'Twas Easter-Sunday. The full-blossomed trees
Filled all the air with fragrance and with joy.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

We had a lovely Easter here in St. Louis. I knew I just wouldn't make a big dinner for the just the two of us so Luke, Nick's college roommate, and his wife Mel came over to join us. We had a big dinner, great conversation and even a little home improvement.

Nick's Easter basket: candy, beef jerky and a matching button down shirt for his new sport coat.

Warm Brie with honey and almonds for appetizers.

Entry table with some decorations and my Easter gift, beautiful flowers.

Easter table.

Serious men. Ready to eat some ham.

Daffodils from Mel's garden.

Spiral sliced ham and green beans with orange zest and almonds.

After dinner we enlisted Luke's help for a few hanging projects.

Men with power tools.

Success!

Two grown men have a hard time balancing on a chair, measuring the ceiling.

Mel helping Nick out.

Great work (the lantern won't actually hang that high!).

A little driveway sitting on a beautiful Ester evening. We decided to start a tradition of wearing festive Spring shirts for Easter.

The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and
the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances.

Robert Flatt

Hope you all have a joyous Easter!

There are only two kinds of people in the world:

the Irish and those who wish they were.

Irish Saying

My heritage is French and Irish so I always appreciated St. Patrick's Day! With a red-headed husband we at least look really Irish (he's German). So we are wearing green today, of course, and hope to maybe convince Nick to stop by one of the many St. Patrick's Day celebrations going on here in (very Catholic) St. Louis.

May the luck of the Irish be with you on this fine St. Patrick's Day!

I get a little behind during Lent, but it comes out even at Christmas.
Frank Butler

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.

Generally it is customary to give something up for Lent - fast food, swearing... my grandmother used to give up beer! I always tell people about the time Casey's husband, James, gave up shaving for Lent. Nick threatens to do it each year.

But I also hear teachings that you can do something good for Lent like volunteer at a local shelter or promise to exercise regularly.

So for Lent this year, I'm going to church. Backwards, I know, but I thought it would be good to pick up a habit that may stick! I was raised in the Episcopal church but haven't found one here in St. Louis. I tried my second parish last Sunday and then have one more within my immediate area to check out. Hopefully one of those three will feel like a good fit. So far, the two I have been to have their pluses and minuses so I'll just have to decide what is most important to me.

Also, a friend of mine from high school is an Episcopal priest so I contacted him for a recommendation for a good and brief online/e-mail daily Lenten devotional. He recommended this one and asked me to let him know my thoughts after I try it for a few days.

So my first day of Lent plans include reading my devotional this morning, perhaps bribing Nick to go with me to church tonight for ashes or maybe during my lunch break and then trying church #3 on Sunday. We'll see how it all goes.

Love is the greatest refreshment in life.
Pablo Picasso

I had a nice Thursday afternoon treat when a bouquet of tulips were delivered to my office. Happy Valentine's Day from my darling husband. What a sweetie!


They certainly create a bright spot on my desk even though it is cold and snowy outside.

Nick has Saturday off which will be nice to get out and do something tomorrow. Sunday we'll keep it low key and have a nice dinner at home for Valentine's Day - heart shaped meatloaf and pink mashed potatoes of course!

How far that little candle throws his beams!
William Shakespeare

I had a special present from St. Louis when I woke up my birthday morning, last Wednesday, with a fresh coating of snow! I had to work that day (first time I've ever worked on my birthday, I'm officially old) but the snow made it feel a bit enchanting.

Snow in the backyard (and the birthday girl)!

Flowers at work from Nick.

After work, Nick took me to a delicious dinner at Cardwell's and a little shopping at Tiffany & Co. (no luck, I'll have to hold on to that gift card for eternity before I make up my mind!). I came home and opened presents: beautiful cashmere sweater from my mom, Barnes & Noble gift card, money from my in-laws and an especially cute monogrammed Tervis Tumbler from Nick!

It was a lovely day!

Drinking my water in style!

Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone.
G.B. Stern

Sunday gratitude:

• bags of stuff ready to go out the door to Goodwill.
• counting down the seconds to the new year.
• Charles Glenn singing the national anthem.
• warm fires at 11 a.m.
• Zicam lozenges (for Nick, not me thank goodness!).
  

May all your troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions.
Joey Adams

I had to work a client event on New Year's Eve so we didn't have big plans. But it was nice to receive invitation to receive from our friends Luke and Mel for a later dinner that evening. We headed to their house when I got off of work, enjoyed a delicious steak dinner and then watched football and of course rang in the new year with the Times Square ball drop!

I may have fallen asleep on the couch for 45 minutes but we'll just call it a power nap. I was exhausted but it was lovely to be with friends to ring in the new decade!

The guys at dinner.

Happy 2010!

There is still no cure for the common birthday.
John Glenn

Happy 27th birthday to me!

(and two years ago today, Nick asked me to be his wife!)

