They are multiplying!!

I thought you'd like to see our newest addition to the Blake household! :) Meet.... "Elvis"

Audrey and I went to a rabbit show in Rutland, Vt. over the weekend and although we didn't find what we were looking for, we did gain some good leads and good info.

On the way home, we stopped into the grain store where Austin works and bought our few needed items; rolls of wire to reinforce the chicken yard so the 'new coming' chickens won't get into the garden this summer, (please!) some j-clips and MORE wire so we can start building our bunny hutches and a few tomatoes & peppers for the garden. Well, just couldn't leave without taking a peek at the animal section of the store...... (when Audrey worked here, she helped in this dept.) THERE HE WAS.... hopping around his cage, looking sooo darn cute! We decided his name should be Elvis and told the girl on the register! LOL :) She laughed and agreed.... we took our treasures and went home!

About 45 minutes later, Audrey came into the living room...... "Mom, (with those sweet twinkley eyes) can I go back to get Elvis?" (SOMEHOW, I KNEW THIS WAS COMING!) Why not.... what's another bunny at this point since we are already planning on getting a few more by the end of July anyways!! :)

PS.... Reason for the name: the kids were subjected to their first Elvis movie last week "King Creole" (1958) starring Elvis & Walter Matthau. The bunny has a funny hair lick that hangs down similar to the way Elvis's hair did in this movie!!

What Do April Showers Bring???

AWESOME MAY FLOWERS!! (no, not the kind the Pilgrims rode in on!) The flowers are absolutely beautiful... and thanks to my special photographer Audrey, I can share them with you! Too bad we don't have scratch and sniff computers .... you would probably enjoy the various fragrances!

Aaron and I saw a pair of Northern Orioles last weekend in this bush! It is amazing each spring to watch this flowering bush come to life! It is something to look forward to while I'm doing the dishes. The red/pink colors are soooo pretty and it attracts the hummingbirds! I'm really not sure what this bush is .... someone told me it may be a quince. The lilacs are coming, the lilacs are coming.... we can smell them inside already. In another week, they will be out in full bloom! You can't help but smell them if you are outside and if any windows are open you can smell them inside too!

Forsythia bushes are in full bloom everywhere..... what an intense contrasting color against the lush green grass!! Hopefully, you can see the colors on your screen better then I can.

Did You Grow Up With The Meanest Mother Too? HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

The following is an excerpt submitted to the local paper a couple of years ago. I saved it and each time I read it, it still makes me smile! I hope you'll enjoy it too!! It was originally published in the Phoenix, AZ Gazette:

A woman recalled the painful years when she was growing up. She said, "As a child I had the meanest mother in the whole world. She was real mean. When other kids ate candy for breakfast, she made me eat cereal, eggs and toast. When others had Coke and candy for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my dinner was different from other kids."

"My mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. You'd think we were on a chain gang. She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing. She insisted that if we said we'd be gone for an hour, that we would be gone one hour or less. She was real mean."

"I'm ashamed to admit it, but she actually had the nerve to break the child labor law. She made us work! We had to wash all the dishes, make beds, learn to cook and all sorts of cruel things. I believe she lay awake nights thinking up mean things to do to us."

"She always insisted on us telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. By the time we were teenagers she was much wiser, and our life became even more unbearable."

"None of this tooting the horn of a car for us to come running out. She embarrassed us to no end by making our dates and friends come to the door to get us. I forgot to mention, while my friends were dating at the age of 12 and 13, my old-fashioned mother refused to let me date until I was 15-16."

"My mother was a complete failure as a mother. None of us has ever been arrested or beaten a mate. Each of my brothers served his time in the service of his country. And whom do we have to blame for this terrible way we turned out? You're right, our mean mother."

"Look at all the things we've missed. We never got to take part in a riot, burn draft cards and a million and one other things that our friends did. She made us grow up into God-fearing, educated, honest adults."

"Using this as a background, I am trying to raise my children. I stand a little taller and I am filled with pride when my children call me mean. You see, I THANK GOD He gave me the meanest mother in the world."

"From this, we would say the country doesn't need a 5 cent cigar; it needs more 'mean' mothers and fathers!"

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL OF YOU WONDERFUL MOMS OUT THERE! AND... THANKS MOM FOR BEING ONE OF THE "mean" ONES! I'm really thankful that you loved us enough to stand your ground! (even though I wasn't thankful back then!)