Lately

Somehow, it finally seems to be spring...as in, not winter. Which seemed endless, as I think it always does in VT. But really. March was not mud season, it was full snow on the ground and April was way too cold to qualify (in my book) as spring. SO, it has been a long time coming but I feel like May, even with the almost daily rain, counts as a new season. Hurrah!

We took a trip to Keene last weekend and ended up purchasing more than we planned; but it was all stuff we wanted for the house/yard/barn, and nothing was too much of a splurge. Which, it turns out, is a good thing, because I splurged this week on Jesse's birthday present: a new grill! But he loves it, and I figure it's an investment that will last us (hopefully) many summers.

Anyway. New dining room chairs:

I loved these, but thought maybe they were too industrial with our country bumpkin blue chairs. But Jesse loved them too, and we can use them out on the porch. 

Gold-plated crab (Jesse the non-cancer discovered this!)

My old playmobiles & dollhouse dishes made an appearance, and true to form were the source of hours of entertainment for some young visitors:

new paint:

no more snow!

Found this pot under the porch with these leaves popping up, not sure what it is yet...and our garlic that I planted in November! Pippa snacked on a few but hopefully some make it.

First daffodil: (we now have three variations coming up all over! light yellow, hardy yellow, and a darker orange-centered yellow)

Also, this little slope near the stone wall had a dead vine-y shrub thing that I held out hope for last year, but Jesse took an ax (new favorite tool) to it and I admit it looks nicer now that the areas clear. He can't wait to mow our expanded lawn!

The awful bishop's weed will no-doubt return this year, but we're hoping to stay on it and just mow over it along this wall.


Painting over the light peach hallway wall & dark red stairs:

Somehow all the paint we've chosen for walls (and stairs now) takes on a shade of blue; this wall color looks gray sometimes, but it's funny because we didn't ever talk about blues. They just seem to work, and the upstairs is so much lighter! I actually now go up there occasionally.

Still undecided, definitely not green

My attempt at color-coded books :)