An English Spring

Except for a couple of cold snaps and frosts, I think this has been the most gorgeous spring.  I've heard more than one person around here say so.  Has spring been beautiful where you are?  Are your flowers and trees putting on a show this year?  It helps a lot, here in the south, when the weather doesn't turn hot too quickly.  The heat tends to shorten the bloom time for the spring flowers.

I told my husband earlier this week that it feels like we're having an English spring here this year.

The Start of Another Week

Happy Monday everyone.  I can hardly believe it's the start of another week.  March zipped right by, and now April seems to be doing the very same thing.  It's nice here today, but the temperature dropped to 28° F over the weekend, and my husband and I were outside early Saturday evening trying to cover our climbing roses with leaf and lawn bags (not an easy task, by the way).  ;)  I'm really looking forward to the David Austin roses blooming,

Morning

Happy Saturday to you!

 

Saturday  Morning Sunlight

Blue and White at Replacements Ltd.

As promised, I'm back with the second installment of the Replacements Ltd. trip a few weeks ago.  Today's post will focus on the beautiful displays of blue and white we saw that day.

April First and "Five on Friday"

Happy Friday and April 1st to you!  I'm still not sure where the month of March went; the days are just speeding by faster and faster.

Soup and Sandwiches for Dinner

Hi everyone!  How has your week been?  Are you enjoying a beautiful spring?  We are here, but the rain is supposed to return for Thursday and Friday.

I've had good success with trying some blogger recipes this week, which means I'll be adding a few new recipe cards to my recipe box.  The first recipe I made was a delicious chocolate pie shared on a food blog that I subscribe to.  I have no pictures to show you because I took it to our Easter lunch at my in-laws' on Sunday, and there wasn't a bite left to bring home.  I will be making another one of those pies.  :)

This evening, I made a soup recipe that my my blogging friend and cook extraordinaire, Kitty, shared on her blog back in 2012.  I pinned the recipe then, and I finally got around to trying it out.  It's a shame it took me so long, because it was very good and so easy to make.

A Trip to Replacements Ltd.

Those of you who haven't the slightest bit of interest in "dishes" -- china, crystal, silver, glassware, etc., might want to skip this post.  I just love dishes, etc., and periodically, it's fun for me to indulge myself.  Last Friday, Mr. Forest Manor and I went to Greensboro, had lunch, and then drove to Replacements, Ltd., which is just outside of Greensboro in McCleansville, N.C.  Five years ago, in 2011, we visited around Christmas time; my husband took a lot of pictures and I shared them in an after-Christmas post.

This time around, I went for the sole purpose of purchasing four cups and saucers to go with a set of my dishes.  I got those right away and then had so much fun looking around the store.  The displays were wonderful -- anything and everything spring and Easter.  I'd forgotten just how creative those folks are with their displays, and they have a small museum area as well.  They had even changed out many of the exhibits in the museum since our last visit.