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.
Charles Dickens

We returned yesterday from a great five day Christmas vacation in Florida. It was a nice chance to relax as well as spend time with family and friends.

This week is busy too with a St. Louis Blues hockey game tonight, dinner for my birthday tomorrow and then New Year's Eve! I'm looking forward to a quiet three day weekend to take a vacation from our vacations!

Enjoying the nice weather on the back porch

Beautiful tree

All the stockings hung - including ones for the dogs!

Pups with their Christmas bows

On our way to Christmas Eve service

With my pretty mama

Chilly morning (see, it isn't always hot in Florida!) near Tampa Bay
- on our way to the airport

Home to a snowy car - back to the Midwest weather!

Where do you think you're going? Nobody's leaving. Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We're all in this together.
Clark W. Griswold, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

On Friday night Nick and I joined a friend at the Ugly Sweater Christmas Party she was throwing. It was a fun time to meet new people and of course, look a little ridiculous!

We all decided the holiday season has become the new Halloween, an excuse to dress up for fun. This time with Reindeer headbands, Christmas socks and tacky sweaters!

Looking snazzy with Nick.

Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone.
G.B. Stern

Sunday gratitude:

• our first "sticking" St. Louis snow.
• two days until Florida!
• Christmas bonuses.
• yummy corporate holiday gifts at the office (the brownies were the best!).
• The Coronado ballroom.

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold,

everything is softer and more beautiful.

Norman Vincent Peale

With the Christmas season in full swing, I thought it was appropriate to share one of my favorite Christmas stories again this year. My mom always read it to me so I always enjoy it each time I hear it.

In my mind, it perfectly captures why I love Christmas so much!

Eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York's Sun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history's most reprinted newspaper editorial, appearing in part or whole in dozens of languages in books, movies, and other editorials, and on posters and stamps.

Dear Editor:

I am 8 years old. "Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, 'If you see it in The Sun it's so."

Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?"

Virginia O'Hanlon
115 West Ninety-Fifth Street

Virginia:

Your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds.

All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.

Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus.

The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond.

Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank God! He lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

A lovely thing about Christmas is that it's compulsory,
like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together.
Garrison Keillor

There are lots of ways to share and see what everyone is up to this season. I have been especially looking forward to the Christmas Card Carousel today! I love getting Christmas cards at home to now I get to see even more.


Last year we sent a wedding photo and this year I did a little "hello from St. Louis" collage. We really didn't have one great, standout photo of the two of us so I went with a few different favorites. I ordered them for a steal from my favorite place, Vista Print.

Left photo is at a Cardinals game, middle photo is New Years Eve 2008/2009 and the right photo is at Oktoberfest in Soulard.

There aren't enough days in the weekend.
Rod Schmidt

On Saturday, I have the rare treat of having Nick for the whole day because he was off from work. Other than some time off he took for vacations he rarely gets this day off (a lot of people play golf on Saturday!). So we took advantage of the day to enjoy two St. Louis favorites: breakfast at City Diner and the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Outside one of the green houses (the fountains behind him were frozen!).

Pretty fountain in the Climatrom

With an aloe plant. Nick loves his aloe.

Tower Grove House - beautifully decorated for Christmas.

Henry Shaw's den decorated.

Christmas tree in the living room.

It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.
W.T. Ellis

Getting into the Christmas spirit and joining in on the Christmas Tour of Homes! Although my decorations aren't extensive it is fun to share and browse other beautiful homes.


We won't be home for Christmas (in Florida with my momma!) but it I do always love to decorate. No tree but certainly some little touches around the house to bring in the festive spirit of my favorite time of year!

In the dining room. The sign under the clock says, "Dear Santa - I can explain."

On the kitchen window sill.

On top of the fridge (I cannot out the angel anywhere Bella can reach it!). This angel is a family tradition - photos next to it are me with my father putting it on our tree through the years.

The angel and photo.

Mistletoe in the hall.

Christmas card basket in the living room.

Nativity in the living room.

Dining room.

Little touch in the bathroom.

Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone.
G.B. Stern

Sunday gratitude:

• having Nick off of work on a Saturday (I cannot remember the last time that has happened!).
• checking out fluff magazines from the library - flip through them and then give them back without a penny spent!
  
• birds enjoying our feeder even in this cold weather.
• all the fun Christmas cards coming in... I love seeing the photos of lives, children and such happiness through the year!
  
• Nicholas Sparks' movies on cable TV.

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and
behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.
Norman Vincent Peale

On Sunday, I joined three fellow St. Louis bloggers for a fun afternoon at St. Charles Main Street Christmas Traditions.

We enjoyed lunch, explored the shops and all of the Christmas decor. It was nice to chat and catch up and also attend a festive seasonal event that Nick would never go for!

Historic buildings decorated for Christmas

One of the many time period Santa Clauses - this one from the Civil War

Watching the parade (and keeping back far enough so we would have to dance!)

The parade

Carolers

Puppies for sale on the street - I should have just took her and ran!

With Angie, Heidi and Alyssa in front of the Christmas tree.