Been a bit swamped with work the past few weeks. Good thing I have a job I enjoy for the most part. Anyway, thought I’d jump on here for a quick Five on Friday tonight.

My pictures are from last week and may or may not be related to the categories. Ha, sometimes swamped, especially if one works at a preschool (any school) in late April/early May = losing one’s mind.

So, with the above title, the first category should be titled:

ONE: WORK

We had a teacher leave unexpectedly (but not, more effort should have been made to retain her but nobody asked me) mid-April and her replacement doesn’t start until the second week of May. Another sub and I are filling in until then. Add in our previously scheduled subbing commitments and it makes for some full work weeks.

Next week should be the end of the full weeks for most of May at least. (I do have Tuesday off but have to spend it waiting on a gas meter inspection…). Then, my June and most of July seem fairly full up as summer is typically my busy season

TWO: SICKNESS

My husband has been sick for the last week (took his first sick day in I don’t know how long last Tuesday). And now J is sick. SIGH. My husband keeps blaming me as I had some pretty strong allergy/sinus stuff happening when we returned from Arkansas but his symptoms are not the same. And his is lingering as he didn’t rest to start. Does it sound terribly lacking in compassion to say I’m so sick of the sick people around here? (Obviously, healthcare was never my calling, ha!) I did make him jello and soup to start.

THREE: OWL

The blurry blob is the owl that was in the far corner of our backyard one night, I was excited to actually see it! Even though the photo, obviously did not turn out well. It flew off further away when I tried to get a better photo.

FOUR: FLOWERS AND TREES

My irises are blooming despite flopping over. I was debating how to stake them but then, the tree guy was here to cut down a tree. I voted no but apparently the chance of a tree falling on the roof vetoes someone voting no just because they love the tall trees. SIGH. At least the front yard garden should get lots of sunlight.

This happened last weekend, I mostly hid in the house doing mountains of laundry. However, I did help my sick husband haul part of it (we’re not finished but work/weather/illness are not making this a speedy process) to his brother’s land.

FIVE: WALRUS SOUND

Today, I worked in two classrooms, first with the primary (3-6) before going to fill in with pre-primary (18 mo to 3) where I’ve been subbing. I’m mostly a primary teacher at heart but the younger ones never fail to amuse. They were listening to a “what animal makes that sound?” activity. And I think the animal sound was a lion but a kid guessed “A walrus!” And you know, I have no idea what sound a walrus made so I looked it up tonight.  I’ll leave you with one of my search results for just that.

Have to laugh and learn something new every day.

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Have you learned anything new or laughed about anything lately? I sure hope so!

First, I’m going to start right off saying my eclipse pictures were just with my phone and not too many. I wanted to focus on the event not trying to get photos of it. So, if you are looking for professional quality (or even just quality) eclipse photos, this isn’t the place. 

My Five on Friday post is more the tale of a group of friends traveling to the path of totality for eclipse viewing. And the beauty of the area. A trip planned in October of 2022! What are the odds it would work out? And that the weather would cooperate? It did on both counts.

Since 2020, we’ve been spending an October weekend near the Buffalo National River in Arkansas, in a county that labels itself the “authentic Ozarks”, I do not disagree. We skipped our October of 2023 trip and instead went last weekend for the eclipse as the area was in the path of totality.

ONE: Wildflowers

The part of Arkansas we visit is about 5 hours south of the KC area. And their trees were mostly leafed out and the wildflowers were blooming!

Did I mention the bees, butterflies, and wasps were already buzzing with excitement down there? And that as we were packing up on our last morning, we saw a hummingbird?! Time to get the feeders out up this way as the hummingbirds are on the move.

TWO: Exploring

One thing we do in October and also did in April, ride Four Wheelers (ATVs) on the many trails. We did this while waiting for eclipse day and to search for the perfect viewing location.

