick a bouquet.

As noted in a previous post, I again found violets blooming along the limestone/cement wall, and picked a bouquet to bring home.

Snow Forecast

Snow is forecast for the next few days.  Oh, how I am looking forward to Spring!  The flowers, the color, the scent, the new growth - and a renewal of creativity.

Events- This Sunday

This Sunday, I celebrated my niece's birthday with her.  We had waffles for breakfast.  I cooked.  Wow! She is 21 years old today.

She stayed for lunch.  My brother and nephew came up for my mothers stew and dumplings.  The family talked and played, and then everyone was full and took a nap.

Later Mollie and I took a Sunday walk.  We found violets blooming along the side of a rock wall.  Such a lovely scent.

Sunday Walk

Mollie and I enjoyed a Sunday evening walk.  The day has been warm, and the evening still had hints of this warmth.  Mollie found a mountain of snow to climb.  

We were able to visit the ravine of snowdrops.

Spring in Utah Update

Now, we have a blizzard!

Visitor to our bird feeder

We have many birds that visit our feeder, juncos, chickadees, pine siskins, sparrows and finches.  Look at this lovely gold finch in its winter color.

Last week a kestrel visited our yard looking for mice, voles or unwary birds that it might enjoy for lunch.

Coptic Book Binding Class

I took another book binding class with Adele Greenleaf at the Eccles Community Art Center.  I had a great time creating a book with a two needle coptic binding.  It is a great addition to all the other fun books I have created.

Spring in Utah

Tuesday, I saw my first Spring Butterfly.  Snowdrops, buttercups, and crocuses are blooming.  Yesterday, I heard a small group of birds singing their dawn chorus,  This morning more birds joined in.

This evening, while driving home millimeter balls of snow hurl and splat against my windshield like a cluster of insects.

Another Journal entry from last year

Journal entry: 3/20/09

A sunny day.  A walk with Mollie.  We are accompanied on our walk by butterflies - mourning cloaks- that look like swatches of brown velvet edged with old fashion ivory lace, as well as smaller butterflies, who hide on tree trunks with their wings closed then a flash of orange with brown spots, their wings look like torn paper.

Comparison of years

Last year at this time, I was able pick a bouquet of snowdrops from a ravine on the grounds of the old Hermitage hotel.  This year Mollie and I could see the snowdrops blooming in the ravine surrounded by deep snow.  We will need to wait a few more days or weeks to pick our bouquet.

Journal entry:  Friday  3/13/09

Leaving the canyon this evening; everything was golden with the sunset, not the syrupy gold of autumn but a transparent , reflective gold like a wash that a water colorist applies to a painting.

This year, I missed witnessing the sunset; instead I had a wonderful evening enjoying dinner with friends.

Spring is sneaking in

Look!   I see fuzzy toes, could it be that Spring is sneaking in.  A photo of a weeping pussy willow at a friend's house.

Classes

I was able to finish the art center class schedule and e-mail it to the printers today.  I am offering three classes for children: Open Studio: Sketchbooks, Enchanting crafts, and Open Studio: Art Materials.  These are all new classes for me, but I am excited to teach.  I enjoy exploring creativity with children, and often learn as much from the children as I assist in their explorations.

Class registration

I was excited to receive an e-mail registration for one of the children's classes that I will be teaching at the Eccles Community Art Center.

Melting

The sun is out, melting our piles of  snow.   Spring may yet be coming. The downside-  I got stuck in a rut created by melt water.  

Thanks, neighbors for helping me get on my way.

Daffodil Inspiration

The Spring decorations at Target inspired me to create daffodils for my the swag above my door.

Polka-dots in the sky

About two weeks ago, my nephew taught me that polka-dots in the sky mean that it is snowing.  5 year old children are so capable of explaining life's truths.

Surprise Snow

This morning I woke to a surprise, about three inches of snow added to the snow that is already in the yard.  Then a even better surprise, my brother came to shovel the snow.  Thank you, Curtis!

Almost Springlike

Even with the fresh snow this morning, the day was filled with sunlight and seemed almost springlike.  

In the kitchen, we have a vase filled with sunny daffodil blooms, the hope of Spring.