~Reasons to Smile ~

This is a lovely time of year.
With flowers beginning to bloom, leaves opening on the trees, and sunshiny days.
In the old wheelbarrow, the pansies are beginning to bloom.
The grass is greening up and I'm thinking that this week, we may have to turn on our sprinkler system.

 Spring storms.
Over the weekend, we had a doozy of a spring storm. Crazy winds and intense cloud formations.
We actually have had a few tornadoes in Utah and a pretty serious one in our area, back in 2002, so we watched the clouds with trepidation. Thankfully, the winds didn't do too much damage, and we did get some rain from the storm.

 We transplanted a few clumps of German chamomile into some pots, and they are taking off, and quite happy in their new home.
I have more clumps of chamomile that I can transplant around our borders; makes a nice ground cover.

 Do you remember last summer, when we dug up heritage rhubarb from one of our previous old house gardens? The current owner doesn't like rhubarb, or peonies, & dug up all the rhubarb and peonies, We were lucky enough to save some of that old rhubarb, and we were able to save some of the old peonies, as well.
I should have included a picture of the peonies, because they are all coming up! It appears that they all survived being mowed over, dug up, transplanted, and our fierce winter.
Sure puts a smile on my face!!

Another reason to smile... the sunflowers have reseeded themselves and are naturalizing in the meadow. Just as we hoped they would.
Once they get a bit taller, I'll thin them out, and then plant new seeds every couple of weeks, so that we will have sunflowers growing all summer and well into fall.

The hummingbirds are back.
It kind of surprised me.
As I was sitting on the porch Friday evening, a hummingbird zipped by, looking for the feeder.
I jumped up, went in the house and made a batch of hummingbird food.

 My sweet husband got the hummingbird feeders out of the cupboard, took the lanterns off of the shepherds hook, and then put up the hummingbird feeders.

Right away, the hummingbirds started coming to feed.
So far, we can see three different birds, but last year, we had dozens, so we are hopeful that once they know that the food is available, that they will all be back.

~ I finished painting the kitchen island... again. I changed my mind {as I often do} and painted the kitchen island white. I had previously painted it an herbal green color.
~ I hung up some darling valances in the kitchen windows... red and white checked, with a lace underlay.
~Went to see the new 'Guardians of the Galaxy' on Sat. night.
I am NOT a fan of Sci~Fi, so it was not a movie that I wanted to see, however, I went with my sweet husband, and our youngest son and his fiance, and some family friends.
  I didn't see the first movie in the series, so I can compare the two, but I didn't enjoy the movie at all.
~Went to some yard sales this past Sat. morning. We got an amazing wrought iron umbrella base, and a post hole pounder, and I bought a few books for .25 cents each.

~ Attitude of gratitude.
Feeling happy and grateful that we are well into spring now, and hopefully over hard freezing weather.
~Feeling thankful for quiet Sundays.
~Feeling thankful for opportunities to serve.