THREE: Discovery

We often look for rocks as we stop along the rocky trails. One of the days, I found part of this skull. And then, others found the more of it. It was a bit of an exciting discovery. I also found many animal tracks along the stream I visited each morning for a bit of peace and quiet time.

The creek near our cabin: 

Here’s a 30 second moment of peace (you can find a video that lasts a full minute, the next post back): 20240409_074124.mp4

FOUR: Eclipse

FIVE: Home, before and after

I noticed this tulip beginning to bloom the morning we left (Saturday):

And this is what it looked like upon our return:

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Were you able to view the eclipse in your location? Has Spring sprung yet for you?

Don’t forget to hop over to My Creative Life to check out Five on Friday!

It’s Easter weekend and it’s going to be just the four of us on Sunday. Time for inviting got away from me not to mention J is playing in 3 services at church. We’ll only go to the last one but I know my introverted son will be d-o-n-e by the time church is over.

Anyway, it’s left me trying to figure out an Easter menu for just the 4 of us. And pondering why was it easier for me to plan a brunch for almost 20 people than to meal plan Easter for 4.

ONE: Easter Brunch Days (from the past)

For so many years, I hosted Easter brunch here. Sadly, the picture above is the only one I can find. Both our families would come over around 10 or 10:30 and linger almost all afternoon. When there were more small kids in the family, we’d have an egg hunt in our backyard as well. I loved planning the menu and preparing all the food.

I always insisted on doing all the food suggesting that if guests wanted to bring something, they could bring me flowers. And I always used our “good” serving dishes or special ones.

However, we did typically eat on decorative paper plates. I’d buy pretty ones and then, my husband would set out the sturdy kind. Ha. We did usually use both in the end.

TWO: Baskets (from the past)

I think these baskets pictured were from the not so distant past. Way back in the days of young children and before there were so many streaming services, the Easter baskets always included a movie for the kids to watch in the early morning. My Easter mornings often started at 4 or 5 AM as I’d get up to make more brunch dishes (or heat up premade ones) and set up the table for our guests.

The baskets for my adult children (if you live here, I don’t care how old you are, Santa visits as does the Easter bunny) are going to look very different tomorrow. Probably pretty sparse. Um, hello, inflation, I need to track down an oompa loompa to make me some chocolate ’cause it’s priced pretty outrageously at the store lately. I clearly should’ve done the Peeps baskets (part of one pictured below) this year instead of last.

THREE: Easter Dinner (now)

I was trying to remember when we stopped with Easter brunch, maybe the year of the dreaded Covid though I think I did a mini one that year for just my nephew, sil, and bil (we did most the Covid holidays with them). So perhaps it was the year after when they moved to a different state.

It probably sounds crazy to say I miss something that took such intense planning, required me to cook all day/night on Saturday and be up at 4 or 5 AM on Easter morning but I do. Mostly, the family coming over. And the food. Brunch food is my favorite. 

(Side note: I dug around for older pictures in this post and I know this one is really old. Can’t remember how long ago the kitchen walls were that color! I did love that color, husband did not.)

Here’s the much easier Easter dinner menu I’ve settled upon for the 4 of us (subject but not likely to change): half ham baked with pineapple slices, cherries, and cloves, asparagus, salad, potatoes of some sort. And for dessert I unearthed an ancient carrot cake recipe. We’ll also have a French silk pie (for my husband, buying that from Sam’s club). And I’m finally making the chocolate covered pretzels I forgot to make at Christmas, and then forgot about again at Valentine’s Day.  I’ll make the pretzels tomorrow so they’ll be for the whole weekend not just dessert on Sunday.

FOUR: Church on Easter (now)

We didn’t  used to go to church on Easter since we were hosting the big brunch. However, the past few years with J playing in the band for the services we’ve gone. I’m happy to get to go with my little family of four (adults) and attend church on Easter. J has to be there at 7:30 AM on Sunday (and I’ll drive him as he’s decided he doesn’t like to drive despite having his license). Then, we’ll all go to the last service at 11:00, I think, and come home after for our dinner.

