Patio Days

From my comfy seat on the patio, this is what I see:


I love this tree! Sometimes Walker and I eat breakfast on the patio. When the breeze stirs the blossoms, petals fall like fragrant pink snow. The blossoms only last about two weeks, so I spend as much time on the patio as I can. Last summer we had three different tree services come out to give estimates on trimming our overgrown trees, and they all agreed that this one should come down. It's at the end of it's life cycle. I won't take it out, though. I'll let this grand lady welcome spring for as long as she can.

Spinning Forward - Terri DuLong

One of the things I love about reading is learning something new. I can't say I learned much from this book. It's set in one of my favorite areas of the country, Florida's Gulf Coast. That alone made it enjoyable for me. The protagonist, Sydney, is a likable character, and there was enough variety in the other characters to keep things interesting.
That said, everything came together more than a little too easily. For someone going through a total lifestyle change, Sydney moved past each obstacle with barely a pause. And I would have loved to see more development in the relationship between Sydney and her daughter.
Overall, this was a good, if light, book. Not one that I couldn't put down, but enjoyable all the same. I'd give this one four stars.

We Have a New Neighbor!

A few nights ago I came home from work to see a fat brown rabbit parked on the lawn between the driveway and the front door. She didn't move as I got out of the car and went into the house. I had a pretty good feeling that a rabbit that chubby this early in the spring meant babies soon, so I did my best not to startle her. Every night since then, she's been posted in the same spot when I get home. This morning, I woke to see this:


The bare dirt where there should be three inches of bark indicates digging, and the wad of dry grass in the middle of the flowerbed means that a bunny lined a nest. Yep, looks like someone has made herself a nursery. Right by our front door, no less. Now all we have to is keep the dogs away for the next few months. Should be pretty interesting as we're still house breaking Lilly, which of course means going outside every three hours. Sigh. At least we'll get to see bunny babies.

I'm a Lucky Girl

This morning, okay, this afternoon, I woke to see this:



Then, while I was wandering around the house looking for the romantic stalker who had obviously broken in and locked Walker in the closet I found this:



I'm not sure what I did to deserve these lovely treats, but it was a wonderful surprise to wake up to. Now I really should get off the computer and let Walker out of the closet....

Meet Lilly!

For the past few months, my sister has been searching for a companion dog for her little cockapoo, Baizie. This weekend, she found Lilly. This little sweetie is seven months old and just about the snuggliest dog I have ever met. Walker and I provide doggie day care services for my sister, so this pup pretty much turned our lives upside down. I spent the weekend frantically puppy proofing the house. The first day she spent with us, well, let's just say we didn't get much sleep and leave it at that. It's totally worth it, though. Lilly will settle down soon, and in the mean time, she gets me up and out of the house to enjoy our gorgeous spring weather. Can't beat that!

Happy Easter!

Diva spent some time at our house over the weekend, and we took advantage of her presence to color some eggs. Pretty, huh? One of the best parts of being an auntie is getting to do all the fun kid stuff. Diva and my nephew Squeak are getting older, and they are the babies of the family. I'm willing to rent some little ones if necessary, cause I truly do love coloring eggs.

The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl by Shauna Reid

LOVE THIS BOOK! Shauna Reid has captured the right balance of humor and honesty in this weight loss memior. I was cheering for her at every turn of the page. This book inspired me to dust off my Reeboks and get walking again. Gotta love that! Four stars all the way.