FIVE: A Quiet Low-Key Weekend (now)

Our Easter weekends used to be full with soccer games for the kids and lots of cooking for me. Now, it’s just a quiet Friday today and no plans for marathon cooking tomorrow.

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What are your plans for the weekend?

Joining in with Five on Friday hosted by Cathy over at My Creative Life. She’s trying to bring this back so I do hope if you are blogger you’ll join in with it.

Back when I blogged as So Not Organized, I really enjoyed joining in the Five on Friday community. Sadly, it went the way much of the older blogs have gone. Poof, just gone. However, good news!

My friend, Cathy, who blogs over at My Creative Life, is picking up the hosting reins and dusting them off for us. The “rules” are pretty simple, you can read more on her post, as you can really just share 5 things of your choosing each Friday.

For my first “official” return to the Five on Fridays, I present a hodgepodge of things from my week. Shall we go backwards?

ONE: The Morning Sky

These clouds caught my eye!

And then, I caught them this way while trying to capture the view from our cat’s back of the chair perch:

Now, we seem to have blue skies and sunshine. And I have a cat who is not on her perch but incessantly walking across the keyboard in demand of attention.

TWO: Last Night’s Dinner

I cannot stress how rare it is to get unanimous agreement that a new (to us) dinner is really good. Winner, winner, and it was a chicken dinner. Of sorts. I used this recipe to make spicy Korean chicken (grilled). No changes except for using regular chili powder as I forgot to search out Korean chili powder at the store.

Note while it has great flavor, it’s not overly spicy either. Served it with steamed rice, broccoli, and the rest of the cucumber salad.

My husband finished the cucumber salad when I injured my finger on Wednesday. It turned out a bit too pickled for my taste (then he shared he used less sugar as he thought 50/50 was too much. He also didn’t add enough red onion as he thought it was too strong.  SIGH. Next time I’ll use that guard that comes with the mandolin and make it right).

Still, dinner was a hit with all of us! I’ll take that win. (Or J can have it as he suggested the spicy Korean chicken)

THREE: Second amaryllis stalk blooms

The interesting thing with these blooms is I’ve hardly (read maybe once?) watered these bulbs. My pots of neglected amaryllis bulbs sat all winter in our bedroom in front of a west facing window where I ignored them short of maybe tripping over a pot once. And this one, just on its own decided to put up stalks and flower. Once the flower budded, I think I added a bit of water maybe once. And suddenly, flowers! Tell me a little sunshine isn’t the best thing ever.

FOUR: More Early Spring Flowers

Violets. Every year when these start taking over the lawn, I think about making jelly from them. Maybe this is the year the thought becomes a reality? These are just a few very early ones, need many more for jelly. And while I don’t think these are edible (to humans), the early pollinators adore the squill that takes over the yard first. It doesn’t like to be held in by any garden beds and just pops up randomly (it was here before we were) in the yard. I stopped fighting it long ago as it disappears long before the lawn is even long enough for a mowing.

FIVE: What Bird is That?

Me as I glanced out the back door earlier this week calling to my husband. Why? I’m the one who can generally name the birds. He didn’t know.

Oh, wait a minute. That’s the back of the bird! Turn around little birdie.

More, please and let me get the camera to focus.

Oh, not so little. Well, little for a hawk! Hello, some type of hawk. Is it a young cooper’s hawk? Or a sharp shinned hawk? Not sure. Did I mention to start we had 2 and then one flew away. The one that stayed played peek a boo with me for a bit. And then there was this brave or stupid little snowbird (dark eyed junco, spring is here go home!) out there at the same time.

He didn’t get eaten this time but I did see the hawk again the following day (in a different tree one yard over).

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And so ends my hodgepodge of things for Five on Friday. If you are trying to decide what to blog about today, might I suggest joining in the Five on Friday and linking up over at My Creative Life.